In one of his appeals to readers, Asimov formulated the humanistic role as follows: science fiction in modern world: “History has reached a point where humanity is no longer allowed to feud. 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 issues we raise in fiction become pressing issues of all mankind ... The science fiction writer, the reader of science fiction, science fiction itself serve humanity.

Biography

Azimov was born (according to documents) on January 2, 1920 in the town of Petrovichi, Smolensk Governorate, RSFSR (now Russkovskoye Rural Settlement, Shumyachsky District, Smolensk Region) into a Jewish family. His parents, Anna Rachel Isaakovna Berman (Anna Rachel Berman-Asimov, -) and Yuda Aronovich Azimov (Judah Asimov, -), were millers by profession. They named him in honor of the late maternal grandfather, Isaac Berman (-). Contrary to Isaac Asimov's later claims that the original family name was "Ozimov", all relatives remaining in the USSR bear the surname "Azimov".

As a child, Asimov spoke Yiddish and English. From fiction to early years he grew up mainly on the stories of Sholom Aleichem. His parents took him to the USA (“in a suitcase”, as he himself put it), where they settled in Brooklyn and opened a candy store a few years later.

At the age of 5, Isaac Asimov went to school in the Brooklyn district of Bedford - Stuyvesant. (He was supposed to start school at age 6, but his mother changed his birthday to September 7, 1919, to send him to school a year earlier.) After finishing tenth grade in 1935, fifteen-year-old Asimov entered Seth Low Junior College, this college closed. Asimov went to chemical faculty Columbia University in New York, where he received a bachelor's degree (B. S.) in 1939, and a master's degree (M. Sc.) in 1941 in chemistry and entered graduate school. However, in 1942 he left for Philadelphia to work as a chemist at the Philadelphia Shipyard for the Army. Together with him, another science fiction writer worked there - Robert Heinlein.

In 1970, Asimov separated from his wife and almost immediately became friends with Janet Opal Jeppson. (English) Russian whom he met at a banquet on May 1, 1959. (Before that, they met in 1956, when he gave her an autograph. Asimov did not remember that meeting, and Jeppson considered him then unpleasant person.) The divorce took effect on November 16, 1973, and on November 30, Asimov and Jeppson were married. There were no children from this marriage.

Main awards

Bibliography

The most famous fantasy works

• A collection of short stories "I, Robot" ("I, Robot"), in which Asimov developed a code of ethics for robots. It is his pen that belongs to the Three Laws of Robotics;
• Cycle about the galactic empire: "Pebble in the Sky"(" Pebble in the sky")," The Stars, Like Dust "(" Stars like dust") and" The Currents of Space "(" Cosmic currents ");
• A series of novels "Foundation" ("Foundation", also this word was translated as "Fund", "Foundation", "Establishment" and "Academy") about the collapse of the galactic empire and the birth of a new social order;
• The novel "The Gods Themselves" ("The Gods Themselves"), central theme which - rationalism without morality leads to evil;
• Novel " The End of Eternity "(" The End of Eternity"), which describes Eternity (an organization that controls time travel and makes changes human history) and its collapse;
• Adventure cycle space ranger Lucky Starr.
• The story "The Bicentennial Man" (" Bicentennial Man"), based on which the film of the same name was shot in 1999.
• Series " Detective Elijah Bailey and robot Daniel Olivo"- the famous cycle of four novels and one story about the adventures of an earthly detective and his partner - a space robot: "Mother Earth", "Steel Caves", "Naked Sun", "Mirror Reflection", "Robots of the Dawn", "Robots and the Empire", "Murder in ABC".

Almost all cycles of the writer, as well as individual works form the "History of the Future".

Many of Asimov's works have been filmed, most famous films- "Bicentennial Man" and "I, Robot".

The most famous journalistic works

• "Asimov's Guide to Science" ("Asimov's guide to science");
• two-volume Asimov's Guide to the Bible.

ISAAC ASIMOV: BIOGRAPHY

American writer Science fiction writer, popularizer of science, biochemist by profession

Introduction

Isaac Asimov (eng. Isaac Asimov, birth name Isaac Yudovich Ozimov; January 2, 1920 - April 6, 1992) was an American science fiction writer, popularizer of science, and a biochemist by profession. Author of about 500 books, mostly fiction (primarily in the science fiction genre, but also in other genres: fantasy, detective story, humor) and non-fiction (in the most different areas- from astronomy and genetics to history and literary criticism). Multiple Hugo and Nebula Award winner.

Some terms from his works - robotics (robotics, robotics), positronic (positron), psychohistory (psychohistory, the science of the behavior of large groups of people) - have become firmly established in English and other languages. In the Anglo-American literary tradition Asimov, along with Arthur C. Clarke and Robert Heinlein, are referred to as " big three» science fiction writers.

BIOGRAPHY

Asimov was born (according to documents) on January 2, 1920 in the town of Petrovichi It seemed that there are no things in life that this person is not interested in: "robotics", Einstein's biography, solar system, story Greek myths, the development of capitalism in England, the emergence of the United States of America, religion, the greenhouse effect, the problem of aging, AIDS, overpopulation of the planet - the list goes on.

The multifaceted writer and scientist Isaac Asimov was born in a very peculiar place Petrovichi Smolensk region. The "originality" of this small locality was that Russians, Jews, Ukrainians, Belarusians and Poles lived quietly here. Therefore, in Petrovichi, in addition to Orthodox Church, there was a church and three synagogues. The Petrovichans spoke mixed language with a special emphasis, they were proud of belonging to the bourgeois class, as well as the special healthy microclimate of their village.

In this place, in a poor Jewish family, on January 2, 1920, the future science fiction writer was born, who received his name in honor of his grandfather, his mother's father. Isaac Asimov's father, Yuda Ozimov (this was the real name of the writer, the letter "a" is just a typo of American officials), in his early youth he worked on a family sheller - a device for cleaning buckwheat. After the revolution, he became an accountant at a general store. Yuda Ozimov in the eyes of his eldest son had undeniable authority, which is not surprising. For his time, this man was educated, read a lot of Russian and European classics, led an amateur Jewish drama circle, where he often played the main roles. In 1919, he married his beloved girl Hana-Rachel Berman. Her family consisted of Tamara's mother (the girl's father died early) and four brothers. The source of income for the Berman family was a candy store and subsidiary farm: garden, livestock and poultry. According to the then custom, the newlyweds could live in parental home only one year, during which they had to prepare for an independent life - "to get on their feet." Isaac's parents followed the custom, left home and rented a small room, and a year later they moved into a larger apartment. However, their life in Petrovichi was short-lived. Already in the summer of 1923, at the invitation of Rakhil's elder brother, the Azimov family moved to America. On this connection of the writer with his small homeland stops, but to the credit of Isaac Asimov, he never forgot about it. In almost every interview, he said that he was born on Smolensk land, in the same place as the first cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. Moreover, with his usual scrupulousness and meticulousness, he found the native Petrovichs on the map of Europe and found out their exact geographical position, about which he wrote in his autobiography "While the memory is fresh." And in 1988, being already a famous person, he sent a small letter to his native village, where it is still kept in the local history museum. Compatriots remembered the "great popularizer of the century" as an active kid with curly white hair, who ran naked in the hot summer.

Arriving in America, the writer's parents settled in Brooklyn, where Yuda Asimov opened a small confectionery shop. Behind the counter of this store, young Isaac had to work quite often, especially after birth. younger brother. Isaac learned firsthand what hard work and diligence are, as he got up at six in the morning, delivered newspapers, and after school helped his father in a candy store. “I worked ten hours, seven days a week,” the writer later said about his childhood. However, it is wrong to assume that Isaac Asimov's childhood years were filled with constant work and nothing more. At the age of five, a capable child taught himself to read, and at seven he had a form in the local library. Passion for reading and a small number of books in the house led to the fact that Isaac "began to compose stories himself." At the same time, he discovers the genre of science fiction, which has become for him "the love of his life." True, acquaintance with this genre did not happen immediately: when nine-year-old Isaac saw the unusual cover of Amazing Stories magazine, his father did not allow him to read the magazine, considering it unsuitable for his son. The second attempt turned out to be much more successful: the word "science" in the title of the journal "Science Wonder Stories" helped Isaac to convince his father that this magazine was worthy of attention.

Needless to say, the able Asimov was easy to learn. He calmly jumped through the classes, as a result of which he graduated primary school at 11 years old, and the main course at 15 with all sorts of differences and one single remark for the constant chatter in the classroom. After school, at the request of his parents, Asimov tries to become a doctor despite the fact that he cannot stand the sight of blood. He decides to enter the prestigious Columbia University, but the matter does not go beyond the interview. Isaac Asimov explained this failure in his autobiography simply: he is talkative, unbalanced and does not know how to produce on people good impression. Then young Asimov enters a junior college in Brooklyn, but due to unforeseen circumstances (the college closes unexpectedly) a year later he becomes a student at Columbia University, who graduates at nineteen with a degree in biochemistry.

At the same time, he met the editor of Astounding, John W. Campbell. Despite the fact that Campbell rejected several of Asimov's stories and struck him with his right-wing views, lack of faith in the equality of people, he retained his charm for the writer until 1950. And there is an explanation for this. Campbell's captiousness paid off: Asimov's first published story, "The Direction," received third place in the reader's vote. Moreover, this person helped the writer to formulate the “Three Laws of Robotics” known to this day, although Campbell himself admitted that he only “singled out the “Laws” from what Isaac Asimov wrote.” In gratitude, the science fiction writer later dedicated the collection “I, Robot” to him. Campbell also suggested to the writer the plot for the story "The Coming of the Night" (or "And the Night Came"), thanks to which literary talent Asimov was recognized by both readers and critics.

In 1968, the Association of American Science Fiction Writers identified the best works published before the establishment of the Nebula Awards, and in this list, Night Comes ranked first out of 132 titles. Collaborating with Campbell, Isaac Asimov created the fantastic Founding series about the Galactic Empire. The stories from this cycle provided the young Isaac with the fame of a science fiction writer.

However, Campbell's influence extended beyond creative activity Asimov. In 1942, during World War II, he introduced the writer to Robert Heinlein, who served in Navy Yard (Philadelphia). Soon Asimov received an official invitation from the commandant of Navy Yard with an offer of a position as a junior chemist. The salary he was given was decent, and this allowed Isaac to marry Gertrude Blagerman, whom he had met a few months before this invitation. After some time, the writer Sprague de Camp joined Isaac Asimov and Robert Heinlein, and in this creative union and serve and work was very good. True, the work at Navy Yard did not last long - Azimov was nevertheless drafted into the army, and he had to serve as a clerk in the unit preparing the test of the atomic bomb in pacific ocean. It was the impressions received during the service that contributed to the formation of the writer's anti-war views and his denial of nuclear weapons.

Isaac Asimov was demobilized in July 1946, after which he returned to Columbia University, where he continued to work on his doctoral dissertation in chemistry. As a graduate student, he was supposed to teach seminars at his university. And at one of these classes, one of the students admitted that he did not understand anything in the equations written by Asimov. “Nonsense,” Asimov replied. “Watch what I say and everything will become clear as daylight.” These words were worthy of the future "popularizer of the century." And after a while he made his "first contribution" to journalism. Campbell's published article, "The Endochronic Properties of Resublimated Phyotimolin," was an evil parody of a doctoral dissertation in chemistry, and in addition, was signed by the writer's real name. Before defending his dissertation, Azimov was seized with fear - what will happen to him if his professors read this article? But to the surprise and happiness of the writer, the professors liked the scientific sarcasm, and at the defense one of them asked: “What can you tell us, Mr. Asimov, about the change in the thermodynamic characteristics of a substance called phyotimolin?” Mr. Asimov replied with a pathetic smile, and in five minutes he became a doctor of science.

The end of the 40s - the beginning of the 50s - during this period, Isaac Asimov began an active life as a writer and as a scientist. He teaches at Boston University, writes extensively, and does research in biology and mathematics. And in 1950, the matured Asimov broke up with Campbell and published his futurological novel "Pebble in the Sky" (or "Pebble in the Sky"). The novel brings the writer success and complete paternal forgiveness for failing exams in medical school. Isaac Asimov's subsequent works "Stars Like Dust" and " space currents"This success is confirmed, consolidated, and Asimov is one of the Big Three science fiction writers along with Robert Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke. In the late 50s, Isaac Asimov discovers the true future of his profession by writing a popular science book for teenagers, The Chemistry of Life. “Once, having come home, I admitted to myself that I like to write journalism ... not just with knowledge of the matter, not just for money - but much more than that: with pleasure ...” - with these words the writer will explain his interest in popular science literature . Since then, he has been interested in zoology, history, natural history, mathematics and working with a teenage audience. At the same time leaves teaching activities and goes headlong into creativity, engaging in the popularization of various fields of science. As a result, he is called "the great popularizer of the century", and the first prestigious award "Hugo"-63 was awarded precisely for "non-fiction articles". Now Asimov works hard and hard, publishes in several magazines at once, maintains a monthly scientific column in Fantasy & Science Fiction magazine, whose editor called him "the good doctor". By the way, the writer wore this title with pride for the rest of his life.

Wanting to bring science closer to the widest layers of Americans, popularizing it, he is interested in everything and at once, confirming his opinion that an unexplored life is not worth loving. Therefore, he is engaged in "research" and compiles annotations for Shakespeare's plays, Milton's Paradise Lost, Byron's Don Juan, the Bible. He lectures, writes articles, speaks at conferences, and answers letters himself. "Work and study" - this principle, laid down in him from childhood, guided him throughout his life. However, this principle and passion for creativity once did him a disservice.

His marriage to Gertrude Blagerman, with whom he had a son and a daughter, fell apart due to the writer's over-employment. Asimov entirely took the blame for this failure, and in his autobiography he recalled the many happy moments that the spouses managed to experience in their youth. After an official divorce, he married Janet Opil Jepson, a psychiatrist by profession and a children's writer, with whom he was united by spiritual interests and an old acquaintance. The second marriage brought the writer consent and spiritual harmony. And in the 80s, together with Janet Isaac, he released a series of children's science fiction about the Norby robot. He still works hard, being an armchair writer and not leaving New York. It's hard to believe, but Isaac Asimov did not leave this city more than 400 miles. He called himself "a typical city dweller" and admitted in one interview that he "would just be poisoned by the fresh air." And this was said by a person who was born in a place with a special healthy microclimate! Moreover, Asimov, who describes in books outer space, suffered from acrophobia (fear of heights), so he never went out onto the terrace of his apartment on the 33rd floor. He worked all his time and could easily tell how many books he had published on this moment.

During his life, Isaac Asimov published more than 400 books, books dedicated to the goodness and equality of nations. There were no boring notations and moralizing in his works, all of them were imbued with lightness and a good sense of humor. Once in an interview Soviet newspaper he said, "It doesn't matter if you're a US citizen or Soviet Union, the main thing is that you are a person! These words have passed through all his work.

Isaac Asimov died on April 6, 1992 at New York University Hospital from kidney and heart failure. By the will of the deceased, his body was cremated, and the ashes were scattered.

LITERARY ACTIVITY

Asimov began writing at the age of 11. He began writing a book about the adventures of boys living in a small town. He wrote 8 chapters, after which he abandoned the book. But at the same time it happened interesting case. After writing 2 chapters, Isaac retold them to his friend. He demanded a continuation. When Isaac explained that this was all he had written so far, his friend asked for a book where Isaac had read this story. From that moment, Isaac realized that he had a gift for writing and began to take his life seriously. literary activity.

Asimov literary publicist writer

Most of the books written by Asimov are popular science, and in various fields: chemistry, astronomy, religious studies, and a number of others. In his publications, Asimov shared the position of scientific skepticism<#"justify">Knowledge cannot belong to a single person, even to thousands of people.

In fact, the exact date of his birth is not known due to the lack of records and the difference between the Gregorian and Hebrew calendars. Estimated dates up to October 19<#"justify">Writer's Awards

Hugo Award<#"justify">Bibliography

Science fiction novels

Trantorian Empire<#"justify">screen adaptations of works theatrical performances

End of Forever (1987)

Gandahar (1988)

Bicentennial Man (1999)

I, Robot (2004)

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Isaac Asimov (1920-1992) - true legend Golden Age of American Fiction. He devoted almost his entire life to literature: over four hundred books, including special studies and popular science works, came out from under his pen. The point, of course, is not in quantity; there are more prolific writers among science fiction writers. But, unlike most of his colleagues, Asimov did not follow the hackneyed cliches - he gushed original ideas, each of which was capable of spawning an entire branch of science fiction.

And it's all about him

No matter how trite it sounds, already the biography of Asimov looks like a fascinating novel. He was born in Soviet Russia, in the town of Petrovichi near Smolensk. This fateful event took place on January 2, 1920, and already in 1923 the Ozimov family (as the name of his parents originally sounded) emigrated to the United States. Literary career Asimov began sixteen years later with the short story Lost at Vesta, published in Amazing Stories. Since then, publications have rained down one after another, and soon Isaac became one of the most active figures in the American fandom, a regular at forums and conventions, the soul of society, charming and courtly. Literature classes did not interfere and scientific career. Yesterday's emigrant, he managed to finish brilliantly high school, then - the Department of Chemistry at Columbia University, rapidly gain degree and by 1979 become a professor at his alma mater.

Michael Whelan, master of fantasy art, has illustrated many of Asimov's books. These works adorn our article.

However, the main achievements of Isaac Asimov undoubtedly lie in the field of literature. Here, however, not without a certain amount of luck. The first person from the world of science fiction, with whom young Isaac personally met, was John Wood Campbell. The legendary editor of Astouding SF magazine played an invaluable role in the development of American fiction "golden age", personally nurtured a whole generation of brilliant writers - from Robert Heinlein to Henry Kuttner and Catherine Moore. Campbell not only had an amazing eye for talent, but literally showered his favorites with a whole hail of ideas, many of which were embodied in the novels and stories of those whom we today call the classics of SF. Of course, John Campbell could not pass by Asimov, although only the ninth of the stories proposed by Isaac saw the light on the pages of his magazine. Like many comrades in the workshop, the writer retained his gratitude to Campbell for life - the man thanks to whom American science fiction made a giant evolutionary leap in just a few years.

A lot of articles and books have been written about the work of Isaac Asimov - including a two-volume memoir of the writer himself. One listing of his literary awards would take up several pages in small type. Asimov has five "Hugo" (1963, 1966, 1973, 1977, 1983) and two "Nebula" (1972, 1976) - the most authoritative awards in world fiction. More importantly, however, his many books are still being translated and republished around the world, including works written more than half a century ago.

I am a robot

The first thing that comes to mind when the name of Isaac Asimov sounds is the image of a robot in world fiction. No, of course, robots were not invented by Asimov. This word comes from Czech language, it was first used by Karel Capek in his famous play "R.U.R.", calling it artificial people intended for the most black, hard and unskilled work. The same image artificial man, alive, but devoid of soul, came to us from the stories of the Golem and the monster of Frankenstein. However, it was Asimov who proposed the ideal way to once and for all protect humanity from the very possibility of a “revolt of machines”. If in the magazine fiction of the 1920s the crazed android was one of the main enemies of mankind (along with bug-eyed monsters and maniac scientists), then with the advent of "Saint Isaac", the robot turned from a crafty slave into an indispensable assistant and faithful confidant of a person. And all that was needed was to introduce the Three Laws, wired, so to speak, into the BIOS of the positronic brain of every intelligent machine!

I think it would not be superfluous to recall these Laws once again. According to the First, a robot cannot harm a person or by its inaction allow a person to be harmed. According to the Second - must obey all orders that a person gives, except in cases where these orders are contrary to the First Law. And, finally, according to the Third, the robot must take care of its safety to the extent that this does not contradict the First and Second Laws. The positronic brain is physically incapable of violating any of these principles - it is on them that its structure is based.

Isaac Asimov's first story about robots appeared in 1940 in a science fiction magazine. The story was called "Strange Buddy", or "Robbie", and told about the fate of an unusual robot - touching and very humane. This work was followed by the second, third, fourth ... And already in 1950, Isaac Asimov's cycle of stories "I, Robot" was published as a separate book, which determined the development of the theme of intelligent machines for many years to come.

Founding and founders

“If only you knew from what rubbish poetry grows, knowing no shame ...” - wrote Anna Akhmatova. Isaac Asimov's interest in robots was due to quite prosaic reasons. With all his merits, John Wood Campbell, long time remained the main publisher of Asimov, was distinguished by radical views and believed that from any conflict with aliens, the representative of the "higher" human race should definitely come out victorious. This framework was too narrow for Isaac, moreover, contrary to his beliefs. And the writer found a brilliant way out: from now on, in the works that he offered Campbell, there were no aliens at all, which means that there was no corresponding conflict. However, this does not mean that Asimov completely abandoned the space theme. On the contrary, works that took place on distant planets came out from under his pen one after another. Only now these worlds were inhabited not by “little green men”, but by all the same people, descendants of earthly settlers.

The most famous Asimov cycle, which began during this period, was the "Foundation" (also known in Russian translations as "Foundation" and "Academy"). Influenced by Edward Gibbon's The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, the novels depict perhaps the most impressive future story in 20th-century science fiction. The First Empire of the human race fell under its own weight. Science and arts wither, the army collapses, the provinces declare themselves independent states, the connection between them is lost - in a word, new Dark Ages. Of course, the optimist Asimov does not lose faith in progress: sooner or later the world will again become united and the standards of the Second Empire will rise above all the worlds. But is it possible to calculate how the situation will develop and reduce the Dark Ages to a minimum? This is taken great mathematician Hari Seldon, inventor of the science of psychohistory, creator of the Foundation - a community that will become the embryo of the Second Empire of mankind.

The pictures of the death and collapse of the greatest Empire, skillfully drawn by the writer, are impressive. But Asimov's main finding in this cycle is, of course, psychohistory itself. “Without trying to predetermine the actions of individuals, she formulated certain mathematical laws according to which the development of human society”, - this is how the hero of the novel explains its essence. For thousands of years, the creation of such a science has remained the dream of those in power. Today, oracles and fortune-tellers, Pythia and augurs, Tarot cards and coffee grounds have been replaced by the eldest child of Progress - the almighty Science. Whatever they use to predict the approximate direction of the development of society - at least a few months in advance, until the next elections ... Alas, sociologists and political scientists have not learned to confidently predict the future ...
As for the "Foundation", the fate of this cycle has developed quite happily. At the 24th WorldCon in 1966, The Foundation won the Hugo Award for "best fantasy series of all time." In the voting, Asimov's novels bypassed both the most popular "History of the Future" by Robert Heinlein, and "The Lord of the Rings" by John R. R. Tolkien, whose name has already thundered in the English-speaking world.

steel caves

Fantastic detective is a very special genre. It combines the features of a traditional detective novel and science fiction, and therefore is often criticized from both sides. Connoisseurs of the detective genre are annoyed by fantastic assumptions, fans of science fiction are constrained by the rigid structure inevitable for a detective. However, writers stubbornly return to this direction, again and again forcing cohorts of elusive criminals and brilliant detectives to get down to business. And one of the universally recognized classics of the fantastic detective is again considered to be the unsurpassed and many-sided Isaac Asimov.

The novels Caverns of Steel, The Naked Sun, and Robots of Dawn, about police officer Elijah Bailey and his partner R. Daniel Olivo, are in some ways a continuation of the I, Robot series. The detective itself is akin to a tangled chess game, but Asimov added an additional unknown to this equation - robots. One of them, the level-headed and reserved detective Daniel Olivo, becomes the protagonist of all the novels in the trilogy. Other robots invariably fall under suspicion or become key witnesses in cases that a couple of investigators have to unravel. The move, it should be noted, is the most witty. The behavior of thinking machines is strictly defined by the Three Laws - and yet, robots are constantly involved in fatal crimes. And yet complicated foreign policy situation demands to find the culprit in record time...

The list of Asimov's fantastic detective stories is not limited to the trilogy. However, it was she who entered the annals, became a constant role model. And not only in the USA and England, but also in Russia. For the first time "Steel Caves" was published in Russian in 1969, in one of the volumes of Detlit's "Adventure Library", with a preface by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky - and immediately in a three hundred thousandth edition. Not every modern bestselling author can boast of such success. And, in general, deservedly: although for past years Hundreds of writers have tried their hand at the science fiction detective, and Asimov's works still remain an ideal example of the genre.

Beginning of eternity

Another direction in which the American writer left a distinct mark is chrono-opera, literature about time travel. The Time Machine has been a regular theme in SF since time immemorial. There are an astronomical number of variations on this theme in modern fiction, including many classics: Ray Bradbury's "Thunder Came...", Paul Anderson's "Time Patrol", Sprague De Camp's "Let It Be Dark"... But Isaac's "End of Eternity" Asimov occupies one of the most honorable places in this series. How easily a poet is guessed from the texts of Bradbury, just as easily a natural scientist is identified in the author of The End of Eternity. Having meticulously and ruthlessly logically examined the situation with time travel, Asimov designed an organization that would inevitably arise in a world where traveling to the past or future is no more difficult than visiting an aunt in Saratov.

Eternity is a kind of totalitarian state that exists outside the main time stream and uses a time machine to correct history. Its main goal is to keep society unchanged, to insure the inhabitants from global catastrophes and shocks. And at the same time, maintaining the status quo, Eternity has deprived humanity of the future, in fact, has frozen the progress of civilization for millennia. Alas, it is global upheavals, wars and catastrophes that make society move forward. Complete peace leads civilization to decay and death...

Not all writers share Isaac Asimov's skepticism. For more than half a century, Eternity has been resurrected again and again in the novels of other authors, under new names: the Time Patrol (in Paul Anderson), the Sand Center (in Keith Laumer's Dinosaur Coast), and so on and so forth. Most of these organizations, however, do not so much correct the history of mankind as monitor its integrity. Too great is the fear of anarchy that will reign in a time filled with travelers without visas. If one butterfly, crushed in the past, comes around in the present with a change in the political system in America, how is it capable of distorting the history of another Yankee who came to the court of King Arthur with a machine gun at the ready? .

Classics and contemporaries

Asimov Monument Design (Michael Whelan)

Undoubtedly, Isaac Asimov's contribution to the treasury of ideas and plots of science fiction is not limited to this. He came up with a planet whose inhabitants see stars only once every few millennia and was the first to send his heroes to the microcosm, he suggested that Neanderthals possessed telepathy and ironically described the development of computing systems, he spoke about the threat back in the 1950s nuclear war and about contacts with the inhabitants of a parallel world...

Today, several thousand science fiction novels are published annually in the United States and England, and a good third of these works can be attributed to SF. But in order to figure out what science fiction writers prefer to write about, it is not at all necessary to read all these books. If you are interested in what ideas Western fiction writers are actively developing now, re-read Asimov's collected works. I assure you: all the diversity of modern science fiction is reflected in his works, like the ocean in a drop of water.

American science fiction writer Jewish origin, popularizer of science, biochemist by profession. He is the author of about 500 books, mostly fiction (primarily in the science fiction genre, but also in other genres: fantasy, detective story, humor) and popular science (in various fields - from astronomy and genetics to history and literary criticism). Multiple Hugo and Nebula Award winner.

Azimov was born (according to documents) on January 2, 1920 in the town of Petrovichi, Mstislavl district, Mogilev province, Belarus (from 1929 to the present, the Shumyachsky district of the Smolensk region of Russia) into a Jewish family. His parents, Hana-Rakhil Isaakovna Berman (Anna Rachel Berman-Asimov, 1895-1973) and Yuda Aronovich Azimov (Judah Asimov, 1896-1969), were millers by profession. He was named after his late maternal grandfather, Isaac Berman (1850-1901). Contrary to Isaac Asimov's later claims that the original family surname was "Ozimov", all relatives remaining in the USSR bear the surname "Azimov".

As Asimov himself points out in his autobiographies (“In Memory Yet Green”, “It’s Been A Good Life”), Yiddish was his native and only language in childhood; Russian was not spoken to him in the family. From fiction, in his early years, he grew up mainly on the stories of Sholom Aleichem. In 1923, his parents took him to the United States (“in a suitcase”, as he himself put it), where they settled in Brooklyn and opened a candy store a few years later.

In February 1942, on Valentine's Day, Asimov met on a "blind date" with Gertrud Blugerman (born Gerthrude Blugerman). On July 26 they got married. From this marriage was born a son, David (eng. David) (1951) and a daughter, Robin Joan (eng. Robyn Joan) (1955).

From October 1945 to July 1946 Azimov served in the army. Then he returned to New York and continued his education. In 1948 he graduated from graduate school, received PhD degree, and enrolled in a postdoctoral fellowship as a biochemist. In 1949, he took a job as a teacher at Faculty of Medicine Boston University, where in December 1951 he became an assistant professor, and in 1955 - an associate professor. In 1958, the university stopped paying him a salary, but formally left him in his former position. By this point, Asimov's income as a writer already exceeded his university salary. In 1979 he was awarded the title of full professor.

In 1970, Asimov separated from his wife and almost immediately began to live with Janet Opal Jeppson, whom he met at a banquet on May 1, 1959. (They had met before in 1956, when he gave her an autograph. Asimov did not remember that meeting at all, and Jeppson found him an unpleasant person.) The divorce took effect on November 16, 1973, and on November 30, Asimov and Jeppson were married. There were no children from this marriage.

He died on April 6, 1992 from heart and kidney failure on the background of AIDS, which he contracted during heart surgery in 1983.

Literary activity

Asimov began writing at the age of 11. He began writing a book about the adventures of boys living in a small town. He wrote 8 chapters, after which he abandoned the book. But at the same time, an interesting thing happened. After writing 2 chapters, Isaac retold them to his friend. He demanded a continuation. When Isaac explained that this was all he had written so far, his friend asked for a book where Isaac had read this story. From that moment, Isaac realized that he had a gift for writing, and began to take his literary work seriously.

In 1941, the story Nightfall was published, about a planet revolving in a system of six stars, where night comes once every 2049 years. The story received huge publicity (according to Bewildering Stories, it was one of the most famous stories ever published). In 1968, the Science Fiction Writers of America declared Nightfall to be the best ever written. fantasy stories. The story was anthologised more than 20 times, was filmed twice (unsuccessfully), and Asimov himself later called it "a watershed in my professional career." The hitherto little-known science fiction writer, who published about 10 stories (and about the same number were rejected), became a famous writer. Interestingly, Asimov himself did not consider The Coming of Night to be his favorite story.

On May 10, 1939, Asimov began writing the first of his robot stories, Robbie. In 1941, Asimov wrote the story "Liar" (Eng. Liar!) About a robot that could read minds. In this story, the famous Three Laws of Robotics begin to appear. Asimov attributed the authorship of these laws to John W. Campbell, who formulated them in a conversation with Asimov on December 23, 1940. Campbell, however, said that the idea belonged to Asimov, he only gave her a formulation. In the same story, Asimov coined the word "robotics" (robotics, the science of robots), which is included in English language. In Asimov's translations into Russian, robotics is also translated as "robotics", "robotics". Before Asimov, in most stories about robots, they rebelled or killed their creators. Since the early 1940s, robots in science fiction have been subject to the Three Laws of Robotics, although traditionally no science fiction writer other than Asimov explicitly cites these laws.

In 1942, Asimov began the Foundation series of novels. Initially, "Foundation" and stories about robots belonged to different worlds, and only in 1980 Asimov decided to combine them.

From 1958, Asimov began to write much less science fiction and much more non-fiction. Since 1980, he has resumed writing science fiction with the continuation of the Foundation series.

Asimov's three favorite stories were " Last question The Last Question), The Bicentennial Man, and The Ugly Little Boy, in that order. Favorite novel was The Gods Themselves.

Publicistic activity

Most of the books written by Asimov are popular science, and in various fields: chemistry, astronomy, religious studies, and a number of others.

Years of life: from 01/02/1920 to 04/06/1992

Legendary American science fiction writer, one of the geniuses of the 20th century. He is the author of about 500 books, mostly fiction (primarily in the science fiction genre, but also in other genres: fantasy, detective story, humor) and popular science (in various fields - from astronomy and genetics to history and literary criticism).

Isaac Asimov (real name Isaac Ozimov) was born on January 2, 1920 in Russia, in Petrovichi - a place located very close to Smolensk. His parents, Judah and Anna, emigrated to the States in 1923, bringing Isaac and his younger sister with them. The family settled in Brooklyn, where his father bought a candy store in 1926. Religious education the family devoted quite a bit of time, and Isaac became an atheist early - which he never hid and did not impose on anyone. In 1928, Asimov's father obtained naturalization, which meant that Isaac also became a US citizen. Having received a secondary education, Azimov, at the request of his parents, tried to become a doctor. This turned out to be beyond his strength: at the sight of blood, he became ill. Then Isaac made an attempt to enter the most prestigious college at Columbia University, but did not go beyond the interview, writing in his autobiography that he was talkative, unstable and did not know how to make a good impression on people. He was accepted to Seth Low Junior College in Brooklyn. A year later, this college closed and Asimov ended up at Columbia University - however, as a simple student, and not a student at an elite college. On July 25, 1945, Isaac Asimov married Gertrud Blugerman, whom he had met a few months earlier.

Among the most famous works of the writer are the novels "Steel Caves" (1954), "The End of Eternity" (1955), "The Naked Sun" (1957), "The Gods Themselves" (1972), the grandiose cycle "Foundation" (or "Academy", 1963-1986), as well as a series of stories in which the famous three laws of robotics are formulated for the first time.

It is alleged that Isaac Asimov came up with the idea for the Foundation (Academy) cycle while sitting on the subway when his eye accidentally fell on a picture depicting a Roman legionnaire against the backdrop of starships. Allegedly, it was after this that Asimov decided to describe galactic empire in terms of history, economics, psychology and sociology.

According to rumors, the novel The Foundation (Academy) made a huge impression on Osama bin Laden and even influenced his decision to create the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda. Bin Laden likened himself to Hari Seldon, who rules the society of the future through pre-planned crises. Moreover, the Arabic translation of the novel's title is Al Qaida, and thus may have given rise to the name of bin Laden's organization.