The Life and Times of Multivac
Encyclopedia
The Life and Times of Multivac is a science fiction
short story
by Isaac Asimov
. The story first appeared in the 5 January 1975 issue of The New York Times Magazine
, and was reprinted in the collections The Bicentennial Man and Other Stories
and The Best of Creative Computing
in 1976. It is one of a loosely connected series of stories concerning a fictional supercomputer
called Multivac
. In terms of tone it bears more resemblance perhaps to The Dead Past
than any of the other Multivac stories.
Asimov's original title for the story was "Mathematical Games", but after the story appeared under the new title he decided he liked it. In his commentary on the story in the Bicentennial Man collection, Asimov stated, "More people came up to me over the next few weeks to tell me they had read that story than had ever been the case for any other story I had ever written." Asimov also states his belief that "The Life and Times of Multivac" was the first piece of fiction ever commissioned and published by The New York Times.
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...
short story
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...
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...
. The story first appeared in the 5 January 1975 issue of The New York Times Magazine
The New York Times Magazine
The New York Times Magazine is a Sunday magazine supplement included with the Sunday edition of The New York Times. It is host to feature articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors...
, and was reprinted in the collections The Bicentennial Man and Other Stories
The Bicentennial Man and Other Stories
The Bicentennial Man and Other Stories is a science fiction anthology written and edited by Isaac Asimov . Following the usual form for Asimov collections, it consists of eleven short stories and a poem surrounded by commentary describing how each came to be written...
and The Best of Creative Computing
Creative Computing
Creative Computing was one of the earliest magazines covering the microcomputer revolution. Published from 1974 until December 1985, Creative Computing covered the whole spectrum of hobbyist/home/personal computing in a more accessible format than the rather technically-oriented BYTE. The magazine...
in 1976. It is one of a loosely connected series of stories concerning a fictional supercomputer
Supercomputer
A supercomputer is a computer at the frontline of current processing capacity, particularly speed of calculation.Supercomputers are used for highly calculation-intensive tasks such as problems including quantum physics, weather forecasting, climate research, molecular modeling A supercomputer is a...
called Multivac
Multivac
Multivac is the name of a fictional supercomputer in many stories by Isaac Asimov. According to his autobiography In Memory Yet Green, Asimov coined the name in imitation of UNIVAC, an early mainframe computer...
. In terms of tone it bears more resemblance perhaps to The Dead Past
The Dead Past
"The Dead Past" is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov, first published in the April 1956 issue of Astounding Science Fiction. It was later collected in Earth Is Room Enough and The Best of Isaac Asimov , and adapted into an episode of the science-fiction television series Out of the...
than any of the other Multivac stories.
Asimov's original title for the story was "Mathematical Games", but after the story appeared under the new title he decided he liked it. In his commentary on the story in the Bicentennial Man collection, Asimov stated, "More people came up to me over the next few weeks to tell me they had read that story than had ever been the case for any other story I had ever written." Asimov also states his belief that "The Life and Times of Multivac" was the first piece of fiction ever commissioned and published by The New York Times.