Isaac Asimov was a highly influential science fiction writer and biochemist who was known for his contributions to both fields. Here is Isaac Asimov’s life story distilled down to six essential facts:
- Asimov was born in Russia in 1920, and at the age of three, he and his family emigrated to the United States.
- When he was 11 years old, he started writing science fiction, and when he was 18, he sold his first tale, “Marooned Off Vesta,” to Amazing Stories.
- In addition to his career as a science fiction author, he was a renowned biochemist and lecturer. He earned his PhD in biochemistry from Columbia University in 1948 and over the course of his career, he taught at a number of colleges.
- In his lifetime, Asimov published hundreds of novels, making him one of the world’s most prolific authors. In addition to sci-fi, he published extensively on physics, history, and literature.
- Asimov was an atheist and a member of the American Humanist Association. Rolled into his beliefs was resistance to censorship and strong support for civil rights.
- He garnered various accolades for his work and was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 1979.
Though I might be biased, as Foundation was the first grown up novel I read, I believe that Isaac Asimov is one of the most significant science fiction authors of all time.