The Fun They Had
Encyclopedia
"The Fun They Had" is a science fiction
story written by Isaac Asimov
. It first appeared in a children's newspaper in 1951 and was reprinted in the February 1954 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, as well as the collections Earth Is Room Enough
(1957), 50 Short Science Fiction Tales (1960), and The Best of Isaac Asimov
(1973). It has been modified in a Finnish English book called KEY English 8-9.
Written as a personal favour for a friend, "The Fun They Had" became more popular than he expected. It is the most anthologised of all Asimov's stories and has appeared in many publications outside of the science fiction genre.
s with vast information stores. The protagonists of this story are two children, Tommy and Margie. Tom, the older child, finds a real book in his attic. He is very surprised by the object because the words on the page do not move like the words on the screen of their mechanical teacher.
The book describes the school from centuries earlier, where there was a real man as teacher that gave homework and asked questions to his students, and all the boys and girls went into a special building. Margie is very curious but her mother calls her because it is time of school. The school for Tom and Margie is at home in a room where they do homework and keep them in a proper slot in a mechanical teacher.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
story written by 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...
. It first appeared in a children's newspaper in 1951 and was reprinted in the February 1954 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, as well as the collections Earth Is Room Enough
Earth Is Room Enough
Earth Is Room Enough is a collection of fifteen short science fiction and fantasy stories and two pieces of comic verse published by Isaac Asimov in 1957. In his autobiography In Joy Still Felt, Asimov wrote, "I was still thinking of the remarks of reviewers such as George O. Smith . . ....
(1957), 50 Short Science Fiction Tales (1960), and The Best of Isaac Asimov
The Best of Isaac Asimov
The Best of Isaac Asimov is a collection of twelve science fiction short stories by Isaac Asimov. It begins with a short introduction giving various details on the stories, such as how they came to be written, or what significance merits their inclusion in a "best of" collection, as well as some...
(1973). It has been modified in a Finnish English book called KEY English 8-9.
Written as a personal favour for a friend, "The Fun They Had" became more popular than he expected. It is the most anthologised of all Asimov's stories and has appeared in many publications outside of the science fiction genre.
Plot summary
The story takes place in the year 2155, where teaching is performed by computer-like robotRobot
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...
s with vast information stores. The protagonists of this story are two children, Tommy and Margie. Tom, the older child, finds a real book in his attic. He is very surprised by the object because the words on the page do not move like the words on the screen of their mechanical teacher.
The book describes the school from centuries earlier, where there was a real man as teacher that gave homework and asked questions to his students, and all the boys and girls went into a special building. Margie is very curious but her mother calls her because it is time of school. The school for Tom and Margie is at home in a room where they do homework and keep them in a proper slot in a mechanical teacher.