Asimov's Mysteries
by Isaac Asimov
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Fourteen short stories designed to please mystery fans & science fiction devotees. Including "Anniversary," "Obituary" & "Starlight"Tags
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Sadly Asimov was not as good a writing mysteries as he thought he was. Of the multiple stories in this book I would consider only 2 of them good, the rest are decidedly sub-par. The thing that irked me most was that after most stories, he posted a letter from a reader questioning his reasoning in the story and his response to the question. They are framed in such as way as to illuminate the brilliance of Asimov's mystery writing mind, but the fact that the majority of the mysteries are neither illuminating, nor brilliant is just evidence of Asimov's huge ego and is at best, comical.
I enjoyed the forewords and afterwords - where Asimov acknowledges criticisms and shares personal insights - just as much as the stories.
Sadly Asimov was not as good a writing mysteries as he thought he was. Of the multiple stories in this book I would consider only 2 of them good, the rest are decidedly sub-par. The thing that irked me most was that after most stories, he posted a letter from a reader questioning his reasoning in the story and his response to the question. They are framed in such as way as to illuminate the brilliance of Asimov's mystery writing mind, but the fact that the majority of the mysteries are neither illuminating, nor brilliant is just evidence of Asimov's huge ego and is at best, comical.
Sadly Asimov was not as good a writing mysteries as he thought he was. Of the multiple stories in this book I would consider only 2 of them good, the rest are decidedly sub-par. The thing that irked me most was that after most stories, he posted a letter from a reader questioning his reasoning in the story and his response to the question. They are framed in such as way as to illuminate the brilliance of Asimov's mystery writing mind, but the fact that the majority of the mysteries are neither illuminating, nor brilliant is just evidence of Asimov's huge ego and is at best, comical.
Nothing wonderful, but all pretty good. I tend to dislike Mycroft-style mysteries, with a stay-at-home know-it-all (or any kind of know-it-all, actually), and four of the thirteen form a series with that kind of detective - though I liked him in the last one. I liked the Vesta pair, too, and the library one. Dying Night was depressing, Marsport was too weird (though I liked the solution - amusing), the last one - billards - was neat. The two with scientists killed by subordinates were also rather depressing, though the one that got away with it kind of deserved it. There were quite a few with rather flimsy evidence - the first story got around it by saying they could 'psyche-probe' if they had sufficient reason to suspect, most of the show more others they obviously confessed (aside from the ones that got away with it). It was a fun read, I might reread it. Nothing that really caught me, though. show less
Colección de relatos policíacos que incluyen ciencia ficción. En total son once. Algunos son realmente buenos y están muy bien pensados, aunque sigo pensando que lo mejor del maestro Asimov son los ensayos. Los planteamientos están muy bien conseguidos y los razonamientos son de primera calidad. Es lo que más me ha gustado de todas las historias. Especial mención merece "La bola de billar", por tratar sobre la Relatividad, aunque el final es un error de bulto. Muy bueno, aunque no obra maestra.
Asimov did not feel challenged by writing science fiction and mysteries, so he came to a conclusion that he should write science fiction mysteries. Most authors avoided such activities as it became very easy to cheat when writing science fiction mysteries (or for that matter, fantasy mysteries), as there were certain deus ex machinas that could be used to shock the audience.
He instead wrote mysteries in which all things that could be used as surprise solutions were instead brought forth up front or never used or discussed. From this he managed to write several intriguing mysteries, some humorous, and some serious.
Several of the stories feature Wendell Urth, a claustrophiliac expert on extraterrestrial conditions, sort of a mixture show more between Asimov himself and Mycroft Holmes.
Nevertheless, if you are a fan of Asimov, or a fan of science fiction and mystery, I highly recommend this book to you. show less
He instead wrote mysteries in which all things that could be used as surprise solutions were instead brought forth up front or never used or discussed. From this he managed to write several intriguing mysteries, some humorous, and some serious.
Several of the stories feature Wendell Urth, a claustrophiliac expert on extraterrestrial conditions, sort of a mixture show more between Asimov himself and Mycroft Holmes.
Nevertheless, if you are a fan of Asimov, or a fan of science fiction and mystery, I highly recommend this book to you. show less
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Author Information
Isaac Asimov was born in Petrovichi, Russia, on January 2, 1920. His family emigrated to the United States in 1923 and settled in Brooklyn, New York, where they owned and operated a candy store. Asimov became a naturalized U.S. citizen at the age of eight. As a youngster he discovered his talent for writing, producing his first original fiction at show more the age of eleven. He went on to become one of the world's most prolific writers, publishing nearly 500 books in his lifetime. Asimov was not only a writer; he also was a biochemist and an educator. He studied chemistry at Columbia University, earning a B.S., M.A. and Ph.D. In 1951, Asimov accepted a position as an instructor of biochemistry at Boston University's School of Medicine even though he had no practical experience in the field. His exceptional intelligence enabled him to master new systems rapidly, and he soon became a successful and distinguished professor at Columbia and even co-authored a biochemistry textbook within a few years. Asimov won numerous awards and honors for his books and stories, and he is considered to be a leading writer of the Golden Age of science fiction. While he did not invent science fiction, he helped to legitimize it by adding the narrative structure that had been missing from the traditional science fiction books of the period. He also introduced several innovative concepts, including the thematic concern for technological progress and its impact on humanity. Asimov is probably best known for his Foundation series, which includes Foundation, Foundation and Empire, and Second Foundation. In 1966, this trilogy won the Hugo award for best all-time science fiction series. In 1983, Asimov wrote an additional Foundation novel, Foundation's Edge, which won the Hugo for best novel of that year. Asimov also wrote a series of robot books that included I, Robot, and eventually he tied the two series together. He won three additional Hugos, including one awarded posthumously for the best non-fiction book of 1995, I. Asimov. "Nightfall" was chosen the best science fiction story of all time by the Science Fiction Writers of America. In 1979, Asimov wrote his autobiography, In Memory Yet Green. He continued writing until just a few years before his death from heart and kidney failure on April 6, 1992. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Asimov's Mysteries
- Original publication date
- 1968 (anthology) (anthology); 1967 (The Billiard Ball) (The Billiard Ball); 1956 (The Dust of Death) (The Dust of Death); 1956 (The Dying Night) (The Dying Night); 1957 (I'm in Marsport without Hilda) (I'm in Marsport without Hilda); 1966 (The Key) (The Key) (show all 15); 1957 (A Loint of Paw) (A Loint of Paw); 1938 (Marooned off Vesta) (Marooned off Vesta); 1959 (Obituary) (Obituary); 1956 (Pâté de Foie Gras) (Pâté de Foie Gras); 1955 (The Singing Bell) (The Singing Bell); 1963 (Star light) (Star light); 1955 (The Talking Stone) (The Talking Stone); 1956 (What's in a Name) (What's in a Name); 1959 (Anniversary) (Anniversary)
- People/Characters
- Wendell Urth; H. Seton Davenport; Louis Peyton; Albert Cornwell; Larry Verdansky; silicony (show all 29); Louella-Marie Busch; Susan Morey; Ernest Beilstein; Romero Villiers; Department of Agriculture employee; The Great Llewes; Edmund Farley; Jim Gorham; Stein; Max; Hilda; Flora; Multivac; Warren Moore; Mark Brandon; Michael Shea; Horace Quentin; Lancelot Stebbins; Mrs. Stebbins; Edward Bloom; James Priss; Captain of the Robert Q; Milt Hawkins
- Important places
- Colorado, USA; The Moon (Luna); Station Five, Asteroid Belt; Carmody University; Mercury; Ceres (show all 14); Earth; Texas, USA; Central Organic Laboratories; Titan; Marsport; Vesta, Asteroid Belt; Asteroid Belt; Patrol Station Asteroid No. 72, Asteroid Belt
- Dedication
- To all the nice people at Doubleday
- First words
- The Singing Bell:
Louis Peyton never discussed publicly the methods by which he had bested the police of Earth a dozen duels of wits and bluff, with the psychoprobe always waiting and always foiled.
There is a tendency for many people who don't know any better to classify science fiction as just one more member of the group of specialized literatures that include mysteries, westerns, adventures, sport stories, love stori... (show all)es, and so on.
--Introduction - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)The Billiard Ball:
... Murder?
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)But in either case, now that all the stories in this volume have been gone over, and I have experienced the memories to which each gave rise, all I can say is, "Gee, it's great to be a science fiction writer."
--Final Afterword - Original language
- English
- Canonical DDC/MDS
- 813.08762
Classifications
- Genres
- Science Fiction, Fiction and Literature, Mystery
- DDC/MDS
- 813.08762 — Literature & rhetoric American literature in English American fiction in English By type Genre fiction Adventure fiction Speculative fiction Science fiction
- LCC
- PZ3 .A8316 .A — Language and Literature Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Fiction in English
- BISAC
Statistics
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- Popularity
- 14,225
- Reviews
- 24
- Rating
- (3.55)
- Languages
- 8 — Czech, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook
- ISBNs
- 20
- ASINs
- 31