OT: Info on Asimov?

[spamel]

I decided that this would be the forum to ask, if any, about Asimov. I've seen the books on shelves for years and never picked one up, until this week. I used to see the Dune series by Frank Herbert and went through a phase of them years ago. I read the lot, as difficult as some of it is, and thoroughly enjoyed the 80's film and the recent adaptations that you can get on DVD, but never chanced Asimov. I have started my Asimov exploration with The robots of dawn, and it seems pretty damned good so far!

I had no idea he had wrote the three laws of robotics, it seems he was years ahead of his time. I have seen I, Robot and had no idea it was based on one of Asimovs' books aswell. It seems I may have missed a bloody good author here, and I don't know why!

My question to you all is, if you have read Asimov, which books would you suggest I read and in what order? I must say I picked The robots of dawn mainly through sheer inquisitiveness, as I saw the three laws of robotics on the dust cover and started to wonder. I reckon it will take me a week to get through with looking after the kids, getting a bit of bushcrafting done and carrying on with my ECDL course slowing me down all the time!!

Anyway, any help will be appreciated. I'm sure I've asked the right people here, and now I'll brace myself for the mass of answers!

[Roger Gregory]

I suppose you should start on the Foundation trilogy next. Classic works in the SF genre.

Some Asimov seems rather dated now but it's still a damned good read.

Roger

[Dicken]

He was a productive chappie



Robot
I, Robot (1950)
The Rest of the Robots (1964)
Eight Stories from the Rest of the Robots (1966)
The Complete Robot (1982)
The Robot Collection (omnibus) (1983)
Robot Dreams (1986)
The Robot Novels (omnibus) (198
Robot Visions (1990)
I, RobotThe Rest of the RobotsEight Stories from the Rest of the RobotsThe Complete Robot
Robot DreamsThe Robot NovelsRobot Visions

Empire
1. Pebble in the Sky (1950)
2. The Stars Like Dust (1951)
aka The Rebellious Stars
3. The Currents of Space (1952)
Pebble in the SkyThe Stars Like DustThe Currents of Space

Lucky Starr (writing as Paul French)
1. David Starr, Space Ranger (1952)
aka Space Ranger
2. Lucky Starr and the Pirates of the Asteroids (1954)
aka Pirates of the Asteroids
3. Lucky Starr and the Oceans of Venus (1954)
aka The Oceans of Venus
4. Lucky Starr and the Big Sun of Mercury (1956)
aka The Big Sun of Mercury
5. Lucky Starr and the Moons of Jupiter (1957)
aka The Moons of Jupiter
6. Lucky Starr and the Rings of Saturn (195
aka The Rings of Saturn
The Complete Adventures of Lucky Starr (omnibus) (2001)
David Starr, Space RangerLucky Starr and the Pirates of the AsteroidsLucky Starr and the Oceans of VenusLucky Starr and the Big Sun of Mercury
Lucky Starr and the Moons of JupiterLucky Starr and the Rings of Saturn

R. Daneel Olivaw
1. The Caves of Steel (1954)
2. The Naked Sun (1956)
3. The Robots of Dawn (1983)
4. Robots and Empire (1985)
The Caves of SteelThe Naked SunThe Robots of DawnRobots and Empire

Black Widowers
Tales of the Black Widowers (1974)
More Tales of the Black Widowers (1976)
The Casebook of the Black Widowers (1980)
Banquets of The Black Widowers (1984)
Puzzles of the Black Widowers (1989)
The Return of the Black Widowers (2003)
Tales of the Black WidowersMore Tales of the Black WidowersThe Casebook of the Black WidowersBanquets of The Black Widowers
Puzzles of the Black WidowersThe Return of the Black Widowers

Norby (with Janet Asimov)
Norby, the Mixed-up Robot (1983)
Norby's Other Secret (1984)
Norby and the Invaders (1985)
Norby and the Lost Princess (1985)
Norby and the Queen's Necklace (1986)
The Norby Chronicles (omnibus) (1986)
Norby Finds a Villain (1987)
Norby Through Time and Space (198
Robot for Hire (198
Norby and Yobo's Great Adventure (1989)
Norby Down to Earth (1989)
Norby and the Oldest Dragon (1990)
Norby and the Court Jester (1991)
Norby, the Mixed-up RobotNorby and the InvadersNorby and the Lost PrincessNorby and the Queen's Necklace
The Norby ChroniclesNorby Through Time and SpaceRobot for HireNorby and Yobo's Great Adventure
Norby Down to EarthNorby and the Oldest DragonNorby and the Court Jester

Novels
The End of Eternity (1955)
The 1,000 Year Plan (1955)
Earth Is Room Enough (1957)
A Whiff of Death (195
aka The Death Dealers
The Double Planet (1960)
Fantastic Voyage (1966)
The Gods Themselves (1972)
The Heavenly Host (1975)
Murder at the ABA (1976)
aka Authorized Murder
Planet That Wasn't There (1976)
Good Taste (1976)
Destination Brain: Fantastic Voyage II (1987)
Nemesis (1989)
Child of Time (1991) (with Robert Silverberg)
The Ugly Little Boy (1992) (with Robert Silverberg)
The Positronic Man (1992) (with Robert Silverberg)
The End of EternityThe 1,000 Year PlanEarth Is Room EnoughA Whiff of Death
The Double PlanetFantastic VoyageThe Gods ThemselvesThe Heavenly Host
Good TasteDestination Brain: Fantastic Voyage IINemesisChild of Time
The Ugly Little BoyThe Positronic Man

Collections
The Martian Way: And Other Stories (1955)
Nine Tomorrows: Tales of the near future (1959)
Through a Glass, Clearly (1967)
Asimov's Mysteries (196
Nightfall: And Other Stories (1969) (with Robert Silverberg)
Nightfall Two (1971)
The Best New Thing (1971)
The Early Asimov Volume 2 (1972)
The Early Asimov Volume 3 (1972)
The Early Asimov Volume 1 (1972)
aka Eleven Years of Trying
The Best of Isaac Asimov (1973)
Have You Seen These? (1974)
Buy Jupiter: And Other Stories (1975)
Lecherous Limericks (poems) (1975)
More Lecherous Limericks (poems) (1976)
The Complete Stories (1976)
Bicentennial Man: And Other Stories (1976)
The Key Word and Other Mysteries (1977)
Asimov's Sherlockian Limericks (poems) (1977)
Still More Lecherous Limericks (poems) (1977)
Limericks (poems) (197
Limericks: Too Gross (poems) (197 (with John Ciardi)
Prisoners of the Stars (197
A Grossery of Limericks (poems) (1981) (with John Ciardi)
The Winds of Change: And Other Stories (1983)
The Union Club Mysteries (1983)
Isaac Asimov's Limericks for Children (poems) (1984)
The Disappearing Man: And Other Mysteries (1985)
The Edge of Tomorrow (1985)
The Alternate Asimovs (1986)
The Best Science Fiction of Isaac Asimov (1986)
Other Worlds of Isaac Asimov (1987)
Azazel (198
All the Troubles of the World (1989)
The Asimov Chronicles: Fifty Years of Isaac Asimov (1989)
Pshrinks Anonymous: The Mysterious Cure And Other Stories (1990)
Gold: The Final Science Fiction Collection (1991)
The Complete Stories Volume Two (1995)
Magic (1995)

[Danzo]

Probably the most influential 'hard SF' writer of all time I think. The prose can be a bit stilted in some of the books but as Roger says the Foundation trilogy is a true classic.

His short story 'Nightfall' has often been called the best SF short story ever written and it is still oddly chilling for a story in which not much happens.

Danzo

[BorderReiver]

Asimov was my hero when I was younger,brilliant writer.

Didn't realise that he had written so much.I will have to "re-visit" (sorry about that)him.

Thanks for the list Dicken.

[Roger Gregory]

I would also go and read:

The 1,000 Year Plan (1955)
Earth Is Room Enough (1957)

I do remember them being good. I read most of the Asimov stuff the second time round in paperback when I was in my 20s but the first time round I remember taking my huge pile of Gollancz hardbacks in their yellow jackets home from the library every week.

I don't remember the Asimov-Silverberg collaborations but Robert Silverberg is another favourite author from that time so I bet those are worth a look.

Just be careful you don't end up with too much of the children's stuff. It really is very simple, though well done.

Roger

[Bogflogger]

Another vote for "Earth is room enough."

The only problem with Asimov's works is that they keep on appearing in different collections and under different titles, so you end up with a huge collection of the same stuff!

Another good book to hunt down is "Tiger, Tiger" by Alfred Bester (also known as "The Stars my Destination").

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stars_My_Destination

[Danzo]

I've always found loads of paperback Asimovs in charity shops, probably worth a look if you want to save some cash.

Danzo

[Kane]

Could never get into Asimovs stuff - wht not try your local library

[Danzo]

Could never get into Asimovs stuff.....

He can be difficult to read, as I've found, or at least going back to read his works. I started reading him when I was twelve or so, and read him religiously for about three years along with a lot of the other 'Golden Age' writers (even EE 'Doc' Smith.......) but then I started getting far more into fantasy and comicbooks and the old hardSF crew faded away. I was given a big box of old SF paperbacks ten years ago, and whilst my tastes had obviously changed over time, my appreciation of writing had changed as well.

However at his best Isaac Asimov is still a great writer, and even more a true visionary of the future. I've always preferred him to Arthur C Clarke, who I find unreadable. There's always a certain amount of Jewish black humour in Asimovs work which I like, mainly in the short stories, and I believe he and Isaac Baashevis Singer were mutual admirers.

This might be helpful:

http://www.asimovonline.com/asimov_FAQ.html



Danzo

[Noddy]

Overrated isn't the word. A tedious old troll of a writer. I read loads of it years ago. Semi-literate crime fiction pulped about and posing as scientific ethics and philosophy. (am I being too harsh?)

Philip Dick is simply better, and addresses the questions that a (science) fictional imagination should - even the worst of his potboilers radically outpace Asimov

I feel all full of opinions today

n

[Kane]

Great Klonos Claws The Lensman Series - still go back to them on occasion, sadly lost Grey Lensman and Children of the Lens although they're probably in one of the boxes we're still living out of lol

[Bogflogger]

Overrated isn't the word. A tedious old troll of a writer. I read loads of it years ago. Semi-literate crime fiction pulped about and posing as scientific ethics and philosophy. (am I being too harsh?)

Todays Shopping List:

1. Rope.

2. Firewood.

3. Petrol.

[Danzo]

Overrated isn't the word. A tedious old troll of a writer. I read loads of it years ago. Semi-literate crime fiction pulped about and posing as scientific ethics and philosophy. (am I being too harsh?)

Philip Dick is simply better, and addresses the questions that a (science) fictional imagination should - even the worst of his potboilers radically outpace Asimov

I feel all full of opinions today

n

Other than both having been written on paper I don't really think you can compare Dick and Asimov in any real sense. Dick would not have existed without Asimov, as Dick gives credit for. It's maybe like comparing Elvis and Bowie. Dick did extraordinary things, as did Bowie, but it could never have happened without Asimov or Elvis.

Just my thoughts

Danzo

[Noddy]

Dick did extraordinary things, as did Bowie, but it could never have happened without Asimov or Elvis.

I quite agree with that. Elvis & Asimov, landmark figures - indisputable. Don't like them half as much as Bowie and Dick though

You can say the same about the Beatles and the Las, and loads of others

n