Gold: The Final Science Fiction Collection is a collection of Isaac Asimov

Isaac Asimov

Isaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...

's stories

Short story

A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...

 and essay

Essay

An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...

s. The stories, which comprise its first half, are short pieces which had remained uncollected at the time of Asimov's death. As such, they have been criticized by some as inept or below par—what the writer himself termed "minor Asimov". Likewise, the non-fiction

Non-fiction

Non-fiction is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact...

 pieces in the book's second half are not generally considered among Asimov's most significant output. Nevertheless, Gold contains some notable works. "Cal" describes a robot

Robot

A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...

 that wishes to write, and the title story "Gold

Gold (Asimov short story)

Gold is a short story by Isaac Asimov, originally appearing in the September 1991 issue of Analog Science Fiction and Fact and collected in the eponymous volume Gold. It was one of the last short stories he wrote in his life, and is considered by some to be his last significant piece of writing...

" expresses both Asimov's admiration of King Lear

King Lear

King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The title character descends into madness after foolishly disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological...

and his thoughts on cinema

Film

A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...

 adaptations of his own stories. The story "Gold" won a Hugo Award

Hugo Award

The Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...

.

Part One: The Final Stories

• "Cal
  Cal (Asimov)
  "Cal" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov, which was included in the 1995 collection Gold.-Plot summary:Cal is a robot whose master is an author. Set in the Age of Robots, the word processor is called the Writer. Cal, under the influence of his master, decides to learn...
  
  "
• "Left to Right
  Left to Right
  Left to Right is a short story by science fiction writer Isaac Asimov, featured in the short story collection Gold.-Plot synopsis:Robert L. Forward has created a doughnut that is spinning at such a speed that something will interchange...
  
  "
• "Frustration"
• "Hallucination
  Hallucination (short story)
  Hallucination is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov, and has been included in Gold. Hallucination was published and copyrighted in 1995, three years after Asimov died in 1992...
  
  "
• "The Instability
  The Instability
  The Instability is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov that was first published in the 1 January 1989 issue of The Observer and reprinted in the collection Gold .-Plot summary:...
  
  "
• "Alexander the God"
• "In the Canyon"
• "Good-bye to Earth"
• "Battle-Hymn"
• "Feghoot and the Courts"
• "Fault-Intolerant"
• "Kid Brother"
• "The Nations in Space"
• "The Smile of the Chipper"
• "Gold
  Gold (Asimov short story)
  Gold is a short story by Isaac Asimov, originally appearing in the September 1991 issue of Analog Science Fiction and Fact and collected in the eponymous volume Gold. It was one of the last short stories he wrote in his life, and is considered by some to be his last significant piece of writing...
  
  "

Part Two: On Science Fiction

• "The Longest Voyage"
• "Inventing the Universe"
• "Flying Saucers and Science Fiction"
• "Invasion"
• "The Science Fiction Blowgun"
• "The Robot Chronicles"
• "Golden Age Ahead"
• "The All-Human Galaxy"
• "Psychohistory"
• "Science Fiction Series"
• "Survivors"
• "Science Fiction Anthologies"
• "The Influence of Science Fiction"
• "Women and Science Fiction"
• "Religion and Science Fiction"
• "Time-Travel"

Part Three: On Writing Science Fiction

• "Plotting"
• "Metaphor"
• "Ideas"
• "Suspense"
• "Serials"
• "The Name of Our Field"
• "Hints"
• "Writing for Young People"
• "Names"
• "Originality"
• "Book Reviews"
• "What Writers Go Through"
• "Revisions"
• "Irony"
• "Plagiarism"
• "Symbolism"
• "Prediction"
• "Best-Seller"
• "Pseudonyms"
• "Dialog"