21st-Century Man: Isaac Asimov
Written: Dec 02 '99
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Product Rating:
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Pros: With Arthur C. Clarke and Ray Bradbury, the preeminent science fiction writer of our generation.
Cons: He's so prolific, it's hard to know where to start (Try Foundation or Robots)
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| kevincmurphy's Full Review: Asimov, Isaac |
Like Arthur C. Clarke, Mr. Asimov devoted his life to popularizing the science fiction genre. For that, I am forever in his debt.
On a more personal note, Asimov's first Foundation trilogy rank among the best reads of my early life. Hari Seldon's psychohistory, the attempt to predict the future by considering the statistical probablilities of all possible events, stuck with me as a fascinating thought experiment throughout my college years. Indeed, I took it as a compliment to Asimov's influence when my professors berated me for being "presentist," or "using the past solely to understand the present, rather than for its own sake."
I admire Asimov not only for his ideas but for his idealism. Throughout his writings (of which, the truth be told, I am only very familiar with Robots and Foundation), there can be evinced a great optimism for the continued improvement of Mankind. Amid the world-weary "I got mine" cynicism of the fin-de-millennium, when our politicians continually sidestep long-term projects for short-term votes and devalue the unlimited potential of committed common endeavor, Asimov's writings are an affirming flame for those of us eager to tackle the next frontier.
Onward to the future, Asimovians.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
kevincmurphy
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Member: Kevin Murphy
Location: New York,NY
Reviews written: 45
Trusted by: 39 members
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