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"The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom." ― Isaac Asimov

Isaac Asimov
Isaac.Asimov01.jpg
Native name
Russian: Исаак Азимов
Born Isaak Azimov
c.  January 2, 1920[a]
Petrovichi, Smolensk Governorate, Russian SFSR
Died April 6, 1992 (aged 72)
Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
Occupation Writer, professor of biochemistry
Nationality Soviet (early years), American
Education
Alma mater Columbia University
Genre Science fiction (Hard SF, social SF), mystery, popular science
Subject Popular science, science textbooks, essays, history, literary criticism
Literary movement Golden Age of Science Fiction
Years active 1939–1992
Spouse
Children 2
Relatives Eric Asimov (nephew)
Signature
 
Scientific career
Fields Biochemistry
Institutions Boston University
Thesis The kinetics of the reaction inactivation of tyrosinase during its catalysis of the aerobic oxidation of catechol (1948)
Doctoral advisor Charles Reginald Dawson
Other academic advisors Robert Elderfield (post-doctoral)

Isaac Asimov (/ˈæzɪmɒv/; c.  January 2, 1920 – April 6, 1992) was an American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. He was known for his works of science fiction and popular science. Asimov was a prolific writer who wrote or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000 letters and postcards.

Asimov wrote hard science fiction. Along with Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke, Asimov was considered one of the "Big Three" science fiction writers during his lifetime. Asimov's most famous work is the "Foundation" series, the first three books of which won the one-time Hugo Award for "Best All-Time Series" in 1966. His other major series are the "Galactic Empire" series and the Robot series. The Galactic Empire novels are set in earlier history of the same fictional universe as the Foundation series. Later, with Foundation and Earth (1986), he linked this distant future to the Robot stories, creating a unified "future history" for his stories much like those pioneered by Robert A. Heinlein and previously produced by Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson. He also wrote hundreds of short stories, including the social science fiction novelette "Nightfall", which in 1964 was voted the best short science fiction story of all time by the Science Fiction Writers of America. Asimov wrote the Lucky Starr series of juvenile science-fiction novels using the pen name Paul French.

Asimov also wrote mysteries and fantasy, as well as much nonfiction. Most of his popular science books explain concepts in a historical way, going as far back as possible to a time when the science in question was at its simplest stage. Examples include Guide to Science, the three-volume set Understanding Physics, and Asimov's Chronology of Science and Discovery. He wrote on numerous other scientific and non-scientific topics, such as chemistry, astronomy, mathematics, history, biblical exegesis, and literary criticism.

He was president of the American Humanist Association. The asteroid (5020) Asimov, a crater on the planet Mars, a Brooklyn elementary school, Honda's humanoid robot, ASIMO, and four literary awards are named in his honor.


Books