Isaac Asimov

Isaac Asimov

Isaac Asimov’s writing won every major award in the science fiction genre. His voice as an author was one that all other science fiction voices either obeyed or shifted from, making him, next to Robert Heinlein, the most influential American science fiction writer of his era.

Born in Russia, Asimov moved with his family to the United States and became a citizen in 1928. Although he was first published in his teens with “Marooned off Vesta” in 1939, he didn't pursue writing as a full-time career until later in life. In fact, he earned his first degree, a BS in chemistry from Columbia University, that same year, 1939. He followed that with a Master’s degree in 1941 and a PhD in 1948.

During this time period, Asimov wrote part-time and produced his three most famous works: “Strange Playfellow” (1940), the first story in the Robot series; “Nightfall” (1941); and Foundation, the first installment of the influential Galactic Empire series.

In 1958, Asimov resigned as a professor to write full time. During this time, he focused on non-fiction, including an award-winning popular-science column in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. In 1977 he helped found Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine. All told, he wrote or edited over 500 books.

Induction Year: 1997

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Foundation series (1942 – 1993)
I, Robot (1950)
The Caves of Steel (1953)
The End of Eternity (1955)
The Gods Themselves (1972)
The Bicentennial Man (1976)
The Complete Robot (1982)
The Robots of Dawn (1983)

TV/FILM ADAPTATIONS

The Bicentennial Man (1999)
I, Robot (2004)