I’m currently reading The Robots of Dawn and continue to enjoy his character. I’m aware he has some appearance in the next robots book but are there are any commissioned or non Asimov estate stories including Elijah?

Here's an article about Asimov's treatment "Five and Five and One" for a science fiction musical. The existence of this treatment is well known, although the article makes it sound as if it wasn't. But what's interesting is that the article shows the first page of the treatment.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/dec/08/its-like-they-were-smoking-something-potent-the-bizarre-paul-mccartney-alien-musical-that-never-was

In 1973, Isaac Asimov had a dream about putting together an anthology of the old science-fiction stories he used to read in pulp science-fiction magazines as a kid, four decades earlier. He told his wife about his dream and, as he was telling her, he decided to do it.

So, he phoned up his publisher, Doubleday (who had made much money off Asimov’s books over the preceding couple of decades), and suggested it to them. They said “yes” (probably foreseeing more money to be made).

Asimov worked with a friend, Sam Moskowtiz, who was a renowned (even infamous) collector and historian of science fiction. Moskowitz had copies of of all the magazines Asimov needed, with all the stories Asimov asked for, and was happy to help out.

And so ‘Before the Golden Age’ was born. This anthology was published in April 1974, one year after that dream. (Yes, this post isn’t precisely 50 years after the publication, but it’s still the right year.)

The stories within this anthology are from the years 1931 to 1937, just before the so-called “Golden Age of Science Fiction”, which is considered to have started in July 1939.

More importantly, these years cover Isaac’s adolescence, from the age of 11 up to 17. When Isaac writes in his autobiographies about sneaking copies of science fiction magazines from the stands in his father’s candy store, to read the stories… these are the stories he was reading. In particular, the stories in this anthology are the ones that he liked and/or remembered as significant. If we want to know what influenced Asimov as a young writer, this is where to look. These are the stories that made Isaac Asimov the writer he was.

Also, before and after each story, Asimov provides some context for these stories in his own life, and his opinions about those stories. This isn’t just an anthology, it’s also an autobiography of Asimov’s teenage years.

I have to admit that some of these stories are nearly unreadable today, as an adult in the 2020s. Some scientific knowledge nearly a century ago was horribly wrong (although, the idea that there was intelligent life on Mars and Venus gave writers some great opportunities for stories – and for modern takes on this old trope, I highly recommend ‘Old Mars’ and ‘Old Venus’, both edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois). And, in many cases, the writing style is very dated and clunky and awkward – one might even call it “pulpish”!

But it’s still a worthwhile read for anyone interested in Asimov’s formative influences, or the early days of science fiction (or both!).

"Mother Earth" and "The Caves of Steel" are set anywhere from a few centuries to a few millenia apart yet even in this small time interval, humans change a lot. The Earthpeople became agoraphobic and Spacers increased their lifespan and totally altered their social lifestyle.

Yet 20,000 years after "Robots and Empire", we see no noticeable changes in human species. Now, Settlers got rid of their agoraphobia within generations which may count as a change. And I guess, Spacers lost their long lives (I think Mycogenians had similar lifespans as rest of the humans).

The obvious answer is Asimov wasn't thinking about it while writing the Foundation stories. What I am looking for is a possible in-universe explanation.

My theory is that Daneel purposefully oversaw to it that humans do not evolve. Like in the trilogy we are told that only planets with daytime from 22 to 26 hrs are chosen for terraforming. Maybe many other such measures are taken so that humans' conditions do not change much. The motive I think is that Daneel does not want humans to become Spacers again.

Daneel had seen how the Spacers' tampering with human biology and society had almost brought humanity close to an end. It is afterall natural for the descendants of Settlers to do the same things Spacers did in pursuit of a more comfortable lifestyle.

I am not sure what led Daneel to change his views when he finally decided to let humans evolve and set the stage for it via Gaia.

Am about to finish I, robot and i honestly really liked it. Im not much of a bookworm, my friend recommended the book too me and I decided to actually read it. Does anyone have anymore book tips that would preferably still be by Isaac Asimov.

I just finished reading Foundation and Earth (I've read all the Robot, Empire, and Foundation books except for the two prequels) and am trying to make sense of the ending. I've looked around and seen various theories about where the series might have gone, but I'm now trying to look at it as an ending to the series in and of itself. It's a reach and not very Asimov-like but Trevize's sudden realization and horror reminds me a bit of the end of season three of Twin Peaks -- after a huge build up in which things seemingly begin to coalesce and make sense, something happens, everything falls apart and the lights go out. Humanity's tendrils have reached too far and now despite everyone's best intentions, we can never go home -- even if Daneel stops controlling the events of the Galaxy, Gaian and Solarian and robotic alienness will still be out there and the repercussions of their existence can never be undone, and will likely ultimately take over the Isolates (in fact, already have, with Daneel controlling the galaxy's events). Relating that back to Seldon, Trevize says that the Plan's mistake was to assume that humanity was the only force, not realizing that some form of entropy (which is brought up earlier in the novel) would fracture humanity into things unlike itself. In that way, the ending and the whole series seems to be a warning about underthinking but also about overthinking (trying to "fix" something to the point where it isn't itself anymore) and about losing one's humanity in a desparate attempt to improve and save it, whether that be in the form of a robot, Solarian like Fallom, a planet like Gaia, or an artificially built (and mentally tampered with) empire like that of the Foundation -- the ultimate puzzle Asimov which leaves us with.

Does this make any sense? Should I just shut up and read the prequels (and go to sleep)?

I want to read the entire Foundation Universe in order. And I have read Algernon's Guide, and I appreciate it, but it has given me so much clarity I am suffering from Paralysis by Analysis. Do I read the Empire books--they are part of the Universe, but are regarded as not being very good? Do I read I, Robot, which is actually CUT in the Machete Order? What about The End of Eternity? Non-Canon, or Inconvenient-Canon?

I want to read them in Chronological order. I appreciate the fact that there may be spoilers to later stories given out in the chronologically-earlier stories, and I am willing to suffer that because I have trouble with reading prequals after the first story because, frankly, I know the Universe cannot possibly end, nor the hero die, if I have already read about them in the next chronological story (which was published first).

I mean, it will take me time to chew through these, so what I need right away is do I start with I, Robot, OR do I start with The Complete Robot?

Opinions please.

Update: I think I have learned that The Complete Robot is actually an expanded version of I, Robot, if that is the case then at least I can start with Complete, but still, opinions on which ones to include and expel from the reading list would be appreciated. (Like why is Empire so.... scorned?)

So I’m watching an episode of the Lois and Clark tv series (S1E12). They are facing an extinction level asteroid strike. The asteroid is named Nightfall.

A spaceship on the Buck Rogers series, Babylon 5 and I think that there was one somewhere in one of the Start Trek series.

It’s little things like that that pay tribute to the good doctor.

Just sharing a quick reference.

It's just a very weird paradox to me. Foundation is an amazing series. So is the robot series and I love how the end of the robot series sets up the foundation series. I did not like the foundation sequels and the ideas it presented but it's canon so it is what it is. But 1 thing that always irks me in a way is that we really never thought about other galaxies in the foundation universe. Daneel wanted to protect the humans from aliens maybe from other galaxies, but the story never ever showed any signs of there being anything out there. This irks me but it's a really good thing too!

It irks me because I have this itch of knowing how the other galaxies in the foundation series would be like. I know they would be the same as any other galaxy, same laws, maybe different aliens but nothing particularly revolutionary in sci fi. Whether the alien be here on some planet or in a galaxy far away, not a lot changes. Yet I feel like I wanted to see more of it.

But at the same time I am glad I didn't see those galaxies. Wonder is an amazing feeling. What makes foundation special to me, is the sense of greatness and scale of the galaxy. I don't think Asimov truly wanted to capture this feeling, but his story holds a special place in my heart as the scale of the story spanning thousands of years between I robot, robot series, the 3 weird books and Foundation and being loosely canonical makes it feel so much real. And the feeling of unknown beyond the galaxy just adds to that wonder.

Compare that to DUNE series. YES DUNE IS AN AMAZING piece of fiction, even better, in some regards, to foundation but it lacks that sense of wonder **to me** for most part bcuz 1. it's not that kind of story it's much more about humans and has very different themes, but the universe of Dune feels small to me. its dune and a few other planets, the whole observable universe is under the rule of these guys, we barely see a tiny fraction of it. DUNE series 4+ spoilers ahead>!There is some sense of mystery after book 4 with the scattering and honored matres and something they are running from.!< So, the series and universe feel small even though they are much more detailed and have amazing philosophy and ideas in it.

My point is not that DUNE is bad. I would argue it's one of my favorite series, I use it as an example to show something I liked in FOUNDATION. MY point is that even though I really really wish we could see outside the galaxy, it's much better to remain inside and let the natural human sense of wonder of what's out there take it from there... Thanks for coming to my ted talk

TLDR: even though I wish we could see outside the galaxy, it's much better to remain inside and let the natural human sense of wonder of what's out there take it from there...

We know that Asimov's human-like robot R. Daneel Olivaw appeared in numerous books directly:
Caves of Steel
The Naked Sun
Robots of Dawn
Robots and Empire
Foundation and Earth

We know he appears in disguise in others:

Prelude to Foundation
Forward the Foundation

It's possible that he's influencing events in:

The Currents of Space
The Stars, Like Dust

Is it possible that, consciously or unconsciously, Asimov included Daneel as a character in every book from Caves to Foundation and Earth? Perhaps pretending to be a cab driver, or sitting on a planetary council, etc. He might appear as a minor character we tend to overlook or forget, who is actually the architect of the plot.

As long as the character is not shown to bleed, be ill in a way that can't be faked, give birth, father, or be the son of another, or die, they should be under consideration. I think we can also include women as well, since he's a robot, he could reconfigure his exterior.

For instance, Lewis Bort, Jerril, Lee Senter, Jord Fara and Poly Verisof are all possibilities from Foundation, with Verisof being the more likely.

Hello, I'm a beginner reader of the Asimov universe and I've already read the first book in the Foundation series, as well as Bicentennial Man and the books mentioned in the title. How lost will I be if I read this before "The Caves of Steel"?

So a while ago i found this subreddit and the attached list of reading orders. I decided to follow the one that already matched what i have read, that being the machete order as i started with the foundation trilogy. Im going to be getting my next book the end of eternity soon. However when i looked ahead i could find a copy of the next book in this order the complete robots available in my country. So my question is, is there anything in the complete robot that is not in Irobot that i need to reed to have a complete experience?

Hi everyone 👋.

Isaac Asimov is widely regarded as one of the greatest science fiction authors of all time, and I’m curious about his thoughts on Frank Herbert’s Dune. The Dune saga is one of the most influential and celebrated works in science fiction, known for its critique of tropes from the Golden Age of the genre. I’ve heard that Herbert, in part, wrote Dune as a response to Asimov’s Foundation series.

Given this connection, I’d love to know how Asimov viewed Herbert and his groundbreaking Dune saga. Was he a fan of it or did he not like it? Thanks in advance!

I am looking for a story (doesn't need to be a short story, could be an excerpt from a novel or something) that has the same idea as Asimov's "Feeling of power" in regards to how technology can hinder one's (or humanity's) capacity of doing simple math or how we can rely on technology so much that we forget to do things manually. It doesn't need to be a text by Asimov.

I am a teacher and it's for one of my classes. I was going to use "Feeling of power" but there is a suicide in the end of the story and that is one of the blacklisted topics in school, so I can't use that short story.

Any help is appreciated.

Sorry for any English mistakes, it's not my first language.

Hey all! I've been diving into classic scifi novels and I am currently consuming everything Asimov. I have decided my next venture to be reading his robot stories (I've read the Foundation and Galactic Empire series).

I'm trying to understand which books I need to purchase as it seems like these stories have been in several different anthologies over different decades.

My question here is, if I buy the following, will I have most/all of the robot stories from this foundation universe?

The Complete Robot, The Robots of Dawn, The Caves of Steel, The Naked Sun, and Robots and Empire

I've just finished Foundation and earth and I'm quite disappointed by how the saga has ended. I found the conclusion too rushed and anticlimactic. Even if the psycohystory has failed, should I read the prequels anyway? Are they worth reading even if I already know that psycohystory is going to fail?

Hey guys! I just finished Second Foundation and something caught my eye, which did not on my first read. Spoiler alert!

On the last pages when Turbor is with the Fleet, they capture Preem Palver because he wants to go to Terminus. Turbor SOMEHOW recognizes his name and demands the admiral to speak with him. He asks Palver who the girl was he "abducted".

Maybe I am just dumb :D or missed something but how did he recognize his name and how did he know that Palver abducted Arcadia or anybody at all.

His knowing about Palver seemed strange to me.

Currently rereading The Foundation series and just started Second Foundation. Is it just me or does the Mule seem like he would of been a rather benevolent leader in the grand scheme of things? He seemed like he preferred to avoid open battle as much as possible. Only killed when an extreme necessity or in the case of Batya when harm might come to someone he cared for.

I've just finished novel robots of dawn, wondering of his prophecy regarding interaction between AI and human. This interactions among Daneel Olivaw, Giskard, and Elijah Baley highlighted an intriguing dynamic where AI serves as both a complement to and a reflection of human intelligence. Asimov envisioned AI not as a replacement for humans but as a collaborator for providing logical reasoning, efficiency, and problem-solving while requiring the creativity, and emotional depth that only humans can provide. So, this couple (Elijah+Daneel and then Giskard) is a wonderful one to make significant impact. It’s not about humans versus machines but about how we design, interact with, and adapt alongside these creations.

I've seen the Follio Society have what I call a posh set of the trilogy for 150 quid but that way out of my budget. Is there any nice old edition that can be easily found. With some nice artwork. I have paperback by Harper Voyager with nice cover but spine is all jacked. Wanted something more fitting given his quality of work ?

I had finished the original foundation series recently, and to me there is a very specific aspect I liked about those stories, which was seeing a civilisation/country grow from a small settlement and expand into an empire, and the way it was done was extremely creative, every step of expansion the foundation takes uses something unusual, like religion, diplomacy, technology, trade, etc. rather than the overdone (expansion through military conquest), and since finishing the trilogy I’ve been looking for something similar but all the “stories similar to foundation” posts or articles I find have stories that are similar to the series in other aspects, like political drama in a sci-fi setting etc. but none that’s similar in this regard, if you have any recommendations, even if outside the sci-fi genre, please enlighten me

Has anybody read "The Super Runner" by Asimov ? It was published in the magazine "Runner's World" in October 1982. I have been trying to read it but, I could not find it anywhere online.

When does i read it in the reading order

Laws of robotics: 0- A robot can not humanity to be injure, or, by inaction, allow humanity to come to harm(emergency override) 1- A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. 2- A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. 3- A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.

I found a tv show from Russia based on Isaac asimov's robot story's. I don't know the name: 'last of us' or 'one of us' Were love & protect a family can overrides law #1

How is that possible?

I read the reading order stuff I'm just curious if I read the foundation prequels before or after foundations edge and foundation and earth

So, i need a quote to put in front of my master thesis and i was thinking of something from asimov, my idea was a quote from "The gods themselfes", i remember that two characters were talking about solvibg the problem created by the energy spurce and one said something like "people don't want a solution, they want an answer that don't change their way of living" i am making it up but the concept was this, can you help me find the quote or tell me more or less where is in the book? I will have to find the italian version and i have the italin book, any help is welcome.

So I would like to go back and never have bought the foundation. Not because they are bad quite the opposite but they are so good. I have family, a life, a job now they must all play second fiddle to this. I just finished foundation and its been too long that I've found a book that I cannot put down. I even hold in a pee. I'm totally awash with story it's great because unlike other authors in scfi looking at you William Gibson who builds a world in two pages and demands you take notes Asimov doesn't seem to care. So yeah there spaceship but what about diplomacy and culture and role of religion in society. I know people online slander the writing it actually put me off from reading till recently. But sod writing story is what's amazing here. I'm going to absorb myself in this fun. I plan on the machete style reading. Foundation, Robot , Foundation. Maybe go back to Galaxy. Anyway just wanted to share with like minded people my love for this.

One of Asimov's short stories, but I can't find the title.