The Early Asimov
Encyclopedia
The Early Asimov or, Eleven Years of Trying is a 1972 collection of short stories by Isaac Asimov
. Each story is accompanied by commentary by the author, who gives details about his life and his literary achievements in the period in which he wrote the story.
recommended the collection, noting that, by design and necessity, it contained "stories the author knows are not his best." He described Asimov's commentary as "so marvelously consistent -- and consistently entertaining."
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...
. Each story is accompanied by commentary by the author, who gives details about his life and his literary achievements in the period in which he wrote the story.
Contents
- "The Callistan MenaceThe Callistan MenaceThe Callistan Menace is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov. It first appeared in the April 1940 issue of Astonishing Stories and was reprinted in the 1972 collection The Early Asimov...
" (1940) - "Ring Around the SunRing Around the Sun"Ring Around the Sun" is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the March 1940 issue of Future Fiction and reprinted in the 1972 collection The Early Asimov...
" (1940) - "The Magnificent PossessionThe Magnificent PossessionThe Magnificent Possession is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the July 1940 issue of Future Fiction and reprinted in the 1972 collection The Early Asimov. It was the ninth story written by Asimov, and the seventh to be published...
" (1940) - "Trends" (1939)
- "The Weapon Too Dreadful to UseThe Weapon Too Dreadful to UseThe Weapon Too Dreadful To Use is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the May 1939 issue of Amazing Stories and reprinted in the August 1965 issue of Amazing and the 1972 collection The Early Asimov...
" (1939) - "Black Friar of the FlameBlack Friar of the Flame"Black Friar of the Flame" is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the Spring 1942 issue of Planet Stories and reprinted in the collection The Early Asimov...
" (1942) - "Half-BreedHalf-Breed (short story)Half-Breed is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the February 1940 issue of Astonishing Stories and reprinted in the 1972 collection The Early Asimov. It was the fifteenth story written by Asimov, and the fourth to be published...
" (1940) - "The Secret SenseThe Secret Sense"The Secret Sense" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov. It was written in 1939 and submitted to John W Campbell of Astounding who rejected it. It could not be placed by Asimov's agent, Fred Pohl, and eventually it was taken for no payment by a new and short-lived...
" (1941) - "Homo SolHomo SolHomo Sol is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov that was first published in the September 1940 issue of Astounding Science Fiction and reprinted in the 1972 collection The Early Asimov. It deals with the proposed acceptance into a galactic federation of hominid civilizations of the...
" (1940) - "Half-Breeds on VenusHalf-Breeds on VenusHalf-Breeds on Venus is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov. Asimov was asked by Frederik Pohl, editor of Astonishing Stories, to write a sequel to his earlier Tweenie story "Half-Breed", and he spent April and May 1940 doing so. He submitted the sequel to Pohl on June 3, and Pohl...
" (1940) - "The ImaginaryThe Imaginary (short story)The Imaginary is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov. It first appeared in the November 1942 issue of Super Science Stories and was reprinted in the 1972 collection The Early Asimov. Following the sale of "Half-Breeds on Venus", which was a sequel to "Half-Breed", Asimov suggested to...
" (1942) - "HeredityHeredity (short story)Heredity is a science fiction short story by the American writer Isaac Asimov. Asimov wrote the story, his twenty-third, in August 1940 under the title "Twins". It was rejected by John W. Campbell, editor of Astounding Science Fiction, on 29 August, and accepted by Frederik Pohl on 4 September...
" (1941) - "History" (1941)
- "Christmas on GanymedeChristmas on Ganymede"Christmas on Ganymede" is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov. It was written in December 1940, first published in the January 1942 issue of Startling Stories, and reprinted in the 1972 collection The Early Asimov and the anthology Christmas on Ganymede and Other Stories, edited by...
" (1942) - "The Little Man on the SubwayThe Little Man on the SubwayThe Little Man on the Subway is a fantasy short story by Isaac Asimov, originally published in the 1950 issue of Fantasy Book, and included in the 1972 collection The Early Asimov. It is based on a story written in 1941 by his friend, the author/agent/writer Frederik Pohl, under the nom de plume of...
" (1950) - "The HazingThe HazingThe Hazing is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the October 1942 issue of Thrilling Wonder Stories and reprinted in the 1972 collection The Early Asimov...
" (1942) - "Super-NeutronSuper-Neutron"Super-Neutron" is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov, originally published in the September 1941 issue of Astonishing Stories, and included in the 1972 collection The Early Asimov...
" (1941) - "Not Final!Not FinalNot Final! is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov, originally published in the October 1941 issue of Astounding Science Fiction, and included in the 1972 collection The Early Asimov. Its sequel, "Victory Unintentional", is a robot story...
" (1941) - "Legal RitesLegal RitesLegal Rites is a fantasy short story by Isaac Asimov, originally published in the September 1950 issue of Weird Tales, and included in the 1972 collection The Early Asimov. It is a fantasy rather than science fiction tale and based on an idea from his friend, the author/agent/writer Fred Pohl...
" (1950) - "Time PussyTime PussyTime Pussy is an early science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov. It was the third of three stories Asimov wrote for John W. Campbell for a new category of science fiction tall tales in Astounding Science Fiction called "Probability Zero"...
" (1942) - "Author! Author!Author! Author! (short story)"Author! Author!" is a fantasy short story written by Isaac Asimov.It was written in 1943, born of the author's desire to make the pages of Unknown with a fantasy. It was sold to the magazine, but never published as the magazine was withdrawn because of a wartime paper shortage...
" (1964) - "Death SentenceDeath SentenceDeath Sentence is a short story by the American science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the November 1943 issue of Astounding Science Fiction and reprinted in the 1972 collection The Early Asimov.-Plot summary:...
" (1943) - "Blind Alley" (1945)
- "No ConnectionNo Connection"No Connection" is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the June 1948 issue of Astounding Science Fiction and reprinted in the 1972 collection The Early Asimov.-Plot summary:...
" (1948) - "The Endochronic Properties of Resublimated Thiotimoline" (1948)
- "The Red Queen's Race" (1949)
- "Mother Earth" (1949)
Lost stories
In an appendix to The Early Asimov, the author lists the first sixty stories he wrote in the late 1930s and 1940s, and notes that eleven of them were never sold and were eventually lost.- "Cosmic Corkscrew", Asimov's first story, was written between 29 May 1937 and 19 June 1938. The story, 9000 words long, was about a man who traveled into the future to find the Earth recently deserted. Due to the quantum nature of time, he could not travel back in time a short distance to find out what happened. Asimov submitted it on 21 June to John W. CampbellJohn W. CampbellJohn Wood Campbell, Jr. was an influential figure in American science fiction. As editor of Astounding Science Fiction , from late 1937 until his death, he is generally credited with shaping the so-called Golden Age of Science Fiction.Isaac Asimov called Campbell "the most powerful force in...
, editor of Astounding Science Fiction, who rejected it. The story never sold and was eventually lost.
- "This Irrational Planet", Asimov's fourth story, was written in August 1938. Thirty-four years later, all Asimov could recall of the story was that the irrational planet was almost certainly Earth, and that it was 3000 words long. Asimov submitted the story to Thrilling Wonder Stories on August 25, and it was rejected on 24 September. It was subsequently rejected by Astounding and five other magazines, never sold, and was eventually lost.
- "The Weapon", Asimov's sixth story, was written in September 1938. It was rejected several times before being accepted by Super Science StoriesSuper Science StoriesSuper Science Stories was an American pulp science fiction magazine published by Popular Publications from 1940 and 1943, and again from 1949 to 1951. Popular launched it under their "Fictioneers" imprint, which they used for magazines paying writers less than one cent per word...
, appearing in the May 1942 issue under the pseudonym H. B. Ogden. Thirty years later, Asimov had quite forgotten about its publication, and he listed it among his lost stories in The Early Asimov. He discovered its publication while writing his autobiographyAutobiographyAn autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
In Memory Yet GreenIn Memory Yet GreenIn Memory Yet Green, In Memory Yet Green: The Autobiography of Isaac Asimov, 1920-1954, is the first volume of Isaac Asimov's two-volume autobiography. It was published in 1979. This first volume covers the years 1920 to 1954, which lead up to the point just prior to Asimov becoming a full time...
(1979) and included it in Section 30.
- "Paths of Destiny", Asimov's seventh story, was written in October 1938. Asimov submitted it to Astounding on 28 October, but Campbell rejected it as "hackneyed". It never sold and was eventually lost. Thirty-four years later, Asimov could remember nothing about the story.
- "Knossos in its Glory", Asimov's eighth story, was written in November 1938. The story was an attempt to retell the TheseusTheseusFor other uses, see Theseus Theseus was the mythical founder-king of Athens, son of Aethra, and fathered by Aegeus and Poseidon, both of whom Aethra had slept with in one night. Theseus was a founder-hero, like Perseus, Cadmus, or Heracles, all of whom battled and overcame foes that were...
myth in science fiction terms. Asimov submitted the story to Astounding on 22 November, and it was rejected. He then submitted it to Charles D. Hornig, editor of Science Fiction , on 7 May 1939; Hornig rejected it two days later. It never sold and was eventually lost.
- "The Decline and Fall", Asimov's twelfth story, was written in February 1939. Asimov submitted it to Astounding on 21 February, and it was rejected four days later. The story "made the rounds" as Asimov put it, never sold, and was eventually lost. Thirty-three years later, Asimov could remember nothing about the story.
- "Life Before Birth", Asimov's seventeenth story, was written in the summer of 1939. Asimov submitted it to UnknownUnknown (magazine)Unknown was an American pulp fantasy fiction magazine, published from 1939 to 1943 by Street & Smith, and edited by John W. Campbell. Unknown was a companion to Street & Smith's science fiction pulp, Astounding Science Fiction, which was also edited by Campbell at the time; many authors and...
on 11 July, and it was rejected eight days later. It was also rejected by Weird TalesWeird TalesWeird Tales is an American fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine first published in March 1923. It ceased its original run in September 1954, after 279 issues, but has since been revived. The magazine was set up in Chicago by J. C. Henneberger, an ex-journalist with a taste for the macabre....
, never sold, and was eventually lost. Thirty-three years later, Asimov could remember nothing about "Life Before Birth" except that it was a fantasy story.
- "The Brothers", Asimov's eighteenth story, was written between 11 September and early October. The story was about two brothers, one good and one evil, one of whom was constructing a scientific invention. Asimov submitted it to Astounding on 5 October, and it was rejected six days later. After making the rounds, the story never sold and was eventually lost.
- "The Oak", Asimov's twenty-second story, was written in the summer of 1940. The story was a fantasy about an oakOakAn oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
tree that served as an oracleOracleIn Classical Antiquity, an oracle was a person or agency considered to be a source of wise counsel or prophetic predictions or precognition of the future, inspired by the gods. As such it is a form of divination....
and delivered ambiguous statements. Asimov submitted it to Unknown on 16 July, and it was rejected. Asimov then submitted it to Weird Tales, which also rejected it. The story never sold and was eventually lost.
- "Masks", Asimov's twenty-ninth story, was written on 3 February 1941. Asimov submitted it to Unknown on 10 February, and it was rejected. The story never sold and was eventually lost. Twenty-nine years later, Asimov could remember nothing about "Masks" except that it was a 1500-word fantasy.
- "Big Game", Asimov's thirty-ninth story, was written on 17 November 1941. Campbell wanted to create a category of short-short science fiction tall tales called "Probability Zero" that would serve as a market for beginning writers, and he asked Asimov to write one for him. The 1000-word "Big Game" was Asimov's first effort, and Campbell rejected it. Asimov subsequently submitted "Big Game" to Collier's WeeklyCollier's WeeklyCollier's Weekly was an American magazine founded by Peter Fenelon Collier and published from 1888 to 1957. With the passage of decades, the title was shortened to Collier's....
in 1944, resulting in another rejection. After expanding the story to 3000 words and retitling it "The Hunted", Asimov submitted it to Thrilling Wonder Stories on 30 October 1946, resulting in yet another rejection; submission of the expanded version to Astounding resulted in still another rejection. After that, both versions of the story disappeared, and Asimov recorded "Big Game" as lost. However, after publication of The Early Asimov, a fan named Matthew Bruce Tepper found a copy of the original version among Asimov's papers at Boston UniversityBoston UniversityBoston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
, and Asimov finally published the story in the anthology Before the Golden AgeBefore the Golden AgeBefore the Golden Age: A Science Fiction Anthology of the 1930s is an anthology of 25 science fiction stories from 1930s pulp magazines edited by Isaac Asimov. It was first published in April 1974....
.
Reception
Lester del ReyLester del Rey
Lester del Rey was an American science fiction author and editor. Del Rey was the author of many of the Winston Science Fiction juvenile SF series, and the editor at Del Rey Books, the fantasy and science fiction branch of Ballantine Books, along with his fourth wife Judy-Lynn del Rey.-Birth...
recommended the collection, noting that, by design and necessity, it contained "stories the author knows are not his best." He described Asimov's commentary as "so marvelously consistent -- and consistently entertaining."