Updated: 13.12.2018 19:18:25

Judge: Emilia Arie

*Overview of the best in the opinion of the editors of the site. About selection criteria. This material is subjective, is not an advertisement and does not serve as a guide to the purchase. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

Isaac Asimov is recognized as a classic of science fiction of the 20th century. Jewish by nationality, Russian by origin, American by citizenship, the writer was awarded 20 international awards for the best works in various categories. Asimov wrote about robots, flights in time and between planets, talked about the boundaries of Being and reason. Almost all of the author's novels have been filmed by modern directors, which indicates the relevance of his stories in the 21st century.

Best books by Isaac Asimov

Nomination	place	title of the work	rating
Best books by Isaac Asimov	1		4.9
	2		4.8
	3		4.8
	4		4.7
	5		4.6
	6		4.5
	7		4.5
	8		4.5
	9		4.5
	10		4.4

The first book in the ranking, "I, Robot" is a collection of 9 fantasy stories written from 1940 to 1950. Interestingly, the title was borrowed from another author - Endo Binder, and the idea of ​​such a "plagiarism" did not belong to Asimov, but to the publisher of the book.

The stories are presented as separate stories linked by the memories of one person, Dr. Susan Kelvin, who was interviewed in 2057. He is a full-time robopsychologist for the worldwide corporation for the creation of positron robots. In the stories, one idea runs like a red thread, which is still relevant today - this is the search for resonance between the laws of software, computer algorithms and human factors, views and ways of thinking. The stories involve scientists, engineers, politicians, and possible robots in human form hiding from exposure, and the action takes place at the beginning of the 21st century on all planets of the solar system.

When the world war ended in the robot universe in 1982, people invented the positronic brain and hyperdrive, which marked the beginning of the colonization of the solar system. The law did not allow the use of robots on Earth, but on satellites, asteroids and stars, they fully justified themselves.

In the work, for the first time in the world, 3 rules of robotics are formed.

The action takes place in the "Eternity" structure, which controls reality and time. It includes people, the so-called "eternal", able to travel between centuries. Their task is to control and correct the history of mankind. The focus is on the Nemesis star, whose satellite star Erythro is the only way out for humanity on the eve of threatening doom. However, during the development of the star, a problem arose - people are affected by the "erythronic plague".

In the novel, time and situations of ordinary, and even scientific life lose their usual essence, Isaac Akimov uses many professional terms, the meaning of some of them has not been translated into Russian and has been lost today. The story "The End of Eternity" is preceded by the later written novel "The Gods Themselves", which we will consider next.

Bronze goes to the novel "Foundation", which became the first in the trilogy of the same name. The action takes place in the Trantorian Empire, the largest in the galaxy. Scientist Gary Seldon, using mathematical and psychohistorical methods, predicts the fall of the Empire within a few centuries with a probability of 92.5%, but such information is forbidden to be made public by the Public Safety Commission, fearing the unrest and unrest that were already beginning to manifest. The capital of Trantor is mired in bureaucracy and corruption, finding itself in a difficult situation to maneuver. The coming collapse is the collapse of the Empire and the return of mankind to barbaric times, when all achievements will be stolen and lost, in particular innovative technologies and nuclear energy. The task of people is to collect all the valuables in the Academy before the fall of Trantor.

Gary Seldon sets himself the task of minimizing the effect of the catastrophe by reducing the time of predicted barbarian unrest from 30,000 years to 1,000 years and preserving all the great knowledge in the Encyclopedia. Found a new planet for life - Terminus, it is here that the scientist is trying to save all the achievements of mankind.

The Gods Themselves (1972)

The science fiction novel The Gods Themselves describes the contact of a person with creatures from a parallel universe, the gender of which is emotional, foster and rational, and the laws of physics of their native planet differ from those on earth.

Earthlings are no longer threatened by a crisis of lack of resources - Frederick Hallam has developed an electronic Pump, provided with inexhaustible clean energy to all the objects in need on the planet. It would seem that this discovery is a matter of chance, but behind it are the very beings from another universe, where the nuclear interaction is much stronger, the existence of isotopes is possible there - an energy source that is unstable on Earth.

The novel consists of two parts: "Against Stupidity", where the author described the exchange of Tungsten-186 for Plutonium-186 by the radiochemist Hall, who accidentally discovered the interuniversal process of matter exchange (of the very pumped energy). Having created the Pump and having received a portion of fame, he did not continue working with the “brainchild” - other people did the scientific justification and implementation for him. But the opponents of the scientist consider the process of pumping energy dangerous for the universe and contact the "primal people". In the second part "... The Gods Themselves..." the author talks about the society of "primal people". This is a deep, interesting and versatile parallel world, which is interesting to get acquainted with the reader-lover of science fiction. The third part "... Are you powerless to fight?" tells about the colonies on the Moon, their interactions with the structures of the Earth. The scientist Denison proposes a way out - to send the pumped energy to other Universes in order to prevent the death of his monastery, for this it is proposed to install devices on the Moon that compensate for the action of the Pump.

Profession (1957)

Isaac Asimov, in his novel The Profession, published in the middle of the 20th century, partially foresaw the future, describing the learning process already without books - now knowledge was sewn into the brain by means of special machines. So eight-year-old children master writing and reading in a short time, and before the age of 18 they simply do not need to study - upon reaching adulthood, they are tested to determine their abilities, and depending on this, an automatic selection of a profession occurs, and its entry into the brain. A couple of years after the Olympiad, students are assigned to jobs, the prestige of which directly depends on the number of points received in the competition. There is no freedom of choice, but everyone is satisfied with everything until, according to the result of the Olympiad, a person is not predetermined by his fate.

The exception to the rule was George Playten, who became interested in programming during his school years. He tries to learn the business himself, but in the end he fails the profile test, does not receive a referral and goes to a clinic for the same "unprofessional" people. The patients of the center do not lose hope for a "useful" future and try to learn the business on their own, using books. A couple of years later, Playten escapes from the clinic, gets to the Olympics, does not master it, but understands that the world without a choice is not so fair, it deprives a person of development, and not the most stupid people are gathered in the hospital for the “idiots”. They retained the ability to think, learn and make discoveries, driving progress.

The Naked Sun (1956)

The next novel in the ranking is The Naked Sun. On the planet of the outer worlds of Solaria, a crime is taking place, which the locals cannot investigate on their own. To do this, from the Earth, with which the inhabitants have tense relations, they invite an experienced detective Elijah Bailey - he, together with a familiar robot, a native of the Solarium, begins to unravel the threads of the incident. The only witness to the murder is a robot whose brain burned out from the inability to prevent what happened, so he cannot testify.

The way of life on the planet is isolated - families live on estates, communicate mainly with robots - contact with other people, and even relatives, becomes a test for them, is made only in case of emergency.

As it turns out later, the investigation is just an excuse to call a detective, the real reason is the discovery of a possible conspiracy that threatens humanity. The detective simultaneously with the investigation of the murder finds the possible causes of the tragedy and offers a way out.

Second Academy (1953)

The Second Academy is the third book in Asimov's Founding science fiction series. To understand what the book is about, we recommend reading the first two books, but the final one is recognized by the public as the most exciting and intriguing.

The Empire of the Galaxy is destroyed, only the Union of Worlds remains in power, led by the conquering ruler from the Mule Periphery, who threatens the Foundation. He aims to expand the zone of government by capturing new galactic territories. Plans are not destined to come true because of the mysterious Second Academy, located on the other side of the Galaxy, on its very edge. The Mule is trying to find her with all his might.

For the trilogy, Isaac Asimov received several literary awards and prizes - this is a really noteworthy collection that fans of science fiction will appreciate.

Robots and Empire (1985)

A novel from the late work of A. Asimov "Robots and Empire" is a continuation of other works about robots, the action takes place several centuries after the death of Elijah Bailey. More and more earthlings leave their native abode and populate other colonized planets, this inevitably leads to conflicts with the inhabitants of other Worlds. Solarian Gladia Delmar, whom the reader met back in The Naked Sun, is sent from Aurora to her home planet on a mission to find out how things are going - human activity has come to naught by that time. Doctor Amadeiro, who wants to take revenge on the hated earthlings, is trying to kill Gladia using humanoid robots with a perfect brain. Robot Olivo discovers the new zeroth law of robotics "doing no harm to humanity".

In the novel, there is a struggle between people, robots and influential heroes from other Worlds to stop the expansion of other planets in an attempt to expand the zone of influence of earthlings in the Galaxy.

Bicentennial Man (1976)

"The Bicentennial Man" is the first story in the rating by A. Azimov, dedicated to robots. The Martin family acquires an NDR robot, nicknamed Andrew, as their butler. Over time, it turned out that the machine has creative abilities - the robot began to engage in wood crafts. The owner relieves Andrew of the duties of a butler and helps to sell crafts, taking half of the proceeds, the second half goes to the account of the robot. Artificial intelligence directs investments to maintain the outer shell, over time it remains the only unpredictable robot on Earth.

The robot continues to live with the descendants of the Martins, continuing its work, and then switches to "humanizing" similar machines so that they can eat, drink and think like people. He participates in the creation of prostheses, successfully sells them and becomes a recognized inventor.

Andrew's idea is to become a full-fledged person, but lawyers are afraid to recognize him as such because of immortality. Then the robot decides on an operation that will lead to a gradual withering, similar to the aging of the “organism”. Until the very end, Andrew thinks of Little Miss, Sir Martin's daughter.

Last Question (1956)

The rating is completed by Isaac Asimov's favorite story "The Last Question". This short but vivid work contains a swift flight of thought (or fantasy?) for millions of years ahead until the moment when Mankind must cease to exist. The author runs through the history of the development of technology and science in search of an answer to the question of how to reduce entropy (irreversible dispersion of energy).

Isaac Asimov Science Fiction Books

The outstanding writer Isaac Asimov, whose books have long become the standard of science fiction, created more than five hundred works in his life. The American science fiction writer of Russian origin is a multiple winner of prestigious literary awards, including the Hugo and Nebula awards. However, Isei Asimov, whose best books are written in the genre of science fiction, worked in other genres. In his piggy bank detective and humorous novels.

Isaac Asimov: biography

Isaac Asimov, whose biography dates back to January 2, 1920, was born in the Mogilev province into a Jewish family. Since childhood, the future writer spoke English and Yiddish, so moving to the United States in 1923 became virtually painless for him. Like all immigrant Jews, his family settled in Brooklyn, New York. Education Isaac Asimov, whose best books were already published in America, he received in this country.

Almost at the very end of World War II, the writer was drafted into the army. After returning from the front, he completed his postgraduate studies, receiving a doctorate in biochemistry. His further activities were connected with teaching and writing. Gradually, the fees for his novels significantly exceeded the professor's salary. Already at that time, Isaac Asimov was among the outstanding science fiction writers, the books, a list of which you will find on the website, became classics almost immediately.

Isaac Asimov is a great science fiction writer whose fictional worlds have fascinated generations of readers. This talented person has written more than half a thousand books and stories, trying himself in different genres: from his favorite science fiction to detective stories and fantasy. However, few people know that in the creative biography of Asimov there was a place not only for literary activity, but also for science.

Childhood and youth

The future writer was born in Belarus, in a place called Petrovichi, not far from Mogilev, on January 2, 1920. Azimov's parents, Yuda Aronovich and Khan-Rakhil Isaakovna, worked as millers. The boy was named after his late grandfather on his mother's side. Isaac himself will later argue that the name of the Asimovs was originally written as the Ozimovs. Jewish roots were very revered in the Isaac family. According to his own recollections, his parents did not speak Russian to him, Yiddish became the first language for Azimov, and stories were the first literature.

In 1923, the Asimovs immigrated to the United States and settled in Brooklyn, where they soon opened their own candy store. The future writer went to school at the age of five. According to the rules, children were accepted from the age of six, but Isaac's parents forwarded their son's date of birth to 1919 so that the boy would go to school a year earlier. In 1935, Asimov graduated from the tenth grade and began to study at the college, which, unfortunately, was closed a year later. After that, Isaac went to New York, where he entered Columbia University, choosing the chemistry department.

In 1939, Azimov was awarded a bachelor's degree, and two years later the young man became a master of chemistry. Isaac immediately continued his studies in graduate school, but a year later he changed plans and moved to Philadelphia, where he worked as a chemist in a military shipyard. Isaac served in the army in 1945 and 1946, after which he returned to New York and continued to study. Azimov graduated from graduate school in 1948, but did not stop there and submitted documents for the so-called postdoctoral study at the department of biochemistry. At the same time, Asimov began teaching at Boston University, where he eventually worked for many years.

Books

The craving for writing woke up early in Isaac Asimov. The first attempt to write a book was at the age of 11: Isaac described the adventures of boys from a small town. At first, creative enthusiasm did not last long, and Asimov abandoned the unfinished book. However, some time later, I decided to give the first chapters to my friend to read. Imagine Isaac's surprise when he enthusiastically demanded to continue. Perhaps at this moment, Asimov realized the power of the writing talent bestowed on him, and began to take this gift more seriously.

Isaac Asimov's first story, Captured by Vesta, was published in 1939, but did not bring the writer much fame. But the next short work called "The Coming of the Night", published in 1941, made a splash among fans of the fantastic genre. It was a story about a planet where night comes once every 2049 years. In 1968, the story would even be called the best ever published in this genre. "The Coming of the Night" will subsequently be repeatedly included in numerous anthologies and collections, and will also survive two attempts at film adaptation (unfortunately, unsuccessful). The writer himself will call this story a "watershed" in his literary career. Interestingly, at the same time, "The Coming of the Night" did not become Asimov's favorite story in his own work.

After that, the stories of Isaac Asimov will be long-awaited for fans. In May 1939, Isaac Asimov began writing the first robot story called Robbie. A year later, the story "Liar" appears - a story about a robot that could read people's minds. In this work, Asimov for the first time describes the so-called three laws of robotics. According to the writer, these laws were first formulated by the writer John Campbell, although he, in turn, insisted on the authorship of Asimov.

The laws are as follows:

1. A robot cannot harm a person or by its inaction allow a person to be harmed.
2. A robot must obey all orders given by a human, unless those orders are contrary to the First Law.
3. The robot must take care of its own safety to the extent that this does not contradict the First or Second Laws.

At the same time, the word “robotics” (“robotics”) appeared, which later entered the dictionaries of the English language. It is interesting that, according to the tradition established among science fiction writers, before Asimov, works about robots told about the uprising of artificial intelligence and about riots directed against people. And after the release of the first stories of Isaac Asimov, robots in literature will begin to obey the same three laws, becoming more friendly.

In 1942, the writer embarks on a series of fantasy novels called Foundation. Isaac Asimov originally conceived this series as a standalone series, but in 1980 Foundation would be merged with already written robot stories. In another version of the translation into Russian, this series will be called "Academy".

Since 1958, Isaac Asimov will pay more attention to the popular science genre, but in 1980 he will return to science fiction and continue the Foundation cycle. Perhaps the most notable stories of Isaac Asimov, in addition to "Foundation", were the works "I am a robot", "The end of eternity", "They will not arrive", "The gods themselves" and "Empire". The writer himself singled out the stories "The Last Question", "The Bicentennial Man" and "The Ugly Boy", considering them the most successful.

Personal life

In 1942, Isaac Asimov met his first true love. The fact that it took place on Valentine's Day added romance to this acquaintance. The writer's chosen one was Gertrud Blugerman. The lovers got married. This marriage gave the writer a daughter, Robin Joan, and a son, David. In 1970, the couple divorced.

Isaac Asimov with Gertrude Blugerman (left) and Janet Jeppson (right)

Isaac Asimov did not remain alone for long: in the same year, the writer became friends with Janet Opal Jeppson, who worked as a psychiatrist. Asimov met this woman in 1959. In 1973, the couple signed. Asimov has no children from this marriage.

Death

The writer passed away on April 6, 1992. The cause of death of Isaac Asimov, doctors will call heart and kidney failure, complicated by HIV infection, which the writer was accidentally infected with in 1983 during a heart operation.

The death of Isaac Asimov shocked fans, who only inherited the books of the great writer.

Bibliography

• 1949-1985 - "Detective Elijah Bailey and Robot Daniel Olivo"
• 1950 - "I, Robot"
• 1950 - "Pebble in the sky"
• 1951 - "Stars are like dust"
• 1951 - "Foundation"
• 1952 - "Cosmic currents"
• 1955 - "The End of Eternity"
• 1957 - "The Naked Sun"
• 1958 - "Lucky Starr and the Rings of Saturn"
• 1966 - "Fantastic Journey"
• 1972 - "The Gods Themselves"
• 1976 - Bicentennial Man

Isaac Asimov is an American-Russian science fiction writer and scientist who has set himself the goal of popularizing science. He has written over five hundred books, and almost...

Isaac Asimov: the best works of the writer

By Masterweb

14.04.2018 20:00

Isaac Asimov is an American-Russian science fiction writer and scientist who has set himself the goal of popularizing science. He has written over five hundred books, almost all in the science fiction genre. In addition, he tried himself in other genres: fantasy style, detective stories, humorous stories. However, his main goal did not change: he tried to make science more accessible to a wide range of readers.

Asimov's legacy

Isaac Asimov is not only books. Some of the concepts proposed by the author came to real life from the world of his works and remained there: robotics, positron, psychohistory (the science of the behavior of large groups of people). These words are no longer occasionalisms, but scientific terms. But Asimov was the first to say them.

He is reminiscent of Kir Bulychev, a science fiction writer from the Alice's Adventures series: he wrote his novels in the 20th century, based on information from the future, which scientists from the 21st century shared with him, visiting him with the help of a time machine. Perhaps such a science fiction writer was Asimov.

Asimov's idea

Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke and Robert Heinlein are often referred to as the "Big Three" science fiction writers. Their works are not just entertaining fiction, they are a warning, an analysis of life, a psychohistory, in the words of Asimov himself.

Addressing his readers, Asimov stated this about the humanistic role of science fiction in our world:

History has reached a point where humanity is no longer allowed to fight. People on Earth should be friends. I have always tried to emphasize this in my works... I don't think that it is possible to make all people love each other, but I would like to destroy the hatred between people. And I seriously believe that science fiction is one of the links that help connect humanity. The problems that we raise in science fiction become the pressing problems of all mankind ... The science fiction writer, the science fiction reader, science fiction itself serve humanity. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || ).push(());

Asimov's books

Asimov once said: “The most interesting phrase that can be heard in science is the one that announces new discoveries. And it's not "Eureka!" (I found this!). It's "Hmm, funny...".

Isaac Asimov's contribution to science fiction literature cannot be overestimated, and his books undoubtedly rival the best of Arthur C. Clarke and the greatest of Robert Heinlein. Whether it's "I, Robot" or "I, Asimov" - author's memoirs - choose for yourself: each book is a masterpiece.

It is difficult to write about the best books of Isaac Asimov - they are all the best, and each carries something of its own. And together they make up the whole universe of Asimov.

Isaac Asimov, "Foundation"

Foundation is one of Asimov's most famous novels. It is believed that it was in it that the writer revealed the main ideas of his “Universe”. There is another translation of the title of this book by Isaac Asimov - "Academy".

Foundation is not exactly a novel; it doesn't tell one complete story. In fact, these are five different stories about various fictional events that have gathered by chance under one cover. Each of the five stories has its own plot structure.

Founding is set in the Galactic Empire, a cosmic superstate that spans the entire Milky Way. The scientist Seldon developed a new science - "psychohistory" - and with its help he found out that the Empire would inevitably fall soon, and the Dark Ages would come. Seldon creates a special organization and gives it a name - "Foundation". Her goal: based on the "Seldon plan", try to save civilization and revive it.

This recalls (and the idea was taken from there) the story of the fall of the Roman Empire.

Foundation was inspired by Edward Gibbon's History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. The plot of the first part of the novel focuses on the growth and development of the Foundation, against the backdrop of "the decline and fall of the Galactic Empire." Asimov's novel was also influenced by the political trend in science fiction fandom known as Michelism, a trend that science fiction should by its very nature advocate a utopian existence, the application of science for human happiness, and a more sane view of life.

Foundation has inspired writers such as Douglas Adams, George Lucas, and public figures such as Paul Krugman and Newt Gingrich. In 1966, the Foundation trilogy won the Hugo Award for the best book series of all time, beating even The Lord of the Rings. Asimov himself admitted that he was amazed when he won the award, believing, like many others, that Tolkien, of course, should have won.

Isaac Asimov, "The End of Forever"

This novel was written in 1955.

"The End of Eternity" at some point was lost in time. Unlike Asimov's famous "Foundation" and the "I, Robot" series, "The End of Eternity" is mostly known only to rare and especially fanatical fans of science fiction. However, serious devoted readers of Asimov consider it the single greatest novel.

It describes the work of an organization called "Eternity" (it employs people called Eternals). This organization exists outside of time.

The idea of ​​the novel is this: what would happen if we had eternal guardians standing on the edge of time and always ready to protect us from our own mistakes?

Eternity controls the flow of Time and Reality using the Wells of Time. However, it is possible to travel back in time only to those years that come after XXVII (when Eternity was founded). Centuries before XXVII is, if you use the vocabulary of the Eternals, Primitive history. Time travel requires a lot of energy, which Eternity produces in almost unlimited quantities - from the Sun from the future, when it went Supernova. With the help of some kind of mass duplicator, scientists created Sectors of Eternity similar to each other. The Eternals resided, engaged in science and the development of a new future in these sectors. Also from them they could go at the right time for them. In the sectors of Eternity themselves there is no ordinary time, but there is biotime. It is beyond the control of the Eternals.

Those who live outside of eternity are called timemen. The Eternals contact them and help them trade between different centuries. However, the purpose of Eternity is unknown to us. In fact, it changes human history, and this is called Reality Changes. Even the negative consequences of such changes are always offset by positive ones, and all this works for the benefit of mankind.

"I am robot"

When talking about Isaac Asimov, "I, Robot" is perhaps the name that immediately pops up in everyone's head. Fans know that I, Robot is the best collection of sci-fi stories about robots. He had an invaluable influence on this genre in particular and on the scientific approach to this area in general. Isaac Asimov for the first time formulated the three laws of robotics, which state the provisions of this system so precisely that they can be applied. And not only in the field of science, but also in life.

Consisting of 10 short stories, including a preface, this collection is a description of the life and work of robopsychologist Susan Kelvin and what she had to deal with.

The stories, although different in meaning and particular intentions, are united by a common idea: is a robot really that different from a person?

The idea of ​​"three laws" became extremely popular and served as the basis for subsequent works not only by Asimov, but also by many other fantastic works.

Three Laws of Robotics

These laws seem very logical, but the stories are based on the fact that often these laws come into conflict with each other or as a result of a collision with the human factor. In reality, it is difficult to imagine a robot that would exist in accordance with these laws: smart bombs and homing missiles are also types of robots, and they easily violate the first and third laws. Computers do what they are programmed to do, and of course they will harm people if they are set up that way. The mistake of these laws is that they are based on human concepts and concepts. The actions of humans may be malicious, but machines simply do what they are programmed to do.

In the stories themselves, it was repeatedly mentioned that these laws are very similar to human commandments, which once again makes one wonder: what are we? Who are robots?

Principle Wronger than wrong - Wrong than wrong

Wronger than wrong is a principle described by Michael Shermer based on Asimov's axiom. This is a logical fallacy discussed in Asimov's essay "The Relativity of Irregularity". A statement that equates two errors is more false than false when one of the errors is clearly more false than the other. As Asimov said, “When people thought the earth was flat, they were wrong. When people thought the Earth was spherical, they were wrong. But if you think that thinking that the Earth is spherical is just as wrong as thinking that the Earth is flat, then your opinion is more wrong than both of the previous statements combined. Asimov explains it this way: science is a progressive and cumulative concept. Although scientific theories are later proven wrong, their degree of wrongness decreases over time as they are modified in response to the mistakes of the past. For example, data collected from satellite measurements show with a high level of accuracy how the shape of the Earth differs from a perfect sphere.

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Included in the so-called "Big Three" science fiction writers. This fact speaks of the recognition of colleagues in the shop and of the gigantic contribution that he made to literature. In addition, this trio of magnificent masters of fantasy can also be called enlighteners of our time. Asimov and Clark did a lot to popularize science.

Petrovichi (now Shumyachsky district) of the Smolensk region is a place that was glorified by his birth on January 2, 1920, the boy Isaac, who later became the best science fiction writer of the 20th century, Isaac Asimov. He later said that he was born on the same land as Yuri Gagarin, and therefore still feels as if he belongs to two countries at once.

The writer's father, Yuda Asimov, was an educated person at that time. At first he was employed in the family business, and after the revolution he became an accountant. The writer's mother, Khana-Rachel, was from a large family and worked in a shop.

Emigration

After the birth of their daughter in 1923, Isaac's parents receive an invitation from his mother's brother, who had long ago left for the United States and settled there. The family decides to emigrate to America.

Isaac Asimov claimed that before coming to the United States, his parents had the surname Ozimov, but immigration officials entered them as Asimov and changed the name of the writer to the American way. So he became Isaac.

Parents could not master English well, so it was not possible to get a job. Then Yuda bought a small grocery store and opened a trade. But for his son, he did not want the fate of a small merchant and decided to give him a good education. Isaac himself studied with pleasure, and from the age of 5 he could visit the library.

With admission to the medical faculty, nothing happened - as it turned out, Asimov could not stand the sight of blood. Then it was decided to enter the department of chemistry at Columbia University.

What followed was a successful career. Isaac Asimov became a professor of biochemistry and began teaching at the Boston Medical School. In 1958, he suddenly stops his scientific activities. But he continued to read his famous lectures for several years.

How does he become a science fiction writer?

Asimov began to write as a child. One day his friend, after reading the beginning of the story, demanded to continue. And then it became clear to the future science fiction writer that he was really doing something.

Isaac Asimov's first stories were published in 1939 by the legendary editor and discoverer of young talent. Already the second published work - "The Coming of the Night" - becomes, according to the American Science Fiction Writers Association, the best fantastic work ever written in the world.

The best books of the writer

In the fantasy genre, these are such works as "The Gods Themselves", "Foundation" and the cycle "I, Robot". But this is not all of his significant creations. No one could better look into the future millennia ahead than Isaac Asimov. The End of Eternity is the writer's best novel dealing with the problem of time travel.

Incredible Asimov

Writing 500 books is incredible. Many people never read that much in their entire lives. Isaac Asimov not only wrote, he managed to do a huge number of other things. He was chairman of the American Humanist Association, promoted science, and edited the science fiction magazine that bears his name. He did not trust literary agents and preferred to do business himself, which was time consuming. Azimov managed, with his workload, to be the chairman of the men's club. He did everything conscientiously. Even a small speech in his club, he carefully prepared. There was no case that he had to blush for the result of his work.

The scope of the writer's interests is also striking. In the past, a professor of biochemistry, Asimov never limited himself to studying only this area of ​​​​science. He was interested in everything around. Cosmology, futurology, linguistics, history, linguistics, medicine, psychology, anthropology - this is just a small list of the science fiction writer's hobbies. He was not only interested in these sciences, but also seriously studied them. And the books of Isaac Asimov, written by him in these areas of knowledge, are always accurate and impeccable in the reliability of the material presented.

Science popularization work

In the mid-1950s, Asimov began to write journalism, engaging in the popularization of science. His book for teenagers, The Chemistry of Life, was a great success with readers, and he himself realized that it was easier and more interesting for him to write documentary works than fiction. He writes articles on mathematics, physics, chemistry, astronomy for a large number of scientific journals. Most of his work was aimed at children and teenagers. In a form accessible to them, Asimov told young readers about serious things.

Popular science literature of Asimov

The writer is better known in the world for his works in the genre of fantasy and mysticism. Few people know that Isaac Asimov is the author of numerous works in the form of popular science literature. The diversity of his interests is striking.

The famous science fiction writer has written books about the history of the Middle East, the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, races and genes, the evolution of the universe and the mystery of supernovae. He created a "Brief History of Biology", where he spoke in a fascinating way about the development of this science, starting from ancient times. Another work, The Human Brain, humorously describes the structure and operation of the central nervous system. The book also contains many fascinating stories about the development of the science of psychobiochemistry.

Many of the writer's books are a must read for children. One of them is Popular Anatomy. Isaac Asimov in it talks in detail about the amazing structure of the human body. In his usual manner to talk about complex things easily and naturally, the author tries to arouse the reader's interest in anatomy.

Popular science books by Isaac Asimov are always written in a lively, understandable language. He knows how to talk about very complex things in a fascinating and interesting way.

Forecast of the future. What came true from the writer's prediction

At one time, the topic of predicting the future of mankind by famous science fiction authors was very popular. Especially many different options for the development of events were proposed by Asimov and Arthur Clark. This idea is not new. Even Jules Verne in his works described many discoveries that were made by man much later.

At the request of The New York Times in 1964, Isaac Asimov predicted what the world would look like in 50 years, in 2014. It seems surprising, but most of the science fiction writer's assumptions either came true or were predicted very accurately. Of course, these are not pure predictions, the writer made his conclusions about the future of mankind on the basis of existing technology. Still, the accuracy of his statements is amazing.

What happened:

1. Television in 3D.
2. Cooking will be largely automated. In the kitchen there will be devices with the “auto-cooking” function.
3. The world population will reach 6 billion.
4. During a conversation with an interlocutor who is at a distance, he can be seen. Phones will become portable and will be equipped with a screen. With it, it will be possible to work with images and read books. Satellites will help to communicate with a person anywhere in the world.
5. Robots will not be widely adopted.
6. The technique will work without an electrical cord, on batteries or accumulators.
7. Man will not land on Mars, but programs will be created to colonize it.
8. Solar power plants will be used.
9. Schools will introduce the study of computer disciplines.
10. The Arctic and deserts, as well as the underwater shelf, will be actively explored.

Films based on the works of Isaac Asimov. The most famous film adaptations

In 1999, the screens released "Bicentennial Man", based on the joint novel by Silverberg and Asimov "Positronic Man". And the basis was a short story of the writer with the same name as the filmed picture. The problems associated with the appearance of robots in the future have always worried the science fiction writer. The possible evolution of artificial intelligence, the likelihood of its confrontation with humanity, the safety of robots, fear of them, humanity - the range of issues that Asimov raises in his work is very wide.

This film deals with a very interesting problem: can a robot become a human. The protagonist of the tape is the android Andrew, brilliantly played by Robin Williams.

In 2004, another wonderful film was released - "I, Robot". Isaac Asimov is considered the author of the novel of the same name, on the basis of which it was filmed. In fact, the plot of the picture is taken from a whole cycle of the writer's books about robots. This is one of the most successful adaptations of Asimov's works, in which the problems that he constantly raised in his work are very accurately conveyed.

This time the film deals with the problem of the evolution of artificial intelligence. The laws of robotics Isaac Asimov, invented by him in 1942, will play an important role in the plot. According to them, the robot is obliged to protect people and cannot harm them. He must obey his master in everything, if this does not violate the most important law of robotics - the inviolability of man.

In the film, the artificial intelligence of VIKI, the brain of the largest robot manufacturing company, gradually evolves and comes to the conclusion that humanity needs to be protected from itself, otherwise people will destroy everything around. With the help of robots of the new improved series, he captures the entire city. In the meantime, civilians are dying. The main character, detective Del Spooner, with his assistants in the person of a company employee and the robot Sunny, destroys VIKI. The film also sharply touches upon the problem of people's rejection of these machines, distrust of them.

Another famous Isaac Asimov "Twilight" movie is "Pitch Black" starring Vin Diesel. This is a very free retelling of the writer's work, having almost nothing in common with the original version.

In addition to these three well-known adaptations, the films "Twilight", "The End of Eternity" and "Android Love" were also created based on the works of the writer.

Prizes and awards

Asimov was very proud of his awards, especially in the field of fantasy. He has a huge number of them, and this is not surprising, given the writer's incredible ability to work and his bibliography of 500 written works. He has received several Hugo and Nebula awards and was a recipient of the Thomas Alva Edison Foundation Award. For his work in chemistry, Asimov received an award from the American Chemical Society.

In 1987, the Nebula Prize was presented to Asimov with a stunning wording - "Great Master".

Writer's personal life

Isaac Asimov was successful as an author, but the writer's personal life was not always cloudless. In 1973, after 30 years of marriage, he divorced his wife. There are two children left from this marriage. In the same year, he marries his longtime friend Janet Jeppson.

The last years of the writer's life

He lived not so long by the standards of the Western world - 72 years. In 1983, Asimov underwent heart bypass surgery. During the event, the writer was infected with HIV through donated blood. No one suspected anything until the second operation, when during the examination he was diagnosed with AIDS. A fatal illness led to kidney failure, and on April 6, 1992, the great writer died.