Isaac Asimov

Author profile

born

in Petrovichi, Belarus

January 02, 1920

died

April 06, 1992

gender

male

website

http://www.asimovonline.com/

genre

Science Fiction & Fantasy, Mystery & Thrillers, Science

About this author

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Isaac Asimov was a Russian-born, American author, a professor of biochemistry, and a highly successful writer, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books.

Professor Asimov is generally considered the most prolific writer of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000 letters and postcards. He has works published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey Decimal System (lacking only an entry in the 100s category of Philosophy).

Asimov is widely considered a master of the science-fiction genre and, along with Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke, was considered one of the "Big Three" science-fiction writers during his lifetime. Asimov's most famous work is the Found...more Isaac Asimov was a Russian-born, American author, a professor of biochemistry, and a highly successful writer, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books.

Professor Asimov is generally considered the most prolific writer of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000 letters and postcards. He has works published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey Decimal System (lacking only an entry in the 100s category of Philosophy).

Asimov is widely considered a master of the science-fiction genre and, along with Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke, was considered one of the "Big Three" science-fiction writers during his lifetime. Asimov's most famous work is the Foundation Series; his other major series are the Galactic Empire series and the Robot series, both of which he later tied into the same fictional universe as the Foundation Series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those pioneered by Robert A. Heinlein and previously produced by Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson. He penned numerous short stories, among them "Nightfall", which in 1964 was voted by the Science Fiction Writers of America the best short science fiction story of all time, a title many still honor. He also wrote mysteries and fantasy, as well as a great amount of nonfiction. Asimov wrote the Lucky Starr series of juvenile science-fiction novels using the pen name Paul French.

Most of Asimov's popularized science books explain scientific concepts in a historical way, going as far back as possible to a time when the science in question was at its simplest stage. He often provides nationalities, birth dates, and death dates for the scientists he mentions, as well as etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Examples include his Guide to Science, the three volume set Understanding Physics, and Asimov's Chronology of Science and Discovery.

Asimov was a long-time member and Vice President of Mensa International, albeit reluctantly; he described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs" He took more joy in being president of the American Humanist Association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, a Brooklyn, NY elementary school, and two different Isaac Asimov Awards are named in his honor.

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Isaac Asimov. (2007, November 29). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:50, November 29, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?t...(less)

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Isaac Asimov's Books

Average rating: 4.03 · 657,073 ratings · 14,577 reviews · 1,630 distinct works · Similar authors

	Foundation (Foundation, #1) 3.97 of 5 stars 3.97 avg rating — 145,851 ratings — published 1951 — 102 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	I, Robot 4.08 of 5 stars 4.08 avg rating — 84,974 ratings — published 1950 — 132 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Foundation and Empire (Foundation, #2) 4.14 of 5 stars 4.14 avg rating — 52,777 ratings — published 1952 — 87 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Second Foundation (Foundation, #3) 4.16 of 5 stars 4.16 avg rating — 50,371 ratings — published 1953 — 80 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Foundation Trilogy (Foundation, #1-3) 4.32 of 5 stars 4.32 avg rating — 30,610 ratings — published 1951 — 41 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Caves of Steel (Robot, #1) 4.07 of 5 stars 4.07 avg rating — 24,115 ratings — published 1954 — 72 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Foundation's Edge (Foundation, #4) 3.95 of 5 stars 3.95 avg rating — 21,526 ratings — published 1982 — 62 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Foundation and Earth (Foundation, #5) 3.92 of 5 stars 3.92 avg rating — 18,962 ratings — published 1984 — 58 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Prelude to Foundation (Foundation: Prequel, #1) 3.89 of 5 stars 3.89 avg rating — 18,115 ratings — published 1988	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Gods Themselves 4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 avg rating — 16,480 ratings — published 1972 — 59 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Isaac Asimov…

Series by Isaac Asimov

Foundation (Publication Order) (7 books)
by Isaac Asimov
4.048296486290176 of 5 stars 4.05 avg rating — 352,448 ratings

Foundation (Chronological Order) (7 books)
by Isaac Asimov
4.048296486290176 of 5 stars 4.05 avg rating — 352,448 ratings

Robot (4 books)
by Isaac Asimov
4.072737159894241 of 5 stars 4.07 avg rating — 159,987 ratings

Galactic Empire (3 books)
by Isaac Asimov
3.7571869639794166 of 5 stars 3.76 avg rating — 14,575 ratings

Lucky Starr (6 books)
by Isaac Asimov
3.512211823784524 of 5 stars 3.51 avg rating — 4,381 ratings

More series by Isaac Asimov…

Quotes by Isaac Asimov

“The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.”
― Isaac Asimov

tags: life, science, wisdom

6,256 people liked it

“Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what is right.”
― Isaac Asimov, Foundation

tags: humor, inspirational, philosophy, wisdom

3,074 people liked it

“If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn't brood. I'd type a little faster.”
― Isaac Asimov

tags: humor, writing

1,460 people liked it

See all Isaac Asimov's quotes »

Polls

Random Sci-Fi for August: which book would you like to read?

Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury

72 votes, 27.8%

The Years of Rice and Salt, by Kim Stanley Robinson

38 votes, 14.7%

The Caves of Steel, by Isaac Asimov

38 votes, 14.7%

Dawn, by Octavia E. Butler

31 votes, 12.0%

Remnant Population, by Elizabeth Moon

26 votes, 10.0%

Planet of the Damned, by Harry Harrison

21 votes, 8.1%

Woman on the Edge of Time, by Marge Piercy

13 votes, 5.0%

Ammonite, by Nicola Griffith

11 votes, 4.2%

Queen City Jazz, by Kathleen Ann Goonan

5 votes, 1.9%

Walk to the End of the World, by Suzy McKee Charnas

4 votes, 1.5%

259 total votes

19 comments

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The Next Best Boo...: Utopia/Distopia Books	17	219	Apr 21, 2009 10:51am

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Isaac Asimov

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combine editionsIsaac Asimov's Books

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combine editions
Isaac Asimov's Books