OT: Info on Asimov?

[Knife-Man]

Originally Posted by Bogflogger

Todays Shopping List:

1. Rope.

2. Firewood.

3. Petrol.

Your going to need a stake to tie him to as well .

I'm also interested as I just got dune out of the library yesterday I tried to read it a while back but just found it too hard so I'm giving it another shot.

I didn't realize that Asimov was a writer thats how dumb I am

[spamel]

Mmmmm, a mixed response then!!! I am enjoying The robots of dawn anyway, although I'm not too far into it so far. Tomorrow I am going out bushcrafting with Jo'anne, my eldest, so I may take the book for a quick read whilst dinner is on the go.

Thanks for the posts so far, I'm sure there will be more people to point me in a good direction aswell. The foundation books are in my library in the Education centre here in Hohne, so I may give them a go next. I really like the old harback covers though, they are drawn like the old sci fi, not like they would be these days where most of what is written is actually possible!

[zackerty]

I prefered his Black Widower series more...
I have half, and hunting...

[Dicken]

"I'm also interested as I just got dune out of the library yesterday I tried to read it a while back but just found it too hard so I'm giving it another shot"

Dune was good ... but then it all went down hill … I have been waiting some time for the 28th part of the Dune Trilogy ... Second Cousin of Dune Meets Buck Rogers or something like that

The film was terrible (the one with Sting in it) but the made-for-TV fim series was reasonable

[dtalbot]

Originally Posted by 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

Just as Danzo says the foundation trilogy (the later additions to the original 3 where no where near as good to me. Nightfall dosn't quite hit the top of my short story list but certainly makes the top 5. Azimov likewise is probably in a 5 or 6 way tie at the top of my fave sci-fi authors list

[Alick]

Originally Posted by Danzo

...
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

Is that the one where the monks buy the supercomputer ?

If so, I'd forgotten it was Asimov but yeah a brilliant disturbing idea that sticks in the mind.

To me, Asimov, Heinlein, Philip K Dick and the like who were all writing in the the 1950's are characterised by style of writing which feels awkward or just very dated from todays perspective. I've read a great many of their stories when I was a kid but wouldn't go back and re read any today. On the other hand, their sheer inventiveness and imagination were marvelous and they nailed so many of the ideas that have become staples of later SF. It's no wonder people keep turning PKD's short stories into films.

I have another favorite short story that similarly is based around one uncomfortable quirky idea that makes it unforgettable: Diamond Dogs by Alastair Reynolds. A contemporary author who writes rather good stuff

Back on topic - my vote is for the first 3 foundation novels - no.s 2 &/or 3 are better than the first but hey, you have to let him set the scene.

[Dicken]

If I rember correctly , it is the one where a planet has two suns and night falls only once every x thousand years ... leading to the cyclical destruction of civilization

Bit like Uk politics

[Ratel10mm]

Originally Posted by 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)

You've missed out all his non-fiction.

[Ratel10mm]

Originally Posted by Dicken

If I rember correctly , it is the one where a planet has two suns and night falls only once every x thousand years ... leading to the cyclical destruction of civilization

Correct.

[Alick]

Ah, different one then !

Cheers

[PaulV]

Foundation Trilogy is classic Asimov, and a damn fine read! Actually years after the trilogy Isaac wrote 3-4 more books in the series, not as great as the original series IMHO

[spamel]

Wow, loads of replies here!! Thanks, it's gonna be foundation after this book then!

I haven't read for a few days as the missus and myself have been doing catch up on season 2 of lost! Not sure how well that will go down here, but I am amazed at where they keep getting all these torches from!

[Ratel10mm]

One thing with Asimov - after a while he began to realise that the 3 laws weren't actually much good. The idea can be seen in the R. Daneel Olivaw series with some spacers eventually realising that they are in effect at the mercy of thier perfect slaves, not even choosing what clothes they're going to wear.
3 books that push this idea forward (posthumously but with Asimov's encouragement) are 'Caliban', 'Inferno' & 'Utopia'. All written by Roger McBride Allen. If you like Asimov, then you'll like these 3 too.

[Wayne D]

Originally Posted by 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

hhmm. the Lensmans series was by EE 'Doc' Smith as was other classics such as' the family D'alembert' series

[A Grinnell]

I read a lot of Asimov, Heinlein, Smith, Silverberg years and years ago but I find the only authors I regularly reread are Ursula K. Le Guin, Zenna Henderson and my favourite Harlan Ellison.

Cheers Andy