6th April 1992 – Isaac Azimov died

Isaac Azimov is widely acknowledged to be one of the big three Science Fiction writers of the middle 20th century along with Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke. Azimov has written or edited over 500 books.

During my youth and early adulthood he was one of my favorite science fiction authors. My bookshelf contains:

• I Robot – 1950
• Second Foundation – 1953
• The Martian Way – 1955
• The Naked Sun – 1957
• Through a Glass, Clearly – 1967
• Where Do We Go From Here? Book 2 (anthology) – 1971
• Buy Jupiter – 1975
• Foundation’s Edge – 1982
• Robots of Dawn – 1983
• Robots and Empire – 1985
• Foundation and Earth – 1986
• Azazel – 1988
• Prelude to Foundation – 1988
• Nemesis – 1989
• Nightfall – 1990 (with Robert Silverberg)
• Forward the Foundation – 1993
• Magic (collection of short stories published after his death) – 1996

I have read quite a few of his other books. One of the first science fiction books I clearly remember reading was The Currents of Space. His books have not aged too well – technological advances have overtaken them. In addition I think modern readers have other expectations of science fiction both concerning quality, depth and content. Still for me I still remember and appreciate the Sense of Wonder I associate with Azimov’s science fiction.

Azimov is also known for his 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.

See also:

Isaac Azimov’s home page