Isaac Asimov

"Isaac Asimov had writer's block once. It was the worst ten minutes of his life."

Issac Asimov: the only non Texan who could pull off a string tie

Isaac Asimov was one of the big three science fiction writers to come into prominence from the 1940's onward, the others being Arthur C. Clarke and Robert Heinlein. He was born in Soviet Russia and upon learning of this he quickly emigrated to America, where he earned a degree in biochemistry. His works centered around robots, and chiefly among that the Three Laws of Robotics already listed on this page. However, many of his works often dealt not only with the robots themselves but rather around the societies that created them and the effects of total robot dependence, chiefly stagnation. Other spectrums of his works branch out to deal with issues such as nuclear power, feminism, and population control. He also has a book in every category in the Dewey Decimal System. Think about that. Asimov wrote about 500 books most of them sci-fi [1]. That is a LOT of motherfucking books. Also Asimov tended to set his books in the same universe and (unlike a certain midget) he was aware of his universe, meaning that one has to read them all to fully understand all details.

One of Asimov's most famous works is his Foundation series, which involves a large Romanesque Galactic Empire tens of thousands of years in the future ruled from the city planet of Trantor. A mathematician by name of Hari Seldon figures out, using psychohistory (a science of his own invention), that the Empire is on an irreversible downwards spiral to discord and barbarism. However, the ensuing dark age may be reduced to a mere thousand years if scientific knowledge may be preserved. How you ask? By preventing the Empire from breaking apart and keeping it in an ever declining state for about one tousand years. Also by creating a colony of scientists on a distant, backwater planet, tasked with bringing the surrounding systems under their influence with their tech, and eventually building up a second Galactic Empire. They do so through trade, politics and creating and spreading a religion which controls the mysteries of technology to non-Foundationers. Unbeknownst to them (but still to Seldons plan), a second Foundation, made up entirely of mentalics, watches over the Foundation and the galaxy in general to make sure everything proceeds according to The Seldon Plan.

Interestingly Asimov had a rather positive stance on the future and KI. While most of his stories dealt with problems, they all had an positive outlook of the future (well after a few thousand years but still) and problems where mostly the fault of those idiotic, small minded humans and not the glorious logic of the flawless thinking machines. One can say that most if not all problems in his books are man made. Also he was kind of a nerd when it comes to details and opted to often explain every goddame technical detail while keeping fighting scenes to an bare minimum. Kind of anti Grimdark.

TL;DR Asimov basically came up with the concept of the Empire and Adeptus Mechanicus. Also he was one of the biggest sci-fi authors but wrote too much for anyone to ever read.

See Also

• Robert Heinlein
• Arthur C. Clarke
• H.G. Wells
• H.P. Lovecraft