Isaac Asimov Best Science Fiction

By Isaac Asimov

Book Overview

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• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451151968
• ISBN13: 9780451151964
• Release Date: February 1988
• Publisher: Roc
• Length: 379 Pages
• Weight: 0.49 lbs.

Customer Reviews

A great collection

It's too bad this book saw such limited release, because it's a great collection of Asimov's short stories, each chosen by the author himself. There are 28 stories here, all different in length, content and intent - but it's all very well-rounded and gives a great view of the author through a series of short reads. (Well, except for one omission: no robot stories. Asimov states that he collected these already in another volume and so they are conspicuously absent from this one) What I liked most about this book: science fiction writers often run into troubles with novels, because sustaining reader interest over a novel-length work requires very detailed characters, storylines and an engaging writing style. The short-story medium lets Asimov play with the story alone while using just-deep-enough characters to get the job done. As a result, his plots really shine, and aren't bogged down by poor development in other areas. The end result is a lot of very readable and highly engaging stories. As far as the stories in this compilation: The handful of play-on-words stories are pretty entertaining (and very brief). Most of the sentimental ones didn't capture my interest well, and there was a song parody that seemed an odd choice, but the rest of the collection was great. My personal favorites: Found!, Franchise, How It Happened, The Immortal Bard, The Last Question, Spell My Name With An S, Unto the Fourth Generation. One last note: Asimov's personal introduction to each of his stories were pretty funny, in large part because he seems to have a pretty big ego (or at least, is very confident) and so he often talks about how he wrote "a good story on a dare", "a particularly great piece of fiction", etc. It was nice to have the preface to each entry so you'd know why he selected each one. That alone helps set this collection apart from other science fiction compilations.

A Great Collection of Short Stories

With The Best Science Fiction of Isaac Asimov, Mr. Asimov has woven another beautifully crafted book of short stories. In this book there are 28 'best ever personal favorites' from the short stories of the master story teller. Each story features a brief introduction by Asimov. These intriguing introductions illuminate the author's reasons behind the stories. The stories themselves range from the 1950's to the 1980's and cover a wide area of topics, from humor to horror to hard science fiction.There are 4 stories that deal with a play-on-words ending, that Asimov so loved, that will make you groan and snort. Not all of the stories are quite so whimsical. There are plenty of classic Asimovian themes covered in this book. From the times of cave men to the far future when man is no longer a creature made of matter, these stories deliver far-out settings and expert story telling.Two of the highlights of this book, though by no means are there just two, are Franchise and The Ugly Little Boy. The former, written in 1954, deals with forecasting elections even before the polls close and the belief that polls influence voting patterns. Considering this story was written almost 50 years ago it is still quite relevant and almost prophetic. The latter story is a true tear-jerker, and one of Asimov's best stories ever. A story about a cave boy that will definitely tug at your heartstrings. The book as a whole is one of Asomov's better short story collections. Some of the stories will remain with you long after you put the book down.