When I was a kid, my interest in
science
fiction was fed by reading many
short stories
from the heyday of science fiction
magazines in
the
1940s and
1950s. I
particularly remember reading
I, Robot,
a collection of stories written by
Isaac Asimov.
(The book is still in bookstores after more than four decades.
Will Smith is
on the cover; his
2004
movie
of the same title was based on one of the stories.)
Asimov wrote an extensive
autobiography.
The first volume,
In Memory Yet Green,
covers the first 34 years of his life. As you would expect, his life in that
timeframe was similar to many other. He grew up, completed his formal
education,
started his
career
and started a
family.
Like other famous people, Asimov had fortunate timing, talent, and
willingness to work hard to achieve something. He is best known for his
achievements as a science fiction writer.
Writing was
not his sole profession during this part of his life, but he was a fairly
prolific writer and was well known in science fiction circles. He had a
reputation in science fiction
fandom before he
ever published a fiction story. He was a fan of the early science fiction
magazines and regularly wrote letters to them. He made friends with other fans,
several of whom became successful writers along with him, particularly fellow
Futurians.
As he put time into writing stories, his participation in fandom waned.
His other career as an academic chemist also took up a lot of time. Though it
is well known among science fiction fans, others may not be aware that had a
Ph.D. in
chemistry
and was a professor at a medical school. He co-wrote two biochemistry textbooks
during this period.
The book covers many aspects of his life, both professional and
personal. He begins with his birth in
Russia and ends
as a
husband
(to
Gertrude)
and
father
(to
David)
on the verge of a career transition. In between he lived through two
world wars,
the
Great
Depression, and many other upheavals of the first half of the
20th
Century. Asimov shares his experiences and views of these events.
Asimov’s style in his autobiography is much as it is in his other
writings: straightforward and often jovial. He is not shy about his
accomplishments, but he is often humorously self-deprecating and willing to
confess to his boneheaded moments.
If you’re interested in reading this book, you may also be interested
in
Asimov, Isaac.
In Memory Yet
Green: The Autobiography of Isaac Asimov, 1920-1954. New York:
Doubleday,
1979.
