Isaac Asimov Popular Books
Isaac Asimov Biography & Facts
Isaac Asimov ( AZ-ih-mov; c. January 2, 1920 – April 6, 1992) 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. A prolific writer, 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. Asimov's most famous work is the Foundation series, the first three books of which won the one-time Hugo Award for "Best All-Time Series" in 1966. His other major series are the Galactic Empire series and the Robot series. The Galactic Empire novels are set in the much earlier history of the same fictional universe as the Foundation series. Later, with Foundation and Earth (1986), he linked this distant future to the Robot series, creating a unified "future history" for his works. He also wrote over 380 short stories, including the social science fiction novelette "Nightfall", which in 1964 was voted the best short science fiction story of all time by the Science Fiction Writers of America. Asimov wrote the Lucky Starr series of juvenile science-fiction novels using the pen name Paul French. Most of his popular science books explain concepts in a historical way, going as far back as possible to a time when the science in question was at its simplest stage. Examples include Guide to Science, the three-volume Understanding Physics, and Asimov's Chronology of Science and Discovery. He wrote on numerous other scientific and non-scientific topics, such as chemistry, astronomy, mathematics, history, biblical exegesis, and literary criticism. He was the president of the American Humanist Association. Several entities have been named in his honor, including the asteroid (5020) Asimov, a crater on Mars, a Brooklyn elementary school, Honda's humanoid robot ASIMO, and four literary awards. Surname There are three very simple English words: 'Has', 'him' and 'of'. Put them together like this—'has-him-of'—and say it in the ordinary fashion. Now leave out the two h's and say it again and you have Asimov. Asimov's family name derives from the first part of озимый хлеб (ozímyj khleb), meaning 'winter grain' (specifically rye) in which his great-great-great-grandfather dealt, with the Russian surname ending -ov added. Azimov is spelled Азимов in the Cyrillic alphabet. When the family arrived in the United States in 1923 and their name had to be spelled in the Latin alphabet, Asimov's father spelled it with an S, believing this letter to be pronounced like Z (as in German), and so it became Asimov. This later inspired one of Asimov's short stories, "Spell My Name with an S". Asimov refused early suggestions of using a more common name as a pseudonym, believing that its recognizability helped his career. After becoming famous, he often met readers who believed that "Isaac Asimov" was a distinctive pseudonym created by an author with a common name. Life Early life Asimov was born in Petrovichi, Russian SFSR, on an unknown date between October 4, 1919, and January 2, 1920, inclusive. Asimov celebrated his birthday on January 2. Asimov's parents were Anna Rachel (née Berman) and Judah Asimov, a family of Russian Jewish millers. He was named Isaac after his mother's father, Isaac Berman. Asimov wrote of his father, "My father, for all his education as an Orthodox Jew, was not Orthodox in his heart", noting that "he didn't recite the myriad prayers prescribed for every action, and he never made any attempt to teach them to me." In 1921, Asimov and 16 other children in Petrovichi developed double pneumonia. Only Asimov survived. He later had two younger siblings: a sister, Marcia (born Manya; June 17, 1922 – April 2, 2011), and a brother, Stanley (July 25, 1929 – August 16, 1995), who would become vice-president of the Long Island Newsday. Asimov's family travelled to the United States via Liverpool on the RMS Baltic, arriving on February 3, 1923 when he was three years old. His parents spoke Yiddish and English to him; he never learned Russian, his parents using it as a secret language "when they wanted to discuss something privately that my big ears were not to hear". Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, Asimov taught himself to read at the age of five (and later taught his sister to read as well, enabling her to enter school in the second grade). His mother got him into first grade a year early by claiming he was born on September 7, 1919. In third grade he learned about the "error" and insisted on an official correction of the date to January 2. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1928 at the age of eight. After becoming established in the U.S., his parents owned a succession of candy stores in which everyone in the family was expected to work. The candy stores sold newspapers and magazines, which Asimov credited as a major influence in his lifelong love of the written word, as it presented him as a child with an unending supply of new reading material (including pulp science fiction magazines) that he could not have otherwise afforded. Asimov began reading science fiction at age nine, at the time that the genre was becoming more science-centered. Asimov was also a frequent patron of the Brooklyn Public Library during his formative years. Education and career Asimov attended New York City public schools from age five, including Boys High School in Brooklyn. Graduating at 15, he attended the City College of New York for several days before accepting a scholarship at Seth Low Junior College. This was a branch of Columbia University in Downtown Brooklyn designed to absorb some of the academically qualified Jewish and Italian-American students who applied to the more prestigious Columbia College, but exceeded the unwritten ethnic admission quotas which were common at the time. Originally a zoology major, Asimov switched to chemistry after his first semester because he disapproved of "dissecting an alley cat". After Seth Low Junior College closed in 1936, Asimov finished his Bachelor of Science degree at Columbia's Morningside Heights campus (later the Columbia University School of General Studies) in 1939. After two rounds of rejections by medical schools, Asimov applied to the graduate program in chemistry at Columbia in 1939; initially he was rejected and then only accepted on a probationary basis. He completed his Master of Arts degree in chemistry in 1941 and earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in chemistry in 1948. During his chemistry studies, he also learned French and German. From 1942 to 1945 during World War II, between his masters and doctoral studies, Asimov worked as a civilian chemist at the Philadelphia Navy Yard's Naval Air Experimental Station and lived in the Walnut Hill section of West Philadelphia. In September 1945, he was conscripted into the.... Discover the Isaac Asimov popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Isaac Asimov books.
Best Seller Isaac Asimov Books of 2024
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The Robots of Dawn
Isaac AsimovA millennium into the future two advances have altered the course of human history: the colonization of the Galaxy and the creation of the positronic brain. Isaac Asimov's Robot no...
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The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman
Angela CarterDesiderio, an employee of the city under a bizarre reality attack from Doctor Hoffman's mysterious machines, has fallen in love with Albertina, the Doctor's daughter. But Albertina...
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The Gods Themselves
Isaac AsimovIn the twentysecond century Earth obtains limitless, free energy from a source science little understands: an exchange between Earth and a parallel universe, using a process devise...
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Foundation 3-Book Bundle
Isaac AsimovThe original trilogy of Isaac Asimov’s bestselling science fiction masterpiece, the Foundation series, in a convenient ebook bundle THE EPIC SAGA THAT INSPIRED THE A...
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Second Foundation
Isaac AsimovThe third novel in Isaac Asimov’s classic sciencefiction masterpiece, the Foundation seriesTHE EPIC SAGA THAT INSPIRED THE APPLE TV+ SERIES FOUNDATIONThe Foundation lies in ru...
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I, Robot
Isaac AsimovThis classic science fiction masterwork by Isaac Asimov weaves stories about robots, humanity, and the deep questions of existence into a novel of shocking intelligence and heart.&...
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Masterpieces
Orson Scott CardA collection of the best science fiction short stories of the 20th century as selected and evaluated by criticallyacclaimed author Orson Scott Card.Featuring stories from the genre...
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Look to Windward
Iain M. BanksThis “sophisticated space opera” (The New York Times), filled with suspense and humor, masterfully explores the horrors of warfrom the acclaimed author of The Wasp Factory.The Twin...
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The Thousand Earths
Stephen BaxterIn 2145AD John Hackett's adventure is just beginning.In Year 30, Mela's story is coming to a close.Hackett, in his trusty ship the Perseus, is not just a space traveller beginning...
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The Currents of Space
Isaac AsimovThe second book in the Galactic Empire series, the spectacular precursor to the classic Foundation series, by one of history's most influential writers of science fiction, Isaac As...
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Prelude to Foundation
Isaac AsimovThe first of two prequel novels in Isaac Asimov’s classic sciencefiction masterpiece, the Foundation seriesTHE EPIC SAGA THAT INSPIRED THE APPLE TV+ SERIES FOUNDATIONIt is the year...
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Foundation
Isaac AsimovThe first novel in Isaac Asimov’s classic sciencefiction masterpiece, the Foundation seriesTHE EPIC SAGA THAT INSPIRED THE APPLE TV+ SERIES FOUNDATION Nominated as one o...
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Foundation and Earth
Isaac AsimovThe fifth novel in Isaac Asimov’s classic sciencefiction masterpiece, the Foundation seriesTHE EPIC SAGA THAT INSPIRED THE APPLE TV+ SERIES FOUNDATIONGolan Trevize, former Cou...
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The Cistercian World
Pauline MatarassoThe Cistercian Order was born in Burgundy at the start of the twelfth century as a movement of radical renewal an Order that survives to this day with the greater part of its writ...
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The Gambler, Bobok, A Nasty Story
Fyodor Dostoyevsky & Jesse CoulsonThe stories in this volume demonstrate Dostoyevsky's genius for fusing caricature, irony and the grotesque to create a powerful dark humour. The Gambler is a breathtaking portrayal...
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Forward the Foundation
Isaac AsimovA stunning testament to his creative genius. Forward The Foundation is a the saga's dramatic climax the story Asimov fans have been waiting for. An exciting tale of danger, intrig...
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Fantastic Voyage
Isaac AsimovA fabulous adventure into the last frontier of man!Attention! This is the last message you will receive until your mission is completed. You have sixty minutes once miniaturization...
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The Complete Poetry of Percy Bysshe Shelley
Percy Bysshe ShelleyThis carefully crafted ebook collection is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents: The Daemon of the World Alastor: or, the Spirit of Solitude....
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America Is Immigrants
Sara Nović & Alison KolesarA gorgeously illustrated collection featuring inspiring immigrants from every country in the world, celebrating the incredible range of what it means to be an American This dazzlin...
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The End of Eternity
Isaac AsimovA spellbinding novel set in the universe of Isaac Asimov’s classic Galactic Empire series and Foundation seriesDue to circumstances within our control . . . tomorrow will be cancel...
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99 Classic Science-Fiction Short Stories
Ray Bradbury, Philip K. Dick, Abraham Merritt, Amelia Reynolds Long, Anthony Melvillle Rud, Arthur Train, Clark Ashton Smith, David H. Keller, Donald Allen Wollheim, E.M. Forster, Edgar Allan Poe, Edgar Fawcett, Ellis Parker Butler, Fletcher Pratt, Francis Flagg, Frank Owen, Frank R. Stockton, Fred M. White, George Allan England, Green Peyton Wertenbaker, H.G. Wells, Isaac Asimov, Jack G. Huekels, Jack London, Jack Williamson, Katherine MacLean, Leo Szilard, Miles John Breuer, Nelson Slade Bond, Peter B. Kyne, Ray Cummings, Raymond F. O'Kelley, Robert Barr, Robert Welles Ritchie, Roquia Sakhawat Hussain, Rudyard Kipling, Seabury Quinn, Tudor Jenks, W.L. Alden & Readym Anthologies"99 Science Fiction Short Stories" brings together some of the finest sci fi short stories ever crafted. Featuring gems from masters of the genre, such as H.G Wells , Rober...
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Foundation and Empire
Isaac AsimovThe second novel in Isaac Asimov’s classic sciencefiction masterpiece, the Foundation seriesTHE EPIC SAGA THAT INSPIRED THE APPLE TV+ SERIES FOUNDATIONLed by its founding fath...
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The Naked Sun
Isaac AsimovA millennium into the future, two advancements have altered the course of human history: the colonization of the Galaxy and the creation of the positronic brain. ...
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The Science Fiction Collection. 35 Sci-Fi Books
Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, Philip K. Dick, Kurt Vonnegut, E.M. Forster, Robert Louis Stevenson, Arthur Machen, Arthur Conan Doyle, Edwin A. Abbott, Jules Verne & H.G. WellsScience fiction has been called the "literature of ideas", and it often explores the potential consequences of scientific, social, and technological innovations.Besides providing e...
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Octavia Gone
Jack McDevittFrom Nebula Award–winning author Jack McDevitt comes the eighth installment of the Alex Benedict series featuring Gabe triumphantly reuniting with Alex and Chase to retrieve a poss...
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Beyond the Fringe
Miles CameronReturn to the Universe of the ARCANA IMPERII with a collection of novellas from Miles Cameron.Following the events of ARTIFACT SPACE, the galaxy continues to change and expand. Fro...
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The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One 1929-1964
Robert SilverbergThe definitive collection of the best in science fiction stories between 19291964.This book contains twentysix of the greatest science fiction stories ever written. They represent ...
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Nightfall and Other Stories
Isaac AsimovA collection of twenty classic short stories by Isaac Asimov, author of the Foundation series, featuring the definitive version of “Nightfall”From one of history’s most influential...
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The Caves of Steel
Isaac AsimovA millennium into the future two advancements have altered the course of human history: the colonization of the galaxy and the creation of the positronic brain. Isaac Asimov’s Robo...
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Village in the Sky
Jack McDevittIn Nebula Award–winning author Jack McDevitt’s ninth installment in the beloved Alex Benedict science fiction mystery series, humanity discovers new intelligent life lightyears awa...
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The Stars, Like Dust
Isaac AsimovThe first book in the Galactic Empire series, the spectacular precursor to the classic Foundation series, by one of history’s most influential writers of science fiction, Isaac Asi...
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Pebble in the Sky
Isaac AsimovThe third and final book in the Galactic Empire series, the spectacular precursor to the classic Foundation series, by one of history’s most influential writers of science fiction,...
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The War of the Worlds
H. G. Wells, Karl Kroeber & Isaac AsimovFor more than one hundred years H. G. Wells’ classic science fiction tale of the Martian invasion of Earth has enthralled readers with a combination of imagination and incisive com...
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YOUTH
Isaac Asimov"Youth" is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov. It first appeared in the May 1952 issue of Space Science Fiction and was reprinted in the 1955 collection The Martian Way ...
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I, Asimov
Isaac AsimovArguably the greatest science fiction writer who ever lived, Isaac Asimov also possessed one of the most brilliant and original minds of our time. His accessible style and farreach...