For the legions of Isaac Asimov fans who have been enjoying his short
fiction for over half a century, here is the definitive Asimov.
This volume, first in a series of collectors' editions, contains
forty-six science fiction stories – many now classics of the genre. As
Dr Asimov points out in his introduction, many also held a personal
meaning for him, including 'The Last Question' (his favourite short
story of all), 'The Ugly Little Boy' (his third favourite, a real
heart-tugger), 'Sally' (which reveals his true feelings about
automobiles), and 'Nightfall', which readers and the Science Fiction
Writers of America have voted the best science fiction story of all
time.
By turns erudite and fanciful, provocative and just plain fun,
the stories collected here illustrate the rich diversity of Isaac
Asimov's remarkable talents. To read any one of them is to understand
immediately his enormous and ever expanding popularity. To have them
gathered in a single collection is a welcome and long-overdue treat for
all lovers of science fiction, be they longtime Asimov fans or readers
just discovering his imaginative new worlds for the first time.
Contents:
- Introduction
- The Dead Past
- The Foundation of S. F. Success
- Franchise
- Gimmicks Three
- Kid Stuff
- The Watery Place
- Living Space
- The Message
- Satisfaction Guaranteed
- Hell-Fire
- The Last Trump
- The Fun They Had
- Jokester
- The Immortal Bard
- Someday
- The Author's Ordeal
- Dreaming Is a Private Thing
- Profession
- The Feeling of Power
- The Dying Night
- I'm in Marsport Without Hilds
- The Gentle Vultures
- All the Troubles of the World
- Spell My Name with an S
- The Last Question
- The Ugly Little Boy
- Nightfall
- Green Patches
- Hostess
- Breeds there a Man...
- C-Chute
- In a Good Cause-
- What If-
- Sally
- Flies
- Nobody Here But-
- It's Such a Beautiful Day
- Strikebreaker
- Insert Knob A in Hole B
- The Up-to-Date Sorcerer
- Unto the Fourth Generation
- What Is This Thing Called Love?
- The Machine That Won the War
- My Son, the Physicist
- Eyes Do More Than See
- Segregationist
- I Just Make Them Up, See!
- Rejection Slip
