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Isaac Asimov

アイザック・アシモフ

Aizakku Ashimofu

Pen Names: Paul French（Pseudonym used for the Lucky Starr series）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1920-01-02 （Petrovichi, Russian SFSR (now Smolensk Oblast, Russia)）
Died
1992-04-06 （New York, United States） age 72
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Religion
Judaism (secular)
Residence History
Brooklyn, New York → Boston, Massachusetts

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Science writer, Biochemist, Essayist
Active Years
1939-1992
Affiliations
Boston University (School of Medicine)
Memberships
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
Influenced By
John W. Campbell, H. G. Wells
Influenced
Arthur C. Clarke, Robert Silverberg, Robert A. Heinlein

Education

Columbia University
Faculty of Science / Chemistry / Biochemistry
Degree: Ph.D.
Period: 1936–1948
Year of Graduation: 1948
Country: United States
Pursued writing alongside studies and wartime service

Awards

SFWA Grand Master Award
1987
Organization: Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
Result: Winner
Hugo Award
Organization: World Science Fiction Society
Result: Winner (multiple) — specific years vary
Nebula Award
Organization: Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
Result: Winner (multiple)

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Foundation (series)

1951 Hard science fiction / Space opera 255 pages

A multi-generational saga about the fall of a Galactic Empire and efforts to shorten the ensuing dark age through the predictive science of psychohistory.

Cycles of historyScience and predictionPower and ethics
Adaptations
  • [Television series] Foundation (TV series) (2021)
Translations
  • Foundation

I, Robot

1950 Short story collection / Robot fiction 253 pages

A collection of interconnected short stories centered on the Three Laws of Robotics, exploring ethical dilemmas between humans and robots.

Artificial intelligenceEthicsLaw and order
Adaptations
  • [Film] I, Robot (film) / Alex Proyas (2004)
Translations
  • I, Robot

The Caves of Steel

1954 Science fiction mystery 206 pages

A detective story set in a future Earth metropolis where a human detective and a robot investigate a murder against the backdrop of tension with Spacer worlds.

Urban alienationTechnology and societyHuman nature
Translations
  • The Caves of Steel

Bibliography

  • Foundation series
  • I, Robot
  • The Caves of Steel
  • The Gods Themselves

Adaptations

  • I, Robot (2004 film)
  • Foundation (2021 TV series)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Clear expository prose that explains scientific concepts alongside narrative
Recurring Motifs
Three Laws of RoboticsRise and fall of future societiesRationalism and ethical dilemmas

Health

  • Heart disease
    1970s–1992
    Underwent cardiac procedures; affected health in later years.
  • HIV infection (from blood transfusion)
    1983–1992
    Contributed to later complications leading to death (kept private for many years).

Legacy

One of the leading hard science fiction writers of the 20th century; instrumental in shaping modern ideas about robots and grand-scale speculative history. His clear, rational style influenced many authors and public understanding of science.

Academic Societies

  • Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America

Archives

  • Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center, Boston University (Isaac Asimov papers)

In Popular Culture

  • I, Robot (2004 film)
  • Foundation (TV series, 2021–)

Quotes

  • The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.
    Source: Essay (attribution varies)

Trivia

  • Authored or edited over 500 books in his lifetime, making him an extremely prolific writer.
  • Professionally trained as a biochemist and served on the faculty of a university medical school.