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Yours, Isaac Asimov: A Lifetime of Letters
Isaac Asimov was one of the most prolific authors of our time. When he died in 1992 at the age of seventy-two, he had published more than 470 books in nearly every category of fiction and nonfiction. Asimov was a prodigious correspondent as well as a prolific author. During his professional career he received more than one hundred thousand letters, over ninety thousand of which he answered.
For Asimov's younger brother, veteran newspaperman Stanley Asimov, the creation of Yours, Isaac Asimov was truly a labor of love. Completed before Stanley's death in August 1995, the book is made up of excerpts from one thousand never-before-published letters, each handpicked by Stanley for inclusion in this volume. Arranged by subject and accompanied by Stanley's short, insightful introductions, here are letters to statesmen and scientists, actors and authors, as well as to children, housewives, aspiring writers, and fans the world over. The letters are warm, engaging, reasoned, and occasionally impassioned. Through them all Isaac Asimov's legendary genius, wit, and charm shine through.
And so we have Yours, Isaac Asimov: A Lifetime of Letters , an intimate glimpse into the thoughts, feelings, and opinions of a great writer and thinker of the modern age. As Stanley Asimov advised, "Read the letters carefully. One of them may have been written to you."
From the Trade Paperback edition.
For Asimov's younger brother, veteran newspaperman Stanley Asimov, the creation of Yours, Isaac Asimov was truly a labor of love. Completed before Stanley's death in August 1995, the book is made up of excerpts from one thousand never-before-published letters, each handpicked by Stanley for inclusion in this volume. Arranged by subject and accompanied by Stanley's short, insightful introductions, here are letters to statesmen and scientists, actors and authors, as well as to children, housewives, aspiring writers, and fans the world over. The letters are warm, engaging, reasoned, and occasionally impassioned. Through them all Isaac Asimov's legendary genius, wit, and charm shine through.
And so we have Yours, Isaac Asimov: A Lifetime of Letters , an intimate glimpse into the thoughts, feelings, and opinions of a great writer and thinker of the modern age. As Stanley Asimov advised, "Read the letters carefully. One of them may have been written to you."
From the Trade Paperback edition.
332 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1995
7 people are currently reading
460 people want to read
About the author
Isaac Asimov
4,340 books27.8k followersWorks 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...
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...
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
April 18, 2021
This is a unique book, a collection of excerpts selected by his brother, Stanley Asimov, from over 40,000 letters that Isaac Asimov wrote to his friends and fans. He's by turns funny, heartfelt, insightful, gracious, sincere, and always clever, witty, charming, and intelligent. The book is divided into fifty-two categories, and presents Asimov commenting about or writing to other science fiction luminaries such as John W. Campbell, Frederik Pohl, Arthur C. Clarke, L. Sprague de Camp, Lester del Rey, Harlan Ellison, etc., as well as offering pithy thoughts about travel, science, fans, science fiction (of course!), overpopulation, women's rights, being Jewish, Shakespeare, and on and on. Asimov has come to be criticized in recent times for some of his opinions and actions (he was in many ways a product of his times), but he was a very brilliant man and expressed himself with amazing clarity and good humor. This is a very good companion volume to his autobiographies, as well as being enriching and entertaining on its own.
July 16, 2014
This was a great insight to Asimov's life. A friend of mine had a friend who was a huge fan of Asimov. He happened to be in New York (late eighties/early nineties) and had the gumption to go to Asimov's address and ask the security guy there to speak to his idol. The man said he would ask. To my his surprise, Asimov agreed to come down and meet him in the lobby. They then spoke for about twenty minutes. Cool or cool?
This book of compiled letters written to Asimov shows exactly the sort of attention Asimov gave to those who read his work.
What struck me most was that Asimov could not (or refrained from) taking vacation because upon his return, he would always find pile of letters there at the door that he simply had to answer (with at least a limerick or acknowledgement of some kind - usually written on the back of a postcard) before he could get back to his usual writing schedule.
This book of compiled letters written to Asimov shows exactly the sort of attention Asimov gave to those who read his work.
What struck me most was that Asimov could not (or refrained from) taking vacation because upon his return, he would always find pile of letters there at the door that he simply had to answer (with at least a limerick or acknowledgement of some kind - usually written on the back of a postcard) before he could get back to his usual writing schedule.
January 8, 2011
Frankly, I have only heard of Asimov and never read any of his science fiction work. (I read fantasy and not much s.f.). This book is so delightful as I love any book that would reveal the writing process of a writer (be it the whole process or partly thereof).
Asimov is definitely witty, and this explains why this book is funny and yet contains a lot of wisdom as well as good writing tips for a writer like me. I envy his speed of typing (90-words-per-minute on a manual typewriter!). I can only do 75 wpm on a laptop. This explains how he can produce around 500 books during his lifetime.
Asimov is definitely witty, and this explains why this book is funny and yet contains a lot of wisdom as well as good writing tips for a writer like me. I envy his speed of typing (90-words-per-minute on a manual typewriter!). I can only do 75 wpm on a laptop. This explains how he can produce around 500 books during his lifetime.
January 12, 2026
A genuinely wonderful reading experience, Yours, Isaac Asimov is a collection of letters from Asimov himself to friends, family, colleagues, celebrities and fans. Asimov was quite keen on responding to as much of his fan mail as possible throughout his lengthy career, and kept carbon copies of most of what he wrote. Asimov wrote very much how he spoke; eloquently, insightfully and honestly, so this book is a fantastic insight into his thoughts. He discusses a wide range of topics; science fiction, politics, the writing process, science, war, life and death... down to silly things like food preferences and smutty limericks.
The collection is edited by his brother, Stanley Asimov, and is bookended by a touching fore- and afterword. Each chapter is themed, so there is a chapter on health, a chapter on family, a chapter on travel, and so on. Stanley (clearly a skilful writer in his own right) introduces each section of the book, providing a little background and context.
Fans of Asimov should not hesitate to read this book. Asimov speaks so candidly and openly about all topics; I know Asimov is not everyone's cup of tea but fans of his will get so much from this collection. He is a fascinating character; uniquely intelligent, highly interesting and writes in a clear and unpretentious way. He is often criticised for being conceited and arrogant, but in reality it's clear that he just does not believe in false modesty. He actually has a fairly self-deprecating sense of humour and is so quick to heap praise on others. Given the breadth of topics and the length of time it spans (nearly 50 years worth of letters), we really see so much of his personality, his quirks and idiosyncrasies, and even some real vulnerable moments from him. It is an almost autobiographical book in this respect.
I enjoyed every single page, an absolute delight.
The collection is edited by his brother, Stanley Asimov, and is bookended by a touching fore- and afterword. Each chapter is themed, so there is a chapter on health, a chapter on family, a chapter on travel, and so on. Stanley (clearly a skilful writer in his own right) introduces each section of the book, providing a little background and context.
Fans of Asimov should not hesitate to read this book. Asimov speaks so candidly and openly about all topics; I know Asimov is not everyone's cup of tea but fans of his will get so much from this collection. He is a fascinating character; uniquely intelligent, highly interesting and writes in a clear and unpretentious way. He is often criticised for being conceited and arrogant, but in reality it's clear that he just does not believe in false modesty. He actually has a fairly self-deprecating sense of humour and is so quick to heap praise on others. Given the breadth of topics and the length of time it spans (nearly 50 years worth of letters), we really see so much of his personality, his quirks and idiosyncrasies, and even some real vulnerable moments from him. It is an almost autobiographical book in this respect.
I enjoyed every single page, an absolute delight.
February 14, 2018
Isaac Asimov was a prolific writer. Over the course of his career, he wrote nearly 500 books. That is not unusual of itself. What is amazing is that he had books published in all ten of the major categories of the Dewey Decimal system.
His books were translated into many languages. He received letters from fans from all over the world. And he answered them himself keeping carbon copies of his replies.
After Asimov's death, his brother sorted through some 40,000 letters and postcards. He selected from these and assembled this book. The letters are loosely arranged by topic.
Now that the dry description is done, read this book for the fun of it. Asimov had a big sense of humor and it shows in many of the letters. His limericks are a bit ribald, as good limericks often are. Some of the topics are worthy of careful consideration.
Anyone familiar with Asimov should read this book. Any science fiction fan should read this book. Any Shakespeare lover should read this book. Writers should read this book. Just read this book.
His books were translated into many languages. He received letters from fans from all over the world. And he answered them himself keeping carbon copies of his replies.
After Asimov's death, his brother sorted through some 40,000 letters and postcards. He selected from these and assembled this book. The letters are loosely arranged by topic.
Now that the dry description is done, read this book for the fun of it. Asimov had a big sense of humor and it shows in many of the letters. His limericks are a bit ribald, as good limericks often are. Some of the topics are worthy of careful consideration.
Anyone familiar with Asimov should read this book. Any science fiction fan should read this book. Any Shakespeare lover should read this book. Writers should read this book. Just read this book.
April 5, 2008
I was sad to find out his views on certain things, but still able to enjoy his funny stories, jokes, and self-references.
July 12, 2010
A delightful compilation of letters. I really enjoy reading them, and may read the letters again and again for inspiration.
May 24, 2020
Since Isaac Asimov wrote about so many things and engaged in other literary activities such as preparing anthologies, the precise number of books that he wrote is open to interpretation. He may be the only person to have a book listed in every classification category in the Dewey Decimal system. At this time, the number of books is generally stated as “over 500.”
Often lost in this is the fact that he wrote over 90,000 letters and postcards. These short items were to friends, colleagues, publishers and nearly everyone that wrote to him. He was so famous that he once received a letter from the Soviet Union addressed to, “Isaac Asimov, Famous author, United States.” Asimov was very diligent in personally reading and answering his mail.
This book is an edited compilation of his letters, where the editing was done by his brother Stanley. In them, we see Asimov relatively unfiltered, expressing his true thoughts without an editor concerned about the level of sales and profits. Asimov was open about expressing his opinions in his other writings, but here you see him writing where there was no expectation of it being seen by anyone else other than the recipient.
Many of Asimov’s letters have been lost, which is clearly unfortunate, for like all other items that emanated from his typewriter, they would have been a joy to read.
Often lost in this is the fact that he wrote over 90,000 letters and postcards. These short items were to friends, colleagues, publishers and nearly everyone that wrote to him. He was so famous that he once received a letter from the Soviet Union addressed to, “Isaac Asimov, Famous author, United States.” Asimov was very diligent in personally reading and answering his mail.
This book is an edited compilation of his letters, where the editing was done by his brother Stanley. In them, we see Asimov relatively unfiltered, expressing his true thoughts without an editor concerned about the level of sales and profits. Asimov was open about expressing his opinions in his other writings, but here you see him writing where there was no expectation of it being seen by anyone else other than the recipient.
Many of Asimov’s letters have been lost, which is clearly unfortunate, for like all other items that emanated from his typewriter, they would have been a joy to read.
June 25, 2024
حیف که محتوای یکی از نامههای استیون کینگ به آسیموف محقق نشد و هزاره رو ندید به دلیل خطای مشکوک پزشکی. نامهها معمولاً زندگی و میزان اثرگذاری و دید عمیقتری از نویسنده رو به نمایش میگذارند. برای کسانی که به زندگینامه و شخصیتهای خاصی علاقه داشته باشند، خواندن نامهها هم ضرورت و سرگرمی جذاب هست. بخصوص در این مورد که آسیموف نویسنده و طرف مقابل نامه باشه.
در مورد مخاطبین فارسی زبان هم یادم هست حدود بیست سال پیش و در نامه ها هم خودش اشاره کرده که هم به ایران دعوت شده بود هم یکی از مترجمین نسخه هایی رو که خودش کار کرده بود براش فرستاده بود و بدون شکایت از مساله ترجمه بدون مجوز چاپ از ناشرین اصلی، ابراز خوشحالی میکنه که مخاطب فارسی زبان هم این امکان رو داشته که کتابهاش رو بخونه.
کمی بعد از فوت آسیموف همسرش هم کتابی رو چاپ کرد. این کتاب نامه هایی هست که برادرش استنلی جمع آوری کرد. باربارا والترز در یک مصاحبه ازش پرسید اگر بدونی ۶ ماه بیشتر زنده نیستی چیکار میکنی؟ آسیموف: «سریعتر تایپ میکنم!» و کمی بعد در یک نامه نوشته بود حیف برنامه رو خودم ندیدم کیف کنم چی گفتم. :))
در مورد مخاطبین فارسی زبان هم یادم هست حدود بیست سال پیش و در نامه ها هم خودش اشاره کرده که هم به ایران دعوت شده بود هم یکی از مترجمین نسخه هایی رو که خودش کار کرده بود براش فرستاده بود و بدون شکایت از مساله ترجمه بدون مجوز چاپ از ناشرین اصلی، ابراز خوشحالی میکنه که مخاطب فارسی زبان هم این امکان رو داشته که کتابهاش رو بخونه.
کمی بعد از فوت آسیموف همسرش هم کتابی رو چاپ کرد. این کتاب نامه هایی هست که برادرش استنلی جمع آوری کرد. باربارا والترز در یک مصاحبه ازش پرسید اگر بدونی ۶ ماه بیشتر زنده نیستی چیکار میکنی؟ آسیموف: «سریعتر تایپ میکنم!» و کمی بعد در یک نامه نوشته بود حیف برنامه رو خودم ندیدم کیف کنم چی گفتم. :))
December 13, 2020
Kudos to Stanley Asimov for looking through many thousands of Isaac Asimov's letters and putting excerpts from them together for this book. It's a pity Stanley had died before Yours, Isaac Asimov was released, I wish he could have seen his magnificent work in print.
Definitely a must-read for any Asimov fan.
Definitely a must-read for any Asimov fan.
July 16, 2023
Asimov is, for the record, my favorite author. Smart, witty, talented - and he knows it.
Things i want to learn from him:
- scientific communication
- endless thirst for knowledge
- ability to absorb and remember things about the world
- humor
- take the high road
Collection of favorite quotes on Twitter.
Things i want to learn from him:
- scientific communication
- endless thirst for knowledge
- ability to absorb and remember things about the world
- humor
- take the high road
Collection of favorite quotes on Twitter.
February 4, 2018
Die Briefe des Meisters. Einige kurz und bündig, andere fast lang und voller Weisheit. Good Job, Stan!
December 5, 2018
My review is only four stars, for personal reasons. Only that, mostly, it saddens me to read his notes, posthumously.
September 4, 2020
This was a great read to say good-bye for one of my beloved authors.
November 7, 2007
This book is a total delight. Shortly after Isaac Asimov died his brother Stanley began sorting through his exorbitant amount of personal correspondence. Asimov had thousands upon thousands of letters he had donated to his archives at Boston University. Well it took Stanley nearly two years to read through them but he has produced some true gems for our personal enjoyment.
The book itself is divided into segments or headings, which contain letters dealing with the heading's subject. For instance, "Youth" would deal with letters from Asimov describing his youth and so forth. Some of the other headings are; Shakespeare, limericks, editors, publishers, celebrities, friends, fans. We are able to read Asimov's witty and sometimes highly humorous responses to all sorts of odd letters and flattering requests.
Personally I enjoyed this book because it's essentially a book written by Isaac himself. You sense his personal warmth, dedication to his writing, and honest nature more than anything. His honesty spills forth in his candid descriptions about death and his own mortality and also his forthright feelings about being an atheist. You feel as if you are reading letters from your surrogate Grandfather and you can't help but feel an emotional sense of compassion for the man who tried like no other to educate and make people feel good about themselves. Other aspects about this book I enjoyed are Asimov's descriptions of his personal idiosyncrasies such as his phobia about flying and traveling, his penchant for flirting with just about any woman he met, and his fastidiousness in paying debts. You'll definitely come away from this book feeling wiser and happier for having read it.
The book itself is divided into segments or headings, which contain letters dealing with the heading's subject. For instance, "Youth" would deal with letters from Asimov describing his youth and so forth. Some of the other headings are; Shakespeare, limericks, editors, publishers, celebrities, friends, fans. We are able to read Asimov's witty and sometimes highly humorous responses to all sorts of odd letters and flattering requests.
Personally I enjoyed this book because it's essentially a book written by Isaac himself. You sense his personal warmth, dedication to his writing, and honest nature more than anything. His honesty spills forth in his candid descriptions about death and his own mortality and also his forthright feelings about being an atheist. You feel as if you are reading letters from your surrogate Grandfather and you can't help but feel an emotional sense of compassion for the man who tried like no other to educate and make people feel good about themselves. Other aspects about this book I enjoyed are Asimov's descriptions of his personal idiosyncrasies such as his phobia about flying and traveling, his penchant for flirting with just about any woman he met, and his fastidiousness in paying debts. You'll definitely come away from this book feeling wiser and happier for having read it.
February 17, 2012
Isaac Asimov was the most prolific writer of all time. That is no more clearly seen that in his letters, which in addition to his 500 or so books, thousands of essays, number in the tens of thousands. His brother, Stanley, does a great job in sifting through, condensing, and presenting just a small portion of that verbose correspondence for the perusal of the casual reader. Not only does one acquire a feeling for the real, unassuming persona of Isaac Asimov, but one also understands what was important to him on a personal level.
The book is divided into chapters by topic, arranged mostly chronologically. As such, it is easy to get a feel for how Asimov felt about a particular subject through the passing of the decades. I often had to remind myself of when certain letters were written, and often came to wonder how Asimov's views would have changed had he lived to see the past 20 years.
In all, I thoroughly enjoyed this selection: it was easy to read (as is nearly all of Asimov's writing) but that doesn't mean that there was not plenty to ponder and ruminate upon, not least of which is the vast knowledge and great treasure that was Asimov that exists now in the billions of words he left behind.
The book is divided into chapters by topic, arranged mostly chronologically. As such, it is easy to get a feel for how Asimov felt about a particular subject through the passing of the decades. I often had to remind myself of when certain letters were written, and often came to wonder how Asimov's views would have changed had he lived to see the past 20 years.
In all, I thoroughly enjoyed this selection: it was easy to read (as is nearly all of Asimov's writing) but that doesn't mean that there was not plenty to ponder and ruminate upon, not least of which is the vast knowledge and great treasure that was Asimov that exists now in the billions of words he left behind.
April 19, 2019
Asimov was from a more optimistic era, when things seemed a lot simpler. I love his writing style, though I also enjoy other authors who create more complicated stories. His attitudes are unabashed and unashamed, though they show the era in which he lived. I don’t think he’s like the current era, with its pessimism, isolationism and political correctness. He knew he was popular; there was no use being humble about it. So he took advantage of it, and he gave back to the scientific and SF community. What struck me most was the way he described SF vs sci-fi, his attitude about writing -especially in the way everything makes sense at the end and how most of his characters are intelligent, and the fact that he responded to almost every single letter he received.
September 19, 2016
This book was wonderful, so great! I am glad Isaac Asimov's brother decided to put together some of his letters! It gives such an unique and charming view into Asimov's life, personality, and work. I love Asimov! He was such an adorkable guy, so unabashedly himself and had a larger than life personality. I am amazed continually by how much CONTENT he produced during his life, how driven and absolutely tethered to writing he was. Death itself almost couldn't stop him! He was writing up until the end, sick bed or no! I admire his natural genius and his devotion to his craft. It is mind-blowing. I love reading his opinions on science and science fiction, his absurdly funny and clever stories, and commentary on life, the universe, and everything. And it was almost quite literally EVERYTHING.
Read this book, if you are an Asimov fan. It is so awesome!
Read this book, if you are an Asimov fan. It is so awesome!
April 19, 2013
I walked into a little bookstore in northern Vermont and saw a bin labelled "Free Books." How could I resist? I wasn't expecting much but then the unmistakable sideburns caught my eye. Beneath the cover photo it read "Bound Galley - Not For Sale" "An Uncorrected Proof" What a find! This will sit on the edge of the vanity in the bathroom. A place of honor in our home. It will take months to read letter by letter.
March 13, 2016
Strictly for the trufan, and that would be me. The fact that Asimov's brother edited his letters down to little nubs of substance makes for convenient organization and easy reading, but it does seem odd that there are virtually no complete letters in this collection. Another quibble: since the collection only really starts in Asimov's 40s, after he started donating his papers to BU, it's hardly the "lifetime of letters" promised by the subtitle. Still, I enjoyed it.
April 11, 2008
really only for hardcore asimovians, and after you've read the other biogs...
June 16, 2011
I'm biased. I like Asimov's nonfiction a lot. What was surprising was that I found him a very positive example. Cocky-funny, even. A keeper.
July 30, 2011
An interesting peek into Asimov's mind. Recommended for any Asimov fan.
October 5, 2012
A bit dry, but interesting. A collection of correspondence between Asimov and his fans, and some famous people too. this helps to give you a glimpse of the kind of man he was.
April 15, 2015
An excellent close up view of the Good Doctor's life
May 9, 2015
My only complaint is that there wasn't more. Asimov is such a joy to read and I thank his brother for this lovely work.
June 30, 2011
A peek into the master’s life, through his letters.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews