• From Petrovichi to New York
• An unusual child
• About the science of the past and future
• Geniuses work in silence

Isaac Asimov has lived enough quiet life, without great shocks, but, as he himself said, “this was compensated by the charming literary style” inherent in him. The author, who does not have false modesty, believed that his books did not create a sensation, although here one can disagree with Asimov - the books did not bring people to the streets, did not provoke revolutions, but they pulled in and absorbed readers, they stunned. The author’s unbridled imagination, the fullness and plausibility of the worlds he invented, as well as the simplicity with which the writer explained complex scientific terms.

Success story, Biography of Isaac Asimov

From Petrovichi to New York

Despite the fact that Isaac Asimov was born in Russia, in the village of Petrovichi, Smolensk region, he was neither Russian nor Russian. The exact date he did not know his birth, he chose January 2, 1920 as such a day, celebrating his name day on the second day of the New Year. He didn’t know Russian either; it was customary in the family to speak Yiddish; although parents Yuda Aronovich and Anna-Rakhil Isaakovna used Russian in conversations that they did not want to involve their children in. WITH three years Asimov already lived among the Americans - in 1923 the family emigrated to the United States, and five years later the Asimovs received citizenship.

Life in Russia in the post-revolutionary years was extremely difficult: lack of food, epidemics - a situation on the brink of survival, and Isaac was a tiny baby - a little more than two kilograms at birth, so his parents did not have much hope that he would survive. But he was not only resilient, but was the only surviving child in the area when a pneumonia epidemic broke out there. Fleeing the new revolutionary reality, the Asimovs decided to emigrate to the United States when Anna-Rakhil's brother, who had already settled in New York, offered them help.

An unusual child

The Asimovs lived very poorly in Brooklyn until they opened own business- Candy store. Isaac learned to read and speak English before Yuda Aronovich: he asked his older schoolchildren to show them the letters, and then began to read all the signs in a row: “When my father discovered that his preschooler son could read and, moreover, learned to do so own initiative, he was amazed. It was probably then that he first began to suspect that I was an unusual child. (He thought this way all his life, which did not stop him from criticizing me without hesitation for my many mistakes.) And since my father thought that I was unusual, his understanding gave me a reason to think about my unusualness myself. . Indeed, Isaac considered himself a child prodigy.

He studied well and showed his “ego the size of the Empire State Building” (a 102-story skyscraper on the island of Manhattan), admiring both his strengths and weaknesses. Among his innate abilities were an almost photographic memory, a quick mind and quick wit. Asimov understood everything quickly and thoroughly. He did not think of hiding his brilliant mind from his classmates, and because he showed off, and at the same time he was weak and the youngest in the class, he became a “scapegoat.” Only with age did Asimov learn not to put himself in the foreground, but he no longer needed to assert himself - he proved his unusualness with a large number of books written on absolutely different topics, becoming one of the most famous science fiction writers.

A candy store is a cradle for a science fiction writer

Isaac Asimov's first job was in his father's candy store. The store worked 16 hours a day, seven days a week, and it was there that Asimov learned what a daily routine was and how to live according to it. Working in the store made him disciplined for the rest of his life - already becoming famous writer, Asimov started the day at 6 am so that by 7.30 he could already be working on a new book.

In addition to confectionery, the store sold magazines with science fiction stories, where the future science fiction author first learned what science fiction is. He read magazines avidly, and at the age of 11 he wrote his first fantastic story. A passionate reader, he wrote down the story to read himself, and at 16 received his first typewriter as a gift from his father. It was second-hand, but it gave 18-year-old Isaac the opportunity to publish his first story, which he submitted to the magazine. The editor did not accept the first opus, but the second story, “Captured by Vesta,” was published in the magazine five months later - October 21, 1938 - Asimov remembered this date for the rest of his life, and he also remembered the fee - $64 for a story of 6,400 words.

“Luck smiled on me because at birth I received an efficient brain that works tirelessly. He is able to think clearly and turn thoughts into words. There is absolutely no merit in this. I got happy ticket, winning the genetic sweepstakes."

Transformation of zoologist into writers

By the time the story was first published, Azimov had already graduated from high school and entered college. Asimov's initial major in college was zoology, but after refusing to dissect a stray cat, he switched to chemistry. His career in science was successful: 1941 - master's degree in chemistry, 1948 - doctorate in biochemistry. In a 7-year span, Asimov worked for three years as a chemist at the Navy Yard in Philadelphia, where his colleague was another future celebrity, Robert Heinlein. Within a few decades, Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke would be called the “Big Three” science fiction writers.

After World War II, Asimov enlisted in the army, where he rose to the rank of corporal thanks to his good command of a typewriter, and in 1946 he narrowly avoided participation in the tests nuclear bomb at Bikini Atoll.

During the decade following his doctorate, Isaac Asimov worked at Boston University School of Medicine and wrote novels, and in 1958 he decided to be only a writer - by then his royalties already exceeded the salary of a scientist. He stopped lecturing on a regular basis, but continued to be friends with the University: “Every year I give a lecture that opens the biochemistry course. Free, of course. This is some introduction that I try to make interesting. Both secretaries and students attend this lecture. I hope they like it, I certainly do.”.

About the science of the past and future

Isaac Asimov's career as a novelist began in 1950 and ended in 1958 with the release of the science fiction novel The Naked Sun. His first novel was 1950's A Grain of Sand in the Sky, but a year earlier, a professor of biochemistry at Boston University, he and his colleagues had written a college textbook, Biochemistry and Human Metabolism, which went through three editions. It was then that Asimov realized that he could explain scientific information well - step by step, accessible language. And if he can explain science, then he can also explain the Bible, and history, and everything in the world! Therefore, gradually the amount fantasy books, written by Asimov, decreased, and the number of popular science works increased, but in 1982 he returned to fiction and published the novel “The Academy on the Edge of Death.” The novel was included in the “Foundation” cycle, the title of which, translated into Russian, is different variants Academy, Foundation, Foundation, and received a Hugo Award in 1983 and a Nebula Award nomination in 1982. Over the next 10 years until his death, Asimov published several more backstories and sequels to existing novels, tying them into a single, fascinating story.

The writer believed that his most striking contribution to literature and science was the “Foundation” cycle, as well as the three laws of robotics, which the writer formulated gradually, introducing them into different stories, which he later combined into the collection “I, Robot”.

However, Asimov was modest in this. Oxford Dictionary in English credits Isaac Asimov with the invention of the words "positronic brain", "psychohistory" and "robotics", although the writer argued that "robotics" is a common derivation of the word "robot", similar to the words "mechanics" and "hydraulics".

Geniuses work in silence

There were two signs hanging on the door of Isaac Asimov's office: “Keep quiet, please” and “Genius at work.” There was silence a necessary condition for Asimov, he was undoubtedly a workaholic and needed a lot of concentration. The immodest Asimov did not agree with the word “genius”: “I am one of the most versatile writers in the world, and the greatest popularizer of many disciplines.” . Indeed, from the study of the Bible and the consequences of the development of various fields of science to Shakespeare and the history of France - such is the range of Asimov's books.

Was he the most prolific writer in the world? Asimov himself answered: “No, there are other authors, the most famous of them is Georges Simenon, but he only writes novels.” . Indeed, among the books French writer there is no work entitled “Introduction to the use of the slide rule”, “The energy of life. From spark to photosynthesis”, “The building material of the Universe: The entire Galaxy in the periodic table”, and Asimov has it. The average volume of Asimov's book is 70,000 words, the number of books is about 500, it turns out that he wrote 35 million words for his books alone - but volume and quantity are not the most important thing in a writer's work - “And the best part is that everything I write gets published.”.

For his 65th birthday, Isaac Asimov not only did not slow down, he began to write even faster than before. His first 100th book, which was published in January 1950, took the writer 237 months, that is, almost 20 years. He worked on the 200th book, which appeared in print in March 1979, for 113 months, that is, about 9.5 years. The 300th book, Opus 300, was completed in 69 months, that is, in less than 6 years.

Asimov always looked up from his typewriter with great reluctance. And when he couldn’t reach the keys, he took a pen and paper and could easily compose short story. Of all the movements, he preferred walking, and most of all, walking indoors: “I have a machine on which I stand for half an hour and make all the movements that imitate the movements of an athlete on cross-country skis, but all this happens in the warmth and comfort of my apartment.” . Going on such a ski run, Asimov could take a book with him: he read and reread Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, P.G. Wodehouse and Agatha Christie.

Isaac Asimov spent almost his entire life in his office, which he kept in extraordinary cleanliness and order, typing his texts on a typewriter - 90 words per minute, and with great reluctance to tear himself away from work, saying that he was “really happy only when working.” To questions about how it turns out to be so fruitful, Azimov answered: “I make no effort to write more poetically or in a higher literary style. I just try to write clearly and luckily I have the ability to think clearly, so I write what I think and it comes out well straight away.”

Secrets of Isaac Asimov's mastery

Asimov created drafts on a typewriter, then typed the text on a computer and made corrections only once: “This is not because of high ego,” he explained: “I still have so much to write that if I sit too long on one book, I won’t have time to do everything.” . He worked on each book from start to finish, without resorting to the services of assistants.

Love for the chosen business and amazing performance, combined with an incredible interest in life in all aspects of its manifestation - these are the facts with which the writer explained his skill: “All I do is keep writing. I will soon be 65, and I feel like a child trying to tell Grandfather Time something. But I feel that if you keep writing, that skill will stay with you forever, just like people who keep themselves in good physical shape - at 65 they can do things that I couldn’t at 20.” . But, like any talented creative person, Asimov was tormented by the thought that he would never write better than that, which has already been done. Despite the fact that for many decades the publishing house did not reject a single work, the writer was haunted by a nightmare: “I dream of my publishers getting together and saying that Asimov has written himself off. Then they draw straws to choose who will bring me this bad news.". 

“How to become a truly prolific author? The very first requirement is that a person must have passion for the writing process. I mean; that he must have a passion for what happens between thinking about a book and finishing it.”

About airplanes, politics and religion

In his dislike of looking away from the typewriter, Asimov went to extremes. He could go to a mountain resort, giving in to his wife's demands, and spend all his days in his room typing new novel. But he traveled little, believing that if there is a chance of survival as a result of a train crash, then flying is an unfair undertaking, because if the plane crashes you will die. Ironically, it was he, Isaac Asimov, who wrote fantastic works about the battles of interplanetary ships, about travelers in time and in hyperspace and in distant nebulae, I had never boarded a plane in my life.

Despite his enormous passion for work, his occupation did not become an obstacle to communicating with the world: Azimov was a very popular person, he had many friends, he was loving father his two children and remained very close to his parents until their death.

Asimov gave many interviews, was president of the American Humanist Association, and always claimed to be a humanist and rationalist, opposing prejudice and pseudoscience. Regarding religion, in a 1982 interview, when asked “Are you an atheist?” Isaac Asimov replied: “Undoubtedly, I am an atheist. I thought about this for a long time. I considered myself an atheist for many years, but one day I felt that it was intellectually irresponsible to talk about atheism because it assumed knowledge that in reality did not exist. It’s better to say not “atheist”, but humanist and agnostic. Therefore, I decided that I was both an emotional and sane creature. Emotionally I am an atheist. I don’t have proof that God doesn’t exist, but I also can’t prove that he does exist, so I don’t want to waste my time on that.”

However, in his autobiography, Isaac Asimov discussed religion: “If I were not an atheist, I would believe that God saves people by assessing their merits in life, and not their spoken words. I think that this God would prefer an honest and virtuous atheist, rather than a churchman broadcasting on TV, whose every word is “God, God, God,” and whose deed is dirt, dirt, dirt.”

Azimov did not hide his political views. He was a liberal who opposed US involvement in the Vietnam War. In television interviews he did not hide his opinion about the country's highest officials. For example, he called President Richard Nixon a “crook and a liar,” and about the heroes of the American counterculture of the 60s, he said that they were riding an emotional wave that would ultimately leave them on the shores of a “spiritual country without people” from where there would be return.

The writer passed away on April 6, 1992 at the age of 72; the official statement stated that the cause of death was heart and kidney failure. 10 years after his death, it became known from the published autobiographical book “It’s Been a Good Life” that the disease developed against the background of the AIDS virus, which was introduced into the writer’s blood in 1977 during heart surgery.

In addition to the most interesting scientific fantasy novels and exciting popular science books, Isaac Asimov left earthlings with his message of friendship, hatred and love: “History has reached a point where humanity is no longer allowed to be at odds. People on Earth must be friends. I have always tried to emphasize this in my works... I don’t think it is possible to make all people love each other, but I would like to destroy hatred between people. And I quite seriously believe that science fiction is one of the links that helps unite humanity. The problems that we raise in science fiction become pressing problems of all humanity... The science fiction writer, the reader of science fiction, science fiction itself serve humanity.”

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Isaac Asimov (English Isaac Asimov, birth name - Isaac Asimov; January 2, 1920 - April 6, 1992) - American science fiction writer of Jewish origin, science popularizer, biochemist by profession. Author of about 500 books, mostly fiction (primarily in the genre science fiction, but also in other genres: fantasy, detective, humor) and popular science (in the most different areas- from astronomy and genetics to history and literary criticism). Multiple winner of the Hugo and Nebula awards. Some terms from his works - robotics (robotics, robotics), positronic (positronic), psychohistory (psychohistory, the science of the behavior of large groups of people) - have become firmly established in English and other languages. In the Anglo-American literary tradition Asimov, along with Arthur C. Clarke and Robert Heinlein, is considered one of the “Big Three” science fiction writers.

Azimov was born (according to documents) on January 2, 1920 in the town of Petrovichi, Mstislavsky district, Smolensk province (now Shumyachsky district, Smolensk region of Russia) into a Jewish family. His parents, Hana Rachel Isaakovna Berman (Anna Rachel Berman-Asimov, 1895-1973) and Yudl Aronovich Azimov (Judah Asimov, 1896-1969), were millers by profession. They named him in honor of his late maternal grandfather, Isaac Berman (1850-1901). Contrary to late statements Isaac Asimov, as if the original family name was “Ozimov”, all relatives remaining in the USSR bear the surname “Azimov”.

The first rule of dieting: if it tastes good, it's bad for you.

Asimov Isaac

As Asimov himself points out in his autobiographies (“In Memory Yet Green,” “It’s Been A Good Life”), his native and only language in childhood was Yiddish; they didn’t speak Russian with him in the family. From fiction in early years he grew up mainly on the stories of Sholom Aleichem. In 1923, his parents took him to the United States (“in a suitcase,” as he himself put it), where they settled in Brooklyn and a few years later opened a candy store.

At the age of 5, Isaac Asimov went to school. (He was supposed to start school at age 6, but his mother changed his birthday to September 7, 1919, in order to send him to school a year earlier.) After finishing tenth grade in 1935, the 15-year-old Asimov entered Seth Low Junior College , but a year later this college closed. Asimov entered the chemistry department at Columbia University in New York, where he received a bachelor's degree (B. S.) in 1939, and a master's degree (M. Sc.) in chemistry in 1941 and entered graduate school. However, in 1942 he went to Philadelphia to work as a chemist at the Philadelphia Shipyard for the Army. Another science fiction writer, Robert Heinlein, worked there with him.

In February 1942, on Valentine's Day, Asimov met on a “blind date” with Gertrude Blugerman. On July 26 they got married. From this marriage was born a son, David (English: David) (1951) and a daughter, Robyn Joan (English: Robyn Joan) (1955).

From October 1945 to July 1946, Azimov served in the army. Then he returned to New York and continued his education. In 1948, he completed graduate school, received a PhD, and entered a postdoctoral fellowship as a biochemist. In 1949, he took a teaching position at Boston University School of Medicine, where he became an assistant professor in December 1951 and an associate professor in 1955. In 1958, the university stopped paying him a salary, but formally kept him in his previous position. By this point, Asimov's income as a writer already exceeded his university salary. In 1979 he was awarded the title of full professor.

Biography

Isaac Asimov is an American science fiction writer, science popularizer, and biochemist. Author of about 500 books, mostly fiction (primarily in the genre of science fiction, but also in other genres: fantasy, detective, humor) and popular science (in a variety of areas - from astronomy and genetics to history and literary criticism). Multiple Hugo and Nebula Award winner. Some terms from his works - robotics (robotics, robotics), positronic (positronic), psychohistory (psychohistory, the science of the behavior of large groups of people) - have become firmly established in English and other languages. In the Anglo-American literary tradition, Asimov, along with Arthur C. Clarke and Robert Heinlein, is considered one of the “Big Three” science fiction writers.

In one of the addresses to readers Asimov formulated the humanistic role of science fiction in the following way: modern world: “History has reached a point where humanity is no longer allowed to be at odds. People on Earth must be friends. I have always tried to emphasize this in my works... I don’t think it is possible to make all people love each other, but I would like to destroy hatred between people. And I quite seriously believe that science fiction is one of the links that helps unite humanity. The problems that we raise in science fiction become pressing problems of all humanity... The science fiction writer, the reader of science fiction, science fiction itself serve humanity.”

Azimov was born (according to documents) on January 2, 1920 in the town of Petrovichi, Klimovichi district, Mogilev province, RSFSR (since 1929 - Shumyachsky district, Smolensk region) into a Jewish family. His parents, Anna Rachel Berman-Asimov (1895-1973) and Yuda Aronovich Azimov (Judah Asimov, 1896-1969), were millers by profession. They named him in honor of his late maternal grandfather, Isaac Berman (1850-1901). Contrary to Isaac Asimov's later claims that the original family surname was "Ozimov", all remaining relatives in the USSR bear the surname "Azimov".

As a child, Asimov spoke Yiddish and English. In fiction, in his early years, he grew up mainly on the stories of Sholom Aleichem. In 1923, his parents took him to the United States (“in a suitcase,” as he himself put it), where they settled in Brooklyn and a few years later opened a candy store.

At the age of 5, Isaac Asimov went to school in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. (He was supposed to start school at age 6, but his mother changed his birthday to September 7, 1919, in order to send him to school a year earlier.) After finishing tenth grade in 1935, the 15-year-old Asimov entered Seth Low Junior College, but a year later this college closed. Asimov entered the chemistry department of Columbia University in New York, where he received a bachelor's degree (B.S.) in 1939, and a master's degree (M.Sc.) in chemistry in 1941 and entered graduate school. However, in 1942 he went to Philadelphia to work as a chemist at the Philadelphia Shipyard for the Army. Another science fiction writer, Robert Heinlein, worked there with him.

In February 1942, on Valentine's Day, Asimov met on a "blind date" with Gertrude Blugerman. On July 26 they got married. From this marriage was born a son, David (1951), and a daughter, Robyn Joan (1955).

From October 1945 to July 1946, Azimov served in the army. Then he returned to New York and continued his education. In 1948, he completed his graduate studies, received a PhD (Doctor of Science) degree in biochemistry, and entered a postdoctoral fellowship as a biochemist. In 1949, he became a teacher at Boston University School of Medicine, where he became an assistant professor in December 1951 and an associate professor in 1955. In 1958, the university stopped paying him a salary, but formally kept him in his previous position. By this point, Asimov's income as a writer already exceeded his university salary. In 1979 he was awarded the title of full professor.

In the 1960s, Asimov was under investigation by the FBI for possible connections with the communists. The reason was a denunciation of Asimov’s respectful review of Russia as the first country to build nuclear power plant. Suspicions were finally cleared against the writer in 1967.

In 1970, Asimov separated from his wife and almost immediately became involved with Janet Opal Jeppson, whom he met at a banquet on May 1, 1959. (They had previously met in 1956, when he gave her an autograph. Asimov did not remember that meeting, and Jeppson considered him an unpleasant person at the time.) The divorce became effective on November 16, 1973, and on November 30, Asimov and Jeppson were married. There were no children from this marriage.

Died on April 6, 1992 from heart and kidney failure due to HIV infection(leading to AIDS), which he contracted during heart surgery in 1983. The fact that Asimov suffered from HIV became known only 10 years later from a biography written by Janet Opal Jeppson. According to the will, the body was cremated and the ashes were scattered.

Literary activity

Asimov began writing at the age of 11. He began writing a book about the adventures of boys living in a small town. He wrote 8 chapters and then abandoned the book. But at the same time it happened interesting case. Having written 2 chapters, Isaac retold them to his friend. He demanded a continuation. When Isaac explained that this was all he had written for now, his friend asked him to give him the book where Isaac had read the story. From that moment on, Isaac realized that he had a gift for writing and began to take his literary work seriously.

In 1941, the story “Nightfall” was published about a planet rotating in a system of six stars, where night falls once every 2049 years. The story achieved enormous fame (according to Bewildering Stories, it was one of the most famous stories ever published). In 1968, the Science Fiction Writers Association of America declared Nightfall the best ever written. fantasy stories. The story was included in anthologies more than 20 times, was filmed twice, and Asimov himself later called it “a watershed in my life.” professional career" The hitherto little-known science fiction writer, who published about 10 stories (and about the same number were rejected), became a famous writer. Interestingly, Asimov himself did not consider “Nightfall” to be his favorite story.

On May 10, 1939, Asimov began writing the first of his robot stories, the story "Robbie." In 1941, Asimov wrote the story “Liar!” about a robot who could read minds. The famous Three Laws of Robotics begin to appear in this story. Asimov attributed the authorship of these laws to John W. Campbell, who formulated them in a conversation with Asimov on December 23, 1940. Campbell, however, said that the idea belonged to Asimov, he only gave it the formulation. In the same story, Asimov coined the word “robotics” (robotics, the science of robots), which entered the English language. In Asimov's translations into Russian, robotics is also translated as “robotics”, “robotics”.

In the collection of stories "I, Robot", which brought the writer worldwide fame, Asimov dispels widespread fears surrounding the creation of artificial intelligent beings. Before Asimov, most stories about robots involved them rebelling or killing their creators. Asimov's robots are not mechanical villains plotting to destroy human race, and people’s assistants are often more intelligent and humane than their masters. Since the early 1940s, robots in science fiction have been subject to the Three Laws of Robotics, although traditionally no science fiction writer except Asimov explicitly cites these laws.

In 1942, Asimov began the Foundation series of novels. Initially, "Foundation" and the robot stories were classified as different worlds, and only in 1980 Asimov decided to unite them.

Since 1958, Asimov began to write much less fiction and much more popular science literature. From 1980 he resumed writing science fiction with the continuation of the Foundation series.

Asimov's three favorite stories were " Last question"The Last Question", "The Bicentennial Man" and "The Ugly Little Boy", in that order. My favorite novel was The Gods Themselves.

Publicistic activity

Most of the books written by Asimov are popular science, and in a variety of fields: chemistry, astronomy, religious studies, and a number of others. In his publications, Asimov shared the position of scientific skepticism and criticized pseudoscience and superstition. In the 1970s, he co-founded the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, a non-profit organization countering pseudoscience.

Main awards

Hugo Award

1963 for popular science articles;
1966 for the series "Foundation" (as " Best episode SF of all times");
1973 for the novel “The Gods Themselves”;

1983 for the novel from the “Foundation” series “Edge of the Foundation”;
1994 for the autobiography “A. Asimov: Memoirs"

Nebula Award

1972 for the novel “The Gods Themselves”;
1976 for the story “The Bicentennial Man”;

Locus Magazine Award

1977 for the story “The Bicentennial Man”;
1981 (not thin lit.);
1983

The most famous science fiction works

A collection of short stories, I, Robot, in which Asimov developed a code of ethics for robots. It was he who wrote the Three Laws of Robotics;
Cycle about the galactic empire: “Pebble in the Sky” (“Pebble in the sky”), “ The Stars, Like Dust" and "The Currents of Space";
A series of novels “Foundation” (“Foundation”, also this word was translated as “Foundation”, “Foundation”, “Establishment” and “Academy”) about the collapse of the galactic empire and the birth of a new social order;
The novel “The Gods Themselves” (“The Gods Themselves”), the central theme of which is that rationalism without morality leads to evil;
Novel " The End of Eternity" ("End of Eternity"), which describes Eternity (an organization that controls time travel and makes changes human history) and its collapse;
Adventure series space ranger Lucky Starr a (see Lucky Starr series).
The story “The Bicentennial Man”, based on which a film of the same name was made in 1999.
Episode "Detective Elijah Bailey and Robot Daniel Olivo" - famous cycle of four novels and one story about the adventures of an earthling detective and his partner, a robotic cosmonite: “Mother Earth”, “Caves of Steel”, “The Naked Sun”, “ Mirror reflection", "Robots of the Dawn", "Robots and Empire".

Almost all of the writer’s cycles, as well as individual works, form the “History of the Future”.

Many of Asimov's works have been filmed, most famous films- “Bicentennial Man” and “I, Robot.”

The most famous journalistic works

"Asimov's Guide to Science"
two-volume “Asimov’s Guide to the Bible” (“Asimov’s Guide to the Bible”),

Isaac Asimov is a great science fiction writer whose fictional worlds have fascinated more than one generation of readers. This talented person wrote more than five thousand books and stories, trying his hand at different genres: from your favorite science fiction to detective stories and fantasy. However, few people know that in creative biography Asimov found a place not only for literary activity, but also for science.

Childhood and youth

Was born future writer in Belarus, in a place called Petrovichi, not far from Mogilev, January 2, 1920. Azimov's parents, Yuda Aronovich and Khana-Rakhil Isaakovna, worked as millers. The boy was named after his late grandfather on his mother's side. Isaac himself would later claim that the Azimovs' surname was originally written as Ozimovs. Jewish roots were highly revered in Isaac's family. According to his own recollections, his parents did not speak Russian to him; Yiddish became the first language for Asimov, and short stories became his first literature.

In 1923, the Asimovs immigrated to the United States and settled in Brooklyn, where they soon opened their own candy store. The future writer went to school at the age of five. According to the rules, children were accepted from six, but Isaac’s parents moved their son’s birth date to 1919 so that the boy would go to school a year earlier. In 1935, Azimov graduated from tenth grade and began studying at college, which, unfortunately, was closed a year later. After this, Isaac went to New York, where he entered Columbia University, choosing the Faculty of Chemistry.

In 1939, Azimov was awarded a bachelor's degree, and two years later the young man became a master of chemistry. Isaac immediately continued his studies in graduate school, but a year later he changed his plans and moved to Philadelphia, where he worked as a chemist in a military shipyard. Isaac served in the army in 1945 and 1946, after which he returned to New York and continued his studies. Azimov graduated from graduate school in 1948, but did not stop there and submitted documents for the so-called postdoctoral fellowship in the department of biochemistry. At the same time, Asimov began teaching at Boston University, where he eventually worked for many years.

Books

Isaac Asimov's passion for writing awoke early. The first attempt to write a book was at the age of 11: Isaac described the adventures of boys from a small town. At first, the creative enthusiasm did not last long, and Azimov abandoned the unfinished book. However, some time later I decided to give the first chapters to my friend to read. Imagine Isaac's surprise when he enthusiastically demanded a continuation. Perhaps at this moment, Asimov realized the power of the writing talent given to him, and began to take this gift more seriously.

Isaac Asimov's first story, “Captured by Vesta,” was published in 1939, but did not bring the writer much fame. But the following short work entitled “The Coming of Night,” published in 1941, created a sensation among fans fantasy genre. It was a story about a planet where night comes once every 2049 years. In 1968, the story would even be called the best ever published in this genre. “The Coming of Night” will subsequently be repeatedly included in numerous anthologies and collections, and will also survive two attempts at film adaptation (unfortunately, unsuccessful). The writer himself will call this story a “watershed” in literary career. It is interesting that “The Coming of Night” did not become Asimov’s favorite story in own creativity.

After this, Isaac Asimov's stories will become long-awaited for fans. In May 1939, Isaac Asimov began writing the first robot story, entitled "Robbie." A year later, the story “Liar” appears - a story about a robot who could read people's thoughts. In this work, Asimov for the first time describes the so-called three laws of robotics. According to the writer, these laws were first formulated by the writer John Campbell, although he, in turn, insisted on Asimov’s authorship.

The laws are as follows:

1. A robot cannot cause harm to a person or, through inaction, allow a person to be harmed.
2. A robot must obey all orders given by a human unless those orders conflict with the First Law.
3. A robot must take care of its own safety to the extent that this does not contradict the First or Second Laws.

At the same time, the word “robotics” appeared, which was later included in English dictionaries. It is interesting that, according to the tradition among science fiction writers, before Asimov, works about robots told about the uprising of artificial intelligence and riots directed against people. And after the release of Isaac Asimov’s first stories, robots in literature will begin to obey the same three laws, becoming more friendly.

In 1942, the writer began a series of science fiction novels, Foundation. Isaac Asimov originally intended the series to stand alone, but in 1980, Foundation would be combined with the robot stories he had already written. In another version of the Russian translation, this series will be called “Academy”.

Since 1958, Isaac Asimov will begin to pay more attention to the popular science genre, but in 1980 he will return to science fiction and continue the Foundation series. Perhaps the most notable stories of Isaac Asimov, in addition to “Foundation,” were the works “I Robot,” “The End of Eternity,” “They Shall Not Come,” “The Gods Themselves,” and “Empire.” The writer himself singled out the stories “The Last Question”, “The Bicentennial Man” and “The Ugly Boy”, considering them the most successful.

Personal life

In 1942, Isaac Asimov met the first true love. The fact that it took place on Valentine's Day also added romance to this acquaintance. The writer's chosen one was Gertrude Blugerman. The lovers got married. This marriage gave the writer a daughter, Robin Joan, and a son, David. In 1970, the couple divorced.

Isaac Asimov with Gertrude Bluegerman (left) and Janet Jeppson (right)

Isaac Asimov did not remain alone for long: in the same year, the writer became friends with Janet Opal Jeppson, who worked as a psychiatrist. Azimov met this woman in 1959. In 1973, the couple got married. Azimov has no children from this marriage.

Death

The writer passed away on April 6, 1992. Doctors will name the cause of Isaac Asimov’s death as heart and kidney failure, complicated by HIV infection, which the writer was accidentally infected with in 1983 during heart surgery.

The death of Isaac Asimov shocked fans, who only inherited the books of the great writer.

Bibliography

• 1949-1985 - “Detective Elijah Bailey and the robot Daniel Olivo”
• 1950 - “I, Robot”
• 1950 - “Pebble in the Sky”
• 1951 - “Stars Like Dust”
• 1951 - “Foundation”
• 1952 - “Cosmic Currents”
• 1955 - “The End of Eternity”
• 1957 - “The Naked Sun”
• 1958 - “Lucky Starr and the Rings of Saturn”
• 1966 - “Fantastic Voyage”
• 1972 - “The Gods Themselves”
• 1976 - “Bicentennial Man”

American biochemist and science fiction writer Isaac Asimov (Isaac Yudovich Ozimov / Isaac Asimov) was born on January 2, 1920 in the village of Petrovichi, Shumyachsky district, Smolensk region.

In 1923, his family moved to the United States. In 1928, Asimov received American citizenship.

At the age of five he went to school, where he amazed everyone with his abilities: he skipped classes and graduated primary school at 11 years old, and the main school course- at the age of 15.

Asimov then entered Seth Low Junior College in Brooklyn, but the college closed after a year. Asimov became a student at the Department of Chemistry at Columbia University in New York, where he received a bachelor's degree in 1939 and a master's degree in chemistry in 1941.

In 1942-1945 he worked as a chemist at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard's Naval Air.

In 1945-1946, Azimov served in the army. Then he returned to New York and continued his education.

In 1948 he graduated from graduate school and received a doctorate in chemistry.

In 1949, he accepted a teaching position at Boston University School of Medicine, where he became an assistant professor in December 1951 and an associate professor in 1955. In 1979 he was awarded the title of full professor.

His main works of a scientific nature include the textbook “Biochemistry and Metabolism in Humans” (1952, 1957), “Life and Energy” (1962), “ Biographical Encyclopedia science and technology" (1964), a book on evolutionary theory "Sources of Life" (1960), " Human body"(1963), "Universe" (1966).

Azimov wrote popular science books about the achievements of science and technology, revealing and popularizing the problems of chemistry, physics, biology, astronomy, history, among them “Blood - the River of Life” (1961), “The World of Carbon” (1978), “The World of Nitrogen” (1981), etc. He also wrote “A Guide to Science for Intellectuals” (1960).

Asimov gained worldwide popularity thanks to his science fiction novels and stories. He is considered one of the greatest science fiction writers of the second half of the 20th century. His science fiction works have been translated into many languages.

His famous works are the novel “The Gods Themselves” (1972), a collection of short stories different years"I am a Robot", the novel "The End of Eternity" (1955), the collection "The Path of the Martians" (1955), the novels "Foundation and Empire" (1952), "The Edge of Foundation" (1982), "Foundation and Earth" (1986) "Forward to the Foundation" (was published in 1993, after the death of the writer).

In 1979, the autobiographical book “The Memory is Still Fresh” was published, followed by a sequel, “Unlost Joy.” In 1993, the third volume of his autobiography (posthumous) was published under the title “A. Azimov”.

In total, he published more than 400 books, both fiction, scientific and popular science.

Isaac Asimov also worked in periodicals. The magazine Fantasy and Science Fiction (now Asimov's Science Fiction and Fantasy) published monthly his popular articles about the latest achievements science for more than 30 years. For several years he wrote a weekly science column for the Los Angeles Times Syndycate.

Isaac Asimov is the recipient of many awards, both scientific and in the field of literature: the Thomas Alva Edison Foundation Award (1957), the Howard Blakeslee Award of the Association of American Cardiologists (1960), the James Grady Award of the American Chemical Society (1965), the Westinghouse Prize for the Popularization of Science American Association for the Advancement of Science (1967), winner of six Hugo Awards (1963, 1966, 1973, 1977, 1983, 1995), two Nebula Awards (1973, 1977).

In 1983, Isaac Asimov underwent heart surgery, during which he was infected with HIV through donor blood. The diagnosis came to light several years later. Against the background of AIDS, heart and kidney failure developed.

Isaac Asimov was married twice. From 1945 to 1970, his wife was Gertrud Blagerman. From this marriage a son and daughter were born. Asimov's second wife was Janet Opill Jepson, a psychiatrist.

The material was prepared based on information from open sources