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 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 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 of Science and Technology” (1964), a book on evolutionary theory"The Sources of Life" (1960), "The Human Body" (1963), "The 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 his popular articles on the latest scientific advances monthly 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. In 1945-1970 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
He is one of the so-called “Big Three” science fiction writers. This fact speaks of the recognition of his colleagues and the gigantic contribution that he made to literature. In addition, these three magnificent masters of science fiction can also be called educators of our time. Asimov and Clark did a lot to popularize science.
Petrovichi (now Shumyachsky district) of the Smolensk region is a place that was glorified by the birth on January 2, 1920 of the boy Isaac, who later became the best science fiction writer of the 20th century, Isaac Azimov. He later said that he was born on the same land as Yuri Gagarin, and therefore still feels as if he belongs to two countries at once.
The writer's father, Yuda Azimov, was an educated man at that time. At first he was busy in the family business, and after the revolution he became an accountant. The writer's mother, Hana Rachel, was from large family and worked in the shop.
Emigration
After the birth of their daughter in 1923, Isaac's parents receive an invitation from his mother's brother, who had long since left for the United States and settled there. The family decides to emigrate to America.
Isaac Asimov claimed that before coming to the United States, his parents bore the surname Ozimov, but immigration officials entered them as Asimov and changed the writer's name to the American style. That's how he became Isaac.
Parents were unable to master English language, so I couldn’t get a job. Then Yuda bought a small grocery store and opened a trade. But for his son he did not want the fate of a small trader and decided to give him a good education. Isaac himself studied with pleasure, and from the age of 5 he could visit the library.
Nothing worked out with admission to the Faculty of Medicine - as it turned out, Azimov could not stand the sight of blood. Then it was decided to enter the chemistry department at Columbia University.
What followed was a successful career. Isaac Asimov became a professor of biochemistry and began teaching at Boston Medical School. In 1958 he suddenly stopped his scientific activity. But he continued to give his famous lectures for several years.
How he becomes a science fiction writer
Asimov began writing as a child. One day his friend, having read the beginning of the story, demanded a continuation. And then it became clear to the future science fiction writer that he was really doing something.
Isaac Asimov's first stories were published in 1939 by the legendary editor and discoverer of young talent. Already the second published work - "Nightfall" - becomes, according to the American Science Fiction Writers Association, the best fantasy creation ever written in the world.
The best books of the writer
In the fantasy genre, these are works such as “The Gods Themselves,” “Foundation” and the “I, Robot” series. But these are not all of his significant creations. No one could look into the future millennia ahead better than Isaac Asimov. "The End of Eternity" - best novel writer dedicated to the problem of time travel.
The Incredible Asimov
Writing 500 books seems incredible. Many people won’t even read that much in their entire lives. Isaac Asimov not only wrote, he also managed to do great amount other matters. He was chairman of the American Humanist Association, popularized science, and edited a science fiction magazine bearing his name. He did not trust literary agents and preferred to conduct business himself, which took a lot of time. Azimov managed, despite his workload, to be the chairman of the men's club. He did everything conscientiously. He carefully prepared even a small speech at his club. There was no occasion when he had to blush for the result of his work.
The writer’s area of interest is also striking. A former biochemist professor, Asimov never limited himself to studying only this area of science. He was interested in everything around him. Cosmology, futurology, linguistics, history, linguistics, medicine, psychology, anthropology - this is just a small list of the science fiction writer's hobbies. He was not only interested in these sciences, but also studied them seriously. And the books Isaac Asimov wrote in these areas of knowledge are always accurate and impeccable in the reliability of the material presented.
Work to popularize science
In the mid-1950s, Asimov began writing journalism, popularizing science. His book for teenagers, “The Chemistry of Life,” was a great success among readers, and he himself realized that writing documentary works was easier and more interesting for him than fiction. He writes for large quantity scientific journals articles on mathematics, physics, chemistry, astronomy. Most of his work was aimed at children and teenagers. In a form accessible to them, Asimov told young readers about serious things.
Asimov's popular science literature
The writer is better known in the world for his works in the genre of fantasy and mysticism. Few people know that Isaac Asimov is the author of numerous works in the form of popular science literature. The variety of his interests is amazing.
The famous science fiction writer wrote books about the history of the Middle East, the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, races and genes, the evolution of the Universe and the mystery of supernovas. He created " Brief history biology”, where he spoke in a fascinating way about the development of this science, starting from ancient times. Another work, " Human brain”, describes with humor the structure and functioning of the central nervous system. The book also contains many fascinating stories about the development of the science of psychobiochemistry.
Many of the writer's books simply need to be read by children. One of them is “Popular Anatomy”. Isaac Asimov talks in detail about the amazing structure of the human body. In his characteristic manner of speaking easily and naturally about complex things, the author tries to awaken the reader’s interest in anatomy.
Isaac Asimov's popular science books are always written alive, in clear language. He knows how to talk about very complex things in a fun and interesting way.
Future forecast. What did the writer predict come true?
At one time, the topic of predicting the future of humanity by famous science fiction authors was very popular. Especially many different options for the development of events were proposed by Azimov and Arthur Clarke. This idea is not new. Jules Verne also described in his works many discoveries that were made by man much later.
At the request of The New York Times in 1964, Isaac Asimov made a prediction about what the world would look like in 50 years in 2014. This seems surprising, but most of the science fiction writer’s assumptions either came true or were predicted very accurately. Of course, these are not predictions pure form, the writer made his conclusions about the future of humanity on the basis of existing technology. But still, the accuracy of his statements is amazing.
What came true:
- Television in 3D format.
- Cooking will be largely automated. Devices with an “auto-cook” function will appear in the kitchen.
- The world's population will reach 6 billion.
- During a conversation with an interlocutor who is at a distance, he can be seen. Phones will become portable and will have a screen. With its help it will be possible to work with images and read books. Satellites will help you contact a person anywhere on Earth.
- Robots will not become widespread.
- The equipment will work without an electrical cord, on batteries or rechargeable batteries.
- Man will not land on Mars, but programs will be created to colonize it.
- Solar power plants will be used.
- The study of computer disciplines will be introduced in schools.
- The Arctic and deserts, as well as the underwater shelf, will be actively developed.
Films based on the works of Isaac Asimov. The most famous film adaptations
In 1999, “Bicentennial Man” was released, based on the joint novel “Positronic Man” by Silverberg and Asimov. And the basis was short story writer with the same title as the filmed picture. Problems associated with the appearance of robots in the future have always worried the science fiction writer. The possible evolution of artificial intelligence, the likelihood of its confrontation with humanity, the safety of robots, fear of them, humanity - the range of issues that Asimov raises in his work is very wide.
This film examines a very interesting problem: can a robot become a human? The main character of the film is the android Andrew, brilliantly played by Robin Williams.
In 2004, another wonderful film was released - “I, Robot”. Isaac Asimov is considered the author novel of the same name, on which it was based. In fact, the plot of the picture is taken from a whole series of books by the writer about robots. This is one of the most successful adaptations of Asimov’s works, which very accurately conveys the problems that he constantly raised in his work.
This time the film examines the problem of the evolution of artificial intelligence. Isaac Asimov's laws of robotics, invented by him in 1942, will not play into the plot last role. According to them, the robot is obliged to protect people and cannot harm them. He must obey his master in everything, unless this violates the most important law of robotics - human inviolability.
In the film, the artificial intelligence VIKI, the brain of the largest robot manufacturing company, gradually evolves and comes to the conclusion that humanity needs to be protected from itself, otherwise people will destroy everything around them. With the help of a new and improved series of robots, he takes over the entire city. At the same time they die civilians. The main character, detective Del Spooner, with his assistants in the person of a company employee and the robot Sunny, destroys VIKI. The film also acutely touches on the problem of people’s rejection of these machines and their lack of trust.
Another famous Isaac Asimov "Twilight" is the film "The Black Hole" with Vin Diesel in leading role. This is a very free retelling of the writer’s work, which has almost nothing in common with the original version.
In addition to these three famous film adaptations, the films “Twilight”, “The End of Eternity” and “The Love of an Android” were also created based on the writer’s works.
Prizes and awards
Asimov was very proud of his awards, especially in the field of science fiction. He has a huge number of them, and this is not surprising, given the writer’s incredible ability to work and his bibliography of 500 written works. He has received several Hugo and Nebula awards and was a recipient of the Thomas Alva Edison Foundation Award. For his work in chemistry, Asimov received an award from the American Chemical Society.
In 1987, Asimov was awarded the Nebula Award with a stunning wording - “Great Master.”
Writer's personal life
Isaac Asimov was successful as an author, but the writer's personal life was not always cloudless. In 1973 after 30 years life together he is divorcing his wife. There are two children left from this marriage. That same year he married his longtime friend Janet Jeppson.
The last years of the writer's life
He did not live very long by the standards of the Western world - 72 years. In 1983, Azimov underwent heart bypass surgery. During its implementation, the writer was infected with HIV through donated blood. No one suspected anything until the second operation, when, during an examination, he was diagnosed with AIDS. The fatal illness led to kidney failure, and on April 6, 1992, the great writer passed away.
- From Petrovichi to New York
- An unusual child
- About the science of the past and future
- Geniuses work in silence
Isaac Asimov lived a fairly calm life, without major upheavals, 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 persistent, 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 throughout 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 the store except confectionery magazines with fantastic stories were sold, where the future science fiction author first learned what science fiction is. He read magazines voraciously, and at the age of 11 he wrote his first science fiction 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 a lucky ticket by 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 the chemistry department. 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 was 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 things well scientific information- step by step, in 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 “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. The Oxford English Dictionary credits Isaac Asimov with inventing 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.” Silence was a prerequisite 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", " Construction material 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 was very reluctant 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 fitness“At 65 they can do things that I couldn’t do 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 the 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 a 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 science fiction about battles between interplanetary ships, about travelers in time and hyperspace and in distant nebulae, who had never boarded a plane in his life.
Despite his enormous passion for work, his occupation did not become an obstacle to communicating with the world: Asimov was a very popular person, he had many friends, he was a loving father of 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.”
Asimov 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 most senior officials countries. 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 science fiction novels and exciting popular science books, Isaac Asimov left earthlings his message about 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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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 grades and graduated from primary school at the age of 11, and the basic 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 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 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 of Science and Technology” (1964), and a book on evolutionary theory “Sources of Life” (1960), "The Human Body" (1963), "The 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), the collection of short stories from 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 the Foundation" (1982), "The Foundation and the 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 his popular articles on the latest scientific advances monthly 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. In 1945-1970 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
Isaac Asimov (Isaac Asimov, birth name Isaac Yudovich Ozimov; January 2, 1920, Petrovichi, RSFSR - April 6, 1992, New York, USA) - American science fiction writer, science popularizer, biochemist.
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 a variety of fields - 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 his 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.”
Science Fiction Forecasters - Isaac Asimov
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 name was “Ozimov”, all relatives remaining in the USSR bear the surname “Azimov”.
As a child, Asimov spoke Yiddish and English. From fiction to 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, 15-year-old Azimov entered Seth Low Junior College, but the college closed a year later. 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.
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 to be the best science fiction story ever written. The story was included in anthologies more than 20 times, was filmed twice, and Asimov himself later called it “a watershed in my 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 short stories I, Robot, which brought the writer worldwide fame, Asimov dispels widespread fears associated with 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 "The Last Question", "The Bicentennial Man" and "The Ugly Little Boy", in that order. My favorite novel was The Gods Themselves.
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 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.
In the 1960s, Asimov was under investigation by the FBI for possible ties to communists. The reason was a denunciation of Azimov’s respectful review of Russia as the first country to build a 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. According to the will, the body was cremated and the ashes were scattered.
Biography of Isaac Asimov
The most famous science fiction works of Asimov:
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;
A series of 3 novels about a galactic empire: 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;
Novel “The Gods Themselves” (“The Gods Themselves”), central theme which - rationalism without morality leads to evil;
The 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;
A series about the adventures of space ranger Lucky Starr (see Lucky Starr series);
The story “The Bicentennial Man”, based on which a film of the same name was made in 1999.
The series “Detective Elijah Bailey and the Robot Daniel Olivo” is a famous series from four novels and one story about the adventures of an earthling detective and his partner, a cosmonite robot: “Mother Earth”, “Steel Caves”, “The Naked Sun”, “Mirror Reflection”, “Robots of the Dawn”, “Robots and the 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.”