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The Magnificent Possession
From the July 1940 issue of Future Fiction
11 pages, Unknown Binding
First published July 1, 1940
About the author
Isaac Asimov
4,370 books28.4k 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 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 19, 2026
Disappointing short story. Not Asimov's best.
September 15, 2025
Clear symbolism in absolution and daring ambiguity in character development
January 29, 2026
I read this story in the Standard Ebook's Short Science Fiction collection of Isaac Asimov’s work, and I truly enjoyed both its human and scientific dimensions.
Asimov had a remarkable understanding of the psychology surrounding scientific discovery and invention. In just a few pages, he skillfully captures the central tensions and motivations that drive scientists and capitalists alike. Greed emerges as the true engine of the story—powerfully present in both the wealthy investor and the struggling inventor.
From a scientific perspective, Asimov grounds the tale in a believable premise: the discovery of a revolutionary new electroplating substance. This attention to scientific plausibility is one of his signature strengths. He doesn’t just describe a new technology—he shows us where the frontier of science might lie and makes it feel credible.
Above all, Asimov has an extraordinary gift: he makes us dream about what the future could look like once certain breakthroughs become possible. Even more compellingly, he shows us how human nature—our ambitions, flaws, and contradictions—will inevitably shape what happens when we finally cross that frontier.
This short story is a perfect example of why Asimov remains such a powerful voice in science fiction: he combines hard science with deep human insight in a way that feels both timeless and prophetic.
Asimov had a remarkable understanding of the psychology surrounding scientific discovery and invention. In just a few pages, he skillfully captures the central tensions and motivations that drive scientists and capitalists alike. Greed emerges as the true engine of the story—powerfully present in both the wealthy investor and the struggling inventor.
From a scientific perspective, Asimov grounds the tale in a believable premise: the discovery of a revolutionary new electroplating substance. This attention to scientific plausibility is one of his signature strengths. He doesn’t just describe a new technology—he shows us where the frontier of science might lie and makes it feel credible.
Above all, Asimov has an extraordinary gift: he makes us dream about what the future could look like once certain breakthroughs become possible. Even more compellingly, he shows us how human nature—our ambitions, flaws, and contradictions—will inevitably shape what happens when we finally cross that frontier.
This short story is a perfect example of why Asimov remains such a powerful voice in science fiction: he combines hard science with deep human insight in a way that feels both timeless and prophetic.
October 14, 2024
Asimov's original title was "Ammonium." A story about the invention of an alloy destined to displace chrome, gold, etc for metal plating. The discoverer, Walter Sills and his friend Eugene are beset upon by criminals hungry to own the secret. Heinlein published a somewhat similar story of industrial disruption in "Let There Be Light" a couple of months earlier. Heinlein's better at storytelling and characterization. Asimov seems to have thought out his science more fully, but I'll leave that to the chemists to determine.
Parental suggestion: Ages 9+
Parental suggestion: Ages 9+
November 30, 2017
This story felt like a Golden Age comic plot. It was a pleasant little romp, but not much to it.
September 27, 2022
muy buen cuento de isaac asimov, que siempre nos atrapa o termina atrapándono, voy por el siguiente cuento.
May 29, 2024
More hard science than sci-fi which is why it garners the maximum rating.
May 8, 2026
SciFi, short story by a master,with Great Narration!!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews