Customer Reviews

Isaac Asimov: A Life of the Grand Master of Science Fiction

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

 

 

A disappointment, largely because this biography seems to have mostly taken information from Asimov's own autobiographies. The author frequently retells the same stories, changes the words just a bit. Not recommended at all. Readers would be much better off reading Asimov's own books on his life, such as In Memory Yet Green, and In Joy Still Felt.

I guess this author doesn't bother to check his "facts". Too much work perhaps. Many, many errors. Clearly, he didn't even bother to read Asimov's autobiography completely. One of many errors: He thinks Marty Greenberg and Martin H. Greenberg are the same person. In Asimov's autobiography, he says in several places they are 2 different people. Asimov goes to great lengths in his autobiography to stress they are 2 different people. So much so, that he he refers to MHG as 'Marty the Other' in several places. This is just one of several errors. When someone makes as many errors as White does, how can you trust anything he says? Although Asimov wrote fiction and non-fiction, White seems to have blended the 2 in one book. However, how can you tell which part is fiction and which part is non-fiction?

It was fascinating to read about the "real" Isaac Asimov as opposed to the legendary character (as he created himself) and author.

However, White obviously did a very tossed-off job with this bio. He screws up so many details that I can't possibly get into them all here. But here are two examples: He cites the story "The Inevitable Conflict" -- no, it's "The Evitable Conflict." And he calls Ray Bradbury (!?) a "New Wave" writer. Hello?

Again, worth reading, but I have no idea how well I can trust White after such egregious mistakes.

Isaac Asimov was one of the most prolific writers the world had the pleasure of reading. He has had over 460 books published and his extraordinary breadth and scope of work is sure to interest any person in the man's life. Therefore, I was looking forward to reading this biography. However, I had several points of complaint with it, which I will number as follows:

1.) The book spends too much time discussing in detail certain aspects of Asimov's stories. It's okay to give the reader relevant background material but we are reading a biography of the man's life-not a detailed analysis and critique of each of his stories.

2.) Plots and details of stories are given away. What if someone wishes to read some of his Foundation novels later but decides to pick up this book first?

3.) Poor editing. You'll find numerous editing mistakes in this book. The worst I found was at about page 153 or 154. The pages were actually OUT OF ORDER. I had to flip around several times just to be reading in order so as not to get confused.

With these above criticisms in mind the book does convey some nice details about Asimov. You learn about his early childhood, where he grew up and his start in writing. You also learn about his education, first jobs, and the sad details surrounding his later years where he declined and eventually died. The author does also provide honest criticism and praise of Asimov's works. For these reasons the book isn't a complete waste but it could have been far better.

The other reviews say it all: numerous errors of fact and parlor psychiatry to boot. Several reviewers have wondered how much of the rest of Michael White's writing to believe in the light of such clearly-revealed errors. In this respect I can offer the cautionary tale that his biography of J.R.R. Tolkien (variously published as "Critical Lives: J.R.R. Tolkien" and "Tolkien: A Biography") is equally problematic. Indeed, it is perhaps the worst biography of Tolkien ever written.

White seems to have written dozens of biographies (e.g., of C.S. Lewis, Stephen Hawking, Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin, Sir Isaac Newton, Niccolò Machiavelli, etc.) -- and I think that's pretty revealing. How could anyone think, even for a moment, that they could read enough of the primary and secondary literature on these fascinating and important individuals to contribute something that a real, dedicated biographer had not already contributed? Michael White's hubris is breathtaking.

Do yourself a favor and move on to Isaac's own autobiographies, which White seems to have pilfered and ransacked in any case.

White supplies a well researched biography of Asimov. For those of you who may have read Asimov's columns in Fantasy and Science Fiction, or his many stories and textbooks, this biography helps fill out your knowledge of him. For example, you may have heard of the Nobel Laureate chemist Urey. Asimov was his student at Columbia, but apparently Urey took a dislike to him and considered him a flake!

White also furnishes analyses of Asimov's major writings, like Nightfall, the Foundation series and the Robot stories. Prior to this book, you'd have to look back to Joseph Patrouch's "The Science Fiction of Isaac Asimov". That was published in the late 70s, and while well done, of course could not cover Asimov's works since then till his death. Plus, Patrouch's book was not about Asimov's life, per se. So White's book is a very useful complement.

There is one unfortunate and curious omission to the biography. Not a single photo?! Perhaps some of you might suggest that since Asimov's fame was as a writer, we have little need for photos. However, I suspect that most readers would want at least some photos - of Asimov when he was younger, and of his family. Other biographies of writers usually furnish these. Take, as just one example, Warburton's recent biography of John Fowles.

This omission from White's book is really puzzling. He says he received the cooperation of Asimov's wife, who is also writing a biography of Isaac. Surely, if she aided White, some photos could have been forthcoming?