Historical Figure
Isaac Asimov
d. 1992
American writer and biochemist (1920–1992)
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Biography
Isaac Asimov was an American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. During his lifetime, Asimov was considered one of the "Big Three" science fiction writers, along with Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke. He wrote or edited more than 500 books. He also wrote an estimated 90,000 letters and postcards. Best known for his hard science fiction, Asimov also wrote mysteries and fantasy, as well as popular science and other non-fiction, including guides to the Bible and Shakespeare.
In Their Own Words (5)
Had Hannibal had a government behind him that knew how to exploit victories – had he been born a Roman, for instance – he might have conquered the world.
The Land of Canaan (1971), p. 218 , 1971
The true discovery of America by mankind came when those first hunting bands crossed over from Siberia 25,000 years ago. This, however, never seems to count. When people speak of the "discovery of America" they invariably mean its discovery by Europeans.
The Shaping of North America (1973), p. 6 , 1971
For man to become successful, for man to establish himself as the ruler of the planet, it was necessary for him to use his brain as something more than a device to make the daily routine of getting food and evading enemies a little more efficient. Man had to learn to control his environment."
"The Tragedy of the Moon," The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction (July 1972) , 1971
Inspect every piece of pseudoscience and you will find a security blanket, a thumb to suck, a skirt to hold. What does the scientist have to offer in exchange? Uncertainty! Insecurity!
Asimov's Guide to Science (1972), p. 15 , 1971
It is the nature of science that answers automatically pose new and more subtle questions.
The Wellsprings of Life (1960), p. 141 , 1957
Timeline
The story of Isaac Asimov, told in moments.
Publishes 'Nightfall' in Astounding Science Fiction at 21. A story about a civilization that goes mad the one night every 2,049 years when all six of its suns set and the stars come out. Thirty years later, the Science Fiction Writers of America vote it the best science fiction short story ever written.
Publishes I, Robot and the first Foundation novel. He's a biochemistry professor at Boston University who writes at a typewriter 12 hours a day. By the end of his life he'll have 500+ books, with at least one in every major Dewey Decimal category.
Dies in New York at 72. His death certificate says heart and kidney failure. The true cause is AIDS from a contaminated blood transfusion during bypass surgery in 1983. His family keeps it secret for ten years.
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