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The Autobiography of Isaac Asimov #2
In Joy Still Felt: The Autobiography, 1954-1978
The second volume in the autobiography of this prolific science fiction writer, who was also a child prodigy and a renowned professor. This recounts his career from his first book to his 200th, from early rejections to critical acclaim. Photographs, a catalog of his books by Asimov, title and name indexes.
840 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 1980
About the author
Isaac Asimov
4,368 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 - 27 of 27 reviews
April 15, 2021
This is the very detailed autobiography of Isaac Asimov and covers the years 1954 to 1978; the companion volume, In Memory Yet Green, starts with his birth in 1920 and goes to 1954. Asimov's style is very slick, smooth, simple, and addictive, and captures the attention of the reader completely, even though you may realize after an hour that not much has happened in the last fifty pages. His ego and attitude may be a bit off-putting at times, but his remarkable memory of events and details is marvelous, and his opinions and perspectives on other science fiction celebrities is particularly fascinating. It also provides an educated look at the political, social, and scientific changes, events, and viewpoints of the mid-twentieth century and how he and those around him viewed them at the time. It's a great two-volume historical work, not just for science fiction fans.
October 1, 2014
To begin with, I think one has to be a serious Isaac Asimov fan in order to be willing to slog through over 1400 pages of his two part autobiography. This book, and the volume 1 companion, "In memory yet green" (which I read years ago), are definitely not for the faint of heart, or the casual reader.
Having said that, I really enjoyed this book. I have always enjoyed Isaac Asimov's writing style - both his Sci Fi stuff, as well as his non-fiction science writing. I'm also old enough to remember Asimov's presence at Sci Fi conventions, and occasional TV appearances, and was curious what this man who wrote so prodigiously was really like. Was he kind of a 'writing savant"? Did he have any interests outside of writing? Did he have an ego as big as his book cover photos and author bios sometimes suggested?
When there is an author I thoroughly enjoy, like Asimov, it is nice to get some background on the personal life. Here Asimov provides it in droves. To be sure, Asimov does not tell the whole story of his divorce, etc. But you get a good glimpse into his writing habits, where he got his ideas, the evolution of the publishing industry over the 50 years he covers, the birth and growth of fandom conventions over the same years, etc.
I actually had a collection of his Sci Fi short stories next to me, and when ever he would mention writing a certain story in his autobiography (where the idea came from, where the story was first published, etc), I would read read the short story. This proved to me to be a great way to follow Asimovs life.
Again, this book is likely not for everyone. But I enjoyed it.
Having said that, I really enjoyed this book. I have always enjoyed Isaac Asimov's writing style - both his Sci Fi stuff, as well as his non-fiction science writing. I'm also old enough to remember Asimov's presence at Sci Fi conventions, and occasional TV appearances, and was curious what this man who wrote so prodigiously was really like. Was he kind of a 'writing savant"? Did he have any interests outside of writing? Did he have an ego as big as his book cover photos and author bios sometimes suggested?
When there is an author I thoroughly enjoy, like Asimov, it is nice to get some background on the personal life. Here Asimov provides it in droves. To be sure, Asimov does not tell the whole story of his divorce, etc. But you get a good glimpse into his writing habits, where he got his ideas, the evolution of the publishing industry over the 50 years he covers, the birth and growth of fandom conventions over the same years, etc.
I actually had a collection of his Sci Fi short stories next to me, and when ever he would mention writing a certain story in his autobiography (where the idea came from, where the story was first published, etc), I would read read the short story. This proved to me to be a great way to follow Asimovs life.
Again, this book is likely not for everyone. But I enjoyed it.
April 27, 2016
I loved Asimov ever since I came across Second Foundation and Currents of Space at the age of 8 or 9, nearly 60 years ago. His character as the "Good Doctor" in his introduction to his science articles in the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction (read by me in the many collective volumes) has probably done more to shape me than anything else in my life.
His writing is unputdownable regardless the subject he his writing about. His autobiographies just provide a huge amount to read. Much of what he writes in his autobiography he has told elsewhere in snippets (in his introduction to his and others books for example) but to have it altogether, in order and greater detail is great.
He was the great rationalist but has always come across as very likeable and human. His second wife Janet apparently felt the first two volumes of his autobiography were too detailed, I must disagree.
His writing is unputdownable regardless the subject he his writing about. His autobiographies just provide a huge amount to read. Much of what he writes in his autobiography he has told elsewhere in snippets (in his introduction to his and others books for example) but to have it altogether, in order and greater detail is great.
He was the great rationalist but has always come across as very likeable and human. His second wife Janet apparently felt the first two volumes of his autobiography were too detailed, I must disagree.
June 10, 2015
Perhaps one of the most honest autobiographies I have ever read. Contains not only the accomplishments and self-praises but many of Asimov's weaknesses and foibles as well. It may seem too self-centered for many readers, but it can be very entertaining for those who appreciate his candor and sense of humor.
June 20, 2026
A book I was just going to look up some details, but ended up reading non-stop for a week!
In a recent review, I wrote of Isaac Asimov (1920 – 1992) and his importance to my own science fiction reading. In the last century he was one of the ‘Big Three’ science fiction authors (the other two being Robert A Heinlein and Arthur C Clarke) that was available to me when I first started reading the genre, and as a result he holds a special place in my formative reading years.
The result of that reread was that I picked up this, an autobiography created from Isaac’s diaries and suffused with his memories.
This is actually the second half – the first, In Memory Yet Green (published in 1979), was a 732 page book that covered 1920 (the year of Asimov’s birth) – 1954. In this second volume (a mere 828 pages), we pick things up in 1954, although Asimov kindly summarises the first volume for us in the front of this one.
Although he had published well – respected science fiction stories such as the Foundation series by this point, the money Asimov made in writing SF was pretty poor, easily outpaced by his salary as an associate biochemistry lecturer at Boston University School of Medicine.
One of the enthralling aspects of the book is to see how Asimov went from relatively humble beginnings in 1954 to being perhaps the world’s best known science fiction writer– certainly the world’s best-known science writer - less than 25 years later. By the end of this book, Asimov has published 200 books (mostly non-fiction)* and is the most prolific author of the late 20th century. The process is fascinating.
You don’t get to publish that many books without being able to write, and Asimov manages to turn what could be just a mundane itinerary into something eminently readable. I must admit that I was not sure about reading a diary, and at its worst I was rather expecting one of those diary summaries that say things like “Monday – wrote a book; Tuesday – edited a book; Wednesday wrote a book…”
Admittedly, there are times, particularly towards the end, when In Joy Yet Felt becomes a little bit more of “wrote a book, started another” annotated list, so that concern seems a little valid. However, the other details peppered throughout were enough to keep me reading. It is how I imagine Asimov would tell it, filled with quips, bonne mots and forensic detail to make it a surprisingly engaging read, chattier than it should be and surprisingly honest.
This honesty is shown through Asimov’s admission of his sales through writing and the consequent growth in income. The first half of this book shows how his yearly income rose from $6000 in 1954 (mainly his university work) to $72 000 in 1962 (mainly books published), after which he stopped mentioning it, “since it is no longer anything but incidental”.
“Oh, that’s just bragging!” said one person I mentioned this book to. And yes, it could be seen as that – even more so when you can add a 0 to give a figure roughly equating to its value in 2026 – but Asimov doesn’t present it like that.
It is more about him registering shock that he is earning that much, especially when comparing it to his income from Boston University (and if you want to read how much academic rivalry was a part of a university lecturer’s job, this is a sombre read, as Boston University initially looked down on Asimov for popularising science in his writing).
This view of science writing for the mainstream is ironic, considering Asimov’s change in writing from fiction to non-fiction over this time and the consequential growth in Asimov’s popularity as an explainer of science. And it therefore should not be a surprise that, as a result, all of this is delivered in a readable manner, which makes even mundane details readable.
Even though Asimov pretty much gives up writing science fiction in the 1960’s until the 1980’s, eschewing such material for the much more lucrative environment of science fact - his science fact articles were a monthly staple of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction for over 30 years, from November 1958 to December 1991 - he never loses his SF connection.
As a result, throughout the book there are mentions of other authors from the time: lots of others, but in particular Poul Anderson, L. Sprague de Camp, Ben Bova, Carl Sagan, Robert A Heinlein, Arthur C Clarke, Harlan Ellison, Frederik Pohl, Ray Bradbury, and so on, and this is something that science fiction readers will be most interested in, I think. Some of them are clearly life-long friends.
But what surprised me most was that through this book we read the ‘voice’ of Asimov – his thoughts and opinions on things throughout, and it is perhaps this that kept me reading. In Joy Still Felt is more than just a list of events, because around these details Asimov, the consummate raconteur, fills the book with commentary about friends, family, events, fellow writers and publishers that he somehow managed to meet in-between writing all those books.
Monetary details aside, Asimov’s descriptions give the reader an idea of what it was like to be a popular writer in the US in the 1960’s and 1970’s. The book feels like an encapsulation of a time when interest in SF and science was on the rise, with its talk of publishers, other authors, Hugo Awards and the like, and Asimov was part of that means of popularising both.
Away from science-fiction we also find out about Asimov’s political leanings, although this is not given in excessive detail. He does make clear his views on the Vietnam War - the polar opposite of Robert A Heinlein’s – and politicians such as Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter are generally disliked or generally disapproved of. Asimov’s ire is especially shown towards Nixon, whose involvement in Watergate is almost gleefully monitored by Isaac.
If nothing else, this autobiography shows Asimov was a workaholic, although I don’t think he always saw it as such, more a case of just enjoying what he was doing. He was clearly relishing finding things out and then using his discoveries to write about, in a clear and accessible manner, something in the fields of science or otherwise – The Bible, Shakespeare, Gilbert & Sullivan, for example.**
There was a degree of justification there too - Asimov clearly felt that he had to write to justify his income:
“It may be that this is another reason I spend nearly all day every day at the typewriter. Only by keeping a workweek something like that of my father in the candy-store can I make myself feel I am earning my income and am justified in accepting it.”
This attitude also means that he kept writing in times of stress, such as his parent’s deaths, his divorce from his first wife and even during the coronary he had in 1977. It was his comfort blanket, the place he would go to have fun and relax - and get paid for doing so.
As I read the book I realised that the view that we get of ‘Asimov the person’ is not the jokingly-immodest view that many of his narratives in his books suggest. Indeed, as we progress through the book I noticed that Asimov deals with life-events with increasing sadness - we find that he not only has to deal with the prospect of aging and illness himself, but also the death of family such as his mother and father, as well as many authors and friends that he grew up with.
This openness on the part of the author was another unexpected surprise. There are details here that were surprisingly frank and honest. We have Asimov’s divorce from Gertrude in 1973 and his subsequent relationship with Susan, who he had known for a while before they became a couple – at least according to this book!
To be fair, he also says very little negative about his ex-wife, for which this could so easily have become a platform to do so. In fact he is remarkably sanguine about his divorce to Gertrude, refusing to go into details because Gertrude has “no soapbox on which to stage a rebuttal.“ Instead, he says he will “discuss my own faults only, those that I can see— and there may be many I stubbornly refuse to see.” What a refreshing change from today’s social media, which displays all of the details for everyone to see!
Having said that, there are elements of this book that do not show Asimov in a positive light.
The most noticeable of these is Asimov’s relationship with women.
Domestically, (and reading this from the position of 2026) In Joy Yet Felt shows us the traditional family set-up of 50-odd years ago: Asimov mainly worked (wrote) whilst his wife took care of domestic duties. That’s not to say that Asimov didn’t parent, but for much of the time he buried himself in his writing.
The birth of Asimov’s second child, Robyn (who today oversees much of Isaac’s legacy - the work on the Apple TV series of Foundation, for example) at the beginning of this book also shows a different relationship between the males and females in Asimov’s life. It is clear from the outset that Robyn is the apple of his eye, whilst by contrast, Asimov’s comments about his son David are fewer and seem less enthusiastic. Asimov’s son found academic work hard and of little interest – even his Dad’s writing held little charm, as it sounded too much like his father.
It is at this point that I should perhaps talk about the ‘elephant in the room’. One of the most contentious elements of the book is perhaps Asimov’s comments and behaviour around young women. He comments often about meeting good-looking young women as part of his meetings with publishers and at conventions, in ways that these days may be seen as creepy or at least inappropriate: “I meet a young girl, whom I hug and kiss and make eyes at… though, from my own point of view, it is merely suave behavior in public.”
It also doesn’t help Asimov’s case when he cheerfully admits as being described as a “dirty old man”, and treats such a description with amusement, saying, “… I merely took it to mean that I was over forty and liked women, and that I showed that liking every chance I got. Since this is all true, I am perfectly willing to bear the title; I even use it on myself without qualms.”
Such opportunities seem to happen often in the male-dominant environment of science fiction conventions and Hugo Awards ceremonies that Asimov describes. At times the details of such events mainly read like an all-male society party, although there were occasional exceptions of women seen as equals – Judith Merrill and Anne McCaffrey, for example, both of whom Asimov speaks of fondly.
It doesn’t help that over the course of the book Asimov admits to having joined a number of ‘stag groups’ – groups exclusively for men – The Trap Door Spiders (mystery writers group), The Dutch Treat Club and the Baker Street Irregulars (Sherlock enthusiasts.) He also joined the US branch of Mensa.
Having said that, Asimov’s involvement there all seems pretty innocent - Asimov admits that on one occasion when pornographic films were shown at a Mensa meeting he was not interested. “That night, I watched three short “stag” films one of the Mensa group showed. They were the first such films I had ever seen, and in about three minutes I found my curiosity sated.”
Later he further adds: “To this day I have not seen a pornographic film. I prefer my pornography in three dimensions and with myself and a woman as the only actors and spectators. That’s just a personal predilection, of course. Others can do as they please.”
It seems that Asimov relished the discussion, the argument and the discourse above everything else.
However, at the same time I am also mindful of comments made by Alec Nevala Lee on Asimov in his book Astounding (2018) which are less amusing: “In his younger days, Judith Merril said, Asimov had been known as “the man with a hundred hands. . . . When it went, occasionally, beyond purely social enjoyability, there seemed no way to clue him in.” Decades later, Asimov wrote in the parody The Sensuous Dirty Old Man, “The question then is not whether or not a girl should be touched. The question is merely where, when, and how she should be touched.” And Harlan Ellison remembered, “Whenever we walked up the stairs with a young woman, I made sure to walk behind her so Isaac wouldn’t grab her tush. He didn’t mean anything by it—times were different—but that was Isaac.” (Chapter 14, Astounding.)
I’m pleased to say that things have changed, although still far from perfect.
Looking at the bigger picture, and even with such issues, I am surprised from the perspective of 2026 how little of Asimov’s writing is available today. Considering that Asimov had 300-500 books published in the latter part of the 20th century, those books available are not always easy or cheap to find.
Asimov is not alone in this, admittedly. You could also say the same about Heinlein and Clarke, with Heinlein’s Starship Troopers and Stranger in a Strange Land and Clarke’s 2001: A Space Odyssey their main body of work available now, often limited to those novels that are the basis of modern film and television series, such as the Foundation TV series (VERY different to Asimov’s books!)
In terms of Asimov’s work, I think that the reasons for this absence are perhaps many. Asimov’s fiction has dated and the world has moved on to material that is more diverse, more contemporary and perhaps more relevant to today. As a science-fact writer in particular, many of the things Asimov wrote about have now been replaced or made redundant, based on more up-to-date ideas and data. This is how it should be.
Although I found In Joy Yet Felt fascinating as a commentary on events from the late 20th century, I am sure that it will not be for everyone. After all, its scope is pretty niche, and it is a non-fiction book about writing in what was a relatively small field. It is also very long.***
Nevertheless, In Joy Still Felt reads like it is telling us something of value. It shows us that having a joy in your work, of discovering things and sharing that information with others can be interesting and exciting. It is Asimov in his own words.
In these days of the Internet and social media – what fun Asimov would have had with those! - it is unlikely that we will ever see such a detailed volume of material about the early days of science fiction again, and for that reason In Joy Still Felt, as I suspect the previous volume would be too, is worth a read as a historical document, albeit one that may be a biased view.
Perhaps most importantly, In Joy Yet Felt shows us what I expect from a biography, albeit an authorised one - how Asimov worked and thought, and in my case shows us that our ‘heroes’ can be imperfect humans, capable of enormous acts of generosity as well as mistakes.
For anyone with an interest in science fiction writing and publishing in the late 20th century, this is worth finding a copy and reading. This is not a book that I expected to read cover-to-cover, nor write a review for, but despite all of the issues I’ve mentioned, I am glad I did.
In a recent review, I wrote of Isaac Asimov (1920 – 1992) and his importance to my own science fiction reading. In the last century he was one of the ‘Big Three’ science fiction authors (the other two being Robert A Heinlein and Arthur C Clarke) that was available to me when I first started reading the genre, and as a result he holds a special place in my formative reading years.
The result of that reread was that I picked up this, an autobiography created from Isaac’s diaries and suffused with his memories.
This is actually the second half – the first, In Memory Yet Green (published in 1979), was a 732 page book that covered 1920 (the year of Asimov’s birth) – 1954. In this second volume (a mere 828 pages), we pick things up in 1954, although Asimov kindly summarises the first volume for us in the front of this one.
Although he had published well – respected science fiction stories such as the Foundation series by this point, the money Asimov made in writing SF was pretty poor, easily outpaced by his salary as an associate biochemistry lecturer at Boston University School of Medicine.
One of the enthralling aspects of the book is to see how Asimov went from relatively humble beginnings in 1954 to being perhaps the world’s best known science fiction writer– certainly the world’s best-known science writer - less than 25 years later. By the end of this book, Asimov has published 200 books (mostly non-fiction)* and is the most prolific author of the late 20th century. The process is fascinating.
You don’t get to publish that many books without being able to write, and Asimov manages to turn what could be just a mundane itinerary into something eminently readable. I must admit that I was not sure about reading a diary, and at its worst I was rather expecting one of those diary summaries that say things like “Monday – wrote a book; Tuesday – edited a book; Wednesday wrote a book…”
Admittedly, there are times, particularly towards the end, when In Joy Yet Felt becomes a little bit more of “wrote a book, started another” annotated list, so that concern seems a little valid. However, the other details peppered throughout were enough to keep me reading. It is how I imagine Asimov would tell it, filled with quips, bonne mots and forensic detail to make it a surprisingly engaging read, chattier than it should be and surprisingly honest.
This honesty is shown through Asimov’s admission of his sales through writing and the consequent growth in income. The first half of this book shows how his yearly income rose from $6000 in 1954 (mainly his university work) to $72 000 in 1962 (mainly books published), after which he stopped mentioning it, “since it is no longer anything but incidental”.
“Oh, that’s just bragging!” said one person I mentioned this book to. And yes, it could be seen as that – even more so when you can add a 0 to give a figure roughly equating to its value in 2026 – but Asimov doesn’t present it like that.
It is more about him registering shock that he is earning that much, especially when comparing it to his income from Boston University (and if you want to read how much academic rivalry was a part of a university lecturer’s job, this is a sombre read, as Boston University initially looked down on Asimov for popularising science in his writing).
This view of science writing for the mainstream is ironic, considering Asimov’s change in writing from fiction to non-fiction over this time and the consequential growth in Asimov’s popularity as an explainer of science. And it therefore should not be a surprise that, as a result, all of this is delivered in a readable manner, which makes even mundane details readable.
Even though Asimov pretty much gives up writing science fiction in the 1960’s until the 1980’s, eschewing such material for the much more lucrative environment of science fact - his science fact articles were a monthly staple of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction for over 30 years, from November 1958 to December 1991 - he never loses his SF connection.
As a result, throughout the book there are mentions of other authors from the time: lots of others, but in particular Poul Anderson, L. Sprague de Camp, Ben Bova, Carl Sagan, Robert A Heinlein, Arthur C Clarke, Harlan Ellison, Frederik Pohl, Ray Bradbury, and so on, and this is something that science fiction readers will be most interested in, I think. Some of them are clearly life-long friends.
But what surprised me most was that through this book we read the ‘voice’ of Asimov – his thoughts and opinions on things throughout, and it is perhaps this that kept me reading. In Joy Still Felt is more than just a list of events, because around these details Asimov, the consummate raconteur, fills the book with commentary about friends, family, events, fellow writers and publishers that he somehow managed to meet in-between writing all those books.
Monetary details aside, Asimov’s descriptions give the reader an idea of what it was like to be a popular writer in the US in the 1960’s and 1970’s. The book feels like an encapsulation of a time when interest in SF and science was on the rise, with its talk of publishers, other authors, Hugo Awards and the like, and Asimov was part of that means of popularising both.
Away from science-fiction we also find out about Asimov’s political leanings, although this is not given in excessive detail. He does make clear his views on the Vietnam War - the polar opposite of Robert A Heinlein’s – and politicians such as Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter are generally disliked or generally disapproved of. Asimov’s ire is especially shown towards Nixon, whose involvement in Watergate is almost gleefully monitored by Isaac.
If nothing else, this autobiography shows Asimov was a workaholic, although I don’t think he always saw it as such, more a case of just enjoying what he was doing. He was clearly relishing finding things out and then using his discoveries to write about, in a clear and accessible manner, something in the fields of science or otherwise – The Bible, Shakespeare, Gilbert & Sullivan, for example.**
There was a degree of justification there too - Asimov clearly felt that he had to write to justify his income:
“It may be that this is another reason I spend nearly all day every day at the typewriter. Only by keeping a workweek something like that of my father in the candy-store can I make myself feel I am earning my income and am justified in accepting it.”
This attitude also means that he kept writing in times of stress, such as his parent’s deaths, his divorce from his first wife and even during the coronary he had in 1977. It was his comfort blanket, the place he would go to have fun and relax - and get paid for doing so.
As I read the book I realised that the view that we get of ‘Asimov the person’ is not the jokingly-immodest view that many of his narratives in his books suggest. Indeed, as we progress through the book I noticed that Asimov deals with life-events with increasing sadness - we find that he not only has to deal with the prospect of aging and illness himself, but also the death of family such as his mother and father, as well as many authors and friends that he grew up with.
This openness on the part of the author was another unexpected surprise. There are details here that were surprisingly frank and honest. We have Asimov’s divorce from Gertrude in 1973 and his subsequent relationship with Susan, who he had known for a while before they became a couple – at least according to this book!
To be fair, he also says very little negative about his ex-wife, for which this could so easily have become a platform to do so. In fact he is remarkably sanguine about his divorce to Gertrude, refusing to go into details because Gertrude has “no soapbox on which to stage a rebuttal.“ Instead, he says he will “discuss my own faults only, those that I can see— and there may be many I stubbornly refuse to see.” What a refreshing change from today’s social media, which displays all of the details for everyone to see!
Having said that, there are elements of this book that do not show Asimov in a positive light.
The most noticeable of these is Asimov’s relationship with women.
Domestically, (and reading this from the position of 2026) In Joy Yet Felt shows us the traditional family set-up of 50-odd years ago: Asimov mainly worked (wrote) whilst his wife took care of domestic duties. That’s not to say that Asimov didn’t parent, but for much of the time he buried himself in his writing.
The birth of Asimov’s second child, Robyn (who today oversees much of Isaac’s legacy - the work on the Apple TV series of Foundation, for example) at the beginning of this book also shows a different relationship between the males and females in Asimov’s life. It is clear from the outset that Robyn is the apple of his eye, whilst by contrast, Asimov’s comments about his son David are fewer and seem less enthusiastic. Asimov’s son found academic work hard and of little interest – even his Dad’s writing held little charm, as it sounded too much like his father.
It is at this point that I should perhaps talk about the ‘elephant in the room’. One of the most contentious elements of the book is perhaps Asimov’s comments and behaviour around young women. He comments often about meeting good-looking young women as part of his meetings with publishers and at conventions, in ways that these days may be seen as creepy or at least inappropriate: “I meet a young girl, whom I hug and kiss and make eyes at… though, from my own point of view, it is merely suave behavior in public.”
It also doesn’t help Asimov’s case when he cheerfully admits as being described as a “dirty old man”, and treats such a description with amusement, saying, “… I merely took it to mean that I was over forty and liked women, and that I showed that liking every chance I got. Since this is all true, I am perfectly willing to bear the title; I even use it on myself without qualms.”
Such opportunities seem to happen often in the male-dominant environment of science fiction conventions and Hugo Awards ceremonies that Asimov describes. At times the details of such events mainly read like an all-male society party, although there were occasional exceptions of women seen as equals – Judith Merrill and Anne McCaffrey, for example, both of whom Asimov speaks of fondly.
It doesn’t help that over the course of the book Asimov admits to having joined a number of ‘stag groups’ – groups exclusively for men – The Trap Door Spiders (mystery writers group), The Dutch Treat Club and the Baker Street Irregulars (Sherlock enthusiasts.) He also joined the US branch of Mensa.
Having said that, Asimov’s involvement there all seems pretty innocent - Asimov admits that on one occasion when pornographic films were shown at a Mensa meeting he was not interested. “That night, I watched three short “stag” films one of the Mensa group showed. They were the first such films I had ever seen, and in about three minutes I found my curiosity sated.”
Later he further adds: “To this day I have not seen a pornographic film. I prefer my pornography in three dimensions and with myself and a woman as the only actors and spectators. That’s just a personal predilection, of course. Others can do as they please.”
It seems that Asimov relished the discussion, the argument and the discourse above everything else.
However, at the same time I am also mindful of comments made by Alec Nevala Lee on Asimov in his book Astounding (2018) which are less amusing: “In his younger days, Judith Merril said, Asimov had been known as “the man with a hundred hands. . . . When it went, occasionally, beyond purely social enjoyability, there seemed no way to clue him in.” Decades later, Asimov wrote in the parody The Sensuous Dirty Old Man, “The question then is not whether or not a girl should be touched. The question is merely where, when, and how she should be touched.” And Harlan Ellison remembered, “Whenever we walked up the stairs with a young woman, I made sure to walk behind her so Isaac wouldn’t grab her tush. He didn’t mean anything by it—times were different—but that was Isaac.” (Chapter 14, Astounding.)
I’m pleased to say that things have changed, although still far from perfect.
Looking at the bigger picture, and even with such issues, I am surprised from the perspective of 2026 how little of Asimov’s writing is available today. Considering that Asimov had 300-500 books published in the latter part of the 20th century, those books available are not always easy or cheap to find.
Asimov is not alone in this, admittedly. You could also say the same about Heinlein and Clarke, with Heinlein’s Starship Troopers and Stranger in a Strange Land and Clarke’s 2001: A Space Odyssey their main body of work available now, often limited to those novels that are the basis of modern film and television series, such as the Foundation TV series (VERY different to Asimov’s books!)
In terms of Asimov’s work, I think that the reasons for this absence are perhaps many. Asimov’s fiction has dated and the world has moved on to material that is more diverse, more contemporary and perhaps more relevant to today. As a science-fact writer in particular, many of the things Asimov wrote about have now been replaced or made redundant, based on more up-to-date ideas and data. This is how it should be.
Although I found In Joy Yet Felt fascinating as a commentary on events from the late 20th century, I am sure that it will not be for everyone. After all, its scope is pretty niche, and it is a non-fiction book about writing in what was a relatively small field. It is also very long.***
Nevertheless, In Joy Still Felt reads like it is telling us something of value. It shows us that having a joy in your work, of discovering things and sharing that information with others can be interesting and exciting. It is Asimov in his own words.
In these days of the Internet and social media – what fun Asimov would have had with those! - it is unlikely that we will ever see such a detailed volume of material about the early days of science fiction again, and for that reason In Joy Still Felt, as I suspect the previous volume would be too, is worth a read as a historical document, albeit one that may be a biased view.
Perhaps most importantly, In Joy Yet Felt shows us what I expect from a biography, albeit an authorised one - how Asimov worked and thought, and in my case shows us that our ‘heroes’ can be imperfect humans, capable of enormous acts of generosity as well as mistakes.
For anyone with an interest in science fiction writing and publishing in the late 20th century, this is worth finding a copy and reading. This is not a book that I expected to read cover-to-cover, nor write a review for, but despite all of the issues I’ve mentioned, I am glad I did.
December 2, 2016
More of the same, continuing from the first volume.
Still a bit too much recitation of stories sold, and even more now, talks given, and the sometimes lifeless description of the journeys too and fro. As Asimov ages and remarries, however, he becomes a bit more adventurous with his travels, and when he veers into the narration of what he does beyond selling stories and giving talks, the book becomes that more interesting and entertaining.
As the book ends with hints of lessening health, I looked ahead to I, Asimov, sneaking a peak as to why it wasn't continuing with the title (and, presumably, tone) of the previous books. There on the back cover of the first edition hardcover, his dates of birth and death, and in the spied upon introduction, talk of his ill health. I stopped with no more than a glance and am looking forward to the next, last volume as, hopefully, more revealing of the person (rather than the work done by the person), but sad in the knowledge of what I presume (and I'm guessing at this point) is his own knowledge of they story ending soon after (or during?) the writing.
Anyway, I guess that's all irrelevant of this book, and, depending on how the last volume goes, maybe I just wrote part of my review for that back before even reading it! Huh.
Still a bit too much recitation of stories sold, and even more now, talks given, and the sometimes lifeless description of the journeys too and fro. As Asimov ages and remarries, however, he becomes a bit more adventurous with his travels, and when he veers into the narration of what he does beyond selling stories and giving talks, the book becomes that more interesting and entertaining.
As the book ends with hints of lessening health, I looked ahead to I, Asimov, sneaking a peak as to why it wasn't continuing with the title (and, presumably, tone) of the previous books. There on the back cover of the first edition hardcover, his dates of birth and death, and in the spied upon introduction, talk of his ill health. I stopped with no more than a glance and am looking forward to the next, last volume as, hopefully, more revealing of the person (rather than the work done by the person), but sad in the knowledge of what I presume (and I'm guessing at this point) is his own knowledge of they story ending soon after (or during?) the writing.
Anyway, I guess that's all irrelevant of this book, and, depending on how the last volume goes, maybe I just wrote part of my review for that back before even reading it! Huh.
August 31, 2010
This is the second volume of Asimov's 2-volume autobiography. Asimov kept a diary for yearsnad the book is quite detailed--over 1,000 pages.
But as a man who make a living writing on muliple subjects--fiction and non-fiction--Asimov's skilled write and clear prose style makes this book read quickly.
Asimov is a great storyteller, and tells many interesting anecdotes and stories. Again, as in the first volume of his auto biography (In memory Yet Green), the subject is not just Asimov hosmelf.
There are many detailsabout current events of the period; lots of infomrmation about academia; the publishing industry, and, especially other well known 'names' in the Science Fiction community. Asimov was was freinds with Heinlein, Clarke, Niven, Ellison, Silverberg, both Lester and Judy-Lynn Del Rey--and numerous others. This book is packedwith a great deal of interesting information.
A must for any Asimov fan, many Sf readers would enjoy it also. Fans of history and biography also might find it of interest.
But as a man who make a living writing on muliple subjects--fiction and non-fiction--Asimov's skilled write and clear prose style makes this book read quickly.
Asimov is a great storyteller, and tells many interesting anecdotes and stories. Again, as in the first volume of his auto biography (In memory Yet Green), the subject is not just Asimov hosmelf.
There are many detailsabout current events of the period; lots of infomrmation about academia; the publishing industry, and, especially other well known 'names' in the Science Fiction community. Asimov was was freinds with Heinlein, Clarke, Niven, Ellison, Silverberg, both Lester and Judy-Lynn Del Rey--and numerous others. This book is packedwith a great deal of interesting information.
A must for any Asimov fan, many Sf readers would enjoy it also. Fans of history and biography also might find it of interest.
December 31, 2015
I have always enjoyed Isaac Asimov's writing style and envied his breadth of knowledge. In other words, I went into this book fully expecting to enjoy myself.
I did.
Asimov's conversational style is just easy for me to read. It's like talking to a dear friend, who is utterly fascinating, even though he is especially fascinated with himself. He brought me up to date on what happened in Volume 1, and gave hints about what happens In Volume 3.
Did I mention that he is also fascinated with himself? Four volumes worth…
I look forward to eventually reading Volume 1, but I don't think I will get to 3 or 4. I would much rather revisit some of his fiction, and introduce myself to some that I haven't read. I might tackle his history of the Roman Empire.
In all this, I suspect that I will enjoy reading his material even more than I normally would have. I have clues about where it fit into his own life story.
I did.
Asimov's conversational style is just easy for me to read. It's like talking to a dear friend, who is utterly fascinating, even though he is especially fascinated with himself. He brought me up to date on what happened in Volume 1, and gave hints about what happens In Volume 3.
Did I mention that he is also fascinated with himself? Four volumes worth…
I look forward to eventually reading Volume 1, but I don't think I will get to 3 or 4. I would much rather revisit some of his fiction, and introduce myself to some that I haven't read. I might tackle his history of the Roman Empire.
In all this, I suspect that I will enjoy reading his material even more than I normally would have. I have clues about where it fit into his own life story.
August 10, 2011
FINISHED THIS HUGE BOOK. This book follows the equally gigantic tome IN MEMORY YET GREEN. Good titles. I'm skipping that one. In IN JOY STILL FELT, his descriptions of everyday events is fascinating somehow. I need to get my own copy after I take this back to the library. UPDATE: Got one really cheap cheap on ebay. It's the hardback with a plastic cover. Nice. Eleven bucks including postage.
I, ASIMOV is his third and smaller autobiography, and I'll read that next. Like I, ROBOT -- get it? Har.
I, ASIMOV is his third and smaller autobiography, and I'll read that next. Like I, ROBOT -- get it? Har.
August 10, 2011
I'm on about page 600 now. This book follows the equally gigantic tome IN MEMORY YET GREEN. Good titles. I'm skipping that one. In IN JOY STILL FELT, his descriptions of everyday events is fascinating somehow. I need to get my own copy after I take this back to the library.
I, ASIMOV is his third and smaller autobiography, and I'll read that next. Like I, ROBOT -- get it? Har.
I, ASIMOV is his third and smaller autobiography, and I'll read that next. Like I, ROBOT -- get it? Har.
August 9, 2016
I was browsing the library shelves when I discovered this wonderful book. I loved all the pictures and the wonderful tidbits about the sci-fi authors I grew up reading, many of them who have since passed away.
Read
November 13, 2012A wealth of information is contained within. I can't wait to read the other 2 books in the series.
March 15, 2026
The second of Asimov’s autobiography reads much like the first, and indeed, he wrote both at the same time, with Doubleday just splitting them into two. Stating anything gives away details that future readers might not appreciate, so I will just say that like the first book, it is quite readable. Also like the first book, there are some things (like learning how a sausage is made) that maybe it was better not to know. Asimov was obviously a brilliant man, but definitely one of limited empathy and someone who was most definitely raised in a more chauvinistic time. I’d like to think he grew out of some of these tendencies, but I think he likely stayed a dinosaur in this way until his death.
March 4, 2024
Heerlijk. Beide autobiografie delen herlezen. Vorige keer dat ik ze las was ik 18 ofzo. Dat is 30 jaar terug. Je leest zo'n boek toch anders dan. In de basis blijft het een blik van 1500 pagina's op het leven van een man die weinig anders gedaan heeft dan schrijven. En daar toch smakelijk over weet te vertellen.
February 26, 2020
The book is tremendous at the two basic requirements of an autobiography: readability and allowing the read to get to know the author.
That Asimov's self-regard was, shall we say, brobdingnagian or that he was relentlessly lecherous is not relevant to a review of the book.
That Asimov's self-regard was, shall we say, brobdingnagian or that he was relentlessly lecherous is not relevant to a review of the book.
July 5, 2020
In Joy Still Felt is the second volume of Asimov's autobiography, spanning from 1954 to 1978. Like the first volume, this is long (almost 800 pages), and absorbing.
August 21, 2009
The Good Doctor's autobiography of his life from the age of 34 thru 58, as told "in excruciating detail" according to The Good Doctor himself.
August 14, 2009
Interesting autobiography of master sci-fi writer Asimov. One of several and over 1000 pages
June 22, 2015
4/11/2014 -- I am reading this for the 3rd time.
May 29, 2010
Proof that you just can't put it down.
March 2, 2011
Asimov's autobiography is as much fun to reread as it was to read the first time. Unfortunately, reading it prompted me to spend way too much on Amazon getting other books of his.
January 31, 2011
What a fascinating life he lived
July 25, 2012
Good stories. Enjoyed it, despite minutia.
March 4, 2014
More about the life of writing's least humble workaholic.
Inevitably repetitive; yet, still endlessly fascinating.
Inevitably repetitive; yet, still endlessly fascinating.
February 9, 2016
If you liked "In Memory Yet Green," you'll...also like "In Joy Still Felt"!
April 27, 2017
Isaac sounds like bragging but there's no denying the fact he was a Master of Scifi and it'd be ridiculous to deny his success or his prolific output. It's hard for a writer not to read this without feeling envious. Yet his life still had ups and downs and sometimes individual works would be more successful than he thought they merited so it gives the rest of us hope. A fan of Isaac Asimov who only reads scifi will find this an interesting insight into the mind of a genius and his working methods.
May 8, 2019
I book I've re-read more times than I care to mention. An endlessly fascinating life, told in considerable detail, day-by-day, month-by-month. Isaac Asimov is still an inspirational figure in so many ways.
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