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Isaac Asimov

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Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov in 1965
BornIsaak Yudovich Ozimov
Between October 4, 1919 an Januar 2, 1920[1]
Petrovichi, Roushie SFSR
Dee'd6 Apryle 1992(1992-04-06) (aged 72)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
ThriftWriter, professor o biochemistry
NaitionalityRoushie (early years), American
EddicationColumbia Varsity, PhD. Biochemistry, 1948
Period1939–1992
GenreScience feection (haurd SF, social SF), mystery
SubjectPopular science, science textbeuks, essays, leeterary creeticism
Leeterar muivementGowden Age o Science Feection
Notable warks
SpooseGertrude Blugerman (1942–1973; divorced)
Janet Opal Jeppson (1973–1992; his daith)
BairnsDavid Asimov
Robyn Joan Asimov

Signatur

Isaac Asimov (/ˈzk ˈæzmɒv/;[2] born Isaak Yudovich Ozimov; circa Januar 2, 1920[1] – Aprile 6, 1992) wis an American author an professor o biochemistry at Boston Varsity, best kent for his wirks o science feection an for his popular science beuks. Asimov wis a proleefic writer that wrote or eeditit mair nor 500 beuks an an estimatit 90,000 letters an postcairds.[a] His beuks hae been published in 9 o the 10 major categories o the Dewey Decimal Clessification.[3]

Asimov wrote haurd science feection. Alang wi Robert A. Heinlein an Arthur C. Clarke, Asimov wis conseedert ane o the "Big Three" science feection writers in his lifetime.[4] Asimov's maist famous wark is the "Foundation" series;[5] his ither major series are the "Galactic Empire" series an the Robot series. The Galactic Empire novelles are set in earlier history o the same feectional universe as the Foundation series. Later, wi Foundation and Earth (1986), he airtit this distant futur tae the Robot stories, creautin a unifee'd "future history" for his stories muckle lik thae pioneered bi Robert A. Heinlein an previously produced bi Cordwainer Smith an Poul Anderson.[6] He wrote hunders o short stories, includin the social science feection novelette "Nightfall"; in 1964, it wis votit the best short science feection story o aw time bi the Science Fiction Writers of America. Asimov wrote the Lucky Starr series o juvenile science-feection novelles uisin the pen name Paul French.[7]

Asimov an aw wrote mysteries an fantasy, as weel as muckle nonfeection. Maist o his popular science beuks expleen concepts in a historical wey, gaein as faur back as possible tae a time whan the science in quaisten wis at its semplest stage. Ensaumples include Guide to Science, the three-vollum set Understanding Physics, an Asimov's Chronology of Science and Discovery, as weel as warks on chemistry, astronomy, mathematics, history, an William Shakespeare's writins.

He wis preses o the American Humanist Association.[8] The asteroid 5020 Asimov,[9] a crater on the planet Maurs,[10] a Brooklyn primar schuil,[11] an a leeterar awaird are named in his honour.

  1. Asimov, Stanley (1996). Yours, Isaac Asimov. My estimate is that Isaac received about 100,000 letters in his professional career. And with the compulsiveness that has to be a character trait of a writer of almost 500 books, he answered 90 percent of them. He answered mair nor hauf wi postcairds an didna mak caurbons o them. But wi the 100,000 letters he received, thare are caurbons o about 45,000 that he wrote.

References

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  1. a b Asimov, Isaac (1980). In Memory Yet Green. The date of my birth, as I celebrate it, was January 2, 1920. It could not have been later than that. It might, however, have been earlier. Allowing for the uncertainties of the times, of the lack of records, of the Jewish and Julian calendars, it might have been as early as October 4, 1919. There is, however, no way of finding out. My parents were always uncertain and it really doesn't matter. I celebrate January 2, 1920, so let it be.
  2. Pronunciation note: In the humorous poem "The Prime of Life" published in the anthology The Bicentennial Man and Other Stories, Asimov rhymes his name thusly: "Why, mazel tov, it's Asimov". In his comments tae the poem, Asimov wrote that oreeginally it was "Why, stars above, it's Asimov", an when someone suggestit tae uise "mazel tov" insteid, Asimov acceptit this as a signeeficant impruivement.
  3. Seiler, Edward; Jenkins, John H. (27 Juin 2008). "Isaac Asimov FAQ". Isaac Asimov Home Page. Retrieved 2 Julie 2008.
  4. Freedman, Carl (2000). "Critical Theory and Science Fiction". Doubleday: 71. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. "Isaac Asimov Biography and List of Works". Biblio.com. Retrieved 5 Mairch 2008.
  6. Asimov, Isaac (1994). I. Asimov: A Memoir. New York: Doubleday. pp. 475–76. ISBN 0-385-41701-2.
  7. Asimov, Isaac (1969). Opus 100. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. So [Walter Bradbury] said, 'Use a pseudonym.' And I did. I choose Paul French and...
  8. Asimov, Isaac (1994). I. Asimov: A Memoir. New York: Doubleday. p. 500. ISBN 0-385-41701-2.
  9. Minor Planet Center (retrieved 22 October 2017)
  10. "USGS Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, Mars: Asimov". Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  11. "P.S. 099 Isaac Asimov" Archived 2018-08-06 at the Wayback Machine at New York City Department of Education website. (Retrieved 6 August 2018.)