Essays by Isaac Asimov From Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine

Copyright © 1995 by Edward Seiler and Richard Hatcher. All rights reserved.

Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine

Subject: introduction to Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
First Published In: Spring-77
Collection(s):

Try to Write!

Original Title: (untitled)
Subject: an invitation to write SF
First Published In: Summer-77
Collection(s):

(untitled)

Subject: SF writers can predict and can invert accepted notions
First Published In: Fall 77
Collection(s):

Our Conventions

Original Title: (untitled)
Subject: description of the First World Science Fiction Convention
First Published In: Winter-77
Collection(s):

The Brotherhood of Science Fiction

Original Title: (untitled)
Subject: Asimov thanks the SF brotherhood after his heart attack
First Published In: Jan-Feb-78
Collection(s):

Extraordinary Voyages

Subject: definitions of science fiction
First Published In: Mar-Apr-78
Collection(s):

The Name of Our Field

Subject: brief history of the term "science fiction"
First Published In: May-Jun-78
Collection(s):

It's a Funny Thing

Subject: hints on writing punny science fiction
First Published In: Jul-Aug 78
Collection(s):

By No Means Vulgar

Subject: science fiction should not misteach science
First Published In: Sep-Oct-78
Collection(s):

The Reluctant Critic

Subject: criticism of the movie Close Encounters
First Published In: Nov-Dec-78
Collection(s):

The Hugo

Subject: George Scithers' Hugo Award for best professional editor
First Published In: Jan-79
Collection(s):

Quite Personal

Subject: an announcement of Asimov's forthcoming autobiography
First Published In: Feb-79
Collection(s):

Hints

Subject: hints on the art of writing science fiction
First Published In: Mar-79
Collection(s):

The Articles of Science Fiction

Original Title: The Articles of SF
Subject: science columns in SF magazines
First Published In: Apr-79
Collection(s):

Hollywood and I

Subject: Asimov's limited influence on Hollywood
First Published In: May-79
Collection(s):

Golden Age Ahead

Subject: the quality of science fiction will continue to improve
First Published In: Jun-79
Collection(s):

Poetry, Fun, & Games

Subject: an invitation to write an acrostic sonnet
First Published In: Jul-79
Collection(s):

Learning Device

Subject: science fiction as a learning device
First Published In: Aug-79
Collection(s):

The Vocabulary of Science Fiction

Original Title: The Vocabulary of SF
Subject: origins and meanings of some words used in SF
First Published In: Sep-79
Collection(s):

The Scientist as Villain

Subject: scientists as villains in SF
First Published In: Oct-79
Collection(s):

The Dean of Science Fiction

Subject: four deans of science fiction
First Published In: Nov-79
Collection(s):

Rejection Slips

Subject: answers to questions about rejection slips
First Published In: Dec-79
Collection(s):

Anniversaries

Subject: anniversaries of Amazing, F&SF, Galaxy, and Astounding/Analog
First Published In: Jan-80
Collection(s):

One More Time

Subject: double dactyl contest
First Published In: Feb-80
Collection(s):

The Sun and Moon

Subject: astronomical nomenclature of the Sun and the Moon
First Published In: Mar-80
Collection(s):

The Solar System

Subject: astronomical nomenclature of the solar system
First Published In: Apr-80
Collection(s):

The Letter Column

Subject: how letters are chosen for publication in IASFM
First Published In: May-80
Collection(s):

Welcome, Sibling!

Subject: consequences of the purchase of Analog by Davis Publications
First Published In: Jun-80
Collection(s):

Serials

Subject: the policy of IASFM to rarely print serials
First Published In: Jul-80
Collection(s):

Double Dactyls Revisited

Subject: double dactyl contest winners and limerick contest
First Published In: Aug-80
Collection(s):

Family Matters

Subject: the publication of a story by Janet in IASFM
First Published In: Sep-80
Collection(s):

The Mosaic and the Plate Glass

Subject: the merits of writing colorfully versus writing clearly
First Published In: Oct-80
Collection(s):

My Autobiography

Subject: why Asimov wrote his autobiography
First Published In: Nov-80
Collection(s):

What Makes Isaac Run?

Subject: the reason Asimov writes is because he likes to
First Published In: Dec-80
Collection(s):

The Masquerade

Subject: recollections of Noreascon Two
First Published In: 19-Jan-81
Collection(s):

Book Reviews

Subject: criteria for being a good book reviewer
First Published In: 16-Feb-81
Collection(s):

Science Fiction Poetry

Subject: thoughts on poetry
First Published In: 16-Mar-81
Collection(s):

Drawing the Line

Subject: the policy of IASFM to reject stories with excessive sex and vulgarity
First Published In: 13-Apr-81
Collection(s):

Science Fiction Anthologies

Subject: Asimov's work in compiling SF anthologies
First Published In: 11-May-81
Collection(s):

What's a Galaxy?

Subject: evolution of the word galaxy
First Published In: 8-Jun-81
Collection(s):

Our Own Galaxy

Subject: galactic nomenclature
First Published In: 6-Jul-81
Collection(s):

The Influence of Science Fiction

Subject: SF can give helpful ideas about the future
First Published In: 3-Aug-81
Collection(s):

Taking a Stand

Subject: editorials in IASFM express Asimov's opinions
First Published In: 31-Aug-81
Collection(s):

Magazine Covers

Subject: evolution of science fiction magazine covers
First Published In: 28-Sep-81
Collection(s):

The New York Times Laughs Again

Subject: it makes sense to detect objects that might collide with the Earth
First Published In: 26-Oct-81
Collection(s):

Watch Out!

Subject: creationist's threat to education and SF
First Published In: 23-Nov-81
Collection(s):

What Writers Go Through

Subject: trials and tribulations of being a writer
First Published In: 21-Dec-81
Collection(s):

The Writer's Plight

Subject: most writers make little money, but hope for success keeps them going
First Published In: 18-Jan-82
Collection(s):

The Unforgivable Sin

Subject: above all else, writing should be clear
First Published In: 16-Feb-82
Collection(s):

We're Doing Well

Subject: SF authors are now regarded with respect
First Published In: 15-Mar-82
Collection(s):

Don't You Believe?

Subject: telepathy is unlikely
First Published In: 14-Apr-82
Collection(s):

Farewell to George

Subject: farewell to George Scithers as editor of IASFM
First Published In: May-82
Collection(s):

But We're the Good Guys!

Subject: a pro-fusion group purports SF writers are part of a conspiracy
First Published In: Jun-82
Collection(s):

Revisions

Subject: various writers have different methods
First Published In: Jul-82
Collection(s):

Missing the Boat

Subject: easy-to-make predictions missed in SF stories
First Published In: Aug-82
Collection(s):

Not an Expert

Subject: there's too much SF in existence for anyone to read it all
First Published In: Sep-82
Collection(s):

Household Robots

Subject: household robots will become more humanoid as they improve
First Published In: Oct-82
Collection(s):

Collecting

Subject: science fiction collections; Asimov's books are the most often stolen
First Published In: Nov-82
Collection(s):

Susan Calvin

Subject: a real Susan Calvin was born the same year as the fictional one
First Published In: Dec-82
Collection(s):

Violence and Incompetence

Subject: violence is inefficent at solving problems and often ineffective
First Published In: Mid-Dec-82
Collection(s):

Women and Science Fiction

Subject: growth in the number of women participants in SF
First Published In: Jan-83
Collection(s):

More Asimov?

Subject: reasons why there are not more Asimov stories in IASFM
First Published In: Feb-83
Collection(s):

The All-Human Galaxy

Subject: reasons why the Foundation galaxy was all-human
First Published In: Mar-83
Collection(s):

Nostalgia

Subject: First Fandom; the Big Three of SF
First Published In: Apr-83
Collection(s):

Bestseller

Original Title: Best-seller
Subject: Foundation's Edge, Asimov's first best-seller
First Published In: May-83
Collection(s):

Unreasonable!

Subject: unreasonable expectations of readers, reviewers, and Asimov
First Published In: Jun-83
Collection(s):

Our Obsolete World

Subject: nations must cooperate globally; humanity must expand into space
First Published In: Jul-83
Collection(s):

Shrugging It Off

Subject: response to a denunciation of SF in Harper's magazine
First Published In: Aug-83
Collection(s):

Nowhere!

Subject: pure utopias and dystopias make dull stories
First Published In: Sep-83
Collection(s):

My Projects

Subject: ideas for novels to follow Foundation's Edge
First Published In: Oct-83
Collection(s):

Schools and Science Fiction

Subject: SF has become respectable, with good and bad consequences
First Published In: Nov-83
Collection(s):

Autographs

Subject: etiquette tips for autograph seekers
First Published In: Dec-83
Collection(s):

My Name

Subject: origin of Asimov's name; common misspellings and mispronunciations
First Published In: Mid-Dec-83
Collection(s):

Pseudonyms

Subject: reasons that authors use pseudonyms
First Published In: Jan-84
Collection(s):

Fantasy

Subject: why IASFM prints fantasy; classifications of fantasy
First Published In: Feb-84
Collection(s):

Satire

Subject: what satire is and some examples of it
First Published In: Mar-84
Collection(s):

Time Travel

Original Title: Time-Travel
Subject: the nature of and difficulty with time-travel stories
First Published In: Apr-84
Collection(s):

Controversy

Subject: a defense of criticism of John W. Campbell's pseuodoscientific beliefs
First Published In: May-84
Collection(s):

Religion and Science Fiction

Subject: offending readers versus censorship
First Published In: Jun-84
Collection(s):

Bypass

Subject: the story of Asimov's triple bypass operation
First Published In: Jul-84
Collection(s):

The Faces of Science Fiction

Subject: Asimov's reluctance to be photographed; dissatisfaction with SF awards
First Published In: Aug-84
Collection(s):

Opinion

Subject: sex between humans and non-humans in SF stories
First Published In: Sep-84
Collection(s):

Irony

Subject: what irony is and some examples of it
First Published In: Oct-84
Collection(s):

Faster than Light

Subject: the physics that make superluminal travel impossible
First Published In: Nov-84
Collection(s):

Names

Subject: how Asimov picks names for characters
First Published In: Dec-84
Collection(s):

Catastrophes

Subject: many catastrophes have occurred, but not the one Velikovsky proposed
First Published In: Mid-Dec-84
Collection(s):

Sword and Sorcery

Subject: sword and sorcery typically values brawn over brain, unlike SF
First Published In: Jan-85
Collection(s):

Slush!

Original Title: Slush
Subject: rejections of unsolicited stories by IASFM
First Published In: Feb-85
Collection(s):

Magic

Subject: technology can be distinguished from magic by its limits
First Published In: Mar-85
Collection(s):

Dialog

Subject: style and realism of character dialog; avoiding expletives
First Published In: Apr-85
Collection(s):

Moonshine

Subject: the possible existence of tidal cycles in human beings
First Published In: May-85
Collection(s):

Symbolism

Subject: symbolism in stories requires reading on more than one level
First Published In: Jun-85
Collection(s):

Superstupidity

Subject: Asimov often did some very stupid things
First Published In: Jul-85
Collection(s):

Plagiarism

Subject: avoiding plagiarism is often difficult, even for Asimov
First Published In: Aug-85
Collection(s):

Star Wars!

Subject: arguments against the Star Wars program
First Published In: Sep-85
Collection(s):

Fairy Tales

Subject: fairy tales are often filled with violence and sadism
First Published In: Oct-85
Collection(s):

Editors

Subject: what it takes to be a good editor
First Published In: Nov-85
Collection(s):

Civil War

Subject: divisions in the SF community over the Star Wars program
First Published In: Dec-85
Collection(s):

Irritations

Subject: school assignments, celebrity auctions, and other irritations
First Published In: Mid-Dec-85
Collection(s):

Old Hundredth

Subject: the hundredth issue of IASFM and its change of editorship
First Published In: Jan-86
Collection(s):

Outsiders, Insiders

Subject: SF "outsiders" should be welcomed, not scorned
First Published In: Feb-86
Collection(s):

Persona

Subject: Asimov's traits are his own, not a developed persona
First Published In: Mar-86
Collection(s):

Originality

Subject: the difference between plagiarism and originality, e.g "Nightfall"
First Published In: Apr-86
Collection(s):

Dear Judy-Lynn

Subject: a farewell to Judy-Lynn del Rey
First Published In: May-86
Collection(s):

Wish Fulfillment

Original Title: Wish-Fulfillment
Subject: science sets limits to what is possible, such as freezing time
First Published In: Jun-86
Collection(s):

Writing For Young People

Subject: there is no significant distinction between writing for adults and juveniles
First Published In: Jul-86
Collection(s):

The Hollow Earth

Subject: the notion of a hollow earth in history and literature
First Published In: Aug-86
Collection(s):

Integrity

Subject: book reviews in IASFM will not be influenced by advertiser's pressure
First Published In: Sep-86
Collection(s):

The Kiss of Death?

Subject: does the SF label hurt book and magazine sales?
First Published In: Oct-86
Collection(s):

Specialization

Subject: SF authors must be adept at social futurism
First Published In: Nov-86
Collection(s):

The Unicorn

Subject: origins of the unicorn
First Published In: Dec-86
Collection(s):

Science Fiction Series

Subject: reasons for and history of SF series
First Published In: 15-Dec-86
Collection(s):

New Writers

Subject: hints for aspiring SF writers; announcement of "Isaac Asimov Presents"
First Published In: Jan-87
Collection(s):

Intellectual Cliches

Subject: SF story ideas that violate basic laws of science
First Published In: Feb-87
Collection(s):

Intimations of Mortality

Subject: the aged and departed authors of SF
First Published In: Mar-87
Collection(s):

Truth and Fiction

Subject: plots based on truth are often less credible than completely fictional ones
First Published In: Apr-87
Collection(s):

Spaceflight

Subject: U.S. space program mismanagement; "Star Wars" would be worse
First Published In: May-87
Collection(s):

Forgetfulness

Subject: the easy tendency to forget the past
First Published In: Jun-87
Collection(s):

Romance

Subject: romance occurs in much of fiction, including Asimov's SF
First Published In: Jul-87
Collection(s):

Unification

Subject: the argument for a unified world government
First Published In: Aug-87
Collection(s):

Plausibility

Subject: scientific plausibility, not accuracy, is required in science fiction
First Published In: Sep-87
Collection(s):

Unknown

Subject: the story of "Unknown" fantasy magazine
First Published In: Oct-87
Collection(s):

Survivors

Subject: nine SF writers who are still writing after more than forty years
First Published In: Nov-87
Collection(s):

Memory

Subject: Asimov's memory, and how it is still performing well
First Published In: Dec-87
Collection(s):

Academe

Subject: academics who act as narrow-minded literary critics
First Published In: Mid-Dec-87
Collection(s):

Suicide

Subject: arguments for suicide and euthanasia
First Published In: Jan-88
Collection(s):

Judgment

Subject: the difference between editorial judgment and censorship
First Published In: Feb-88
Collection(s):

Glasnost

Subject: publishing is central to science; a reader predicts an asteroid will hit Earth
First Published In: Mar-88
Collection(s):

Eccentricity

Subject: reluctance to travelling has saved Asimov from working with Hollywood
First Published In: Apr-88
Collection(s):

Fantastic Voyage II

Subject: the story behind the writing of Fantastic Voyage II
First Published In: May-88
Collection(s):

Taxes

Subject: the 1986 tax bill could be a great burden for the average writer
First Published In: Jun-88
Collection(s):

Psychohistory

Subject: the invention of psychohistory, and current scientific evidence for it
First Published In: Jul-88
Collection(s):

Acrophobia

Subject: Asimov's fear of heights and reluctance to travel
First Published In: Aug-88
Collection(s):

Surprise

Subject: the role of the techno-sociologic surprise in good SF
First Published In: Sep-88
Collection(s):

Ownership?

Subject: "Isaac Asimov Presents" titles; a writer belongs to his craft, not his readers
First Published In: Oct-88
Collection(s):

Frivolity

Subject: the pleasures of light-hearted writing, such as the Azazel stories
First Published In: Nov-88
Collection(s):

Contemporaries

Subject: the deaths of the Grand Masters Bester, Simak, and Heinlein
First Published In: Dec-88
Collection(s):

Feminism

Subject: to achieve equality, women should not cultivate an image of stupidity
First Published In: Mid-Dec-88
Collection(s):

Hollywood II

Subject: The Hollywood productions of "Light Years", "Probe", and "Nightfall"
First Published In: Jan-89
Collection(s):

Sage

Subject: the burden of being regarded as a source of wisdom
First Published In: Feb-89
Collection(s):

Words

Subject: the use of certain offensive words can do harm
First Published In: Mar-89
Collection(s):

The Good Old Days

Subject: the "science fiction ghetto", like "the good old days", does not exist
First Published In: Apr-89
Collection(s):

Cosmopolitan

Subject: SF is more cosmopolitan than other forms of creative work
First Published In: May-89
Collection(s):

Plotting

Subject: building a story around a plot
First Published In: Jun-89
Collection(s):

Prediction

Subject: three SF predictions that have come to pass
First Published In: Jul-89
Collection(s):

Playboy?

Subject: Asimov never seeks high word rates, but is paid well anyway
First Published In: Aug-89
Collection(s):

Wrong!

Subject: mistake in equating "deist" with "theist"; reasons for wearing sideburns
First Published In: Sep-89
Collection(s):

Assassination

Subject: the history of assassination; a denouncement of threats to writers
First Published In: Oct-89
Collection(s):

Half-Done

Subject: the rate of change is steadily increasing
First Published In: Nov-89
Collection(s):

Distraction

Subject: like Asimov, writers should be undistractable when writing
First Published In: Dec-89
Collection(s):

Metaphor

Subject: the use of metaphor in art and fiction to dramatize a concept
First Published In: Mid-Dec-89
Collection(s):

Opinion II

Subject: the right to an opinion on subjective matters does not require expertise
First Published In: Jan-90
Collection(s):

Attack!

Subject: Asimov accused of plagiarizing "The Ugly Little Boy" 29 years after writing it
First Published In: Feb-90
Collection(s):

Ideas

Subject: the thought processes behind the writing of Nemesis
First Published In: Mar-90
Collection(s):

Posthumous

Subject: Asimov's refusal to amass material for posthumous publication
First Published In: Apr-90
Collection(s):

Spokesman

Subject: Asimov's role as unofficial spokeman for the SF field
First Published In: May-90
Collection(s):

English

Subject: the power of English comes from its blend of Teutonic and Latinate vocabulary
First Published In: Jun-90
Collection(s):

Figurehead?

Subject: Asimov's precise role at IASFM
First Published In: Jul-90
Collection(s):

Sharing Universes

Subject: sharing literary universes is not new; the sharing of Asimov's universe
First Published In: Aug-90
Collection(s):

Grumbles of My Own

Subject: an unreasonable contract, revised writing, and a claim of hiding Jewishness
First Published In: Sep-90
Collection(s):

Are Scientists Stupid?

Subject: people who believe they have ideas that scientists haven't considered
First Published In: Oct-90
Collection(s):

Anniversary

Subject: celebration of the 40th anniversary of Pebble in the Sky, despite illness
First Published In: Nov-90
Collection(s):

Imagination

Subject: SF must be plausible, and use science for that purpose
First Published In: Dec-90
Collection(s):

Short Cuts

Subject: shortcuts for solving math problems
First Published In: Mid-Dec-90
Collection(s):

Simile

Subject: what simile is and some examples of it
First Published In: Jan-91
Collection(s):

Gorbachev

Subject: lunch with Mikhail Gorbachev in May 1990
First Published In: Feb-91
Collection(s):

Suspense I

Subject: the use of suspense in the writing of "page-turners"
First Published In: Mar-91
Collection(s):

Suspense II

Subject: maintaining suspense in stories via "incomplete knowledge"
First Published In: Apr-91
Collection(s):

Help?

Subject: readers' requests for help, invoking the name of John W. Campbell
First Published In: May-91
Collection(s):

Untouchable

Subject: freedom of speech must guarantee unpopular speech
First Published In: Jun-91
Collection(s):

Disagreements

Subject: disagreements on overpopulation, environmentalism, and shared universes
First Published In: Jul-91
Collection(s):

Writing For Nothing

Subject: writing for free sets a precedent that could hurt struggling authors
First Published In: Aug-91
Collection(s):

Nightfall

Subject: the 50th anniversary of "Nightfall", and its novelization
First Published In: Sep-91
Collection(s):

Postcards

Subject: reasons Asimov prefers to answer fan mail with postcards
First Published In: Oct-91
Collection(s):

The Dismal Science

Subject: the economic policies of Reagan and Bush are hurting the nation
First Published In: Nov-91
Collection(s):

Straight Lines

Subject: Asimov's inability to resist a joke when given a straight line
First Published In: Dec-91
Collection(s):

Aliens

Subject: aliens in SF; the poor quality of SF in the visual media
First Published In: Mid-Dec-91
Collection(s):

Religiosity

Subject: a defense of atheism from the attacks of religious fundamentalists
First Published In: Jan-92
Collection(s):

Freedom

Subject: people who oppose freedom to suit themselves; various grievances
First Published In: Feb-92
Collection(s):

The Queen's English

Subject: spoken English is often substandard; educated people don't need profanity
First Published In: Mar-92
Collection(s):

Foundation

Subject: how Asimov's later novels came to be written; his declining health
First Published In: Apr-92
Collection(s):

Whining

Subject: more complaints about fan requests that bother Asimov
First Published In: May-92
Collection(s):

Speed

Subject: why Asimov writes so fast and so much
First Published In: Jun-92
Collection(s):

Coming Home

Subject: Asimov's hospital stay after urological surgery
First Published In: Jul-92
Collection(s):

Sold!

Subject: the sale of IASFM to Bantam Doubleday Dell
First Published In: Aug-92
Collection(s):

Guide to Essays
Authors:
Edward Seiler
ejseiler@earthlink.net

Richard Hatcher (hatch888@airmail.net)