Isaac Asimov

Lore & Background

Asimov was born in Petrovichi, Russian SFSR, on an unknown date between October 4, 1919, and January 2, 1920. His family immigrated to the United States in 1923, settling in Brooklyn, New York, where his parents owned candy stores. He taught himself to read at age five and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1928. Asimov earned a Bachelor of Science from Columbia University in 1939, a Master of Arts in chemistry in 1941, and a Doctor of Philosophy in chemistry in 1948. During World War II, he worked as a civilian chemist at the Philadelphia Navy Yard and later served in the U.S. Army. He joined Boston University School of Medicine in 1949 as an instructor of biochemistry, eventually becoming a tenured associate professor in 1955.

Reader's Guide

Isaac Asimov's significance lies in his extraordinary output and influence across multiple genres, particularly science fiction and popular science. His Foundation series, which won a special Hugo Award, established a template for epic space opera and explored themes of psychohistory and societal decline. By linking his Robot and Foundation series, he created one of the first cohesive future histories in science fiction. His popular science books made complex topics accessible to general readers, often tracing scientific ideas from their simplest origins. Asimov's work spans nine Dewey decimal categories, reflecting his breadth. His legacy includes the asteroid (5020) Asimov, a Martian crater, a Brooklyn elementary school, and four literary awards named after him. He remains a central figure in 20th-century literature and science communication.

Did You Know?

• Asimov's family name derives from 'azimy khleb,' meaning winter grain, with the Russian suffix -ov added.
• He taught himself to read at age five and later taught his sister to read, enabling her to enter school in second grade.
• Asimov wrote under the pen name Paul French for the Lucky Starr series of juvenile science-fiction novels.
• He was president of the American Humanist Association.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"Isaac Asimov (c. 2 January 1920 – 6 April 1992) was a Russian-born American biochemist who was a prolific writer of both fiction and non-fiction. His works include the Foundation series and I, Robot." — Isaac Asimov "It is only afterward that a new idea seems reasonable. To begin with, it usually seems unreasonable." — Isaac Asimov "It is the nature of science that answers automatically pose new and more subtle questions." — Isaac Asimov "The dullness of fact is the mother of fiction." — Isaac Asimov