Home > Facts > Authors Facts > Isaac Asimov Facts

Isaac Asimov Facts

Isaac Asimov Facts
Isaac Asimov was an American author and biochemist best known for his science fiction books. Isaac Asimov was born Isaac Yudovich Ozimov at some time between October 4th, 1919 and January 2nd, 1920 in Petrovichi, Russian SFSR to Anna Rachel Berman Asimov and Judah Asimov. Isaac had two younger siblings, a brother Stanley and a sister Manya. Isaac was three when his family emigrated to the U.S. and he learned to read by the time he was five years old, living in Brooklyn, New York. His parents owned candy stores and a newsstand, which Isaac credited with instilling in him his love of the written word. When he was eight he became a U.S. citizen. At 11 Isaac began to write his own stories and by the age of 19 he was a paid contributor to science fiction magazines.
Interesting Isaac Asimov Facts:
Isaac's father did not approve of him reading pulp science fiction, so Isaac convinced him that because the word 'science' was in the title they were educational.
Isaac Asimov graduated from high school when he was 15, and then attended Seth Low Junior College (Columbia University branch).
Isaac began Columbia's Seth Low Junior College majoring in zoology but changed to chemistry because he did not like that he had to dissect an alley cat in his studies of zoology.
Isaac Asimov was a Mensa member.
In the first decades and last two decades of his life Isaac Asimov focused on science fiction.
Isaac Asimov is believed to have edited or written more than 500 books.
Isaac Asimov's personal papers are archived at Mugar Memorial Library at Boston University. The papers take up 464 boxes, on 71 meters of shelf space.
Isaac Asimov did not enjoy flying. He is believed to have flown only twice in his life.
The asteroid 5020 Asimov was named in honor of Isaac Asimov.
Isaac Asimov wrote a series called I Robot (1950). It was a book about a set of ethics for robots and intelligent machines.
Isaac Asimov's I Robot series would go on to become incorporated into a 2004 movie starring Will Smith, called I Robot.
The movie Bicentennial Man starring Robin Williams was adapted from Isaac Asimov's robot short story of the same name.
Paul McCartney of Beatles once asked Isaac Asimov to write a screenplay. Isaac wrote a treatment but McCartney didn't like it so it wasn't used.
In 1977 Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine began being published, and Isaac wrote the editorial for each issue.
Isaac Asimov's first published book-length work was Pebble in the Sky in 1950.
Until 1960 Isaac Asimov worked in academics, but he was able to focus on writing full time when The Intelligent Man's Guide to Science was published an earned him a respectable income.
Isaac Asimov published 40 novels, 382 short stories, and 280+ non-fiction books.
In 1977 Isaac Asimov had a heart attack. In 1983 he had a triple bypass operation. He died on April 6th, 1992. The cause of his death was listed as kidney failure, but it was discovered later that he had contracted HIV during a blood transfusion during his triple bypass operation.


Related Links:
Facts
Authors Facts
Animals Facts
Literature
Literature Summary
Literature Quizzes