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Sobre la Ciencia Ficción
Su doble condición de escritor y de cientÃfico permite a Asimov una privilegiada perspectiva acerca de los problemas del género, su historia, su evolución, sus grandes obras y autores, su verosimilitud, el rigor de sus hipótesis, la relación con el cine, las principales revistas, su capacidad de predicción, sus convenciones, las peculiaridades y claves de los aficionados... Imprescindible para amantes de la ciencia ficción, pero también muy útil para entender un fenómeno sociológico.
338 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1981
15 people are currently reading
500 people want to read
About the author
Isaac Asimov
4,656Ìýbooks26.8kÌýfollowersWorks of prolific Russian-American writer Isaac Asimov include popular explanations of scientific principles,
The Foundation Trilogy
(1951-1953), and other volumes of fiction.
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
June 23, 2012
In younger days, I was never much a taker for sci-fi. Movies like Star Wars had me yawning away to glory and I have watched none of the greats in the powerful lineup of movies in this genre. The first brush of something different was Ridley Scott's cult classic Blade Runner but even then I never became an avid fan. In the matter of books it was even more worse for I have read hardly anything by the old or new masters in the field. I am a person who would rather prefer walking through a castle talking to the king or watching a knight fend off a dragon. I would also prefer having my pants scared off by any of the horror maestros but space travel, extraterrestrial life forms and such terminology hadn't affected me a lot till a short while ago. Dan Simmons's Ilium cycle was the series that changed the tide for me but my interest in sci fi was truly and totally heightened by Asimov's Positronic Robot series. I truly loved it and when I came across a book that offered his views on the field of sci fi, I never had second thoughts.
It is a collection of essays,editorials and articles penned by Asimov in span of many a decade. Asimov is no master wordsmith for he does not mesmerize with intricately woven wordplay. His voice is the common man's voice which makes the reader comprehend every single word that he is using. His ideas never felt to me to be enshrouded in the mist of pretension which needed to be hacked off to understand the principles beneath. It is as simple as pushing a button and getting coffee in your paper cup. You don't have to make the coffee yourself !
Asimov, Heinlein & Clarke pioneered the movement that led to the world wide acceptance of sci fi as a genre which means that the author has this ethereal,booming voice that can lecture us mere mortals on the development of this fascinating genre. Asimov would have been a swell teacher for the way he writes made me imagine him sitting poised on the edge of a table and talking to a jam packed hall full of sci fi fanatics in the backdrop of absolute silence. An area were he spends considerable time on is the developmental phases of this genre. Here came my only grudge with the content for it repeats many a time. The points on John Campbell, Hugo Gernsback were so often repeated that I lost count of them. Just a minor thing but still a deterrent.
There are a few articles on writing and his views on how best to do it. Asimov stresses on the need for consistent and unrelenting focus on writing as the secret to be a successful writer. I relapsed to thinking of personal favorite Stephen King's On Writing here for the principle essentially was the same there too. I would pick the review of 1984 by Asimov as the best in this collection. The author does a brilliant dissection of the Orwellian masterpiece and showed quite a few angles which I had not earlier looked at it in much detail. Other well written pieces were the one co-authored with Ben Bova on the development and usage of the brain in literature, the machine and its future in human society and on prolific writing.
As an aside, I think Asimov would have been an exceptionally self-centered person to which his words stand testimony !
It is a collection of essays,editorials and articles penned by Asimov in span of many a decade. Asimov is no master wordsmith for he does not mesmerize with intricately woven wordplay. His voice is the common man's voice which makes the reader comprehend every single word that he is using. His ideas never felt to me to be enshrouded in the mist of pretension which needed to be hacked off to understand the principles beneath. It is as simple as pushing a button and getting coffee in your paper cup. You don't have to make the coffee yourself !
Asimov, Heinlein & Clarke pioneered the movement that led to the world wide acceptance of sci fi as a genre which means that the author has this ethereal,booming voice that can lecture us mere mortals on the development of this fascinating genre. Asimov would have been a swell teacher for the way he writes made me imagine him sitting poised on the edge of a table and talking to a jam packed hall full of sci fi fanatics in the backdrop of absolute silence. An area were he spends considerable time on is the developmental phases of this genre. Here came my only grudge with the content for it repeats many a time. The points on John Campbell, Hugo Gernsback were so often repeated that I lost count of them. Just a minor thing but still a deterrent.
There are a few articles on writing and his views on how best to do it. Asimov stresses on the need for consistent and unrelenting focus on writing as the secret to be a successful writer. I relapsed to thinking of personal favorite Stephen King's On Writing here for the principle essentially was the same there too. I would pick the review of 1984 by Asimov as the best in this collection. The author does a brilliant dissection of the Orwellian masterpiece and showed quite a few angles which I had not earlier looked at it in much detail. Other well written pieces were the one co-authored with Ben Bova on the development and usage of the brain in literature, the machine and its future in human society and on prolific writing.
As an aside, I think Asimov would have been an exceptionally self-centered person to which his words stand testimony !
April 19, 2021
This is a nice collection of articles, editorials, and essays by Asimov about science fiction. Many of them are introductory or elementary in nature, and there's quite a bit of overlap and repetition, but his clear and friendly style makes it a fun and painless read with an occasional gem of insight or information that makes it all worthwhile. His comments about writing, films, and the importance of getting scientific and historical details right and consistent are worthwhile, too. He genuinely loved the field, both from a professional and fannish perspective, and that feeling shines through.
October 7, 2018
Out of the pile of vintage (ok they are to me at least since they were some of the first books to enter my collection) pile of Asimov this is one of the few he wrote (I seemed to have found a lot of his anthologies of other peoples works).
Anyway this was the first time around a real eye opener - now however its caught my attention for other reasons.
The first time around I read this book it was before the days of the internet and certainly before computerised catalogues - so much of my early exploration of science fiction was through books I found or stumbled across - as unless there was a decent bibliography there was nothing to go on.
Thankfully this book is great for referencing and yes it did launch my exploration of other authors and titles - however as you can imagine on such a huge subject it was somewhat limited. These days a single word it seems can send me off on amazing tangents however back then it was a little more limited.
So what about today - well now with a little more experience and breadth of reading I can look at this book again with a different view point. Now I see the author behind the words - having now read several leading authors views and definitions of science fiction (as it seems all of these books have to define and by rights set out the rules of science fiction) I now get to see how those authors approach and think of the subject.
For me I have always loved the easy going and "friendly" manner Asimov wrote in and this book is no different so for me I think I would choose to accept many of the opinions Asimov raised in this book but I know now this was HIS view and I should not be afraid to disagree and make my own up - something I think only time has given me the perspective and the courage to do. However for nostalgia and a whole load of fun this book still has a special place on my book case.
Anyway this was the first time around a real eye opener - now however its caught my attention for other reasons.
The first time around I read this book it was before the days of the internet and certainly before computerised catalogues - so much of my early exploration of science fiction was through books I found or stumbled across - as unless there was a decent bibliography there was nothing to go on.
Thankfully this book is great for referencing and yes it did launch my exploration of other authors and titles - however as you can imagine on such a huge subject it was somewhat limited. These days a single word it seems can send me off on amazing tangents however back then it was a little more limited.
So what about today - well now with a little more experience and breadth of reading I can look at this book again with a different view point. Now I see the author behind the words - having now read several leading authors views and definitions of science fiction (as it seems all of these books have to define and by rights set out the rules of science fiction) I now get to see how those authors approach and think of the subject.
For me I have always loved the easy going and "friendly" manner Asimov wrote in and this book is no different so for me I think I would choose to accept many of the opinions Asimov raised in this book but I know now this was HIS view and I should not be afraid to disagree and make my own up - something I think only time has given me the perspective and the courage to do. However for nostalgia and a whole load of fun this book still has a special place on my book case.
May 6, 2021
Maravillosa colección de artÃculos en los que Asimov hace un recorrido histórico de la ciencia ficción.
Hablando de la historia de las revistas pulp en las que él se educó y que le despertaron el deseo de ser el mismo creador del género que amo toda su vida.
Comienza ofreciendo su definición de la ciencia ficción y hablando de otras definiciones existentes.
Además dedica varios artÃculos a dar consejos, bases, y sobre todo motivación, para todo aquel interesado en escribir ciencia ficción.
Este libro deberÃa leerlo todo aquel interesado mÃnimamente en la CF.
Contiene ideas maravillosas acerca de la CF, por ejemplo estas perlas:
"El escritor de ciencia ficción Laurence Manning escribió una historia llamada «El hombre que despertó» sobre un hombre que inventó una poción que lo pondrÃa en estado de muerte aparente por tres mil años. Después habrÃa de despertar y ver el mundo del futuro. Cuando llevó adelante la experiencia, se encontró con que el mundo de tres mil años después era pobre en energÃa. Le explicaron que esto era un resultado de lo que ellos llamaban la Edad del Despilfarro. Le dijeron:
«¿Pero por qué habrÃamos de agradecer a los humanos de tres mil años atrás? ¿Por agotar las reservas de carbón de todo el mundo? ¿Por no dejamos petróleo para nuestras fábricas quÃmicas? ¿Por destruir los bosques en cadenas enteras de montañas, dejando que la erosión lleve el suelo hasta los valles?».
La historia apareció en el número de marzo de 1933 de Historias Maravillosas y yo la leà cuando apareció, acababa yo de cumplir trece años. Todo el mundo decÃa que la ciencia ficción era «literatura escapista». Leerla era vergonzoso porque significaba huir de las duras realidades de la vida hacia un mundo imaginado donde reinaba lo imposible.
¿Quién vivÃa en un mundo de fantasÃas imposibles? ¿Yo, que empecé a preocuparme por nuestro petróleo y nuestro carbón a causa de la historia de Manning? ¿O el resto de la humanidad que, como de costumbre, estaba convencida de que mañana todo serÃa igual a hoy y que esperó hasta el dÃa en que se formaron largas colas frente a los surtidores de gasolina para sentenciar que podrÃa llegar un dÃa en que se formaran largas colas frente a los surtidores de gasolina?"
"La mayor parte de la gente que no sabe nada de ciencia ficción tiende a pensar que «la ciencia está alcanzando a la ciencia ficción» y que muy pronto los escritores de ciencia ficción no tendrán sobre qué escribir. Las palabras no pueden describir el desprecio que siento por tal necedad."
Uno de los libros más imprescindibles y gozosos de Asimov.
Hablando de la historia de las revistas pulp en las que él se educó y que le despertaron el deseo de ser el mismo creador del género que amo toda su vida.
Comienza ofreciendo su definición de la ciencia ficción y hablando de otras definiciones existentes.
Además dedica varios artÃculos a dar consejos, bases, y sobre todo motivación, para todo aquel interesado en escribir ciencia ficción.
Este libro deberÃa leerlo todo aquel interesado mÃnimamente en la CF.
Contiene ideas maravillosas acerca de la CF, por ejemplo estas perlas:
"El escritor de ciencia ficción Laurence Manning escribió una historia llamada «El hombre que despertó» sobre un hombre que inventó una poción que lo pondrÃa en estado de muerte aparente por tres mil años. Después habrÃa de despertar y ver el mundo del futuro. Cuando llevó adelante la experiencia, se encontró con que el mundo de tres mil años después era pobre en energÃa. Le explicaron que esto era un resultado de lo que ellos llamaban la Edad del Despilfarro. Le dijeron:
«¿Pero por qué habrÃamos de agradecer a los humanos de tres mil años atrás? ¿Por agotar las reservas de carbón de todo el mundo? ¿Por no dejamos petróleo para nuestras fábricas quÃmicas? ¿Por destruir los bosques en cadenas enteras de montañas, dejando que la erosión lleve el suelo hasta los valles?».
La historia apareció en el número de marzo de 1933 de Historias Maravillosas y yo la leà cuando apareció, acababa yo de cumplir trece años. Todo el mundo decÃa que la ciencia ficción era «literatura escapista». Leerla era vergonzoso porque significaba huir de las duras realidades de la vida hacia un mundo imaginado donde reinaba lo imposible.
¿Quién vivÃa en un mundo de fantasÃas imposibles? ¿Yo, que empecé a preocuparme por nuestro petróleo y nuestro carbón a causa de la historia de Manning? ¿O el resto de la humanidad que, como de costumbre, estaba convencida de que mañana todo serÃa igual a hoy y que esperó hasta el dÃa en que se formaron largas colas frente a los surtidores de gasolina para sentenciar que podrÃa llegar un dÃa en que se formaran largas colas frente a los surtidores de gasolina?"
"La mayor parte de la gente que no sabe nada de ciencia ficción tiende a pensar que «la ciencia está alcanzando a la ciencia ficción» y que muy pronto los escritores de ciencia ficción no tendrán sobre qué escribir. Las palabras no pueden describir el desprecio que siento por tal necedad."
Uno de los libros más imprescindibles y gozosos de Asimov.
December 3, 2024
Hermoso y muy claro. Aquà Asimov reúne textos sobre literatura de ciencia ficción y construye un aparato consistente para entender la génesis de este género. Es una lectura fundamental para cualquier estudio sobre CF.
August 11, 2016
He tardado en leerme este libro lleno de reflexiones, ensayos recopilados por el propio Asimov sobre la ciencia ficción. Un interesante acercamiento, y a veces incluso profundización, en los orÃgenes, en los autores y en los libros que han consolidado el género. Se divide en una serie de capÃtulos que tratan sobre la ciencia ficción en general, cómo se escribe buena ciencia ficción o sobre las revistas de género. La parte donde Asimov critica otras obras o incluso pelÃculas de género es, para mÃ, la peor y más aburrida. Pero el libro es consistente y entretenido, a pesar de que la traducción en la edición de 1986 de Edhasa (inencontrable hoy dÃa) es un poco regulera.
November 16, 2009
This is a collection of editorials and essays writeen by Asimov, mostly during the 70s. As usual, it is written in an endearing and witty fashion which is very easy to read. However, there is a lot of repetition which does start to get tiresome after a while, and his dislike of Hollywood sci-fi seems quite dated and disproportionate (although he does make some good points on how it could be improved).
March 7, 2020
Asimov pone toda su experiencia y amor por la ciencia ficción al asador en este libro donde se nombra a exponentes del género que van desde los años 30' hasta un joven George R.R. Martin. Con el defecto de contener algunaas páginas en las que hace gaatekeeping de su visión acerca de lo que la ciencia ficción dura implica, es una lectura muy valiosa que recomiendo a todo fan del género y, sobre todo, a toda persona que quiera escribirlo.
November 21, 2014
Asimov covers several areas in his discourse on the art of writing science fiction using some of his work and that of others as examples. This a very informative book from a master story teller who also wrote excellent non-fiction.
May 21, 2012
Awesome
March 7, 2016
The book is Ok, but is a bit repetitive. Some of the articles are about the same thing, specially those about old school sci-fi and John Campbell.
Worth reading anyway.
Worth reading anyway.
November 18, 2017
A good collection of essays.
May 25, 2020
Invaluable for understanding the author's views on the field.
December 13, 2023
Isaac Asimov's Nightfall is my favorite science fiction short story, has been long before I became aware it also ranked first among the Science Fiction Writers of America. (Arthur C. Clarke's The Star and Ray Bradbury's A Sound of Thunder come in second and third on my list.) Polymath and MENSA member Asimov (he had an IQ of 160) wrote, and had the good sense to call it Fantastic Voyage, The Bicentennial Man, The Positronic Man, and the Foundation series. A prolific writer, he has written and edited over 500 books, and written some 90,000 letters--a huge portion of those in response to fan mail.
This book validates why I will grab practically anything Asimov has written, although at this point, I may have read more of his essays, his anecdotes, more than I have his stories. I like it best when he writes about science fiction, and while this collection of essays/articles on the same subjects sometimes veer into the repetitive, it's a small price to pay for the anecdotal gems I've gathered here, such as:
1) John W. Campbell Jr's indispensable influence on science fiction as we know it, particularly on the kind of science fiction I gravitate to, which I call retro SF, which covers, as Asimov has mapped it, the stories written between 1938 and 1950, when John Campbell held editorial supreme at the main SF magazine, Astounding Science Fiction. For that was the GOLDEN AGE of Science Fiction, and you can bet I'll be using that term over retro SF from now on.
2) John Campbell's indispensable influence on the writings of Isaac Asimov, whose best known works are undoubtedly Nightfall and the Foundation stories, with its three laws of robotics. Here, in three short paragraphs, is Asimov's eye-opening tribute to the man:
"Campbell was a spider sitting in his web. To him came his fifty writers. He gave one his ideas and watched for the sea changes that came back, and those sparked other ideas that he gave to other writers.
He was the brain of the superorganism that produced the 'Golden Age' of science fiction in the 1940s and 1950s.
He loved the role and, as far as I know, never abused it. He took no credit for himself. The three laws of robotics, the central idea of the Foundation stories, the plot of Nightfall were all his, but although I always tried to make him take the credit for those things, he never would."
3) Asimov was no fan of 1984, thought Orwell generally predicted the future wrong, and "if 1984 must be considered science fiction, then it is very bad science fiction." In conclusion, he writes "George Orwell in 1984 was, in my opinion, engaging in a private feud with Stalinism, rather than attempting to forecast the future."
4) He was no fan of (gasp!) Close Encounters of the Third Kind. And got a lot of flak for his sentiments (he called the film "pretentious").
5) He was no fan of Star Wars, even less of Battlestar Galactica, which he disparages with his signature dry wit in a commissioned review for Newsday.
6) He was certainly a fan of The Lord of the Rings, and had read the book four times, going on five. His LOTR review for Panorama magazine is an engaging, thought-provoking read.
7) His views of Ray Bradbury's stories dovetail with mine: they are whimsical and nostalgic. Which translates to affection. And yes, while hard to categorize, Bradbury classifies as an SF writer. The Martian Chronicles practically guaranteed that. (As did Fahrenheit 451, The Veldt, and a score of other short stories, methinks.)
8) Judging by some of his essays, Asimov held fellow SF luminaries Arthur C. Clarke, Robert A. Heinlein, Poul Anderson, Ben Bova, Clifford D. Simak, Harlan Ellison, and Ray Bradbury in high esteem. Incidentally, like Bradbury, Asimov refused to fly.
9) He was constantly irked by the term sci-fi, and explains why with this apt analogy: "Star Trek is SF, while Godzilla Meets Mothra is sci-fi."
10) And finally: "Science fiction can be defined as that branch of literature which deals with the reaction of human beings to changes in science and technology." - IA
This book validates why I will grab practically anything Asimov has written, although at this point, I may have read more of his essays, his anecdotes, more than I have his stories. I like it best when he writes about science fiction, and while this collection of essays/articles on the same subjects sometimes veer into the repetitive, it's a small price to pay for the anecdotal gems I've gathered here, such as:
1) John W. Campbell Jr's indispensable influence on science fiction as we know it, particularly on the kind of science fiction I gravitate to, which I call retro SF, which covers, as Asimov has mapped it, the stories written between 1938 and 1950, when John Campbell held editorial supreme at the main SF magazine, Astounding Science Fiction. For that was the GOLDEN AGE of Science Fiction, and you can bet I'll be using that term over retro SF from now on.
2) John Campbell's indispensable influence on the writings of Isaac Asimov, whose best known works are undoubtedly Nightfall and the Foundation stories, with its three laws of robotics. Here, in three short paragraphs, is Asimov's eye-opening tribute to the man:
"Campbell was a spider sitting in his web. To him came his fifty writers. He gave one his ideas and watched for the sea changes that came back, and those sparked other ideas that he gave to other writers.
He was the brain of the superorganism that produced the 'Golden Age' of science fiction in the 1940s and 1950s.
He loved the role and, as far as I know, never abused it. He took no credit for himself. The three laws of robotics, the central idea of the Foundation stories, the plot of Nightfall were all his, but although I always tried to make him take the credit for those things, he never would."
3) Asimov was no fan of 1984, thought Orwell generally predicted the future wrong, and "if 1984 must be considered science fiction, then it is very bad science fiction." In conclusion, he writes "George Orwell in 1984 was, in my opinion, engaging in a private feud with Stalinism, rather than attempting to forecast the future."
4) He was no fan of (gasp!) Close Encounters of the Third Kind. And got a lot of flak for his sentiments (he called the film "pretentious").
5) He was no fan of Star Wars, even less of Battlestar Galactica, which he disparages with his signature dry wit in a commissioned review for Newsday.
6) He was certainly a fan of The Lord of the Rings, and had read the book four times, going on five. His LOTR review for Panorama magazine is an engaging, thought-provoking read.
7) His views of Ray Bradbury's stories dovetail with mine: they are whimsical and nostalgic. Which translates to affection. And yes, while hard to categorize, Bradbury classifies as an SF writer. The Martian Chronicles practically guaranteed that. (As did Fahrenheit 451, The Veldt, and a score of other short stories, methinks.)
8) Judging by some of his essays, Asimov held fellow SF luminaries Arthur C. Clarke, Robert A. Heinlein, Poul Anderson, Ben Bova, Clifford D. Simak, Harlan Ellison, and Ray Bradbury in high esteem. Incidentally, like Bradbury, Asimov refused to fly.
9) He was constantly irked by the term sci-fi, and explains why with this apt analogy: "Star Trek is SF, while Godzilla Meets Mothra is sci-fi."
10) And finally: "Science fiction can be defined as that branch of literature which deals with the reaction of human beings to changes in science and technology." - IA
August 28, 2022
This book is a collection of 55 essays that were taken from the editorials published in "Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine", and many other publications, such as Parade magazine. The range of topics is very large even though they are all concerned with some aspect of science fiction.
The majority of these essays deal with the writing of science fiction, the history of s-f, and to an extent the history of pulp fiction in general. When Science Fiction first became a literary genre (even though it was nowhere near official) virtually the only place that authors could have their stores published was in what was then known as the pulps (so named because they were printed on cheap pulp paper). VP the author is virtually nothing, one of the highest was 1 cent a word, but most much less than that. Nevertheless, this is were the majority of classic science fiction writers cut their teeth. Authors such as Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke, E. E. "Doc" Smith, and many more.
While I had not been born when the pulps were in their heyday, I'm not sure what the current state of science fiction would be today if they hadn't existed, in fact it's possible that the genre might not even exist as we know it.
Any person who is interested in the history of science fiction, the history of the authors of the genre, or just reading some very good essays on the topic of science fiction would find this book very interesting I think.
The majority of these essays deal with the writing of science fiction, the history of s-f, and to an extent the history of pulp fiction in general. When Science Fiction first became a literary genre (even though it was nowhere near official) virtually the only place that authors could have their stores published was in what was then known as the pulps (so named because they were printed on cheap pulp paper). VP the author is virtually nothing, one of the highest was 1 cent a word, but most much less than that. Nevertheless, this is were the majority of classic science fiction writers cut their teeth. Authors such as Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke, E. E. "Doc" Smith, and many more.
While I had not been born when the pulps were in their heyday, I'm not sure what the current state of science fiction would be today if they hadn't existed, in fact it's possible that the genre might not even exist as we know it.
Any person who is interested in the history of science fiction, the history of the authors of the genre, or just reading some very good essays on the topic of science fiction would find this book very interesting I think.
January 9, 2019
As a genre, science fiction encompasses quite a lot of ground in both content and its history, which one of the genre's fans and prolific writers provides insight to withinÌýAsimov on Science Fiction by Isaac Asimov.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: .
Throughout this compilation of Asimov's essays, which primarily have their origin from his editorials from his science fiction magazine, on the subject of science fiction,Ìý he covers the context in which the genre initially arose and grew, his experiences with writing and the other authors within the field, how aspiring authors ought to go about joining the ranks, and the complications science fiction encountered alongside the rise visual media's offering of science fiction stories for the masses.
Asimov's tone and voice within these essays is generally rather witty and humorous, which is entertaining as he reminisces quite fondly about the past and the old school writers who helped to shape the field as it emerged, as well as his own writing. While points that are raised within each of the essays of this collection are incredibly informative and well-presented, there is an abundance of repeated sentiments, frequently with the same exact phrasing, that makes reading them feel a bit redundant. Through no fault of his own as this book is older, many examples provided are rather outdated and colored with nostalgia so strong that it could make more contemporary readers warier of his authority on the subject.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: .
Throughout this compilation of Asimov's essays, which primarily have their origin from his editorials from his science fiction magazine, on the subject of science fiction,Ìý he covers the context in which the genre initially arose and grew, his experiences with writing and the other authors within the field, how aspiring authors ought to go about joining the ranks, and the complications science fiction encountered alongside the rise visual media's offering of science fiction stories for the masses.
Asimov's tone and voice within these essays is generally rather witty and humorous, which is entertaining as he reminisces quite fondly about the past and the old school writers who helped to shape the field as it emerged, as well as his own writing. While points that are raised within each of the essays of this collection are incredibly informative and well-presented, there is an abundance of repeated sentiments, frequently with the same exact phrasing, that makes reading them feel a bit redundant. Through no fault of his own as this book is older, many examples provided are rather outdated and colored with nostalgia so strong that it could make more contemporary readers warier of his authority on the subject.
November 28, 2018
As much as I enjoy the books of Isaac Asimov, this collection of essays (mostly editorials he wrote for his magazine) wasn't exactly to my tastes.
There are quite a few topics that are covered repeatedly (What is Science Fiction? What were the early days of Science Fiction magazines like? How has the genre changed over time?) and they don't really benefit from the repeated attention.
The most interesting anecdote I gleaned from the book was that in spite of being one of the most prolific and influential authors in the genre, Isaac Asimov spent the first 15 years of his career after being published working full-time as a teacher. And even after he began working full-time as an author, he was not making very good money.
There are quite a few topics that are covered repeatedly (What is Science Fiction? What were the early days of Science Fiction magazines like? How has the genre changed over time?) and they don't really benefit from the repeated attention.
The most interesting anecdote I gleaned from the book was that in spite of being one of the most prolific and influential authors in the genre, Isaac Asimov spent the first 15 years of his career after being published working full-time as a teacher. And even after he began working full-time as an author, he was not making very good money.
August 16, 2020
Asimov on Science Fiction to my eyes its similar to King's "On Writing" book.
Let me explain: they both give a huge insight of the authors mind, which is an honour.
Many things in this book I have already listened to in the Asimov's interviews online.
For sure Asimov was Asimov, not only an author and a writing genius, but a genius and a visionary.
We are very lucky to have the possibility to read his thoughts so plainly, about so many facts and aspects of mankind knowledge.
It is not so hard to imagine him saying "Well, I wake up in morning and start writing till evening come and go back to bed", since his HUGE knowledge.
Miss him in this period.
Let me explain: they both give a huge insight of the authors mind, which is an honour.
Many things in this book I have already listened to in the Asimov's interviews online.
For sure Asimov was Asimov, not only an author and a writing genius, but a genius and a visionary.
We are very lucky to have the possibility to read his thoughts so plainly, about so many facts and aspects of mankind knowledge.
It is not so hard to imagine him saying "Well, I wake up in morning and start writing till evening come and go back to bed", since his HUGE knowledge.
Miss him in this period.
October 19, 2022
Recopilatorio de pequeños articulos o ensayos que Asimov escribió en diversos lugares (IASF Magazine,...) relacionados con la Ciencia Ficción.
Son interesantes para conocer algunos de lso pensamientos y critica de algunos libros y corrientes de la ciencia ficción desde los ñaos 30 a las 90 del siglo XX.
ALgunas relfexiones son reveladoras y otras son conocidas por lso aficionados al genero, pero el las desarrola de forma clara y amean no por algo se fue curtiendo como divulgador.
Interesante las anecdotas de la relacion con Campbell que marcna los inciios de su carrera y la dirección hacia donde ir.
Son interesantes para conocer algunos de lso pensamientos y critica de algunos libros y corrientes de la ciencia ficción desde los ñaos 30 a las 90 del siglo XX.
ALgunas relfexiones son reveladoras y otras son conocidas por lso aficionados al genero, pero el las desarrola de forma clara y amean no por algo se fue curtiendo como divulgador.
Interesante las anecdotas de la relacion con Campbell que marcna los inciios de su carrera y la dirección hacia donde ir.
March 1, 2025
This was a fascinating collection of essays about the field of science fiction from a master of science fiction. Most of these were written as columns/letters from the editor by Asimov for his magazine, but this also includes introductions to books, articles he was asked to write, at least one obituary, and some pieces that were never published. He offers a forward to each piece, and in some cases an afterward as well.
This was an educational but sometimes slow going read.
This was an educational but sometimes slow going read.
March 21, 2018
A collection of introductions and essays about science fiction. I enjoyed it, but don't necessarily agree with some of his opinions. A lot of golden age name dropping, too, so if you're not up on the old stuff, you might fel a bit lost at times.
January 10, 2025
Collection of disparate articles written by Asimov for various magazines without any unifying theme. I thought I'd read thoughtful opinion about science fiction from the master himself but I was disappointed.
January 16, 2021
Excelentes ensayos para los aficionados del género de ciencia ficción.
December 18, 2015
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. Then again, I wasn't sure what to expect from and I was pleasantly surprised.
At the very least, I expected some storytelling tips. I was wrong. There is very little of that. Instead, the book contains a lot of commentary on science fiction books/magazines and science fiction in just about any other media, and that commentary generally praises science fiction books and magazines, and laments that "science fiction" for any other media usually just means "with lots of special effects, and very likely lots of loud noises." There is an essay discussing the meaning and origin of words such as robot, android, and anthropoid. As always, Asimov's writing is clear and enjoyable, and his opinions are valuable.
I will note that after reading this book, I realized that George Lucas spent decades talking about the legends and storytelling devices he put in the Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi scripts. But, when he offered his expertise to the entertainment industry, he didn't focus on writing. Skywalker Ranch and Industrial Light and Magic are focused on special effects. And I remember at least one interview with Lucas where he said that he believed Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith would have been more popular had they relied on models, forced perspective, and real explosions instead of computer-generated special effects. Perhaps books don't fall into the trap only because books don't have special effects. In any case, I'm glad science fiction books aren't focused on explosions and big budgets.
At the very least, I expected some storytelling tips. I was wrong. There is very little of that. Instead, the book contains a lot of commentary on science fiction books/magazines and science fiction in just about any other media, and that commentary generally praises science fiction books and magazines, and laments that "science fiction" for any other media usually just means "with lots of special effects, and very likely lots of loud noises." There is an essay discussing the meaning and origin of words such as robot, android, and anthropoid. As always, Asimov's writing is clear and enjoyable, and his opinions are valuable.
I will note that after reading this book, I realized that George Lucas spent decades talking about the legends and storytelling devices he put in the Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi scripts. But, when he offered his expertise to the entertainment industry, he didn't focus on writing. Skywalker Ranch and Industrial Light and Magic are focused on special effects. And I remember at least one interview with Lucas where he said that he believed Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith would have been more popular had they relied on models, forced perspective, and real explosions instead of computer-generated special effects. Perhaps books don't fall into the trap only because books don't have special effects. In any case, I'm glad science fiction books aren't focused on explosions and big budgets.
September 17, 2021
Asimov fue famoso por su rapidez para crear textos. Lo más asombroso es que muchos de esos textos eran muy buenos. Pero no todos. Cuando era bueno era muy bueno. Cuando era malo era notablemente malo. En este libro, que recopila ensayos sobre la ciencia ficción (muchos escritos para servir de prólogos a otros libros), hay ejemplos de ambas cosas. El mismo escritor, por otro lado, reconoce que no era un buen crÃtico. Y, al parecer, se propuso demostrarlo en varias ocasiones. A sus amigos les prodiga alabanzas excesivas. Pero sus comentarios sobre Karel Capek y Georges Orwell son absurdos. Señala, por ejemplo, que mucha gente habla de â€�1984â€� sin haberlo leÃdo. Eso nos impulsa a creer que él sà lo leyó. Pero es obvio que no lo entendió. En fin, en compensación están sus textos autobiográficos y aquellos donde habla de técnicas de escritura. Esos sà son buenos.
June 2, 2016
A collection of short writings, originally appearing in a number of magazines, on science fiction. I found the early sections most interesting but it all went on for quite a while, and, unsurprisingly given the format, could be a little repetitive.
And this is picky on my part, but the scientific nit-picking on Orwell's 1984 seems to me a perfect example of not seeing the forest for the trees. Yes, the trees are not very accurate, but the forest is fascinating and it's hard for me not to side-eye Asimov for missing that.
And this is picky on my part, but the scientific nit-picking on Orwell's 1984 seems to me a perfect example of not seeing the forest for the trees. Yes, the trees are not very accurate, but the forest is fascinating and it's hard for me not to side-eye Asimov for missing that.
September 3, 2014
This book is great fun for any Asimov or scifi fan. It's great to see how Asimov jokes around with his friends Arthur C Clarke, and Campbell, and his flabbergasted reactions to Ray Bradbury, Heinlein, and Star Wars. This also gave me profound insight into Asimov's fiction- esp based on what he has to say about death, human fear of closed endings, the morality of robots replacing humanity, and his theories on the origin of religion.
June 3, 2024
Questa raccolta di articoli è molto interessante, e credo che, tra tutti i libri di Asimov, sia il testo che ho letto più volentieri.
Questo è il mio modo per dire che Asimov non mi fa impazzire come scrittore. Tra l'altro, adesso che ho letto questa raccolta, credo non mi faccia impazzire nemmeno come individuo.
Tuttavia, interessante.
Questo è il mio modo per dire che Asimov non mi fa impazzire come scrittore. Tra l'altro, adesso che ho letto questa raccolta, credo non mi faccia impazzire nemmeno come individuo.
Tuttavia, interessante.
October 23, 2008
This is pretty dated now but it was worth a read. I was never a huge fan of Asimov's fiction itself, although I enjoyed the Foundation series and the Robot stories. For one, I think Asimov often wrote too fast. But this is an interesting view on the field of SF.
July 1, 2013
Tutti gli scrittori italiani o aspiranti tali dovrebbero leggere questo libro.
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