1. Life

1. Early Life

0. Date of Birth
1. Parents
2. Relocation to America

1. Education

0. Grade School
1. High School
2. College

1. Writings

1. Influences

0. Candy Store
1. Achilles
2. John Campbell
3. Philosophy

1. Variety of writings
2. Style

0. Technical style
1. Writing scientifically
2. Writing to the layman
3. Asimov’s observations

1. Science Fiction

1. First Publications with criticisms

1. "Marooned off Vesta"
2. "Nightfall"
3. "The Martian Way"
4. The Early Asimov

0. I, Robot
1. The Gods Themselves
2. Foundation
3. Books under the pseudonym Paul French

1. David Starr: Space Ranger
2. Lucky Starr and the Rings of Saturn
3. Lucky Starr and the Oceans of Venus

1. Comparisons

0. The Big Three

1. Arthur C. Clarke
2. Robert Heinlein

1. Influences on others

0. Gene Roddenberry
1. Newt Gingrich
2. Others

1. Death

Perhaps no writer in history has made so vast an impact on literature as Russian- born author, Isaac Asimov. Through scientific textbooks, mystery novels, and most importantly science fiction, Asimov has compelled people across America and the world to respect writers and works of all genres. Isaac Asimov, a writer and scientist, made incredible impacts on the common views of post- World War II society through his layman-oriented writings, especially in the area of science fiction.

Asimov recognizes his own birthday as January 2, 1920, but since the Jewish lunar calendar, the Russian Julian calendar, and the Western Gregorian calendars differ so incredibly, his birthday could actually fall as early as October 4, 1919 (Asimov, p. 30). He was born in Petrovichi, USSR, but lived there only three short years before coming to the United States. His father’s name was Judah Asimov and his mother’s was Anna Rachel Berman before marrying. It was for her father that Isaac was named (Asimov, 22). Asimov and his family left for America when he was at the tender age of three. They were invited by Anna Rachel’s half-brother, Joseph Berman, who thought that their economic and social plights were far worse than they actually were. When reflecting on the reasoning behind his family moving to America, Asimov simply said, "…there was nothing terribly dramatic about it (Asimov, p. 36)." After fighting Soviet red tape for quite some time, the Asimovs were issued their papers to leave the USSR and take residency in the United States. Asimov all but worshipped his father. He constantly helped out at the family Candy Store and tried very hard to please him. In fact, he thought so much of his father that he was stunned to discover that his father was not six feet tall as his loving eyes saw him, but merely five foot, nine inches (Asimov, p. 22).

Asimov loved school and was incredibly bright. Starting in grade school, at the beginning of each new term, he would read all of the books issued to him to stay ahead of everyone else (Asimov, p. 73). Even though Asimov constantly brought home superior grades, even a ninety-five on a test was a disappointment to his father. In Asimov’s father’s mind, you should always perform to your maximum capability, whether it is one hundred or a sixty-five. Naturally, he believed his son capable of receiving perfect scores on every assignment and test. It was in Junior High School that Asimov first realized that he loved having an audience. He would read the science fiction magazines from his father’s magazine racks and then retell the stories at lunch the next day (Asimov, 106). By the time Asimov was eleven and a half, he had achieved enough in his advanced classes to become a freshman. He graduated high school at the age of fifteen (Asimov, 138). After graduation, Asimov interviewed with Columbia University and was suggested for their affiliate, Seth Low Junior College. He ultimately got a scholarship to Seth Low, transferred, and eventually graduated from Columbia University with his BS in 1939, his MA in 1941, and his Ph.D. in 1948.

Asimov had many influences in his life that led him to become both a scientist and a writer. The earliest of these was the magazine rack at the family candy store that was always loaded with science fiction magazines (Cowart, p. 17). At first, Asimov was not allowed to read them because his father said they were trash and his son was above such low standards. After endless nagging, his father allowed him to read them. Another early influence was Asimov’s first hero, Achilles from Homer’s epic, The Iliad. As Asimov grew older, one of his greatest influences was John Campbell, the most famous and respected science fiction author of the times, who was to become an even greater editor. He helped Asimov a great deal in getting his start while editing Astounding Stories, publisher of many of Asimov’s first works as well as other authors, including Robert A. Heinlein. Another influence that is prominent in many of Asimov’s writings, especially the so-called "Robot Novels" is the same that influenced many great writers of the nineteenth century including Hawthorne and Melville… the dilemma of predestination with responsibility (Bryfonski, p. 51). In her essay, "Asimov, Calvin, and Moses", Maxine Moore says, in reference to Asimov’s incorporation of philosophy into his robotics stories:

These influences all affect Asimov’s writing in very subtle, but important ways.

Asimov’s standing in the literary community was a unique one, especially in the science fiction community. Asimov, a bio-chemist, was one of the first major science fiction writers who was actually a scientist, helping him bring verisimilitude and thrill of discovery to his readers (Ferguson, p. 25). He used his renowned skill in twenty-odd scientific disciplines to make science fiction more science and less fiction.

Newgate Callendar summarized Asimov’s versatility as a writer in the New York Times Book Review when he said, "The man is a writing machine…(Bryfonski, p. 49)."

Few authors can say that their name is used as an adjective for describing good writing in their genre. The term "Asimovian", however, has sprung to the lips of many respected authors and critics (Riley, CLC v. 3, p. 24). Isaac Asimov’s works have many unique qualities, both technically and creatively. Technically, Asimov’s point of view is almost always third-person limited to get a more realistic view of the world he is creating. Asimov lets us see fictional events the way we see life: through the experience and observations of only one person (Gunton, p. 24). Joseph F. Patrouch Jr. elaborates further saying:

His sentences are generally short and clear, which makes his writing extremely easy to understand. Creatively, Asimov is a master of writing to the layman, the "common" person who can’t or doesn’t wish to take the time to interpret technical jargon. He is called by critic Theodore Sturgeon, "…a genius for bringing the obscure into the light (Riley, CLC v. 3, p. 16)." This ability to write to a layman audience is yet another effect of his vast scientific knowledge. Alfred Bester, in an article for Publisher’s Weekly in 1972 said, "… scientists are often awful writers… But our science professor, Asimov, is not only a great popular science author, but an eminent science fiction author as well. He comes close to the ideal of the Renaissance Man." Though some praise him for his clarity, other such as critic Newgate Callendar believe his writing to be over the heads of many readers. He writes:

Asimov also tends to bring out grandiose pictures in his writings with wonderful descriptions of glorious sights such as Jupiter’s moons or Saturn’s rings. Asimov wants his readers to share the same feelings of awe and amazement that he feels when looking inward on his own imagination and seeing these dreamscapes. Asimov relies on many plot twists and thought-provoking views of societal evolution to stimulate his stories. Also, even in a basically action-adventure story, Asimov will resolve conflicts by allowing his characters to work them out, usually in council with each other. This reflects his own personality and ideals concerning problem solving. Asimov himself commented on his own writing style, saying, "My books tend to celebrate the triumph of technology rather than its disaster."

In his lifetime, Isaac Asimov wrote nearly 500 works on subjects from college textbooks to books for preschoolers. His early works are very well known in the world of science fiction and elsewhere. His first published story was "Marooned off Vesta", published in Amazing Stories. He was also published in such magazines as Weird Tales, a magazine which helped launch many careers. "Nightfall", published in 1941, still remains one of his most admired works. The short story "The Martian Way" is very critically acclaimed and has been called "one of the best science fiction novellas ever published (Riley, CLC v. 3, p. 16)." Damon Knight says:

Most of Asimov’s early works are collected in the book The Early Asimov. It contains all of his works from 1940 to 1948 and is chronologically arranged. This allows the reader to grow up and mature with Asimov through his writings. Asimov came slowly to the fullness of the characterization that marks his later fiction, but rapidly indeed to his knack of recording facts and to his clear logic, even where logic led him to the wildest speculation (Riley, CLC v. 3, p. 17).

Of Asimov’s later works, several books come to mind. One of the more popular and widely read of Asimov’s books is I, Robot. Through this book, Asimov changed the world’s perception about robots, who had until this point been represented as cruel, Frankenstein-like creatures. Asimov created a logical code of ethics that intelligent machines would govern themselves by known as the "three laws of robotics". These became some of the fundamental truths in science fiction and rarely do you see robots portrayed in modern fiction that do not follow these laws. If they do, they are more often than not delinquent and malfunctioning. "I, Robot is an exciting science thriller, chiefly about what occurs when delicately conditioned robots are driven off balance by mathematical violations, and about man’s eternal limitations (Stine, p. 35)," says critic Nancie Matthews. The Gods Themselves is a three-part story of Man’s search for energy to replace his own dwindling supply. This story is the background for Asimov’s dramatis personae, his own variation on himself as the hero of the story (Stine, p. 38). As is to be expected from an alter ego, the fictional version is a somewhat flattering version of Asimov’s personality. It won the Hugo and Nebula awards in 1972. The story that was perhaps the peak of Asimov’s career was the Foundation trilogy and following series. The Foundation tales are those of a collapsing empire and the efforts to preserve its legacy, followed by its reestablishment some thousands of years later. It was recognized as the "best all-time series" by the Hugo Science Fiction Achievement Award committee in 1966 (Stern, p. 512). The Foundation novels created a point of future history in science fiction… a style very original and unique. About the series, Donald Wolheim said, "I am inclined to think… that [the Foundation novels of Isaac Asimov] are the pivot of modern science fiction (Riley, CLC v. 1, p. 8)." Critic Gerald Jones praised the novels by saying, "Asimov’s Foundation stories are alive with a sense of things-to-come (Bryfonski, p. 49)." The most interesting concept behind the Foundation novels is the comparability to modern day situations. It is possible to analyze present-day stories and place them into that framework of millions of years to come (Wolheim, p. 8). For some time, Asimov wrote a series of books under the pseudonym of Paul French (Stine, p. 36). These books were seventieth century adventures blended with mystery. The first of these was David Starr: Space Ranger. One of the other French novels was Lucky Starr and the Rings of Saturn in which Asimov includes fresh variations of the laws of robotics he presented in I, Robot. This juvenile fiction includes what one supposes are spaceman epithets, such as "Great Galaxy!" and "Sands of Mars (Stine, p. 36)!" This work is not quite to the standard of those prepared for Asimov’s more mature audiences, but is still classical juvenile science fiction. In Lucky Starr and the Oceans of Venus, Asimov writes a story with more maturity than its predecessors, brushing aside the "Superman" and "Lone Ranger" characterizations that were included in the originals. It is judged to be the best of the "Lucky Starr" books, with its suspense lit by humor, complex plot, and interesting content. Villiers Gerson writes in the New York Times Book Review, "Here is a s-f juvenile guaranteed to keep young people away from the TV set-- and, incidentally, to teach them facts about their solar system (Stine, p. 36)." None of his works made the New York Times bestseller list until the 1980’s, although he had constant support by faithful readers.

The works of Isaac Asimov may be compared to many of the science fiction authors of the "boom" experienced by the genre beginning in the forties. Asimov was one of a trio of authors nicknamed the "Big Three" (Asimov, p. 202). This awesome threesome consisted of Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, and Robert Heinlein. Asimov and his counterparts shared many qualities both in their writing and in their lives. One of these aspects was the fact that all three had close contact to and were discovered by Asimov’s role model and mentor, John Campbell. Asimov observed another similarity. "It seems odd, or perhaps significant, that the Big Three are all technological optimists (Caywood, p. 31)." One thing that they did not share was nationality. Asimov was born in Russia, Clarke was an Englishman, and Heinlein was American. Clarke and Asimov were similar from birth in the fact that both were extremely bright. Clarke, as a child actually mapped out the surface of the moon with a telescope that he had constructed (Britannica, p. 352). This love of space is obvious in his writing, the most famous of which is not actually known as great literature, but an Academy Award winning motion picture. Clarke’s short story "The Sentinel" was the basis for 2001: A Space Odyssey. He helped to adapt it for the screen and wrote all of the sequels. Clarke, like Asimov, was also a man of many talents who took up a second career as an underwater photographer and writer in the area of undersea exploration. Also, Asimov’s writings about robots, cybernetics, and bionics were thought at one time only fiction, but are now known as common technology. Clarke was mocked and criticized on his theories of satellite communications, which we now use every time we turn on our television sets (Britannica, p. 352). Heinlein is described in the Encyclopedia Britannica as a "prolific American writer considered to be one of the most literary and sophisticated of science fiction writers. He did much to develop the genre (Britannica, p. 807)." From 1942 to 1947, Heinlein was a war engineer. Asimov, around this same time was also working in the military as a scientist. When Heinlein left the military, he returned to writing, focusing mainly on short stories (Britannica, p. 807). This differs from Asimov, who in his latter years of fiction wrote primarily novels. The one particular book written by Asimov that is compared to Heinlein is Lucky Starr and the Oceans of Venus. It was written in an uncharacteristically straightforward manner for Asimov, which is one of Heinlein’s trademark qualities. The one primary difference in the works of the two authors is that Asimov’s characters were not as developed as Heinlein’s typically were. Ray Bradbury was another science fiction writer in Asimov’s era. In fact, he was the only major science fiction writer of the era who was not discovered by Campbell (Asimov, p. 202). Although both authors had a large focus on robotics in their fiction, Asimov’s writings have been the more accurate of the two. Joseph Engelberger, sometimes called the "father of robotics", compared Bradbury’s and Asimov’s respective premonitions for our society today:

Asimov’s works influence authors to this very day. Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek: The Next Generation was influenced greatly by the works of Isaac Asimov in the creating of the television show. The most prominent example of this is the robotic intelligence of the character Data, an android with a "positronic brain"… an Asimovian term (Ferguson, p. 25). United States Senator Newt Gingrich learned the concepts of Communism not from studying Marx’s philosophical essays, but through the science fiction of Isaac Asimov (Judis, p. 19). Then, of course, there are the countless authors who have tried to tap the vein started by Asimov and his science fiction compatriots, few of whom have succeeded.

On April 7, 1992, the New York Times printed:

With Mr. Asimov’s passing, the world is truly at a loss. His business card read "Isaac Asimov, Natural Resource." It was right (Ferguson, p. 25). Isaac Asimov, a writer and scientist, made incredible impacts on the common views of post- World War II society through his layman-oriented writings, especially in the area of science fiction.