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Twenty-one stories deal with computers, a trip to the moon, an alien spacecraft approaching Earth, afterlife, a memory drug, alien explorers, and time travel.Tags
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Intelligent ideas, concisely developed. I took a break from Asimov (except as he showed up in misc. anthologies) for a few decades and am now going back and reading (rereading, probably, in most cases) the shelf of books that I own by him. And imo his stories hold up well. Still witty, still thought-provoking, still enjoyable, whether or not I remember them from before.
Most in this collection are too short to be fully memorable, at least to a rabid reader like me. But in this case that's a good thing, because every punch line/ pay-off/ twist ending/ irony had an impact on me... and therefore, even though the stories are simply told, I felt well-rewarded for reading each. The vignettes (short-shorts) are especially funny, especially if show more you like puns.
(Another reviewer says these were rejected for publication - only some, and only at first offer; she misunderstood.) show less
Most in this collection are too short to be fully memorable, at least to a rabid reader like me. But in this case that's a good thing, because every punch line/ pay-off/ twist ending/ irony had an impact on me... and therefore, even though the stories are simply told, I felt well-rewarded for reading each. The vignettes (short-shorts) are especially funny, especially if show more you like puns.
(Another reviewer says these were rejected for publication - only some, and only at first offer; she misunderstood.) show less
The Winds of Change and other Stories (1983) - isaac Asimov
This 1983 collection of Asimov’s short stories demonstrates what a prolific writer he was, as much as a lot of the stories are from later in his career, there is still a scattering of earlier stories many that hadn’t been published in a major collection. In total there are 21 stories all in Alphabetical order starting with the 250-word story ‘About Nothing’ which has a wonderful Pun at the end.
There is no specific theme holding the stories together but what works well is Asimov has written an introduction to each story telling you it’s history. I read a review that someone mistakenly said that the stories in this collection had all been rejected from publication, not show more only did that statement show a misunderstanding on how the publishing industry works it is incorrect, yes there are some that did not appear where they were commissioned for due to many circumstances. The history of each story is aptly explained by Asimov himself and some of those are interesting within themselves.
The stories cover a wide range of subjects everything from spaceflight, fashion design and a man who can levitate. There are several Atypical Asimov 'heroes' within the collection which make an interesting read. This is a strong collection, but as with all collections there are a few that didn’t work for me. The Highlights for me are the title story ‘The Winds of Change’ a great musing on how design and looks can influence function, ‘It is Coming’ a very different take on the Alien invasion. There is also ‘Belief’ which is a story with a very Asimov conclusion and don’t forget ‘About Nothing’ a short, short, which will just make you groan at the conclusion.
This is a fun and interesting collection and well worth picking up for the Asimov and non-Asimov fans alike. As far as I can find out at the time of this review this collection is out of print but used copies can be easily picked up and it’s worth doing so in my opinion just for the fabulous Chris Foss cover Art (on the first Edition) show less
This 1983 collection of Asimov’s short stories demonstrates what a prolific writer he was, as much as a lot of the stories are from later in his career, there is still a scattering of earlier stories many that hadn’t been published in a major collection. In total there are 21 stories all in Alphabetical order starting with the 250-word story ‘About Nothing’ which has a wonderful Pun at the end.
There is no specific theme holding the stories together but what works well is Asimov has written an introduction to each story telling you it’s history. I read a review that someone mistakenly said that the stories in this collection had all been rejected from publication, not show more only did that statement show a misunderstanding on how the publishing industry works it is incorrect, yes there are some that did not appear where they were commissioned for due to many circumstances. The history of each story is aptly explained by Asimov himself and some of those are interesting within themselves.
The stories cover a wide range of subjects everything from spaceflight, fashion design and a man who can levitate. There are several Atypical Asimov 'heroes' within the collection which make an interesting read. This is a strong collection, but as with all collections there are a few that didn’t work for me. The Highlights for me are the title story ‘The Winds of Change’ a great musing on how design and looks can influence function, ‘It is Coming’ a very different take on the Alien invasion. There is also ‘Belief’ which is a story with a very Asimov conclusion and don’t forget ‘About Nothing’ a short, short, which will just make you groan at the conclusion.
This is a fun and interesting collection and well worth picking up for the Asimov and non-Asimov fans alike. As far as I can find out at the time of this review this collection is out of print but used copies can be easily picked up and it’s worth doing so in my opinion just for the fabulous Chris Foss cover Art (on the first Edition) show less
Like most short story collections, even—maybe especially—those from a single author, this one ran hot and cold, from the excellent, period-perfect "orbital world" stories to the very punny short-shorts to the teeth-grindingly dull title story, which is literally a 15-page monologue. Still, if you're a fan of classic mid-century science fiction, or of Asimov in particular, it's definitely worth a read. A great nightstand book.
This was Asimov's twelfth collection of his short stories, and by the time he got to this collection, he appears to have tapped out most of his best material. This isn't a bad collection, and for some well-known authors, it would be the best of their career. For Asimov, however, it is well below the standard set by his other collections, primarily composed of his lesser works, including a couple of stories he wrote for odd markets that were rejected.
There are really only three stories in this collection that are outstanding: Lest We Remember, Good Taste, and The Last Answer. The other stories range from examples of Asimov's odd and groan inducing love of puns, to the simply mediocre. The three good stories though, make the collection show more worth reading - Lest We Remember is one of the earliest science fiction stories I remember reading, and it holds up well. Good Taste is well done, and one of the few science fiction stories I have read that focus on food as anything other than "food pills" or tubes of food paste. The Last Answer is, quite simply, one of the most frightening science fiction stories I have read - unlike many Asimov tales, it has no realistic possibility for a happy ending.
Though not one of his best collections, it contains some good stories, and for completists, a fair amount of material not readily accessible otherwise. I wouldn't recommend this as someone's first introduction to Asimov, but it is still a work I found enjoyable to read. show less
There are really only three stories in this collection that are outstanding: Lest We Remember, Good Taste, and The Last Answer. The other stories range from examples of Asimov's odd and groan inducing love of puns, to the simply mediocre. The three good stories though, make the collection show more worth reading - Lest We Remember is one of the earliest science fiction stories I remember reading, and it holds up well. Good Taste is well done, and one of the few science fiction stories I have read that focus on food as anything other than "food pills" or tubes of food paste. The Last Answer is, quite simply, one of the most frightening science fiction stories I have read - unlike many Asimov tales, it has no realistic possibility for a happy ending.
Though not one of his best collections, it contains some good stories, and for completists, a fair amount of material not readily accessible otherwise. I wouldn't recommend this as someone's first introduction to Asimov, but it is still a work I found enjoyable to read. show less
This is a 21 story collection of short stories written by Isaac Asimov largely between 1976 and 1982. The stories range in length from one to about 20 pages, give or take. It's a very, very uneven collection. Some of the stories are pretty good, some quite entertaining, some fairly bad, some you simply can't help asking what the hell was he thinking including in this book. Still, it's a short, fun read, for the most part. One thing I like about this collection is that Asimov writes a brief introduction before each story, which is pretty unique and cool. Another interesting thing is that he seems to be completely honest about these stories. He admits that probably more than half of them were rejected when submitted to various editors and show more magazines, and so these were ultimately published in his own magazine, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, whose editor, he asserts, was free to reject his submissions, and allegedly once did. Still, it's pretty much self published material that was considered not good enough to appear in other publications, so that tells you something about the quality of work in this book. Nonetheless, there are some good stories. In "Found," a two person male and female team of computer techs encounters an unknown space parasite while attempting to repair Computer Two, one of four computers/satellites orbiting the earth that control space travel and everything that has to do with it . It is a creepy story of a first contact that ends on a distinctly paranoid note. Not a bad story. The final story, "The Winds of Change," Asimov states is his favorite, and it's interesting because it's a complete monologue that takes a swipe at the newly formed Moral Majority. Interesting. So, some good stories in an uneven collection of somewhat decent pieces. Fun to read, but not essential Asimov. Borderline recommended. show less
A collection of short stories by the master.The first, "About Nothing", is probably Asimov's shortest story, less than 250 words, with a real groaner of a punchline. "A Perfect Fit" is about illiteracy of a different sort in the computer age. "Good Taste" is a marvelous story about the subjectivity of taste, with a delicious ending. This is a good group of Asimov stories, with a couple of very short ones with atrocious puns for endings, and mixed results. There were some areas in which Asimov had no shame.
One of Isaac Asimov's later short story collections, first published in 1983 by Del Rey Books (an imprint of Ballantine). All but two of these stories were written at or after 1976, and all are science fiction or fantasy.
As Asimov's collections go, this one is somewhat odd. Its contents include several small vignettes, the first two Azazel stories, and an SF work originally commissioned (and then rejected) by (of all magazines) Seventeen. Collectors may want to note that most of the stories had not before been published in one of Asimov's story collections, and most were not published in any other collection (though some were anthologized).
The collection's contents and the market of each story's original publication follow:
1. About show more Nothing (Asimov's Science Fiction, Summer 1977; earlier as a "story postcard")
2. A Perfect Fit (EDN Magazine, October 14, 1981)
3. Belief (Astounding Science Fiction, October 1953)
4. Death of a Foy (The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, October 1980)
5. Fair Exchange? (Asimov's Science Fiction, Fall 1978)
6. For the Birds (Asimov's Science Fiction, May 1980)
7. Found! (Omni, October 1978)
8. Good Taste (Good Taste, 1976; mini-book published by the short-lived Apocalypse Press)
9. How It Happened (Asimov's Science Fiction, Spring 1979)
10. Ideas Die Hard (Galaxy Science Fiction, October 1957)
11. Ignition Point! (Finding the Right Speaker, 1981)
12. It Is Coming (syndicated in various newspapers via Field Enterprises, 1979)
13. The Last Answer (Analog, January 1980)
14. The Last Shuttle (syndicated in Gannett newspapers, April 10, 1981)
15. Lest We Remember (Asimov's Science Fcition, February 1982)
16. Nothing For Nothing (Asimov's Science Fiction, February 1979)
17. One Night of Song (The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, April 1982)
18. The Smile That Loses (The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, November 1982)
19. Sure Thing (Asimov's Science Fiction, Summer 1977)
20. To Tell at a Glance (Saturday Evening Post, February 1977)
21. The Winds of Change (Speculations, 1982)
"About Nothing", "Death of a Foy", "How It Happened", and "Sure Thing" are all "short shorts", and I can't really say anything about them without giving them away, except to tell you that all but one are exceptionally long-winded puns. Similarly, all I can really say about "The Last Shuttle" is that, as the title suggests, it tells the story of the last space shuttle to leave Earth. With that out of the way, let me briefly comment on the rest of the stories. Please note that there will still be some small spoilers; it is after all somewhat difficult to write intelligently about a story without referencing events in it.
A Perfect Fit: This is a rather short story as well; it deals with the concept of a man being computer illiterate in a world where computers are required for the simplest of tasks, such as buying food or moving from place to place. Moreover, this inability to use computers has been forced on him as a punishment, and the story briefly explores the moral implications of this. Frankly, I don't think Asimov really delved deep enough on either concept, and the story left me rather unsatisfied. (There is a story whose title and author both I have forgotten, which also dealt with the idea of forcing aversion to certain things, only it wasn't used simply for punishment; for instance, one of the main characters was a girl whose parents had had implanted in her an intense aversion to men, to the point where she couldn't even stand close to one, so that she would concentrate on her studies. Either for legal or financial reasons, she couldn't have it removed herself, even though she was a legal adult. I mention this because I think this story dealt with that particular idea a lot better than "A Perfect Fit", though it would be more helpful if I could remember the title. For that matter, A Clockwork Orange deals with the subject as well.)
Belief:A physicist finds he can make himself defy gravity at a whim. The real story here, however, is his attempts to force others (especially in the scientific community) to acknowledge what's happening to him, and try to explain it. This kind of story really highlights Asimov's humanist leanings; while many would ascribe genuine levitation to some preternatural source, Asimov's point of view is simple: if it exists, there must be a physical explanation, even if we don't yet know what it is.
Fair Exchange?: A twist on the time-tested "time paradox" story. In this incarnation, people aren't actually sent back in time; it is only that their consciousnesses are temporarily sent to passively share a body with a like-minded individual from another time. This one doesn't really have anything you didn't see in "A Sound of Thunder", although the end is somewhat more emotional. This is possibly the weakest of the collection's stories, barring the vignettes. I was especially annoyed by the method of time travel described in it, which really pushes beyond the limits of my suspension of disbelief when it comes to science fiction.
For the Birds: This story was originally commissioned by a French fashion magazine that was looking to put out an English edition, but changed their minds. Don't ask me. At any rate, it follows a fashion designer who is put to the task of redesigning the suits residents of a space station use to "fly" in a zero-gravity environment; basically, they want him to make the suits look pretty in the hope that people will exercise more, and thus be able to keep enough muscle so that it's safe for them to live there year-round. I can't say much more without spoiling the story, but I will say that I found the resolution somewhat silly, and given the knowledge base I'd expect from a clothing designer, rather unbelievable.
Found!:One of the four giant computers that orbits Earth and directs space traffic has broken down beyond its ability to self-repair, so two engineers are sent from the surface to see what the trouble is. Yadda yadda, something happens, metal life-forms. Yeah. Honestly, I can't work up much more to say about this story. It's like a reject from the Twilight Zone or something.
Good Taste: Set in a time when the solar system is populated by many small, artificial worlds. All of these worlds (and even Earth, to a much lesser extent) are dependent on cultured algae as a primary food source. Since the stuff doesn't taste the greatest, there is much work put into creating artificial flavors to make it edible, and on the world of Gamma, the highest honors are awarded to those who can make the most delicious meal. The story follows a competition between two brothers, one so staunchly conservative that he would never dream of doing anything but becoming a "Gustator"; the other having recently returned from "the Tour", that is, travelling to Earth and the various Outer Worlds. This is one of the better stories in the collection, although like most of them, it ends on a joke of sorts, which in this case was rather inappropriate, given the mood.
Ideas Die Hard: Two men are launched into space on a mission to land on the moon... OR ARE THEY? (Dun nuh nuh!) When Asimov wrote this story, he didn't think there'd be so much as artificial satellites within his lifetime, let alone astronauts landing on the moon, so when Sputnik launched two years later, he decided not to include this already antiquated story to whichever was his latest collection at the time. I guess he just added it to this one for the sake of completeness.
Ignition Point!: A story about a "genial idiot", and a man trying to use his charm for his own gain. He's approached with the idea of giving the moron cues crafted by a computerized system which constructs a speech based on the makeup of the audience. Without spoiling too much, it will suffice to say that the user gets burned. As a sidenote, given the political ambitions of the "genial idiot", and Asimov's known disdain for the man, I'd say it's pretty obvious he's supposed to represent Ronald Reagan (who was President at the time).
It Is Coming: An alien object is speeding toward Earth with unknown purpose. The two engineers in charge of the giant computer Multivac race to figure out a way of communicating with the alien before it reaches its destination. It ends pretty dismally with a sad joke about Multivac that had been suggested in previous stories, but never stated outright before.
The Last Answer: The title is an obvious play on Asimov's earlier (and rather well-known) story, "The Last Question". The story is about a physicist who, upon dying, finds there really is an afterlife, but that it is neither heaven nor hell. He is doomed to spend eternity as a bodiless consciousness incapable of anything but thought, but the real story is who brought him here, and why.
Lest We Remember: Arguably the best story in the book, this is about a forgetful man who volunteers for an extremely experimental treatment which increased both the speed and volume of his memory to a superhuman level. He gets a little megalomaniacal, however, and... well, I won't spoil it. It's a good read, though, especially in contrast to some of the other stories.
Nothing For Nothing: Aliens visit primitive Earth, trade art for something that will forever change the future of mankind. It's not that it's a bad story, there's just not much else I can say about it. As a side note, however, I will say that I find it to have a couple weird parallels with Arthur C. Clarke's classic short story, "Rescue Party" (although the plots of the two are completely different).
One Night of Song: The very first Azazel story, written for a mystery magazine. If you know how Azazel stories go, I don't really have to explain this to you, if not... well, basically, in every one, this fellow named George tries to do something nice for someone - or rather, gets Azazel (who is variously referred to as an extradimensional demon or an extraterrestrial) to try to do something nice for someone. He inevitably gets something wrong, however, with hilarious results. This one involves giving a woman a perfect singing voice.
The Smile That Loses: Another Azazel story. In this one, he gets a perfect photograph of a woman's husband making a particular face that she likes, with unforeseen consequences.
To Tell At a Glance: This is the story that was commissioned by Seventeen, and then rejected. It seems to me that Asimov dumbed down his writing style accordingly, but that could be my imagination. At any rate, this story is set in the same universe as "Good Taste" (which, unfortunately, Asimov never expanded upon), but on a different artificial world. Five important guests are coming to visit, and it's up to a tour guide barely out of her teen years to discover which one is the dastardly saboteur from Earth in disguise as a colonist. I kinda wonder if that whole thing where Earth becomes an antagonist is part of the reason Seventeen rejected it. At any rate, it's not a bad story, though the ending is rather predictable.
The Winds of Change: The title story. This is another time paradox story, and again, the consequences are the only thing of any importance here. It has a vaguely political message, which is something Asimov should have stayed away from, because (frankly) he wasn't good at it. I personally don't like this story too much, but he apparently liked it enough to make it the title of the collection. Go figure.
I may have given you the impression that I think this is a bad book. It's not that, exactly, and I encourage people to read it if they're fans of Asimov, or science fiction in general. The thing is that, in comparison to a lot of Asimov's other work, it's pretty lackluster. There are no really great stories like "The Martian Way" or "The Ugly Little Boy". It's certainly not the worst of Asimov's collections (I think that title goes to the posthumously published Gold), but it's not all that great. However, you could certainly do worse than to pick up a copy. show less
As Asimov's collections go, this one is somewhat odd. Its contents include several small vignettes, the first two Azazel stories, and an SF work originally commissioned (and then rejected) by (of all magazines) Seventeen. Collectors may want to note that most of the stories had not before been published in one of Asimov's story collections, and most were not published in any other collection (though some were anthologized).
The collection's contents and the market of each story's original publication follow:
1. About show more Nothing (Asimov's Science Fiction, Summer 1977; earlier as a "story postcard")
2. A Perfect Fit (EDN Magazine, October 14, 1981)
3. Belief (Astounding Science Fiction, October 1953)
4. Death of a Foy (The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, October 1980)
5. Fair Exchange? (Asimov's Science Fiction, Fall 1978)
6. For the Birds (Asimov's Science Fiction, May 1980)
7. Found! (Omni, October 1978)
8. Good Taste (Good Taste, 1976; mini-book published by the short-lived Apocalypse Press)
9. How It Happened (Asimov's Science Fiction, Spring 1979)
10. Ideas Die Hard (Galaxy Science Fiction, October 1957)
11. Ignition Point! (Finding the Right Speaker, 1981)
12. It Is Coming (syndicated in various newspapers via Field Enterprises, 1979)
13. The Last Answer (Analog, January 1980)
14. The Last Shuttle (syndicated in Gannett newspapers, April 10, 1981)
15. Lest We Remember (Asimov's Science Fcition, February 1982)
16. Nothing For Nothing (Asimov's Science Fiction, February 1979)
17. One Night of Song (The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, April 1982)
18. The Smile That Loses (The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, November 1982)
19. Sure Thing (Asimov's Science Fiction, Summer 1977)
20. To Tell at a Glance (Saturday Evening Post, February 1977)
21. The Winds of Change (Speculations, 1982)
"About Nothing", "Death of a Foy", "How It Happened", and "Sure Thing" are all "short shorts", and I can't really say anything about them without giving them away, except to tell you that all but one are exceptionally long-winded puns. Similarly, all I can really say about "The Last Shuttle" is that, as the title suggests, it tells the story of the last space shuttle to leave Earth. With that out of the way, let me briefly comment on the rest of the stories. Please note that there will still be some small spoilers; it is after all somewhat difficult to write intelligently about a story without referencing events in it.
A Perfect Fit: This is a rather short story as well; it deals with the concept of a man being computer illiterate in a world where computers are required for the simplest of tasks, such as buying food or moving from place to place. Moreover, this inability to use computers has been forced on him as a punishment, and the story briefly explores the moral implications of this. Frankly, I don't think Asimov really delved deep enough on either concept, and the story left me rather unsatisfied. (There is a story whose title and author both I have forgotten, which also dealt with the idea of forcing aversion to certain things, only it wasn't used simply for punishment; for instance, one of the main characters was a girl whose parents had had implanted in her an intense aversion to men, to the point where she couldn't even stand close to one, so that she would concentrate on her studies. Either for legal or financial reasons, she couldn't have it removed herself, even though she was a legal adult. I mention this because I think this story dealt with that particular idea a lot better than "A Perfect Fit", though it would be more helpful if I could remember the title. For that matter, A Clockwork Orange deals with the subject as well.)
Belief:A physicist finds he can make himself defy gravity at a whim. The real story here, however, is his attempts to force others (especially in the scientific community) to acknowledge what's happening to him, and try to explain it. This kind of story really highlights Asimov's humanist leanings; while many would ascribe genuine levitation to some preternatural source, Asimov's point of view is simple: if it exists, there must be a physical explanation, even if we don't yet know what it is.
Fair Exchange?: A twist on the time-tested "time paradox" story. In this incarnation, people aren't actually sent back in time; it is only that their consciousnesses are temporarily sent to passively share a body with a like-minded individual from another time. This one doesn't really have anything you didn't see in "A Sound of Thunder", although the end is somewhat more emotional. This is possibly the weakest of the collection's stories, barring the vignettes. I was especially annoyed by the method of time travel described in it, which really pushes beyond the limits of my suspension of disbelief when it comes to science fiction.
For the Birds: This story was originally commissioned by a French fashion magazine that was looking to put out an English edition, but changed their minds. Don't ask me. At any rate, it follows a fashion designer who is put to the task of redesigning the suits residents of a space station use to "fly" in a zero-gravity environment; basically, they want him to make the suits look pretty in the hope that people will exercise more, and thus be able to keep enough muscle so that it's safe for them to live there year-round. I can't say much more without spoiling the story, but I will say that I found the resolution somewhat silly, and given the knowledge base I'd expect from a clothing designer, rather unbelievable.
Found!:One of the four giant computers that orbits Earth and directs space traffic has broken down beyond its ability to self-repair, so two engineers are sent from the surface to see what the trouble is. Yadda yadda, something happens, metal life-forms. Yeah. Honestly, I can't work up much more to say about this story. It's like a reject from the Twilight Zone or something.
Good Taste: Set in a time when the solar system is populated by many small, artificial worlds. All of these worlds (and even Earth, to a much lesser extent) are dependent on cultured algae as a primary food source. Since the stuff doesn't taste the greatest, there is much work put into creating artificial flavors to make it edible, and on the world of Gamma, the highest honors are awarded to those who can make the most delicious meal. The story follows a competition between two brothers, one so staunchly conservative that he would never dream of doing anything but becoming a "Gustator"; the other having recently returned from "the Tour", that is, travelling to Earth and the various Outer Worlds. This is one of the better stories in the collection, although like most of them, it ends on a joke of sorts, which in this case was rather inappropriate, given the mood.
Ideas Die Hard: Two men are launched into space on a mission to land on the moon... OR ARE THEY? (Dun nuh nuh!) When Asimov wrote this story, he didn't think there'd be so much as artificial satellites within his lifetime, let alone astronauts landing on the moon, so when Sputnik launched two years later, he decided not to include this already antiquated story to whichever was his latest collection at the time. I guess he just added it to this one for the sake of completeness.
Ignition Point!: A story about a "genial idiot", and a man trying to use his charm for his own gain. He's approached with the idea of giving the moron cues crafted by a computerized system which constructs a speech based on the makeup of the audience. Without spoiling too much, it will suffice to say that the user gets burned. As a sidenote, given the political ambitions of the "genial idiot", and Asimov's known disdain for the man, I'd say it's pretty obvious he's supposed to represent Ronald Reagan (who was President at the time).
It Is Coming: An alien object is speeding toward Earth with unknown purpose. The two engineers in charge of the giant computer Multivac race to figure out a way of communicating with the alien before it reaches its destination. It ends pretty dismally with a sad joke about Multivac that had been suggested in previous stories, but never stated outright before.
The Last Answer: The title is an obvious play on Asimov's earlier (and rather well-known) story, "The Last Question". The story is about a physicist who, upon dying, finds there really is an afterlife, but that it is neither heaven nor hell. He is doomed to spend eternity as a bodiless consciousness incapable of anything but thought, but the real story is who brought him here, and why.
Lest We Remember: Arguably the best story in the book, this is about a forgetful man who volunteers for an extremely experimental treatment which increased both the speed and volume of his memory to a superhuman level. He gets a little megalomaniacal, however, and... well, I won't spoil it. It's a good read, though, especially in contrast to some of the other stories.
Nothing For Nothing: Aliens visit primitive Earth, trade art for something that will forever change the future of mankind. It's not that it's a bad story, there's just not much else I can say about it. As a side note, however, I will say that I find it to have a couple weird parallels with Arthur C. Clarke's classic short story, "Rescue Party" (although the plots of the two are completely different).
One Night of Song: The very first Azazel story, written for a mystery magazine. If you know how Azazel stories go, I don't really have to explain this to you, if not... well, basically, in every one, this fellow named George tries to do something nice for someone - or rather, gets Azazel (who is variously referred to as an extradimensional demon or an extraterrestrial) to try to do something nice for someone. He inevitably gets something wrong, however, with hilarious results. This one involves giving a woman a perfect singing voice.
The Smile That Loses: Another Azazel story. In this one, he gets a perfect photograph of a woman's husband making a particular face that she likes, with unforeseen consequences.
To Tell At a Glance: This is the story that was commissioned by Seventeen, and then rejected. It seems to me that Asimov dumbed down his writing style accordingly, but that could be my imagination. At any rate, this story is set in the same universe as "Good Taste" (which, unfortunately, Asimov never expanded upon), but on a different artificial world. Five important guests are coming to visit, and it's up to a tour guide barely out of her teen years to discover which one is the dastardly saboteur from Earth in disguise as a colonist. I kinda wonder if that whole thing where Earth becomes an antagonist is part of the reason Seventeen rejected it. At any rate, it's not a bad story, though the ending is rather predictable.
The Winds of Change: The title story. This is another time paradox story, and again, the consequences are the only thing of any importance here. It has a vaguely political message, which is something Asimov should have stayed away from, because (frankly) he wasn't good at it. I personally don't like this story too much, but he apparently liked it enough to make it the title of the collection. Go figure.
I may have given you the impression that I think this is a bad book. It's not that, exactly, and I encourage people to read it if they're fans of Asimov, or science fiction in general. The thing is that, in comparison to a lot of Asimov's other work, it's pretty lackluster. There are no really great stories like "The Martian Way" or "The Ugly Little Boy". It's certainly not the worst of Asimov's collections (I think that title goes to the posthumously published Gold), but it's not all that great. However, you could certainly do worse than to pick up a copy. show less
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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
Series
Belongs to Publisher Series
Bastei Science Fiction-Abenteuer (23066)
Gallimard, Folio SF (534)
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Contains
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Winds of Change . . . And Other Stories
- Original title
- The Winds of Change and Other Stories
- Original publication date
- 1983 (collection) (collection)
- People/Characters
- Azazel
- First words
- Well, here we are again! [Introduction]
All of Earth waited for the small black hole to bring it to its end. [About Nothing] - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)–And in the grip of the Moral Majority, he must remember, no one was ever truly safe. [The Winds of Change]
- Original language
- English
- Disambiguation notice
- Contents: Introduction -- 1. About Nothing -- 2. A Perfect Fit -- 3. Belief -- 4. Death of a Foy -- 5. Fair Exchange? -- 6. For the Birds -- 7. Found! -- 8. Good Taste -- 9. How It Happened -- 10. Ideas Die Hard -- 11. Igniti... (show all)on Point! -- 12. It Is Coming -- 13. The Last Answer -- 14. The Last Shuttle -- 15. Lest We Remember -- 16. Nothing for Nothing -- 17. One Night of Song -- 18. The Smile That Loses -- 19. Sure Thing -- 20. To Tell at a Glance -- 21. The Winds of Change
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- Paper
- ISBNs
- 12
- ASINs
- 16