Category: Fantasy/Science Fiction

Lifespan: (January 2, 1920 - April 6, 1992)

Interesting & Unique Facts: Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written and edited more than 500 books and an estimated 9,000 letters and postcards. His works have been published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey Decimal System, all except the 100s, philosophy. He is widely considered a master of the science-fiction genre. Along with Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke, hewas considered one of the "Big Three" science-fiction writers during his lifetime.

The Oxford English Dictionary credits his science fiction for introducing the words positronic (an entirely fictional technology), psychohistory (frequently used in a different sense than the imaginary one Asimov employed) and robotics into the English language. Asimov coined the term robotics without suspecting that it might be an original word; at the time, he believed it was simply the natural analogue of mechanics, hydraulics, and so forth.

Author's work in order (with publication dates):

Fantastic Voyage Series

• Fantastic Voyage (1966) [a novelization of the movie]
• Fantastic Voyage II: Destination Brain (1987) [not a sequel to Fantastic Voyage, but a similar, independent story]

Greater Foundation History

Series Note 1: [These series were originally separate. Later in life, Asimov synthesized them into a single coherent 'history' that appeared in the extension of the Foundation series.]

Series Note 2: [The Foundation Trilogy (i.e. Foundation, Foundation & Empire, and Second Foundation) is probably the best place to start.]

The Robot Series

• The Caves of Steel (1954)
• The Naked Sun (1957)
• The Robots of Dawn (1983)
• Robots & Empire (1985)

Galactic Empire Series

• Pebble in the Sky (1950)
• The Stars, Like Dust (1951)
• The Currents of Space (1952)

Foundation Series

• Prelude to Foundation (1988)
• Forward to Foundation (1993)
• Foundation (1951)
• Foundation & Empire (1952)
• Second Foundation (1953)
• Foundation's Edge (1982)
• Foundation & Earth (1986)

Lucky Star Series

• David Starr, Space Ranger (1952)
• Lucky Starr & the Pirates of the Asteroids (1953)
• Lucky Starr & the Oceans of Venus (1954)
• Lucky Starr & the Big Sun of Mercury (1956)
• Lucky Starr & the Moons of Jupiter (1957)
• Lucky Starr & the Rings of Saturn (1958)

The Norby Chronicles

• Norby, the Mixed-Up Robot (1983)
• Norby's Other Secret (1984)
• Norby & the Lost Princess (1985)
• Norby & the Invaders (1985)
• Norby & the Queen's Necklace (1986)
• Norby Finds a Villain (1987)
• Norby Down to Earth (1988)
• Norby & Yobo's Great Adventure (1989)
• Norby & the Oldest Dragon (1990)
• Norby & the Court Jester (1991)

Non-Series Novels

• The End of Eternity (1955)
• The Gods Themselves (1972)
• Nemesis (1989)
• Nightfall (1990) [with Robert Silverberg]
• The Ugly Little Boy (1992) [with Robert Silverberg also published as Child of Time]
• The Positronic Man (1993) [with Robert Silverberg]

Short Story Collections

• I, Robot (1950)
• The Martian Way and Other Stories (1955)
• Earth Is Room Enough (1957)
• Nine Tomorrows (1959)
• The Rest of the Robots (1964)
• Through a Glass, Clearly (1967)
• Nightfall and Other Stories (1969)
• The Early Asimov (1972)
• The Best of Isaac Asimov (1973)
• Buy Jupiter and Other Stories (1975)
• The Bicentennial Man and Other Stories (1976)
• The Complete Robot (1982)
• The Winds of Change and Other Stories (1983)
• The Alternate Asimovs (1986)
• The Best Science Fiction of Isaac Asimov (1986)
• Robot Dreams (1986)
• Azazel (1988)
• Gold (1990)
• Robot Visions (1990)
• Magic (1995)

Mystery Novels

• The Death Dealers (1958) [also published as A Whiff of Death]
• Murder at the ABA (1976) [also published as Authorized Murder]

Mystery Short Story Collections

Black Widowers Series

• Tales of the Black Widowers (1974)
• More Tales of the Black Widowers (1976)
• Casebook of the Black Widowers (1980)
• Banquets of the Black Widowers (1984)
• Puzzles of the Black Widowers (1990)
• The Return of the Black Widowers (2003)

Other Mysteries

• Asimov's Mysteries (1968)
• The Union Club Mysteries (1980)
• The Disappearing Man and Other Mysteries (1985)
• The Best Mysteries of Isaac Asimov (1986)