What Asimov book.....

[HanaBi]

...are you currently reading/have just completed?

Well, I've been away from my Asimov library for a good few years regrettably, but just recently I felt very much inclined to re-read the Robot books again. So for the last few days I have read and completed:-

Caves Of Steel
Naked Sun

and am currently reading Robots of Dawn.

I must admit this particular book is far more "wordy" than the previous offerings which both ran to around 200 odd pages, while Dawn, almost touches 500!!

 

[manephelien]

The last Asimov book I read was Foundation and Earth. It's the only Asimov novel I own, I guess I should raid my father's library a bit more often...

 

[Gav]

I think I've read just about every SF story by Asimov. There may well be a few I don' know about - he was so prolific it's hard to be sure.

I've also read a couple of essay collections and his banquets of the black widowers.

However my asimov phase was some time ago so I cannot remember specifically which was the last I read. I think it was the 3 original Foundation books which I was re-reading as I'd been given a boxed set as a gift.

 

[Pyan]

Last one: X Stands for Unknown.

I can remember the first one, too: Asimov's Mysteries.

 

[j d worthington]

My most recent Asimov was a reread of Foundation and Earth... a run through the entire Robot/Empire/Foundation set a couple of years ago. At some point in the future, I'll get around to a reread of The Gods Themselves (which I've not read in 20+ years or better), as part of going through the Hugo/Nebula winners, but as I'm involved in some major reading/research in other directions for now, it may be quite a while... Ike, however, was the one who introduced me to sf (via I, Robot when I was 6), and I've read quite a bit of his work, sf and otherwise; so I'm sure I'll be returning to it again off and on....

 

[Connavar]

I dont read Asimov right now cause he and his many foundation books were what made me a SF fan and since Foundation i have been on raid for other SF writers and books.


Soon i will get back to him and read his Robot books.


Expect a couple of newbie questions like which order to read the Robot series if those arent already answered that new Robot/Foundation/Empire thread

 

[HoopyFrood]

The most recent (and -- prepare yourselves, people -- only) Asimov book I've read is Caves of Steel. I quite enjoyed it, although at times things felt a little...contrived...as if important information was being released only when it suited the story. It's been a little while since I read it so I can't remember any examples right now, but I know I felt like that while reading it. But it was otherwise enjoyable and I'm sure I'll read more of his work in the near future!

 

[HanaBi]

The most recent (and -- prepare yourselves, people -- only) Asimov book I've read is Caves of Steel. I quite enjoyed it, although at times things felt a little...contrived...as if important information was being released only when it suited the story. It's been a little while since I read it so I can't remember any examples right now, but I know I felt like that while reading it. But it was otherwise enjoyable and I'm sure I'll read more of his work in the near future!

Same here - there was a ten year gap since I last read Caves Of Steel. Sadly I even gave it a rating out of ten and wrote it on the inside cover with a datestamp (8/10 5th Dec 1997, for the record).

But re-reading it I too felt it was a little contrived and coincidental at times. But still a good read, but only worth maybe a 6 or 7/10

 

[Fried Egg]

The last Asimov I read was "End of Eternity" which I read last year some time.

 

[j d worthington]

Yes, Caves of Steel was contrived; it was, I think, his first attempt at a blending of the sf/detective novel (as opposed to shorter story), and suffered from the faults of trying to blend the two, without so many of the strengths. The Naked Sun is a much better book, in many ways.

 

[HoopyFrood]

Ah, so people agree with me...I was thinking, after my last post, that I might be lynched by a gang of Asimov fans

 

[Fried Egg]

Ah, so people agree with me...I was thinking, after my last post, that I might be lynched by a gang of Asimov fans

Well, I loved "Caves of Steel"...but I don't have any lynchin' rope handy...

 

[Connavar]

Ah, so people agree with me...I was thinking, after my last post, that I might be lynched by a gang of Asimov fans

If you had said Foundation was sucky maybe then i wouldnt have mind lynching you

 

[HoopyFrood]

Ha! I shall bear that in mind if I read Foundation anytime soon...

 

[Eleniel]

The Naked Sun was the last one. Of course, being me, I read Robots and Empire before reading The Naked Sun. I think I'll see if I can get Robots of Dawn, that way I'll have one complete series.

I loved Caves of Steel, one of the first sf books I read. I might re-read it if I can locate it on my bookshelf. But I'm not going to linch anyone for disagreeing

 

[HanaBi]

Just completed Prelude To Foundation, and very enjoyable it was too.

Have made a start on Foundation again, but have also ordered a couple of books from the second Foundation trilogy ("..Chaos" and "..Triumph". Apparently the first book in this trilogy, Greg Benford's "Foundation's Fear" doesn't come highly recommended and can be skipped to Chaos without any great loss)

Foundation & Chaos, runs parallel with Foundation but from a slightly different perspective. I will look forward to reading it after Foundation.

 

[Nightmare]

I just started Foundation last night, and I'm embarrassed to admit that it's my first experience with Asimov. After years of reading only the newest whiz-bang hard sf, I'm finally introducing myself to the masters. I've enjoyed them all, but this is the first one that has really grabbed me. It gave me the "reader's high": that giddy feeling at the first sitting with a book when you realize you're really going to love this one.

 

[ghost8772]

Foundation I found hard to keep with, I know it was written for a weekly publication, but felt extremely disjointed. I did just reread Prelude to Foundation a month or so ago.will probably sneak back over to the robot novels again though once I finish up a few more authors on my plate.

 

[Omphalos]

Ive been on a bit of an Asimov kick lately. I am re reading things I have. A few months ago I re read the Foundation Trilogy. Im 1/2 way through a re read of the Foundation's Edge and Foundation and Earth (though I admit its been a good five weeks since Ive read any of either) and Im going to re read the Gods Themselves here again soon for a review I plan on writing of it. I also have a book by Asimov on the Bard that Ive been paging through lately, and another on Physics that has been calling to me from the shelf.

 

[j d worthington]

Foundation I found hard to keep with, I know it was written for a weekly publication, but felt extremely disjointed.

Eh? Weekly publication????

No, these were originally published as separate stories in Astounding Science Fiction, a monthly magazine... but they weren't published back-to-back, either. They were spaced out between 1942 and 1950, and Foundation itself is comprised of the first four stories in the set (the other two are made up of two novelettes each). Anyone interested in seeing the exact information on dates of publication, etc., can find it at the end of The Early Asimov.

As for it feeling disjointed... I would disagree with it being disjointed (though it obviously struck you that way), but it is episodic -- intentionally so. A great deal of the series is that... as are several other related books. (For that matter, so are Cliff Simak's City and Jack Williamson's The Humanoids....) It's a technique that allows for covering vast periods of time and changing cultural norms in short compass, by a sort of temporal cross-sectioning.....