On This Page
Description
Presents sixteen of Isaac Asimov's "Black Widowers" mysteries, including six never before collected and ten selected as the very best cases, and also features William Brittain's mystery "The Men Who Read Isaac Asimov" and a tribute story by Charles Ardai.Tags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
Good, old-fashioned "cozy" mysteries involving a team of armchair detectives who are inevitably outwitted by their waiter (who radiates Jeeves-esque qualities in all he does). While the resolutions of one or two of them are so obvious as to leave you wondering what you're missing (e.g., "Northwestward"), they're all a pleasure to read. That includes the "homage" story by William Brittain.
A nice selection of mystery short stories by Asimov. A group of men, The Black Widowers, meet monthly for a nice dinner, described in detail, and solve a mystery /puzzle with the help of Henry, the waiter. Lots of fun to read!
I first read this book a long time ago, along with the rest of the series, and picked it up again now, finishing it on 2/17/2017. While the mysteries themselves are less exciting to me than they were on the first read, I still find the book an enjoyable, lighthearted read that's perfect for just before bed or reading with a friend. Perhaps I should read more of Asimov's great works.
The original Black Widowers collections are now, sadly, out of print. However, this commemorative book combines 10 "best of" stories, 7 stories not released in the previosu anthologies and 1 "new" story written by Ardai. If you can't get a hold of the five OOP books, this is a great way to get a taste of the brilliant mysteries Asimov was capable of. Highly recommended!
Not nearly as good as I remembered.
L'invité de ce soir est un agent du gouvernement qui demande l'aide des veufs noirs afin de comprendre comment un homme qu'il surveillait, a pu se débarrasser d'un petit objet. Par un geste totalement anodin, et qui n'a même pas été vu par l'agent, tellement il est banal...
Jun 23, 2011French
Ratings
Members
- Recently Added By
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
All Editions
Series
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Return of the Black Widowers
- Original title
- The Return of the Black Widowers
- Original publication date
- 2003
- People/Characters
- Geoffrey Avalon; James Drake; Mario Gonzalo; Roger Halsted; Henry Jackson; Emmanuel Rubin (show all 9); Thomas Trumbull; Darius Just; Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth
- Important places
- New York, New York, USA
- First words
- Hanley Bartram was the guest, that night, of the Black Widowers, who monthly met in their quiet haunt and vowed death to any female who intruded—for that one night per month, at any rate.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)I can't guarantee that this is true of my readers, but I certainly hope it is. (Afterword)
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"We all do," Henry said.
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 274
- Popularity
- 117,176
- Reviews
- 6
- Rating
- (3.82)
- Languages
- English, French
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 4
- ASINs
- 1
