WRITER

Isaac Asimov

1920 - 1992

Isaac Asimov

Isaac Asimov ( AZ-ih-mov; c. January 2, 1920 – April 6, 1992) was an American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. During his lifetime, Asimov was considered one of the "Big Three" science fiction writers, along with Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke. A prolific writer, he wrote or edited more than 500 books. Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Isaac Asimov has received more than 12,550,513 page views. His biography is available in 116 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 114 in 2019). Isaac Asimov is the 84th most popular writer (down from 71st in 2019), the 25th most popular biography from Russia (down from 22nd in 2019) and the 7th most popular Russian Writer.

Isaac Asimov is most famous for his science fiction novels and short stories.

Memorability Metrics

13M
Page Views (PV)
78.18
Historical Popularity Index (HPI)
116
Languages Editions (L)
8.54
Effective Languages (L*)
5.33
Coefficient of Variation (CV)

Notable Works

I, Robot

American Science fiction, Readers (Secondary), Readers

The three laws of Robotics: 1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm 2. A robot must obey orders given to it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law 3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law. With these three, simple directives, Isaac Asimov changed our perception of robots forever when he formulated the laws governing their behavior. In *I, Robot* Asimov chronicles the development of the robot through a series of interlinked stories: from its primitive origins in the present to its ultimate perfection in the not-so-distant future--a future in which humanity itself may be rendered obsolete. Here are stories of robots gone mad, of mind-reading robots, and robots with a sense of humor, of robot politicians, and robots who secretly run the world--all told with the dramatic blend of science fact and science fiction that has become Asmiov's trademark. (From the Hardcover edition.)

1950

Second Foundation

Fiction, Hari Seldon (Fictitious character), Psychohistory

1953

Foundation and Empire

Fiction, Psychohistory, Hari Seldon (Fictitious character)

Although small and seemingly helpless, the Foundation had managed to survive against the greed of its neighboring warlords. But could it stand against the mighty power of the Empire, which had created a mutant man with the strength of a dozen battlefleets...? From the Paperback edition.

1920

The Caves of Steel

Robots, Fiction

"A Del Rey book." It was bad enough when Lije Baley, a simple plainclothes cop, was ordered to solve a totally baffling mystery - the murder of a prominent Spacer. It was worse when he found that the smug, self-satisfied Spacers were behind the pressure to provide an impossibly quick solution. But then Lije discovered the worst of all bad news. The Spacers, distrusting all Earthmen, insisted he must work with an investigator of their choice. And that investigator turned out to be R. Daneel Olivaw. R stood for robot--and Lije hated and feared robots deeply, bitterly and pathologically. Issac Asimov's The Naked Sun and The Caves of Steel are two of the most famous science-fiction novels ever. They are set long after mankind - aided by the positronic robot - has colonized the worlds of other suns. This is a time of growing concern between Earthmen and Spacers. Lije Baley, who is filled with all Earths prejudice agains robots and Spacers, must learn to work together with a seemingly human robot to solve apparently impossible crimes that threaten the fragile link between Earth and Space.

1900

Foundation

Psychohistory, Open Library Staff Picks, Life on other planets

One of the great masterworks of science fiction, the Foundation novels of Isaac Asimov are unsurpassed for their unique blend of nonstop action, daring ideas, and extensive world-building. The story of our future begins with the history of Foundation and its greatest psychohistorian: Hari Seldon. For twelve thousand years the Galactic Empire has ruled supreme. Now it is dying. Only Hari Seldon, creator of the revolutionary science of psychohistory, can see into the future--a dark age of ignorance, barbarism, and warfare that will last thirty thousand years. To preserve knowledge and save mankind, Seldon gathers the best minds in the Empire--both scientists and scholars--and brings them to a bleak planet at the edge of the Galaxy to serve as a beacon of hope for future generations. He calls his sanctuary the Foundation. But soon the fledgling Foundation finds itself at the mercy of corrupt warlords rising in the wake of the receding Empire. And mankind's last best hope is faced with an agonizing choice: submit to the barbarians and live as slaves--or take a stand for freedom and risk total destruction.

1920

The End of Eternity

Time travel, Fiction, Fiction in English

The story of temporal engineers who meta-regulate the history of humanity through the centuries, eliminating risk, adventure, and space travel in the process. One man rebels in order to save the existence of someone he loves, and in the end the time bureaucracy is destroyed for the sake of individuality and human achievement. The theme is the opposite of the Foundation stories, where the central planners and manipulators of humanity always dominate.

1955