Science Fiction Favorites

By: Isaac Asimov

Narrated by: Isaac Asimov

Length: 5 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

"You may have noticed that I speak of pocket computers. The story was written in 1957 before there were any pocket computers, and now there are. So, it's a little prediction that I managed to make. Of course, the pocket computers I thought of weren't quite like the ones they have now, but that's a detail." - Isaac Asimov

More than 50 years after publishing his first story, Hugo Award-winning author Asimov remains one of the great names in science fiction. Almost single-handedly he transformed the field from the romantic and Gothic legacy of Jules Verne and Edgar Rice Burroughs into the rational, clear-minded genre that exists today. In such classics as The Foundation Quartet, Asimov captured imaginations with tight, intricate plots set in distant but believable futures. Many of his innovations, such as the Three Laws of Robotics, are now stock devices in science fiction writing and films, and his ability to tap into his extensive knowledge of science and technology gives his fiction a veracity unmatched by any other writer in the field.

This selection of some of Asimov's most enduring and unforgettable stories is read by the author himself. These vintage tales encompass the full range of Asimov's versatility, while displaying his puckish sense of humor.

©1990 Nightfall, Inc.
(P)1975 Listening Library

small stories...bug fun!

Those stories are read by the author himself : Isasc Asimov... Those are excellent stories and the author also add some comments at the beginning or the end of every stories, put then into context and much more... The contact with the author is great! I truly loved it...

Great Stories, Wonderful Insights

I am an artificial intelligence software engineer and only recently have I started reading science fiction stories, with Isaac Asimov being one of my favorites.

To hear him tell his stories and his commentary is quite insightful and extraordinarily meaningful in general.

Where the author's voice has been insulted and in all honesty, I just don't see anything justifying any complaints of his voice as it is not substandard in any stretch of the imagination.

I would suggest to people to not let these types of complaints persuade you from not listening to the story as you will be missing out if you don't.

love Asimov

Grew up w Asimov and his 3 Laws of Robotics. These short non robot stories are great. I enjoyed Asimov reading his stories. I especially enjoyed him giving short explanations of his mood, situations and world events at time of writings. Some stories are thought provoking, some funny, some curious or sad but all enjoyable.

HALF OF INFINITY IS STILL INFINITY

SHOW ME THAT MULTIPLICATION TRICK AGAIN
If you are a fan of Asimov and you have never heard is voice, than this is a must. I have been a fan for decades, but never heard him speak. I was expecting an old man voice. Maybe like a college professor? I knew he was Jewish, but this was interesting. He sounds like the caricature of Brooklynn Jews you hear on TV and he sounds young. He also talks likes he writes, which I always suspected. Asimov has the knack of writing like he is a friend of yours sitting across from you talking about the weather.

All the stories are good, none are bad. The Ugly Little Boy was the greatest. I have read this story several times and read the book he wrote with Robert Silverberg and it is still a tear jerker. Asimov even cried when he read it. Satisfaction Guaranteed was my next favorite. This is a story which has Dr. Calvin in it and she is trying to perfect robots.

Asimov explains before each story, why he wrote it and says a few words after each story about the story. This adds a lot of charm to the listening. One interesting thing he said, was that if he had to take a college class on his writings, that he would probably flunk. When they go to analyzing his work, he would not understand all the deep underlining meanings he was suppose to have in his writings.

If your already a fan, this is a must or this is a good place to start, if you don't know him..

Great Content But Asimov's Voice Isn't Great

Any additional comments?

As said in the title, the stories in this book are top notch, but the author's voice actually takes AWAY from the listening experience. He has a very nasally voice and I think the text would have been much better treated had they hired an actual actor to read the content. Apart from that, it is very hard to tell where one story starts and the next one begins, as there is no announcement or pause to let you know that any of the stories have ended.
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7.9 / 10

Favorites?

Any additional comments?

In the introduction, Mr. Asimov tells how he selected the stories, that they were some of his favorites. I appreciate that and some, indeed, were delightful tales. Others were simply Meh! His personal insights and introductions to each item are enjoyable, but his voice takes some getting used to. After a while, you just realize it's the author reading and go with it. Overall, not one of my favorites but certainly worth listening to.

great to hear the author read his own stories

this was a wonderful collection of Asimov's works. it was great hearing him read and his commentary was interesting. this collection does include "the last question" which is arguably his best short story.

amazing. simple, yet amazing

one of the greatest writers. I particularly enjoyed the final story. Very emotional very passionate reading . moved me to tears

Entertaining and personal

At first, I thought Asimov's voice was a horrible fit for an audiobook. "Now I know why he's an author, not an actor!" However, as I kept listening, the more personal and real connection he had to his work came through, and the less-than-stellar acting was overshadowed by the warmth and feeling of getting to know a bit of Asimov.

By the end of the last story, "The Ugliest Little Boy" (if I remember the title correctly), both the listener and Asimov are completely drawn into the narrative, and, frankly, it was a tear-jerker. I was glad I had stopped for gas when I hit the end of it, because it would have been hard to pay attention to the road and the emotion of the story and the narration.

Even if you're not a science fiction afficionado, these stories transcend genre boundaries and make great listening.

How wonderful to hear his voice

People will be certainly reading Asimov's stories in print hundreds of years from now. His Foundation books are perhaps the best science fiction ever written. When I chose this title I was hoping only for a few gems and expected to hear the stories narrated by a professional actor. To actually hear Asimov's voice telling his own stories was, for me, wonderful. Sure he sounds a little funny - like the way he pronounces robot as "row-bit" - but to me there was something fantastic about hearing his inflections and his comments as he read his own stories. Some of the stories were wonderful and others were merely clever. All were worth listening to. Compared to the other audio books I have listened, this one is one of the very best.