内容简介
OneofIsaacAsimov’sSFmasterpieces,thisstand-alonenovelisamonumentofthefloweringofSFinthe20thcentury.ItiswidelyregardedasAsimov’ssinglebestSFnovelandoneeverySFfanshouldread.AndrewHarlanisanEternal,amemberofthee
作者简介
IsaacAsimovwasaRussian-born,Americanauthor,aprofessorofbiochemistry,andahighlysuccessfulwriter,bestknownforhisworksofsciencefictionandforhispopularsciencebooks.ProfessorAsimovisgenerallyconsideredthemostprolificwriterofalltime,havingwrittenoreditedmorethan500booksandanestimated90,000lettersandpostcards.HehasworkspublishedinnineofthetenmajorcategoriesoftheDeweyDecimalSystem(lackingonlyanentryinthe100scategoryofPhilosophy).Asimoviswidelyconsideredamasterofthescience-fictiongenreand,alongwithRobertA.HeinleinandArthurC.Clarke,wasconsideredoneofthe"BigThree"science-fictionwritersduringhislifetime.Asimov'smostfamousworkistheFoundationSeries;hisothermajorseriesaretheGalacticEmpireseriesandtheRobotseries,bothofwhichhelatertiedintothesamefictionaluniverseastheFoundationSeriestocreateaunified"futurehistory"forhisstoriesmuchlikethosepioneeredbyRobertA.HeinleinandpreviouslyproducedbyCordwainerSmithandPoulAnderson.Hepennednumerousshortstories,amongthem"Nightfall",whichin1964wasvotedbytheScienceFictionWritersofAmericathebestshortsciencefictionstoryofalltime,atitlemanystillhonor.Healsowrotemysteriesandfantasy,aswellasagreatamountofnonfiction.AsimovwrotetheLuckyStarrseriesofjuvenilescience-fictionnovelsusingthepennamePaulFrench.MostofAsimov'spopularizedsciencebooksexplainscientificconceptsinahistoricalway,goingasfarbackaspossibletoatimewhenthescienceinquestionwasatitssimpleststage.Heoftenprovidesnationalities,birthdates,anddeathdatesforthescientistshementions,aswellasetymologiesandpronunciationguidesfortechnicalterms.ExamplesincludehisGuidetoScience,thethreevolumesetUnderstandingPhysics,andAsimov'sChronologyofScienceandDiscovery.Asimovwasalong-timememberandVicePresidentofMensaInternational,albeitreluctantly;hedescribedsomemembersofthatorganizationas"brain-proudandaggressiveabouttheirIQs"HetookmorejoyinbeingpresidentoftheAmericanHumanistAssociation.Theasteroid5020Asimov,themagazineAsimov'sScienceFiction,aBrooklyn,NYelementaryschool,andtwodifferentIsaacAsimovAwardsarenamedinhishonor.
