Rose Colored Asimov Glasses

I’ll admit it: I am a huge fan of Isaac Asimov! I have loved nearly every Asimov story and book I’ve read. So it comes as no surprise that I really enjoyed "The Bicentennial Man" too. This is classic Asimov. If you like his other stuff then it’s a safe bet to say you’ll like this too. And if not, well… you know what to do.

Non-spoiler Summary in a Nutshell

Andrew Martin is a very unique robot – much to the dismay of the company that created him. He started life simple enough, as a servant for the Martin family, but when it is discovered that he has an artistic talent he begins to make a lot of money – both for himself and the Martins. As the years go by and the people Andrew knows and loves get older and eventually die, he starts to use some of his wealth to buy freedom and fight for robot rights. This makes him extremely unpopular and even gets him into some trouble. Eventually he discovers that there are a few high risk things he can do that will make huge differences in his struggles, but will he have the courage to do them?

Interesting Tidbits:

• Word Count: 14,088 (31 pages)
• "The Bicentennial Man" won the 1977 Hugo Award, Nebula Award and Locus Poll for Best Novelette. Impressive! But what else would you expect from one of the grand masters of science fiction?
• Isaac Asimov, the author of this story, well… let’s just say he wrote a few books during his lifetime.
• "The Bicentennial Man" was the inspiration for the 1999 movie of the same name starring Robin Williams. The movie was ok, but I liked the story much better.
• Not only did this story inspire a movie, but it also inspired a novel co-written by Asimov and Robert Silverberg: The Positronic Man.

Where You Can Find The Bicentennial Man:

• This story first appeared in February 1976, in the anthology Stellar #2: Science Fiction Stories.
• "The Bicentennial Man" is a super famous story, and fortunately has been reprinted many times – most recently in Asimov’s collection Robot Visions.
• Do you have a public library near you? Chances are they have a copy of "The Bicentennial Man". Here is a list of books that contain this wonderful story. Any library worth its salt should have at least one of those!

Craving More Science Fiction Short Stories?

If you liked "The Bicentennial Man" then you might also enjoy “Helen O’Loy” by Lester del Rey – about two men who buy a beautiful robot house keeper and the all too life-like problems they encounter with her.

Some New Players in The Foundation

The second story in this novel spans just under 50 pages, and is divided into 7 small chapters. It is now nearly 50 years since the great psychologist Hari Seldon has set up the Foundation on the planet Terminus. Consequently, this story deals with different characters and events than the first part of the book dealt with. This part of the book is focused on two general entities: the recently elected mayor of Terminus: Salvor Hardin, and the stodgy Foundation Board of Trustees led by the condescending Lewis Pirenne.

In the past 5 decades Terminus has been working faithfully on collecting knowledge and preserving it in the Encyclopedia Galactica, but there are getting to be a lot of support people who aren’t directly involved in the Encyclopedia. Hence Mayor Hardin is elected to represent their interests. The problem in that the Board of Trustees still holds most of the political power, and they seem to be making some very unwise (at least politically) decisions. It is true that Terminus is still under the protection of the Emperor on Trantor, but out here on “the periphery” there have been several break-away kingdoms – the largest of which is Anacreon. Anacreon is getting nervous about the Foundation and seeks to build military bases on Terminus to “protect it.” Yeah, right. Anyway, after they make sure that the Emperor really can’t do anything, they decide to force the matter. And it is here that we see the brilliance of Salvor Hardin – and of Hari Seldon.

The Novel’s Downfall

It is in this section of the Foundation that its true colors really show. On one hand I was immediately bombarded by two of the loudest criticisms of Foundation. The first was outdated technology. On the very first page of this section we see Pirenne using a stylus to write on paper. Really? Sometimes I think that Asimov must not have been trying very hard to be creative. And not only do we see crappy old technology, but we are also plunged deep into several pages of pure conversation. Honestly, a good deal of The Encyclopedists is made up entirely of conversations between people.

The Novel’s Redemption

Ok, enough of the Asimov stereotypes, let us turn our attentions to the positive aspects of this story, of which there are many. First off, while you would think that 50 pages of mostly conversation would be horrifically boring it really wasn’t. Quite the opposite in fact – I found these chapters to be very interesting. I’m not sure what it was, perhaps it was the way Asimov skillfully manipulated the conversations to carefully mete out only the requisite chunks of information. I found the tension high throughout, and rapidly turned the pages to find out what would happen – which is all the more interesting considering the fact that I have read this book two times before!

It is also in this section that we begin to understand how powerful Psychohistory is, and what a great scientist Hari Seldon was. The ending of this story, in which Seldon holographically appears, was terrific! The message he delivers is timely, scientifically sound, and of the utmost importance to the Foundation. Well done that.

Finally, the political intrigue in The Encyclopedists is fantastic. The political love triangle between Anacreon, the Empire and Terminus is beautifully orchestrated and keeps the reader guessing. But truthfully – we know who is going to win in the end right? Still, very fun to read.

How Does The Foundation Hold Up On A 3rd Reading?

So, how does The Encyclopedists hold up over time and on multiple readings? Very well I think. I enjoyed reading about the maneuverings of Hardin the most – seeing how Terminus and the Foundation struggle to get the upper hand in the region was fascinating. And when it comes to outdated technology, well, I just used my imagination (imagine that!) to picture an updated and futuristic version of the story. Overall I was quite pleased. Hopefully you will be too. Let me know what you thought of this section.

If this book sounds like something you might be interested in reading you can find a used copy at eBay, or buy it new on Amazon.com.

If you enjoyed this article please see my other posts on The Foundation Project.

Trantor Is Cooler Than Coruscant

One of the things I remember really liking about the Foundation stories is the planet Trantor. And reading the book this time was no exception – I was again caught up in the wonder that is Trantor. A planet so densely populated (40 billion people) that every square inch of it is covered by buildings – making it effectively one gigantic city! (And yes, I was infinitely peeved when in 1999 The Phantom Menace ripped off that cool idea – George Lucas didn’t come up with that one people!) Gaal’s wonder and excitement shows throughout this entire section, and I couldn’t help but think what a cool place it was.

Anyway, Dornick is there to accept a job with the famous mathematician / psychohistorian Hari Seldon. Seldon meets with Gaal and the full awe of the power of psychohistory becomes apparent. A branch of mathematics that can predict what large numbers of people will do when certain stimuli are applied, Seldon has applied psychohistory to the history of the Galactic Empire and determined that it is going to crumble. He is not trying to stop the fall however, he just wants to shorten the 30,000 years of anarchy before the next empire comes to reign.

The Opium Of The Scientific Elite

Once again I remembered having very much enjoyed the idea of psychohistory, and this time I felt the same emotions – although not quite as strongly. I think it would make a fascinating science, and Asimov was enough of a scientist and story-teller to pull off the illusion that it could all work. Very well done that – even on my third reading!

So anyway, Seldon and his band of doom-sayers are banished to a planet on the far edge of the galaxy known as Terminus. Here they will set up their Galactic Encyclopedia and hopefully begin to shorten the interim anarchy to a mere 1,000 years.

Vague But Readable

This time as I read through the story I realized that some of the criticisms I have heard about Isaac Asimov are true. One in particular, that he doesn’t give very detailed descriptions, showed up repeatedly. So, for example, rather than describe in intricate detail the fascinating aspects of Trantor, he gives overall descriptions and instead focuses on how Dornick feels about the place. Perhaps that is why Asimov’s style of writing has never bothered me, because I tend to use the feelings to create my own mental images. Anyway, just thought I would mention that.

One of the things I do like, however, is how readable this book is. Each part is divided into several little chapters that are a breeze to whip through! That was much appreciated. I also rather liked how several of the chapters began with a quote from the (future) Galactic Encyclopedia about what was happening in that chapter. That was helpful, and reminded me of how Dune does that same thing.

Anyway, overall I really enjoyed this first part of Foundation. I found myself once again being mesmerized by a very cool story and the way in which it was told.

If this book sounds like something you might be interested in reading you can probably find a used copy at eBay, or buy it new on Amazon.com.

If you enjoyed this article please see my other posts on The Foundation Project.

There Is Nothing Like The First Time

Nine years later, during a summer I spent in Chicago, I finally re-read my beloved Foundation novels. For many years I had wanted to read them again, but I had purposely put them off because I didn’t want to “dilute” my love for them. However, as I plowed through the books on the 21st floor of my high-rise Westin hotel I found that I didn’t enjoy them nearly as much as the first time. Why not? Who’s to say – perhaps because I was much better read by that time, but honestly I think it was because the books didn’t live up to the extremely high standards I had built up in my mind over the years. While I found them to be good, the experience was nothing like it had previously been.

3rd Time’s The Charm?

Now, twelve years after my second reading of the Foundation novels I have the itch to try them again and see how they pan out. And so I shall. I consider myself to be much more well read, especially after spending the last two and a half years reviewing science fiction short stories, so I am very eager to see how my experience will be this time around.

So, with all that in mind I am starting a different kind of summer project. This time I will re-read the Foundation novels, bringing all my super SF reviewing powers to bear, and see how they hold up. Feel free to join me. I know that not everyone loves (or even likes) Isaac Asimov and his Foundation novels – but I do. The books have been around for over 50 years and are still in print and very easy to find. Check out your local library if nothing else. I welcome any comments you might have about the series, and look forward to hearing what others think.

And We’re Off!

Today I started off the project by reading the introduction to my original 1989-purchased Foundation novel. These 10 pages, written by Isaac himself in the early 1980′s after he finished writing Foundation’s Edge, talk about how the Foundation novels came to be. It seems that the idea for them started in 1941 when Asimov was just a 21 year old grad student. He came up with an idea for a set of science fiction stories about the fall of a galatic empire – roughly based on The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. He pitched the idea, it was accepted, and the first four “parts” (i.e. short stories) were published in the early 1940′s in Astounding magazine. The first Foundation novel, compiled years later, is made up up these first stories in addition to one that Asimov wrote just to make the beginning of the novel “less abrupt.” I can’t wait to jump in and re-familiarize myself with Hari Seldon and the Psychohistory project!

Any other Foundation lovers out there? I’d love to hear what you think of the series.

My Favorite Author And My Favorite Subject

It is no secret that I am a huge fan of Isaac Asimov. His classic Foundation series are the books that launched me into the realm of science fiction from which I have never looked back. So in a way I feel that he has a small part in my starting of this web site. What is perhaps lesser known is the fact that I also love anthropology. Yep, that would have been my first choice of study at the university, but I felt I had a better chance of making a living in computer science. Anyway, I was thrilled to find that this story contained both elements: Asimov and anthropology. I was also a bit taken aback by how much I enjoyed the story and how involved I became in the plot. Not only was the story line a very cool idea, but I was surprised by how touched I was by the plight of Miss Fellowes and Timmie. This may very well qualify as my new favorite story by Isaac Asimov.

The Boy In The (Time) Bubble

So then, “The Ugly Little Boy” is about Edith Fellowes, a former maternity ward nurse who has recently been hired by Stasis, Inc. to take care of an “un-pretty” child. After accepting the job she is surprised to learn that the child is a small Neanderthal boy brought from 40,000 years in the past! Even though he is ugly and uncivilized she still grows attached as she cares for him in the special 3 room apartment which he can never leave. Over time, as several scientists study his physiology and behavior, Miss Fellowes teaches “Timmie” to talk, act civilly and eventually read. But as Miss Fellowes grows closer to the boy, her employer becomes more obsessed with perfecting the time-snatching technology, and this leads to to an unpleasant confrontation about Timmie’s future.

My Two Cents…

• A very touching story which caused me to think about the social ramifications connected with high technology.
• Very well written. Better, I think, than some of Asimov’s other stories.
• I found myself thinking about “The Ugly Little Boy” for days after reading it – a sign of a good story indeed.
• It is, however, not an action story. This is one of those “thinker” stories, so if you don’t like those kinds of stories then this may not be for you.

Stats:

• My Rating: 4.9 out of 5
• Page Count: 19
• Word Count: 11,759
• “The Ugly Little Boy” first appeared in the September 1958 issue of Galaxy Magazine under the title “Lastborn”, but was later reprinted under its current title in the 1959 collection Nine Tomorrows.
• It placed 40th in the 1999 Locus All-Time poll for best novelette.
• It is included in the excellent collection Isaac Asimov: The Complete Stories, Vol. 1., which you can find at Amazon.com or on eBay.
• You can read “The Ugly Little Boy” online for free at the Miss Fellowes blog.

More of The Ugly Little Boy

In case you didn’t know (like me), this story was expanded into a novel also named The Ugly Little Boy in 1992. The novel was written by both Isaac Asimov and Robert Silverberg, and apparently it expands the story and gives more details about Timmie’s Neanderthal tribe, talks about a child advocacy group that is trying to free Timmie, and explains what happens to Miss Fellowes after the events in this novelette. You can find the novel at Amazon.com or on eBay.

“The Ugly Little Boy” was also made into a short film (26 minutes) in 1977. You can watch a cool clip from the movie where Timmie shows up for the first time, at YouTube.

Craving More Stories?

If you liked this story then you might also enjoy Jeffty is Five by Harlan Ellison – about a five year old boy who lives in a very strange pocket of time.

Non-Spoiler Summary In A Nutshell:

“Nightfall” is the classic story of Theremon 762, a somewhat skeptical newspaper reporter who is at the Saro Observatory with a handful of astronomers on what they claim is the last day of civilization. Their planet, Lagash, has six suns, and that special time every 2,500 years when all of them are eclipsed simultaneously is only four hours away! The astronomers are predicting mass insanity as people experience total darkness for the first time in their lives, while the Cultists are proclaiming the “end of the world!” Who is right? What will really happen? Will the darkness really bring about a mass of crazy people??? Tune in to the rest of this story as it gives detailed answers to these and many other questions as well!

Aton compressed his lips and then muttered sullenly, “That’s Theremon 762, the newspaper fellow. I suppose you’ve heard of him.”

The columnist offered his hand. “And, of course, you’re Sheerin 501 of Saro University. I’ve heard of you.” Then he repeated, “What is this Hideout, sir?”

“Well,” said Sheerin, “we have managed to convince a few people of the validity of our prophecy of—er—doom, to be spectacular about it, and those few have taken proper measures. They consist mainly of the immediate members of the families of the Observatory staff, certain of the faculty of Saro University and a few outsiders. Altogether, they number about three hundred, but three quarters are women and children.”

“I see! They’re supposed to hide where the Darkness and the—er—Stars can’t get at them, and then hold out when the rest of the world goes poof.”

“If they can. It won’t be easy. With all of mankind insane; with the great cities going up in flames — environment will not be conducive to survival. But they have food, water, shelter, and weapons —”

“They’ve got more,” said Aton. “They’ve got all our records, except for what we will collect today. Those records will mean everything to the next cycle, and that’s what must survive. The rest can go hang.”

My Two Cents:

• The good:

• A classic example of Asimov’s legendary early sci-fi skills! This story looks in depth at how people might react to a completely unique experience.
• Asimov’s inclusion of the classic battle between religion and science is awesome!
• A great story that every true fan of science fiction should have under his or her belt.

• The bad:

• If you are not a fan of Isaac Asimov’s story telling style (nearly all of the story unfolds through a series of verbose conversations) then you might not like this one.
• Sure, “Nightfall” is a long story, but this fantastic MP3 version makes it a snap to listen while you do other things – like commute to your crappy job, for example!
• As one of my readers pointed out, if English is not your first language then you may have a hard time understanding this story. However, in Escape Pod’s defense, this is an absolutely excellent reading of the story.

Fact Sheet:
• Audio Length: 90 minutes
• “Nightfall” garnered the following awards:

• It was the winner of the 1971 Astounding/Analog All-Time Poll for short fiction.
• It placed 2nd in the 1999 Locus All-Time Poll for novelettes.
• “Nightfall” is also listed at #2 on the Top 100 SF Short Stories at Sci-Fi Lists. (Retrieved on May 30, 2008)

Where you can find “Nightfall”:

• This novella first appeared in the September 1941 issue of Astounding Science-Fiction.
• “Nightfall” is included in the amazing collection Isaac Asimov: The Complete Stories, Vol. 1.
• You can listen to a free audio version of this story at Escape Pod, where you can download the MP3 or stream it through your browser. (The story begins at time index 3:25)

Find Isaac Asimov: The Complete Stories at Amazon.com

Some Interesting Links:

• Have you wondered how Isaac Asimov got his idea for this story? Check out this article on enotes.com for an interesting history lesson.
• Did you know that Isaac Asimov passed away just over 16 years ago – in April of 1992? Check out this post that talks about some of his achievements and has two really cool YouTube clips of Asimov – one an interview and the other a speech given in 1989. Interesting stuff.
• Asimov and fellow sci-fi writer Robert Silverberg later expanded this short story into a novel of the same name. It tells more about what happened before and after the eclipse. You can check out Nightfall, the novel, on Amazon.com.

Craving More Stories?
If you enjoyed this story then you might also like Last Contact, about a field of dark energy that is devouring the entire universe, by Stephen Baxter.

Non-Spoiler Summary In A Nutshell:

“Profession” follows George Platen, a young man who believes he has figured out the best profession to be in. The society in which he lives, however, will decide what he will be. When George was eight he was “taught” to read instantly by having a computer transfer that knowledge directly to his brain. Now that he is eighteen he prepares for “Education Day” – that time when it is decided what he will be and the knowledge will be transferred – only there seems to be a little problem with his tests, a problem that will cause him much anguish.

“Are you afraid, George?”

“No, sir.”

“Good. Now I’ll tell you exactly what we’ll do first. I’m going to put these wires on your forehead just over the corners of your eyes. They’ll stick there but they won’t hurt at all. Then, I’ll turn on something that will make a buzz. It will sound funny and it may tickle you, but it won’t hurt. Now if it does hurt, you tell me, and I’ll turn it off right away, but it won’t hurt. All right?”

George nodded and swallowed.

“Are you ready?”

George nodded. He closed his eyes while the doctor busied himself.

My Two Cents:

• The good:

• I am a huge Asimov fan, so my opinion is most likely colored here, but I really enjoy his style! I like the 1950′s feel, I like the dialog, I like Asimov’s idea of outer planets looking to Earth to provide the best and the brightest. This story is pure, classic Asimov – and that is good stuff!
• I have always thought that it would be cool to be instantly educated. “Profession” explores that idea in some intriguing depth.
• Ah, in true Asimov-ian style the ending contains a nice little twist! Ya gotta love that baby!

• The bad:

• It is long, so give yourself plenty of time to read it. (But it is definitely worth it!)
• As I stated above, this is a classic example of Asimov’s story telling style – if you don’t like that then you’d best move on.

Fact Sheet:

• Page Count: 42
• Word Count: 20,428

Where you can find “Profession”:

• This novella first appeared in the July 1957 issue of Astounding Science Fiction.
• “Profession” is included in Asimov’s anthology Nine Tomorrows.
• It was also included in the amazing collection Isaac Asimov: The Complete Stories, Vol. 1
• You can read “Profession” for free online at Abelard.org.

Some Interesting Links:

• Did you know that Isaac Asimov was part of the Baker Street Irregulars, a group of avid Sherlock Holmes fans that held an annual banquet to celebrate Holmes’ birthday? Yep. You can learn more about this amazing science fiction author at AsimovOnline.com.
• For another short review of “Profession” check out this page by JH Jenkins.
• The Sci-Fi Dude ranks this story # 3 in his “Science Fiction Classics” series.

Craving More Stories?
If you enjoyed this story then you might also like Star Light, Star Bright, about a boy who has some amazing knowledge, by Alfred Bester.

Non-Spoiler Summary In A Nutshell:
Multivac is a advanced computer that solves many of the world’s problems. The story opens on May 14, 2061 when Multivac has built a space station to harness the power of the sun – effectively giving humans access to a nearly unlimited source of power. Ah – and that’s the key, it is nearly unlimited. In fact two of Multivac’s technicians argue about this very idea – how long will humankind be able to glean energy from the universe? They decide to ask Multivac for the answer, and all it can say is “INSUFFICIENT DATA FOR MEANINGFUL ANSWER.” Oh well, it was a good idea, and through several smaller stories we see that many more people ask Multivac the same question. Multivac has a difficult time answering – it is a hard question after all! But when do we (and Multivac) finally learn the answer? As you’ve probably guessed – not until the very end of the story.

“You ask Multivac. I dare you. Five dollars says it can’t be done.”

“Adell was just drunk enough to try, just sober enough to be able to phrase the necessary symbols and operations into a question which, in words, might have corresponded to this: Will mankind one day without the net expenditure of energy be able to restore the sun to its full youthfulness even after it had died of old age?

Or maybe it could be put more simply like this: How can the net amount of entropy of the universe be massively decreased?

Multivac fell dead and silent. The slow flashing of lights ceased, the distant sounds of clicking relays ended.

Then, just as the frightened technicians felt they could hold their breath no longer, there was a sudden springing to life of the teletype attached to that portion of Multivac. Five words were printed: INSUFFICIENT DATA FOR MEANINGFUL ANSWER.

My Two Cents:
I am a huge Isaac Asimov fan so that affected how much I liked this story. If you too are an Asimov fan then you will probably enjoy this story. It is written in classic Asimov style: lots of dialog, with few details and it tackles a very interesting question.

• The good:

• A classic Asimov short story from the Golden Age of science fiction!
• It is broken up into seven tiny stories about people who eventually ask Multivac the same question – this makes the story really easy to read.
• Personally I loved seeing Asimov’s predictions of the future of computing – we still have huge room sized mainframes in the year 2061! Woo hoo!

• The bad:

• This is a thinking story – there is not much (if any) action in it.
• It consists almost entirely of dialog – just lots of people speculating about the end of the universe.
• It was written in 1956 so there are some quaint notions of computing – like the “future” computer that still prints out answers on a teletype! Ha!

Fact Sheet:
• Page count: 12
• Word count: 4,434

• “The Last Question” garnered the following awards:

• It was ranked 15th on the 1971 Astounding/Analog All-Time Poll for short fiction
• It was also ranked 15th on the 1999 Locus All-Time Poll for short story

Where you can find “The Last Question”:

• This short story first appeared in the November 1956 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly.
• It is included in the book Isaac Asimov: The Complete Stories, Vol. 1 – a collection which includes several of Asimov’s most famous short stories. (You can learn more about this book at Amazon.com, or search for it on eBay.)
• You can read a free online version of “The Last Question” at the multivax website.

Related Yet Still Interesting Links:

• Asimov himself claimed that “The Last Question” was his favorite short story – and that several people contacted him in his lifetime to ask about it. You can read a nifty post about this at Robotic Revolutions.
• Did you know that Isaac Asimov wrote nearly 500 books in his lifetime? Yep. You can learn more about this amazing writer at Asimov Online.

Craving More Stories?
If you enjoyed this story then you’ll probably like Ancient Engines by Michael Swanwick – the Hugo nominated short story about what it would take to build a robot that could last forever.

by Isaac Asimov

• Word count: 10,503
• Page count: 21

“Gold” is a 1991 science fiction novelette by Isaac Asimov. It is about a famous director who takes on the challenge of creating a science fiction compu-drama.

This award winning story follows Jonas Willard, an extremely talented and demanding director of compu-dramas, a type of 3-D computer animation. After creating a masterpiece of Shakespeare’s King Lear, Willard is approached by a moderately successful science fiction author about creating a compu-drama based on his novel Three in One. Willard is initially skeptical, but the author’s offer of real gold helps to convince him to give it a go. Along the way Jonas Willard discovers a whole new world worth exploring.

Written one year before his death in 1992, “Gold” could be considered Asimov’s response to the critical claims that he doesn’t include enough details in his novels and stories. I myself have heard people remark that his writing “is just to general.” Was it that he was incapable of describing things in detail? The answer, as this story clearly shows, is no. His lack of minute details is one of the things I like best about Asimov’s writings – it gives me great leeway in how I picture the people, events and technology being discussed. I have been drawn to his work because I enjoy the ideas, the dialog and the big picture more than the little details of what everything looks like.

The science fiction novel discussed in this story, Three in One, is actually the second part of Asimov’s own novel The Gods Themselves. You will probably enjoy “Gold” much more if you brush up on King Lear, learn about The Gods Themselves and are aware of the criticisms aimed at Isaac Asimov throughout his career.

All that is nice, but did I enjoy “Gold”? Absolutely! I am a huge fan of Isaac Asimov, so that may color my view some, but if you are an Asimov fan too then you will most likely enjoy this story. He does go into great detail describing how the aliens look and interact with each other. A direct response, I think, to the critical remarks levied at him. Be careful though, there is talk of alien sex and how to represent it in a human compu-drama!

“Gold” won the 1992 Hugo Award for Best Novelette. It also placed 4th in the 1992 Locus Poll and 5th in Analog’s Analytical Laboratory (AnLab) Poll.

Jonas Willard and Meg Cathcart sat together over lunch in Meg’s apartment. They were at their coffee when Willard said, with apparent reluctance as one who broaches a subject he would rather not, “Have you read the book?”

“Yes, I have.”

“And what did you think?”

“I don’t know,” said Cathcart peering at him from under the dark, reddish hair she wore clustered over her forehead. “At least not enough to judge.”

“You’re not a science fiction buff either, then?”

“Well, I’ve read science fiction, mostly sword and sorcery, but nothing like Three in One. I’ve heard of Laborian, though. He does what they call ‘hard science fiction.’ ”

“It’s hard enough. I don’t see how I can do it. That book, whatever its virtues, just isn’t me.”

Cathcart fixed him with a sharp glance. “How do you know it isn’t you?”

“Listen, it’s important to know what you can’t do.”

“And you were born knowing you can’t do science fiction?”

“I have an instinct in these things.”

Where you can find “Gold”:
• This story first appeared in the September 1991 edition of Analog.
• “Gold” is included in Gregory Benford’s collection of Hugo winning stories: The New Hugo Winners IV.
• You can read a free HTML version of “Gold” online at webscription.

Isaac Asimov is one of the most famous science fiction authors to have ever lived. You can learn more about this literary giant by visiting the Wikipedia page about him.

If you liked this story you may enjoy The Feeling of Power, also by Isaac Asimov.

by Isaac Asimov

• Word count: 3283
• Page count: 10

The Feeling of Power is a cool little science fiction short story by one of the giants of the genre: Isaac Asimov. Written in classic Asimov fashion, the story explores the idea of a society so dependent on computers that they have forgotten basic math skills.

The Feeling of Power is about a technician who discovers how to multiply two numbers together without the aid of a computer. His discovery attracts the attention of a leading scientist who presents the idea to the political and military leaders of the day. What the big brass decides to do with this new found power leaves the technician feeling less than happy.

“Aub! How much is nine times seven?”

Aub hesitated a moment. His pale eyes glimmered with a feeble anxiety. “Sixty-three,” he said.

Congressman Brant lifted his eyebrows. “Is that right?”

“Check it for yourself, Congressman.”

The congressman took out his pocket computer, nudged the milled edges twice, looked at its face as it lay there in the palm of his hand, and put it back. He said, “Is this the gift you brought us here to demonstrate. An illusionist?”

Where you can find The Feeling of Power:
• The Feeling of Power first appeared in the February 1958 issue of If: Worlds of Science Fiction.
• It was reprinted in the 1959 collection Nine Tomorrows.
• The Feeling of Power was also included in the 1969 retrospective Opus 100.
• You can read a nice HTML version of The Feeling of Power for free at TheMathLab.com.

You have most likely heard of Isaac Asimov, but if you would like to learn more about this amazing science fiction author check out what Wikipedia has to say about him.

If you like this story you may also like —And He Built a Crooked House by Robert Heinlein.