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Science Fiction of Isaac Asimov
A definitive and critical investigation of Asimov's science fiction novels and stories. With bibliography.
- GenresScience Fiction
312 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1974
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 3, 2018
Now I am in two minds about this book - so I better type it up now rather than leave it as I could well change my mind.
The reason being is that here you have an author taking on the works of Isaac Asimov (according to the cover with the authors full support). Now here is my first issue - Isaac Asimov was a great story teller and educator - why would he need someone else to do this for him. Yes this is a critique of his work although to be honest its a very gentle one.
BUT on the other hand you have someone (who is not Isaac Asimov) introducing these great stories and wondrous works - and there is something about being able to enjoy them knowing its not just you - someone else really appreciates them too.
And there is the fact that you have a fresh (although I have no idea how old Joseph Patrouch was when he wrote this book) perspective - and that sometimes make you stop and reconsider things.
So like I say I feel that this book is exploiting Asimov but I also think its a great celebration of an amazing author and along the way you get to explore and examine his work. York notes this book is not.
However one thing I would say is that there is nothing new- there is no previously unpublished revelations here and having read many books on Asimov there feels as there are no great reveals either. So for me its a bit of a curiosity which I think I am in danger on changing my mind over it all over again.
The reason being is that here you have an author taking on the works of Isaac Asimov (according to the cover with the authors full support). Now here is my first issue - Isaac Asimov was a great story teller and educator - why would he need someone else to do this for him. Yes this is a critique of his work although to be honest its a very gentle one.
BUT on the other hand you have someone (who is not Isaac Asimov) introducing these great stories and wondrous works - and there is something about being able to enjoy them knowing its not just you - someone else really appreciates them too.
And there is the fact that you have a fresh (although I have no idea how old Joseph Patrouch was when he wrote this book) perspective - and that sometimes make you stop and reconsider things.
So like I say I feel that this book is exploiting Asimov but I also think its a great celebration of an amazing author and along the way you get to explore and examine his work. York notes this book is not.
However one thing I would say is that there is nothing new- there is no previously unpublished revelations here and having read many books on Asimov there feels as there are no great reveals either. So for me its a bit of a curiosity which I think I am in danger on changing my mind over it all over again.
April 13, 2018
The first and still the best assessment of the science fiction of Isaac Asimov I ever read. More about Patrouch's book and how I discovered it shortly after its publication in 1974 https://paullevinson.blogspot.com/201...
September 12, 2019
The subtitle of this book says it all "A Definitive and Critical Investigation of Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Novels and Stories".
Well organized. Is comprehensive up to the time it was written (1974).
If you have read Asimov extensively, this is a book worth reading. I have not. I skimmed most sections which appeared just as thorough and insightful as the sections I was interested in (Caves of Steel, Naked Sun). I appreciated the author's critiques, examples and explanations of his reasoning. I've read Robots of Dawn and was considering reading the earlier novels in the trilogy, after reading this book (and yes, there were some spoilers), I'm looking forward to reading these novels and feel I will have a better appreciation and enjoyment of them when I do.
Well organized. Is comprehensive up to the time it was written (1974).
If you have read Asimov extensively, this is a book worth reading. I have not. I skimmed most sections which appeared just as thorough and insightful as the sections I was interested in (Caves of Steel, Naked Sun). I appreciated the author's critiques, examples and explanations of his reasoning. I've read Robots of Dawn and was considering reading the earlier novels in the trilogy, after reading this book (and yes, there were some spoilers), I'm looking forward to reading these novels and feel I will have a better appreciation and enjoyment of them when I do.
May 30, 2016
A readable critical study with some good insights — but, in the end, most valuable because it was essentially written with the cooperation of Asimov, whose responses to a number of Patrouch's questions are included here.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews