Asimov, Isaac

(born Jan. 2, 1920, Petrovichi, Russia—died April 6, 1992, New York, N.Y., U.S.) Russian-born U.S. author and biochemist. He arrived in the U.S. at age 3, earned a doctorate from Columbia University, and subsequently taught for many years at Boston University. Before embarking on graduate study, he had already begun publishing his stories. “Nightfall” (1941) is often called the finest science-fiction short story ever written. His I, Robot (1950) greatly influenced how later writers treated intelligent machines. A trilogy of novels—Foundation, Foundation and Empire, and Second Foundation (1951–53)—is widely considered a classic. Asimov's nonfiction science books for lay readers are noted for their lucidity and humour. Immensely prolific, he published more than 300 volumes in all.