Isaac Asimov is one of the most important and authoritative writers of America. He, along with Robert Heinlein and Arthur Clark, is included in the so-called "Big Three" of science fiction writers. This fact speaks of the recognition of colleagues in the workshop and the gigantic contribution that he made to the literature. In addition, this three of the great masters of science fiction can be called enlighteners of our time. Asimov and Clark did a lot to popularize science.
Biography of Isaac Asimov. Childhood in Soviet Russia
Petrovichi (now Shumyachsky district) of the Smolensk region is a place that Isaac, who later became the best science fiction writer of the 20th century Isaac Asimov, glorified with his birth. Later he said that he was born on the same land as Yuri Gagarin, and therefore still feels as if he belongs to two countries at once.
The writer’s father, Yuda Azimov, was at that time an educated person. At first he was busy in the family business, and after the revolution he became an accountant. The writer’s mother, Hana Rachel, was from a large family and worked in a shop.
Emigration
After the birth of a daughter in 1923, Isaac's parents receive an invitation from his mother’s brother, who had already left for the United States and settled there. The family decides to emigrate to America.
Isaac Asimov claimed that before arriving in the United States, his parents bore the name of the Ozimovs, but immigration officials wrote them down as the Asimovs and changed the name of the writer to American style. So he became Isaac.
Parents could not learn English well, so they could not get a well- paid job . Then Yuda bought a small grocery store and opened a trade. But for his son, he did not want the fate of a small merchant and decided to give him a good education. Isaac himself studied with pleasure, and from the age of 5 he could visit the library.
With admission to the medical faculty, nothing happened - as it turned out, Asimov could not tolerate the type of blood. Then it was decided to enter the chemistry department of Columbia University.
Next was a successful career. Isaac Asimov became a biochemist professor and began teaching at the Boston School of Medicine. In 1958, he suddenly stopped his scientific activities. But he continued to give his famous lectures for several years.
How does he become a science fiction writer
Asimov began to write as a child. Once his friend, having read the beginning of the story, demanded continuation. And then the future science fiction writer realized that he really did something.
The first stories of Isaac Asimov were published in 1939 by John Campbell, the legendary editor and discoverer of young talents. The second published work, The Coming of Night, is, in the opinion of the American Association of Science Fiction Writers, the best science fiction ever written in the world.
The best books of the writer
The best books of Isaac Asimov in the fiction genre are such works as “The Gods themselves”, “Foundation” and the cycle “I, Robot”. But these are far from all of his significant creations. No one could better look into the future for millennia ahead than Isaac Asimov. End of Eternity is the writer’s best novel on the issue of time travel.
Incredible Asimov
To write 500 books - it seems incredible. Many in their entire lives will not even read so much. Isaac Asimov not only wrote, he managed to do a huge number of other things. He was chairman of the American Association of Humanists, popularized science, and edited a science fiction magazine bearing his name. He did not trust literary agents and preferred to conduct business himself, which took a lot of time. With his workload, Azimov managed to be the chairman of the men's club. He did everything honestly. He carefully prepared even a small speech at his club. There was no case that he had to blush for the result of his work.
The sphere of interests of the writer is also striking. In the past, a professor of biochemistry, Azimov was never limited to studying only this area of science. He was interested in everything around. Cosmology, futurology, linguistics, history, linguistics, medicine, psychology, anthropology - this is just a small list of hobbies of a science fiction writer. He was not only interested in these sciences, but also seriously studied. And the books of Isaac Asimov, written by him in these areas of knowledge, are always accurate and impeccable in the reliability of the material submitted.
Work to popularize science
In the mid-1950s, Asimov began to write journalism, engaged in the popularization of science. His book for teens, “Chemistry of Life,” was a great success with readers, and he realized that writing documentaries was easier and more interesting for him than fiction. He writes articles for mathematics, physics, chemistry, astronomy for a large number of scientific journals. Most of his work was aimed at children and adolescents. In an accessible form for them, Asimov told young readers about serious things.
Popular science literature of Asimov
The writer is better known in the world for his works in the genre of fiction and mysticism. Few people know that Isaac Asimov is the author of numerous works in the form of popular science literature. The variety of his interests is striking.
The famous science fiction writer has written books on the history of the Middle East, the heyday and fall of the Roman Empire, races and genes, the evolution of the universe and the mystery of supernovae. He created the "Brief History of Biology", where in a fascinating way he spoke about the development of this science, starting from ancient times. Another work, The Human Brain, describes with humor the structure and function of the central nervous system. The book also contains many fascinating stories about the development of the science of psychobiochemistry.
Many books of the writer are simply necessary for children to read. One of them is “Popular Anatomy”. Isaac Asimov in it tells in detail about the amazing structure of the human body. In a manner peculiar to him, it is easy and easy to talk about complex things, the author tries to arouse the reader's interest in anatomy.
The non-fiction books of Isaac Asimov are always written in a lively, understandable language. He knows how to talk about very complex things exciting and interesting.
Forecast of the future. What came true from the predicted writer
At one time, the theme of predicting the future of humanity by famous science fiction writers was very popular. Especially many different options for the development of events were proposed by Asimov and Arthur Clark. This idea is not new. Jules Verne in his works described many discoveries that were made by man much later.
At the request of The New York Times, in 1964, Isaac Asimov made a forecast about how the world would look in 50 years, in 2014. This seems surprising, but most of the science fiction’s assumptions have either come true, or have been predicted very accurately. Of course, these are not pure predictions; the writer made his conclusions about the future of mankind on the basis of existing technology. But all the same, the accuracy of his statements is amazing.
What came true:
- 3D television.
- Cooking will be largely automated. In the kitchen, devices with the "auto-cook" function will appear.
- The world's population will reach the 6 billionth milestone.
- During a conversation with an interlocutor who is at a distance, he can be seen. Phones will be portable and equipped with a screen. With its help it will be possible to work with images and read books. Satellites will help to connect with people anywhere in the world.
- Robots will not be widely distributed.
- The equipment will work without an electric cord, on batteries or accumulators.
- Man will not land on Mars, but programs will be created for its colonization.
- Solar power stations will be used.
- In schools, the study of computer disciplines will be introduced.
- The Arctic and deserts, as well as the underwater shelf, will be actively explored.
Films based on the works of Isaac Asimov. The most famous film adaptations
Few authors boast that their books inspired filmmakers to create films based on them. The works of Isaac Asimov filmed repeatedly.
In 1999, “Bicentennial Man” was released, based on the positron man joint novel by Silverberg and Asimov. And the basis was a small novel by the writer with the same name as the picture taken. Problems associated with the appearance of robots in the future always worried the science fiction writer. The possible evolution of artificial intelligence, the likelihood of its confrontation with humanity, the safety of robots, fear of them, humanity - the range of issues that Asimov raises in his work is very wide.
This film addresses a very interesting problem: can a robot become a human? The protagonist of the tape is the android Andrew, brilliantly played by Robin Williams.
In 2004, another wonderful film was released - "I, the robot." Isaac Asimov is considered the author of the novel of the same name, on the basis of which he was filmed. In fact, the plot of the picture is taken from a whole cycle of books by the writer about robots. This is one of the most successful adaptations of Azimov’s works, in which the problems that he constantly raised in his work are very accurately conveyed.
This time, the film addresses the evolution of artificial intelligence. The laws of robotics Isaac Asimov, invented by him in 1942, will play an important role in the plot. According to them, the robot is obliged to protect people and cannot harm them. He must obey his master in everything, if this does not violate the most important law of robotics - the inviolability of man.
In the film, WIKI artificial intelligence, the brain of the largest robot manufacturing company, is gradually evolving and comes to the conclusion that humanity needs to be protected from itself, otherwise people will destroy everything around. With the help of robots of the new improved series, he captures the entire city. At the same time, civilians are dying. The main character, Detective Del Spooner, with assistants in the person of a company employee and a robot, Sunny destroys VIKI. The film also sharply touched on the problem of people’s rejection of these machines, distrust of them.
Another famous film adaptation of Isaac Asimov ’s book “Twilight” is the film “Black Hole” with Vin Diesel in the title role. This is a very free retelling of the writer's work, having almost nothing to do with the original version.
In addition to these three famous adaptations, the films Twilight, End of Eternity and Android Love were also created based on the writer's works.
Prizes and awards
Azimov was very proud of his awards, especially in the field of science fiction. He has a huge number of them, and this is not surprising, given the incredible ability of the writer and his bibliography of 500 written works. He was awarded several awards "Hugo" and "Nebula", was a winner of the Thomas Alva Edison Foundation Prize. For his work in chemistry, Azimov received an award from the American Chemical Society.
In 1987, the Nebula Prize was awarded to Azimov with a stunning wording - “The Great Master”.
The personal life of the writer
Isaac Asimov was successful as an author, but the writer's personal life was not always cloudless. In 1973, after 30 years of marriage, he divorced his wife. From this marriage, two children remained. In the same year, he marries his longtime acquaintance Janet Jeppson.
The last years of the writer’s life
He lived not so much by the standards of the Western world - 72 years. In 1983, Azimov underwent surgery - heart bypass surgery. During it, the writer was infected with HIV through donated blood. No one suspected anything until the second operation, when during the examination he was diagnosed with AIDS. A deadly disease led to kidney failure, and on April 6, 1992, the great writer died.