Before the Golden Age 2

Before the Golden Age #2 of 4

by Isaac Asimov (Editor)

A Science Fiction Anthology of the 1930s, vol 2 of 4
Contents:
* Tumithak of the Corridors / Charles R Tanner;
* The Moon Era / Jack Williamson;
* The Man Who Awoke / Laurence Manning;
* Tumithak in Shawm / Charles R Tanner.

Originally 26 stories published in one hardcover volume

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Short Stories, Anthologies, Collections, Science Fiction Fantasy

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Works of prolific Russian-American writer Isaac Asimov include popular explanations of scientific principles, The Foundation Trilogy (1951-1953), and other volumes of fiction.

Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.

Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).

People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.

Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.

Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...

Reviews

[Olethros · Rating 3 out of 5]

-Mirando hacia atrás con añoranza, respeto y un poquito de autobombo.-

Género. Relatos.

Lo que nos cuenta. Mezcla de biografía personal y profesional de Asimov con antología de relatos de género, comentados por él mismo con actitudes menos asimovianas de lo habitual pero que pueden incomodar a más de un lector no familiarizado con el ego del escritor, que despertaron las ganas del autor por escribir, en su juventud, al leer la Ciencia ficción que publicaban las revistas pioneras en los USA (y diría que alguna de sus tramas le inspiró otras a él). En el título original deja bien claro, a diferencia del español, que trata del periodo previo a la Edad de Oro de la Ciencia ficción y, además, divide el volumen original en dos partes (este, en concreto, hasta 1933).

¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:

http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...

[Rex Libris · Rating 4 out of 5]

More SF short stories from Asimov's childhood. I read these stories several times in my youth. Some I remember, some I did not. It is interesting that I did not remember the better stories in this bunch. Just the ones I did not enjoy as much.

The stories I did remember were one where it was theorized our galaxy was just an atom in a bigger universe and the protagonist makes himself bigger and sees the bigger universe, and a story about a man who is able to slide sideways through time into alternate worlds and tries to set himself up as a king in one of those worlds.

The ones I did not remember were a Tumithak sequel, as story where a man wakes in the far distant future, a story where the Earth is an egg that hatches a weird being and the last man and woman get away in a space ark (an inspiration for Clarke's Childhood's End?), and a story where a Martian and Earthman talk to one another using what are essentially giant Aldiss lamps.

[Robu-sensei · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the characterization in these six tales from the dawn of short science fiction may bemuse the modern reader—the stalwart, square-jawed hero and his damsel-who-must-be-protected seemed to be de rigeur in those days—and the futuristic technology unintentionally hilarious, I am happy to report that the stories have weathered the passage of time almost unscathed, despite these quirks. The plots are not too farfetched, and the characters believable. In several instances the authors guessed amazingly well how science would advance decades hence, and what challenges would face future society, especially concerning our dwindling supplies of fossil fuels and other natural resources.

[Ailin H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Son los personajes que exploran su identidad en mundos tan extraños a los nuestros como similares, las diferencias entre sus tribus que desean resolver para construir una sociedad en la que pertenecer, que arrastran a través de la historia y que innegablemente representan parte de la humanidad. La edad de oro de la ciencia ficción ll es parte de una gran colección que forma parte de relatos tan impresionantes que nos sitúan en escenarios fantásticos pero que, de alguna manera, logran hacernos sentir identificados.

[Rachel Lapidow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting stories that were conducted a bit like thought experiments. If you like hard science, you probably won't like these tales, but if you want a retro story, you might like these. There is a fair amount of racism, and women are generally seen as princesses to be saved instead of fully actualized people. Also, the science facts that are given are very out of date. In one story, Jupiter is said to have nine moons and Saturn to have ten.

[Tell Tale Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

-Gregory Kerkman