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The Best Science Fiction Of Isaac Asimov
''The Best Science Fiction of Isaac Asimov'', published in 1986, is a collection of 28 short stories by American writer Isaac Asimov, personally selected as favorites by himself. Content * "All the Troubles of the World" * "A Loint of Paw" * "The Dead Past" * " Death of a Foy" * "Dreaming Is a Private Thing" * " Dreamworld" * " Eyes Do More Than See" * " The Feeling of Power" * "Flies" * " Found!" * " The Foundation of S.F. Success" * "Franchise" * "The Fun They Had" * " How It Happened" * " I Just Make Them Up, See!" * "I'm in Marsport Without Hilda" * " The Immortal Bard" * "It's Such a Beautiful Day" * " Jokester" * " The Last Answer" * "The Last Question" * "My Son, the Physicist" * " Obituary" * "Spell My Name with an S" * "Strikebreaker" * " Sure Thing" * " The Ugly Little Boy" * "Unto the Fourth Generation" Reception Dave Langford reviewed ''The Best Science Fiction of Isaac Asimov'' for ''White Dwarf'' #88, and stated that "Some OK stuff here, b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
I'm In Marsport Without Hilda
"I'm in Marsport Without Hilda" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov. The story first appeared in the November 1957 issue of ''Venture Science Fiction Magazine'', and was reprinted in the collection ''Nine Tomorrows'' in 1959, in a bowdlerized version. The complete original version appeared in ''Asimov's Mysteries'' (1968). It is a mystery story in a science fiction setting. Plot summary A Galactic Service agent, Max, is in Marsport without his wife, Hilda, for the first time in a long time. He plans to visit a beautiful and accommodating woman of his acquaintance named Flora, but his plans are disrupted when he receives an unexpected assignment. His supervisor informs him that a new source of altered Spaceoline has appeared. While regular Spaceoline is a common anti-nausea Nausea is a diffuse sensation of unease and discomfort, sometimes perceived as an urge to vomit. While not painful, it can be a debilitating symptom if prolonged and has been ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David Langford
David Rowland Langford (born 10 April 1953) is a British author, editor, and critic, largely active within the science fiction field. He publishes the science fiction fanzine and newsletter ''Ansible'', and holds the all-time record for most Hugo Awards, with a total of 29 wins. Personal background David Langford was born and grew up in Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales before studying for a degree in Physics at Brasenose College, Oxford, where he first became involved in science fiction fandom. Langford is married to Hazel and is the brother of the musician and artist Jon Langford. His first job was as a weapons physicist at the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment at Aldermaston, Berkshire from 1975 to 1980. In 1985 he set up a "tiny and informally run software company" with science fiction writer Christopher Priest, called Ansible Information after Langford's news-sheet. The company has ceased trading. Increasing hearing difficulties have reduced Langford's participation i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Unto The Fourth Generation
"Unto the Fourth Generation" is a fantasy short story by Isaac Asimov. It first appeared in the April 1959 issue of ''The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction'' (''F&SF'') and has been reprinted in the collections ''Nightfall and Other Stories'' (1969) and '' The Best Science Fiction of Isaac Asimov'' (1986). It is Asimov's most explicitly Jewish story. Plot summary The story concerns Samuel Marten, an anxious 23-year-old junior executive on his way to meet with a potential customer. When Marten sees a passing truck that says ''Lewkowitz and Sons, Wholesale Clothiers'', he unconsciously turns the name into Levkovich, then finds himself wondering why. Every time he sees some version of the name, he becomes more distracted. Marten's business meeting goes badly, and afterwards he wanders the streets of New York City, following a trail of Lefkowitzes, Lefkowiczes and Levkowitzes. He arrives in Central Park, where an old man in outdated clothing is sitting on a park bench. The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Ugly Little Boy
"The Ugly Little Boy" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov. The story first appeared in the September 1958 issue of ''Galaxy Science Fiction'' under the title "Lastborn", and was reprinted under its current title in the 1959 collection ''Nine Tomorrows''. The story deals with a ''Homo neanderthalensis'' child which is brought to the future by means of time travel. Robert Silverberg later expanded it into a novel with the same title published in 1992 (also published as ''Child of Time'' in the UK). Asimov has said that this was his second or third favorite of his own stories. Plot summary A Neanderthal child is brought to the present day as a result of time travel experiments by Stasis Inc, a research organization. He cannot be removed from his immediate area because of the vast energy loss and time paradoxes that would result, and is kept in the present by way of a Stasis module. In order to care for the boy the organization hires Edith Fellowes, a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sure Thing (Asimov)
Sure thing or Sure Thing may refer to: * Certainty * ''A Sure Thing'', a 1962 album by jazz trumpeter Blue Mitchell * '' The Sure Thing'', a 1985 romantic comedy directed by Rob Reiner * ''Sure Thing'' (play), a 1988 short play by David Ives * ''Sure Thing'' (short story), a short novel by Isaac Asimov yi, יצחק אזימאװ , birth_date = , birth_place = Petrovichi, Russian SFSR , spouse = , relatives = , children = 2 , death_date = , death_place = Manhattan, New York City, U.S. , nationality = Russian (1920–1922)Soviet (192 ... * "Sure Thing" (Foster & Lloyd song), 1987 * "Sure Thing" (Miguel song), 2011 * "Sure Thing" (Hillsong United song), 2021 * "Sure Thing", a song by St Germain * "Sure Thing", a song by Jerome Kern and Ira Gershwin, for the film '' Cover Girl'' {{disambiguation ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Strikebreaker (Asimov)
"Strikebreaker" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the January 1957 issue of ''The Original Science Fiction Stories'' under the title "Male Strikebreaker" and reprinted in the 1969 collection ''Nightfall and Other Stories'' under the original title "Strikebreaker". Asimov has stated the editorial decision to run the story as "Male Strikebreaker" "represents my personal record for stupid title changes". "Strikebreaker had its genesis in June 1956 when Asimov, who then lived in Boston, Massachusetts, was planning a trip to New York City. A group of some three dozen technicians was threatening to go on strike, which would have the effect of shutting down the New York subway system. The threatened strike did not happen, and Asimov was able to make the trip, but the situation inspired him to write a story about a strike by a single man that would shut down an entire world. Plot summary The world of Elsevere is an extrasol ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spell My Name With An S
"Spell My Name with an S" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov. The story first appeared in the January 1958 (and only) issue of ''Star Science Fiction'' under the title "S as in Zebatinsky", and was reprinted in the 1959 collection ''Nine Tomorrows'' under Asimov's original title. The story was inspired by Asimov's frustration with the frequent misspelling of his name as "Azimov". Plot summary The story concerns Marshall Zebatinsky, a Polish-American nuclear physicist. He is concerned that his career has stalled, and in desperation consults a numerologist for advice on restarting it. The numerologist advises him to change the first letter of his name to "S": Sebatinsky. A complicated series of events ensue in which Sebatinsky is investigated by the Security establishment, who feel that he must be trying to hide something. His Polish origins lead them to suspect that he is trying to distract attention from relatives in the Eastern Bloc. They disco ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Obituary (Asimov)
"Obituary" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the August 1959 issue of '' The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction'' and reprinted in Asimov's 1968 collection '' Asimov's Mysteries''. The story originated when Asimov read the obituary of his friend Cyril Kornbluth in '' The New York Times'', and found himself feeling envy at the size and prominence of Kornbluth's obituary and frustration at the knowledge that he would never know whether his own obituary would be equally prominent. Nine months after Kornbluth's death, Asimov decided to exorcise his feelings by writing this story. Discussing "Obituary" in his autobiography, Asimov notes that it is the only story he wrote with a female narrator. Plot summary The story is narrated by the unnamed wife of an independently wealthy theoretical physicist named Lancelot Stebbins. Stebbins is a bitter man who feels frustration at his lack of fame in his chosen field, and aft ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
My Son, The Physicist
"My Son, the Physicist" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov. It was commissioned by Hoffman Electronics Corporation and appeared in February 1962 in ''Scientific American''. It later appeared in Asimov's collection '' Nightfall and Other Stories'' (1969). Plot summary Gerard Cremona, a communications engineer with an American space agency, is trying to maintain communication that has been established with an expedition that has apparently reached Pluto after four years in space. The difficulty lies in the significant delays for the radio signal to travel back and forth, making timely and meaningful interaction impossible. His proud mother, who happens to visit his office whilst he is wrestling with the problem, ultimately advises him to keep talking and get the expedition crew to keep talking as well. That way, although it normally takes twelve hours for radio waves to cover the distance, it is possible to have effectively continuous conversation. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Last Question
"The Last Question" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov. It first appeared in the November 1956 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and was anthologized in the collections Nine Tomorrows (1959), The Best of Isaac Asimov (1973), Robot Dreams (1986), The Best Science Fiction of Isaac Asimov (1986), the retrospective Opus 100 (1969), and in Isaac Asimov: The Complete Stories, Vol. 1 (1990). While he also considered it one of his best works, “The Last Question” was Asimov's favorite short story of his own authorship, and is one of a loosely connected series of stories concerning a fictional computer called Multivac. Through successive generations, humanity questions Multivac on the subject of entropy. The story overlaps science fiction, theology, and philosophy. History In conceiving Multivac, Asimov was extrapolating the trend towards centralization that characterized computation technology planning in the 1950s to an ultimate centrally-managed ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Last Answer
"The Last Answer" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the January 1980 issue of ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'', and reprinted in the collections ''The Winds of Change and Other Stories'' (1983), ''The Best Science Fiction of Isaac Asimov'' (1986), and '' Robot Dreams'' (1986). Plot summary An atheist physicist, Murray Templeton, dies of a heart attack and is greeted by a being of supposedly infinite knowledge. This being, referred to as the Voice, tells the physicist the nature of his life after death, as a nexus of electromagnetic forces. The Voice concludes that, while by all human ideas he most resembles God, he is contrary to any human conception of the being. The Voice informs him that all of the Universe is a creation of the Voice, the purpose of which was to result in intelligent life which, after death, the Voice could cull for his own purposes—to wit, Templeton, like all the others, is to think, for all ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
