Customer Reviews

Isaac Asimov: The Complete Stories, Vol. 1

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Isaac Asimov was one of the most prolific writers not just in science fiction, but in all of literature. Having written upwards of 500 books (distributed throughout every category of the Dewey Decimal System), compliling the definitive Asimov omnibus, clearly, is a monumental task. This, the first in a three volume series (I have never come across the two subsequent volumes), collects a good portion of Asimov's short fiction (though, indeed, not as many as the title implies) - including some of his earliest work, and some of his best. This collection includes about 50 stories, comprising the previous short story collections Earth Is Room Enough, Nine Tomorrows, and Nightfall and Other Stories in their entirety. Included in it are some of the classic science fiction short stories of all-time: Nightfall, The Last Question (one of my absolute personal favorites, as well as Asimov's own favorite of his writings), and The Dying Night; as well as personal and sentimental favorites such as The Ugly Little Boy, Jokester, Dreaming Is A Private Thing, Profession, and Breeds There A Man...? It also includes such widely anthologized pieces as It's Such A Beautiful Day, The Fun They Had, and The Machine That Won The War. The collection also picks up several lighter pieces - such as examples of Asimov's poetry, which show that, despite his often leaning toward the cerebral in his stories, the good Doctor was also one big goof. Though by no means a complete overview of Asimov's short fiction, this is a very good place to start if you are new to the author - or if you want to get a good portion of his works in one convenient place. One need not go into the individual merits of these stories: Asimov's reputation precedes itself. This is some of the greatest science fiction ever written, essential to any fan of the genre, or of imaginative writing in general. Very highly recommended.

This is a GREAT collection of short stories by Isaac Asimov, one of the best science-fiction short-story writer ever. It contains over forty of his best works, including Nightfall and the Ugly Little Boy. The book itself is pretty big, with nice-sized font. Overall, a nice, sturdy copy of awesome short-stories. A must for an Isaac Asimov fan.

You won't be sorry to read this book. This edition collects some of the finest and most clever short stories from a master writer. Each story speculates on our future and on the state of humanity; not dry, but through humor and twists of imagination.

This book includes about 50 short stories, ranging from 2-30 pages each, including "Nightfall".

If you have the chance, read "Jokester" first on page 123. You'll never think about humor again in the same way.

First off, it's Asimov short stories, so how could it be less then wonderful? Admittedly, the title is a bit misleading, Asimov wrote so many short stories that no single volume could hold all of them. There is, as could be expected, some overlap: stories in this collection that are also in others. That said, this is one of the best collections I've encountered, and it included several stories I have not seen in any other edition.

Featuring stories from "nine tommorows", "earth is room enough", "nightfall" and more, it's a great sci-fi book and a must-have for Asimov's fan (though they'd probably read all the stories before). BUY IT!

The present volume of stories is just the tip of the iceberg. An exhibition that showcases what a fine story teller Isaac Asimov. The highlight of most stories of Asimov is his ability to visualise the future not just in terms of technological advances, but also its impact on human behaviour. If this is the first book of Asimov you are reading then you are well on your way to becoming a fan.

choorie@ rediffmail.com

I have to say many of the stories in this collection are pretty average, but there are a few which really push it into the realms of 8+. The stories you muct read are The Last Question, Profession, The dead past and The dying night

I have been a fan of Isaac Asimov's short stories since I was a teenager and I have rarely found better since. While I had already read most of these, to have them in one book was quite the treat. Many of my favorites were listed here including some that previously were only available from some obscure sources. Why read Asimov? Because few writers, if any, deal with the great "What If" questions as Asimov does. His explorations into human nature and what potential pitfalls our improvements in technology will bring us are central to his writing. Some of these stories are dated now and in "The Dying Night" he even acknowledges that in the introduction to that story. Even so, it makes for good reading...and entertaining.

A Complete Stories of Isaac Asimov book in one volume would have to electronic to be liftable, or have paper and print of the rice and really, really tiny variety. Hence the split-up and this volume.

Anyway, several of his best stories here, as well as some really ordinary, and even some humorous fantasy.

Call this volume a 3.25 for the amount of very average stories included, dragging down the rest, as far as quality goes.

Asimov collectors will of course like the sheer volume.

Complete Stories 1 : The Dead Past - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Franchise - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Gimmicks Three - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Kid Stuff - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : The Watery Place - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Living Space - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : The Message - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Satisfaction Guaranteed - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Hell-Fire - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : The Last Trump - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : The Fun They Had - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Jokester - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : The Immortal Bard - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Someday - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Dreaming Is a Private Thing - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Profession - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : The Feeling of Power - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : The Dying Night - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : I'm in Marsport Without Hilda - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : The Gentle Vultures - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : All the Troubles of the World - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Spell My Name with an S - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : The Last Question - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : The Ugly Little Boy - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Nightfall - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Green Patches - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Hostess - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Breeds There a Man? - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : The C-Chute - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : In a Good Cause' - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : What If - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Sally - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Flies - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Nobody Here But' - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : It's Such a Beautiful Day - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Strikebreaker - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Insert Knob A in Hole B - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : The Up-to-Date Sorcerer - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Unto the Fourth Generation - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : What Is This Thing Called Love? - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : The Machine That Won the War - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : My Son the Physicist! - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Eyes Do More Than See - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Segregationist - Isaac Asimov

Isaac Asimov is one of my favorite writers. I have enjoyed many of his books and many of his short stories. Foundation is my favorite book. On Spring break, while I was in Mexico, I decided to reread my favorite short stories of the book Isaac Asimov: The Complete Stories Vol. 1. Here are my reviews:

Ugly Little Boy. In this story, a company called Stasis Inc. creates a way to bring things from the past into the future, albeit in a small "bubble". The first experiment brings a neanderthal boy and the story follows the relationship between the little boy and his babysitter.
The story is very good, using a cool idea to tell a heartfelt story.

The Dead Past. The book starts with this short story and what a way to start. This is my favorite Asimov short story. In the story, scientists have developed a device that can view the past. The government controls all research, hence one needs to get permission from the government to use the device. A historian gets frustrated from not getting the grant and thinks there is a conspiracy from the government to prevent researchers from using this device. It is clear there is a conspiracy, but the ending is very surprising and the explanation is very interesting. This is one of the stories that has had me thinking the most since reading it. I love it.

Breeds There a Man...?. This story is about a paranoid scientist who believes that we are all an experiment of higher beings and that this is the reason that human history goes through cycles of amazing intellectual growth followed by terrible calamities (From the Greeks to the Middle Ages, the Black Plague right after the Renaissance). The story itself, is very good, with interesting conversations between the important paranoid scientist and his psychologist. A memorable story.

The Last Question. This is Asimov's favorite short story. I didn't love it the first time I read it, but this time I liked it more. I can see why Asimov would consider it his favorite, as it does explore the interesting question of whether the universe is immortal, but I like other stories more.

Jokester. The ending in this story is quite shocking and in fact, I only reread the ending this part. The story is a nice joke about jokes.

Hostess. Asimov rarely writes stories involving aliens and this is one of them. I remember enjoying it very much when I first read it, and I enjoyed it very much again. Asimov does a very good job of mixing a mystery with science fiction.

Nightfall. The most famous of his short stories, considered to be the best science fiction short story of all time (although this was awarded in the 60s). The story is very good and I loved it the first time I read it. However, it wasn't as good upon rereading it. While I originally thought the story had interesting views of religion and science, this time when I read it, it seemed much more about science than religion. The science in it is really cool, considering how difficult it would be to discover the cosmos if one wouldn't have nights. How terrifying night would be, if you had seven suns that would keep the planet alight all year long. This is a great story, but not my favorite.

What I really love about Asimov is how his stories always make me think about some interesting concept. I love that his stories are logical and I like that his writing is straightforward and easy to understand.