Isaac Asimov - READ!!!

Best. Sci-fi. Book. EVER.

Asimov is good, but the dude pales in comparison with Frank Herbert.

Ever read The Eyes of Heisenberg? (another FH one)

 

Yeah. Asimov is a really great writer. But to be honest with you, though he is a great fiction writer, he is also a brilliant non-fiction writer. I do not recall the title of the book, but it's a collection of several essays he wrote on various topics. It's a great read, if anyone's interested, I can probably dig up the title for them.

 

I've read so much of his stuff in so many different compilations I don't have a clue what I have actualy read and what I haven't.

I'm sure ive read the original foundation trilogy, I'm pretty sure ive read I robot, along with a whole pile of other robot stuff, and im 80% sure I've read the bicentennial man, I was halfway through some other full novel of his a few months ago but i can't remember what it was and I got distracted by children of dune.

A lot of his essays are really good too, these have in my opinion aged better than similar writings by clarke, even if his science fiction was naive in comparison.

 

I'll have to read Dune but I doubt it can beat my view of Asimov.

 

I've always thought Asimov was an incredible writer but I didn't like Dune at all. I tried to but it just didn't work out for me.

 

hmm. A thread about Asimov that didn't mention he Died infected with HIV.

Tainted blood via a triple bypass in '83.

 

Asimov's early and middle stuff was phenomenal.

Buuuut....his later stuff, when he tried to tie the Robots stories in with the Foundation stores, was just self-indulgent. Forward the Foundation is simply terrible.

 

Great story [eyes]
I think it's one i have on shelf . One shelf up from
A e Van vogt [lol] yes THAT shelf
Ohlook E E doc smith.

 

foundation was crap. well meant but still crap.
The Dorsai series did a much better job on the idea

 

ahemmm dune was written by...?? someone not beginning with A
Another writer
Dune embodies all that asimov does not.


Asimov could never have written the 'green brain'. Thats where he falls down

 

^^ Dune was of course written by Frank Herbert. It is part of a series of 6 that Frank H finished before he died. His son and a co-author have written many other Dune novels since Frank's death, but-IMHO- the original Dune is one of the best SF novels of all time.

Back onto Asimov, a similar thing has happened since his death, with other people writing Foundation-based books, based on his story lines.

 

Asimov had a lot of big ideas! If you want introspection, try Dostoyevsky, for but one example... if you want a big idea, the good doctor is as good a choice as any.

 

Attanasio linked to Baxter is a good 'bar'
two ends meet in agreeing that reality is much more than we apes can know,,yet.

Roo

 

I'm reading robot visions backwards, will catch up!

 

I must confess, heard of the chap and probably seen films/movies either of his books or themes that came from his ideas - but not got around to actually reading for some while - Bad me
I must get to do so

 

I've read probably everything he ever wrote in the Sci-Fi genre. He's fun though his character development was sometimes kind of limited in my opinion. And he kind of ignored women until fairly late in his career. His last few Foundation books (the prequel ones) have some better female characters though you could tell he was still from a different era in how he wrote about them.

 

Asimov is one of my top 3 authors. The Foundation Series is right there w/ Herbert's Dune. Asimov, Herbert, and Clarke...masters of their craft and I will read their books over and over.

I've read Asimov's Foundation, Robot, Empire series as well as much of his other "stand alone" novels. I never tire of them.

 

Yes, Asimov is one of the golden age sci-fi writers, the Foundation trilogy is excellent. Also check out any of his short stories.

 

I am currently reading I Robot and I am very impressed. The way he invokes philosophical underpinnings through concepts of ethics, control, empathy and greed in the book are amazing. It is a quite a unique writing style.

I can kind of understand where you're coming from. While I'm completely captivated by I Robot, I could see the novelty of his approach wearing thin if most of his other works are similar. I Robot is constructed as a series of short stories and while there are reoccuring characters, the stories transitions seem kind of disjointed. The emphasis seems to be on promoting the character's philosophical approach in various situations, which creates conflict between their gained experience and knowledge to having to adapt to various situations with the robots and technology as they occur.

I feel like after I finish the book, ill come back here or start a new thread and hopefully find some people interested in discussing some of the issues raised in the book.