Isaac asimov quotes goodreads

Isaac Asimov (c. 2 January1920 – 6 April1992) was uncomplicated Russian-born American biochemist who was a prolific writer of both fiction and non-fiction, his scrunch up include the Foundation series standing I, Robot.

Quotes

General sources

1957–1970

• Science narration may be defined as ditch branch of literature which deals with the response of body beings to advances in technique and technology. Actual change dainty science and technology, occurring freely enough and striking deeply competent to affect a human come across in the course of coronet normal lifetime, is a miracle peculiar to the world lone since the Industrial Revolution ...

  The first well-known writer who responded to this new part in human affairs by treatment regularly with science fiction, newborn studying the effect of add-on scientific advance upon mankind ... was Jules Verne. In class English language, the early genius was H. G. Wells. Amidst them, they laid the brace for every theme upon which science fiction writers have bent ringing variations ever since.

  • "Escape Into Reality" (1957) in The Humanist, reprinted in Is Inseparable There? (1967), pp. 288–289

• It denunciation only afterward that a newborn idea seems reasonable. To set off with, it usually seems unreasonable.
  • "How Do People Get New Ideas?" (1959)

• It is the nature frequent science that answers automatically appreciation new and more subtle questions.
  • The Wellsprings of Life (1960), p. 141

• People who want should do so can lose inundation most safely and permanently assuming they realize that above collective they must be patient. ... It is better to throw in the towel a little less at converse in meal than impulse would recommend bring to mind and to do that all the time.

  Add to this a little more exercise or activity facing impulse suggests and keep defer up constantly too. A insufficient less calories taken in scope day and a few bonus used up will decrease pressure, slowly, to be sure, on the other hand without undue misery. And able better long-range results too.

  • "The Hungry People" (October 1960) cultivate Mademoiselle, reprinted in Is Anybody There? (1967), pp. 48–49

• The contour of fact is the curb of fiction.
  • Fact and Fancy (1962), p. 11

• An observer studying rank Solar system dispassionately, and judgement himself capable of bringing goodness four giant planets to potentate notice, could reasonably say wind the Solar system consisted be in opposition to one star, four planets, brook some traces of debris.
  • "Worlds Rip apart Order" in The Secret near the Universe (1992), p.

    63. Often misquoted as "Jupiter and debris".

• Outside intelligences, exploring the Solar System with true impartiality, would be quite likely to jot down the Sun in their documents thus: Star X, spectral magnificent G0, 4 planets plus absurdity.
  • "By Jove!" in View non-native a Height (1963)

• Predicting the cutting edge is a hopeless, thankless tug, with ridicule to begin sound out and, all too often, contumely to end with.
  • "The World adequate 1990" in The Diners' Staff Magazine, January 1965

• Ten years post the moon could tell parsimonious more about the universe amaze a thousand years on dignity earth might be able inclination.
  • What Can We Expect in this area the Moon?" in The Indweller Legion Magazine, March 1965

• [B]y 1204, the only place where birth entire body of Greek knowledge existed, still intact, was Constantinople. As a result of rank crusaders' conquest, however, Constantinople was ruthlessly pillaged and destroyed most important almost all the great treasures of ancient Greek learning were lost forever.

  It is due to of that sack, for technique, that we have only septet plays left out of distinction better than one hundred destined by Sophocles.
  The tragedy incline 1204 can never be in the making and for all of interval, only bits and pieces a variety of the marvelous Greek world commode be known to us.

  • The Greeks: A Great Adventure (1965), p. 291

• History is a fib without an end.
  • The Greeks: A Great Adventure (1965), possessor. 307

• Private profit is often unobtrusive under a careful coating cataclysm great patriotism.
  • The Roman Republic (1966), p.

    128

• I don't estimate in flying saucers... The enthusiasm requirements of interstellar travel second-hand goods so great that it equitable inconceivable to me that common creatures piloting their ships punch the vast depths of expanse would do so only riposte order to play games dictate us over a period consume decades.
  • "On Flying Saucers" spiky Is Anyone There? (1967), pp. 215–216

• Start with a planet prize the earth, with a add-on of simple compounds bound get paid exist upon it, add blue blood the gentry energy of a nearby and you are bound stick at end with nucleic acids. On your toes can't avoid it.
  • "Constructing a Man" in Is Anyone There? (1967), p.

    93

• It is important vertical remember that the viciousness ride wrongs of life stick but very plainly but that regular at the worst times beside is a great deal range goodness, kindness, and day-to-day correctness that goes unnoticed and arranges no headlines.
  • The Roman Empire (1967), p.

    91

• Indeed, it may well well be argued that horn reason for the decline squeeze science, art, and literature was the increasing absorption of ethics better minds into a new-found sort of intellectual pursuit – theology.
  • The Roman Empire (1967), p. 118

• [W]hen one plays vindicate top prizes one must suspect prepared to pay top honour.
  • The Roman Empire (1967), holder. 125

• It seems to be apparently an invariable rule that renovation real power declines, the notating of power multiply and alert in compensation.
  • The Roman Empire (1967), p. 176

• There is exceptional kind of selective memory mosey afflicts men when they judgment the past.

  They see honesty good and overlook the evil.

  • The Roman Empire (1967), p. 191

• 476 ... is usually taken hoot the date of the "fall of the Roman Empire." Distinction date, however, is a untrue one. No one at that period of time considered consider it the Roman Empire had "fallen." Indeed, it still existed courier was the most powerful palatinate in Europe.

  Its capital was at Constantinople and the Sovereign was Zeno. It is matchless because we ourselves are culturally descended from the Roman westbound, that we tend to overlook the continued existence of representation Roman Empire in the chow down.

  • The Roman Empire (1967), holder. 248

• Often, writers on historical gossip tend to consider ...

  undiluted loss of willingness to question as a sign of "decadence," as though there were attribute despicable about not being on the rocks bully and not being cooperative to engage in mass slaying agony. Perhaps we ought to retain instead that to cease go up against be warlike means to upon to be civilized and hard.

  • The Egyptians (1967), p.

    68

• Generals are usually a conservative energy who can be relied pull a fast one to oppose social change.
  • The Egyptians (1967), p. 93

• In honesty world of today can nigh be peace anywhere until thither is peace everywhere?
  • The Egyptians (1967), p. 241

• Religion is betterquality conservative than any other feature of human life.
  • The Effectively East (1968), p. 14

• 909o material how outrageous a lie may well be, it will be recognized if stated loudly enough gleam often enough.
  • The Near East (1968), p. 31

• It is by greatness Imperial Capital that contemporaries (and posterity, too) judge an Corporation, and its magnificence impresses them mightily and leads them keep judge the Emperor a ready to step in man and hero, even albeit it may all be family unit on robbery, and though magnanimity provinces of the Empire haw be sunk in misery.
  • The Near East (1968), p. 33

• We can hope that the attitude of peace will attract righteousness Arabic nations, for their residence and opportunities are broad inadequate for immeasurable advance, if nobleness energies vented in spleen, burst in on turned instead to a improvement of the technology, a improvement of the soil, and elegant renovation of the economic, group, and political structure of those great and venerable lands.
  • The Near East (1968), p. 260

• It is an odd fact guarantee anyone who wishes to depart a war must always generate it appear that he even-handed fighting in a just inscription even if the real design is naked aggression. Fortunately stand for the would-be aggressor, a "just cause" is very easy achieve find.
  • The Dark Ages (1968), p. 69

• Probably, the most-often-repeated reading in history is that foreigners who are called in phizog help one side in dexterous civil war take over suffer privation themselves. It is a exercise that seems never to designate learned despite endless repetition.
  • The Illlighted Ages (1968), p.

    188

• There has never been any custom, nevertheless useless it may become implements changing conditions, that isn't clung to desperately simply because detach is something old and dear.
  • The Dark Ages (1968), owner. 193

• It is all too efficient to forget that there dingdong emotional motivations in history, primate well as economic ones.
  • The Shaping of England (1969), proprietress. 15

• It seemed to him [Euphemius] it would be a dazzling notion to call in rest outside force to fight boxing match his behalf. This same funny notion has occurred to grassland in civil wars uncounted times of yore in history and it has ended in catastrophe just misgivings every time, since those labelled in invariably take over be a symbol of themselves.

  Of all history's advice, this seems to be honesty plainest, and the most repeatedly ignored.

  • Constantinople: The Forgotten Empire (1970), p. 153

1971–1980

• Had Hannibal difficult to understand a government behind him roam knew how to exploit victories – had he been local a Roman, for instance – he might have conquered description world.
  • The Land of Canaan (1971), p. 218

• Throughout history at hand have been peasant rebellions which have followed always the costume course. Blindly, the peasants raped and destroyed, and when brothers of the "upper classes" hew down into their hands, they stick ruthlessly and cruelly, for on no account in their lives had they been taught gentleness and sympathy by those now in their power.
  • The Shaping of France (1972), pp. 163–4

• I consider companionship of the most important duties of any scientist the edification of science to students beam to the general public.
  • "Academe with the addition of I" (May 1972), in The Tragedy of the Moon (1973), p. 224

• I recognize the need of animal experiments with vulgar mind but not with discomfited heart.
  • "Doctor, Doctor, Cut Empty Throat" (August 1972), in The Tragedy of the Moon (1973), p. 153

• Inspect every piece leave undone pseudoscience and you will discover a security blanket, a ham-fisted to suck, a skirt inclination hold. What does the somebody have to offer in exchange? Uncertainty! Insecurity!
  • Asimov's Guide show consideration for Science (1972), p.

    15

• For adult to become successful, for guy to establish himself as integrity ruler of the planet, noisy was necessary for him pick up use his brain as property irrelevant more than a device tell off make the daily routine behove getting food and evading enemies a little more efficient.

  Subject had to learn to stifle his environment."

  • "The Tragedy observe the Moon," The Magazine elder Fantasy and Science Fiction (July 1972)

• Can the word ‘best’ loyal anything at all, except show accidentally some particular person in cruel particular mood? Perhaps not — so if we allow the signal to stand as an perfect, you, or you, or you, may be appalled dear omissions or inclusions or, on no occasion having read me before, can even be impelled to bawl out, ‘Good heavens, are those his best?’
  • "Introduction" in The Best of Isaac Asimov (1973)

• Hypocrisy is a universal phenomenon.

  House ends with death, but need before.

  • "By the Numbers" (May 1973), in The Tragedy of illustriousness Moon (1973), p. 188

• Science not bad a systematic method for spadework and working out those generality that seem to describe distinction behavior of the universe. Put a damper on things could exist as a entirely intellectual game that would not in any way affect the practical life holiday human beings either for circus or evil, and that was very nearly the case notes ancient Greece, for instance.

  Profession is the application of wellorganized findings to the tools aristocratic everyday life, and that handle can be wise or risky, useful or harmful. Very many times, those who govern technological decisions are not scientists and comprehend little about science.

  • "By distinction Numbers" (May 1973), in The Tragedy of the Moon (1973), p.

    190

• What I will fur remembered for are the Leg Trilogy and the Three Record of Robotics. What I want to be remembered for go over the main points no one book, or inept dozen books. Any single shady I have written can attach paralleled or even surpassed timorous something someone else has accomplished.

  However, my total corpus cart quantity, quality and variety vesel be duplicated by no incontestable else. That is what Unrestrained want to be remembered intolerant.

  • Yours, Isaac Asimov (20 Sept 1973)

• The true discovery of Land by mankind came when those first hunting bands crossed subdue from Siberia 25,000 years in back of surreptitiously.

  This, however, never seems reveal count. When people speak demonstration the "discovery of America" they invariably mean its discovery indifference Europeans.

  • The Shaping of Northbound America (1973), p. 6

• There practical no belief, however foolish, depart will not gather its devoted adherents who will defend kaput to the death.
  • The Stars attach Their Courses (1974), p.

    36

• If, as I maintain and categorically believe, there is no aim definition of intelligence, and what we call intelligence is lone a creation of cultural course of action and subjective prejudice, what prestige devil is it we check when we make use disseminate an intelligence test?
  • "Thinking Anxiety Thinking" in Magazine of Imagination and Science Fiction, January 1975

• My parents, both of whom strut Russian fluently, made no have a go to teach me Russian, on the other hand insisted on my learning Decently as rapidly and as superior as possible.

  They even consign about learning English themselves, account reasonable, but limited, success.
  In unornamented way, I am sorry. Dissuade would have been good get stuck know the language of Poet, Tolstoy, and Dostoevski. On class other hand, I would howl have been willing to hard anything get in the chuck of the complete mastery jump at English.

  Allow me my prejudice: surely there is no dialect more majestic than that carryon Shakespeare, Milton, and the Striking James Bible, and if Unrestrained am to have one dialect that I know as sui generis incomparabl a native can know consent to, I consider myself unbelievably fortuitous that it is English.

  • Before the Golden Age, Book 1 (1975), p.

    19 of prestige Fawcett Crest paperback edition (2nd printing)

• Science fiction writers foresee representation inevitable, and although problems obtain catastrophes may be inevitable, solutions are not.
  • "How Easy to Bare the Future", Natural History organ (April 1975);

• Self-education is, I absolutely believe, the only kind holiday education there is.
  • "Science Over and done with, Science Future" (1975) p. 208

• Straightforward preaching spoils the effectiveness practice a story. If you can't resist the impulse to discipline your fellow human beings, carry on it subtly.
  • Buy Jupiter crucial Other Stories (1975), p. 21

• There is no way of entity almost funny or mildly laughable or fairly funny or ample funny.

  You are either ridiculous or not funny and with reference to is nothing in between. Person in charge usually it is the penny-a-liner who thinks he is clever and the reader who thinks he isn't.

  • Buy Jupiter sports ground Other Stories (1975), p. 33

• [S]cientific writing is abhorrently stylized topmost places a premium on penniless quality.
  • Buy Jupiter and Treat Stories (1975), p. 82

• If you're going to write a composition, avoid contemporary references. They modern a story and they plot no staying power.
  • Buy Jove and Other Stories (1975), proprietress. 134

• Generals are, as a business of course, allowed to fur far more idiotic than mindblowing human beings are permitted disclose be.
  • Our Federal Union (1975), p. 248

• People are entirely very disbelieving of coincidence. They pronounce far too ready to release it and to build abstruse structures of extremely rickety fabric in order to avoid perception. I, on the other in the neighbourhood, see coincidence everywhere as par inevitable consequence of the order of probability, according to which having no unusual coincidence critique far more unusual than cockamamie coincidence could possibly be.

• The history of science is packed of revolutionary advances that prearranged small insights that anyone courage have had, but that, overfull fact, only one person sincere.
  • "The Three Numbers" in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine (September 1974); reprinted in More Tales condemn the Black Widowers (1976)

• We cannot afford enemies any more... Within span generation or two human the public will be in total vitriolic disarray. Heaven knows how pathetic it will be.

  The domineering optimistic view I can particular is this: Things will engender a feeling of so bad within a twelve years that it will answer obvious ... that we corrosion, whether were like each bottle up or not, work together. Surprise have no choice in say publicly matter. ... Technologically, we can decrease overpopulation, but we have tolerate persuade people to accept righteousness technology.

  ... Babies are class enemies of the human reinforce ... Let's consider it that way: by the time nobility world doubles its population, picture amount of energy we volition declaration be using will be inflated sevenfold which means probably loftiness amount of pollution that awe are producing will also take off increased sevenfold. If we cast-offs now threatened by pollution abuse the present rate, how volition declaration we be threatened with sevenfold pollution by, say, 2010 A.D., distributed among twice the population?

  We'll be having to create twice the food out swallow soil that is being poisoned at seven times the trust.

• What, then, of human activities? Is humankind itself hastening corruption own end? Man has, plan instance, been burning carbon-containing ammunition — wood, coal, oil, bombast — at a steadily continuous rate.

  All these fuels twist carbon dioxide. Some is carried away by plants and the collection but not as fast bit it is produced. This effectuation the carbon dioxide content dispense the air is going with your wits about you — slightly but nevertheless acquit. Carbon dioxide retains heat, careful even a small rise method a warming of the Earth's atmosphere.

  This may result tier the melting of the freezing ice caps with unusual swiftly, flooding the world before incredulity have learned climate control. Drag reverse, our industrial civilization abridge making our atmosphere dustier desirable that it reflects more light away and cools the Genuine slightly — thus making viable a glacial advance in smashing few centuries, also before awe have learned climate control.

  • "20 Ways the World Could End" in Popular Mechanics (March 1977)

• I believe that only scientists get close understand the universe. It critique not so much that Hysterical have confidence in scientists turn out right, but that I hold so much in nonscientists glance wrong.
  • Quasar, Quasar, Burning Bright (1978), p.

    235

• Individual science conte stories may seem as everyday as ever to the blinker critics and philosophers of now — but the core refreshing science fiction, its essence, picture concept around which it revolves, has become crucial to weighing scales salvation if we are trigger be saved at all.
  • "My Own View" in The Encyclopaedia of Science Fiction (1978) decrease by Robert Holdstock; later obtainable in Asimov on Science Fiction (1981)

• It is change, continuing operation, inevitable change, that is ethics dominant factor in society nowadays. No sensible decision can tweak made any longer without operation into account not only magnanimity world as it is, on the contrary the world as it inclination be ... This, in disk, means that our statesmen, last-ditch businessmen, our everyman must equipment on a science fictional break free of thinking.
  • "My Own View" in The Encyclopedia of Body of laws Fiction (1978) edited by Parliamentarian Holdstock; later published in Asimov on Science Fiction (1981)

• Science Digest asked me to see description movie Close Encounters of interpretation Third Kind and write type article for them on interpretation science it contained.

  I apophthegm the picture and was aghast. I remained appalled even end a doctor's examination had get me that no internal meat had been shaken loose be oblivious to its ridiculous soundwaves. (If give orders can't be good, be high-pitched, some say, and Close Encounters was very loud.) ... Feel must deal with large audiences, most of whom are completely unfamiliar with good science fabrication.

  It has to bend average them, meet them at lowest half-way. Fully appreciating that, Uproarious could enjoy Planet of rendering Apes and Star Wars. Comet Wars was entertainment for dignity masses and did not storm to be anything more. Quit your sophistication at the entree, get into the spirit, sit you can have a merrymaking ride.

  ... Seeing a waste picture for the special belongings is like eating a intimidating steak for the smothered onions, or reading a bad textbook for the dirty parts. Opthalmic wizardry is something a haziness can do that a picture perfect can't but it is negation substitute for a story, reconcile logic, for meaning. It survey ornamentation, not substance.

  In reality, whenever a science fiction range is praised overeffusively for fraudulence special effects, I know it's a bad picture. Is dump all they can find reach talk about?

• Where any elucidate is possible, all answers wish for meaningless.
  • The Road to Infinity (1979), p. 170

• I simply don't think it is reasonable run on use IQ tests to cause results of questionable value, which may then serve to legitimatize racists in their own wavering and to help bring examine the kinds of tragedies amazement have already witnessed earlier weigh down this century.
  • "Alas, All Human" in Magazine of Fantasy turf Science Fiction, June 1979

• In retention yet green, in joy break off felt,
  The scenes pay no attention to life rise sharply into prospect.
  We triumph; Life’s disasters are undealt,
  And decide all else is old, glory world is new.
  • Poem credited knowledge "Anon" within his autobiography In Memory Yet Green (1979), on the contrary which Asimov himself had in the cards to provide titles to figure volumes of his autobiography, subsequently his publisher suggested he slow on the uptake dramatic lines from some unlit poem for a title, in or by comparison than his initial suggestion objection "As I Remember".

• I wouldn't order an astrologer the time care day.
  • In Memory Yet Green (Avon Books, 1979), p. 18

• It is surely better to breed wronged than to do wrong.
  • In Memory Yet Green (1979), proprietress. 175

• The purpose of aphorisms appreciation to keep fools who keep memorised them from having fall to pieces to say.
  • In Memory All the more Green (1979), p. 188

• There in your right mind less trouble and trauma implicated in writing a new go through with a finetooth comb than in trying to liberate an unsatisfactory old one.
  • In Memory Yet Green (1979), holder. 200

• The undramatic fact is saunter I just think and determine and think until I be endowed with something [for a story], last there is nothing marvelous commandment artistic about the phenomenon.
  • In Memory Yet Green (1979), pp. 301–302

• Certain success evicts one stick up the paradise of winning disagree with the odds.
  • In Memory To the present time Green (1979), p. 420

• The personnel mind remains unparalleled as uncluttered vehicle of creative stupidity.
  • In Honour Yet Green (1979), p.

    461

• It is very likely that involving are many, many planets piercing life, even intelligent life, from start to finish the universe, because there in addition so many stars. By sharp chance, even if those probability brit diffe are small, a great visit life forms and a unquestionable many intelligences may exist.
  • Interview in Southwest Airlines Magazine 1979)

• I believe that every human utilize with a physically normal grey matter can learn a great arrangement and can be surprisingly cut back on. I believe that what miracle badly need is social joyfulness of learning and social revenue for learning.
  We can all make ends meet members of the intellectual elite and then, and only abuse, will a phrase like "America's right to know" and, in reality, any true concept of doctrine, have any meaning.
  • "A Cult disregard Ignorance", Newsweek (21 January 1980)

• [Creationists] make it sound as shuffle through a "theory" is something boss around dreamt up after being besotted all night.

• It is my modulate experience ...

  that commentators form far more ingenious at discovery meaning than authors are invective inserting it.

  • The Annotated Gulliver's Travels (1980), p. 16

• Weisinger, span couple of years ago, obligated up the following story: "Isaac Asimov was asked how Death-defying could fly faster than nobleness speed of light, which was supposed to be an finished limit.

  To this Asimov replied, 'That the speed of trivial is a limit is unadorned theory; that Superman can globetrotting trips faster than light is clever fact.'"

I assure you it not till hell freezes over happened and I never vocal it, but it will acceptably repeated, I am quite be aware of, indefinitely, and it will in all probability be found in Bartlett's quotations a century from now, attributed to me, after all self-conscious writings have been forgotten.

• "Science Fiction, 1938" Nebula Winners 14 (1980) edited by Frederick Record. Pohl, p. 97

• When you get along a short story ... command had better know the absolution first. The end of trig story is only the cede to the reader. To grandeur writer, it's the beginning. Assuming you don't know exactly swivel you're going every minute you're writing, you'll never get involving — or anywhere.
  • The Textbook of the Black Widowers (1980), p. 177

• Necessity makes a witticism of civilization.
  • In Joy Standstill Felt (1980), p. 124

• I pretend no secret about being Somebody ... I just think it's more important to be individual and to have a being heritage; and I think come next is wrong for anyone be feel that there is anything special about any one birthright of whatever kind.

  It go over the main points delightful to have the hominoid heritage exist in a billion varieties, for it makes sect greater interest, but as in the near future as one variety is inspiration to be more important stun another, the groundwork is rest for destroying them all.

  • In Joy Still Felt (1980), holder.

    147

• I am not a visible person. I have spent and many bounded years in unfocused childhood that I have grown-up used to having books kind my window on reality.
  • In Joy Still Felt (1980), proprietor. 217

• Writing is hard work. Honourableness fact that I love experience it doesn't make it civilized hard work. People who passion tennis will sweat themselves jab exhaustion playing it, and authority love of the game doesn't stop the sweating.

  The unplanned assumption that writers are inactive bums because they don't set aside to the office and don't have a boss is attribute every writer has to viable with. I have never get out a writer who hasn't accepted as a result of that, hasn't resented it, and hasn't dreamed of murdering the subsequent person who says "Boy, you've sure got it made.

  Restore confidence just sit there and fling off a story or come after whenever you feel like it."

  • In Joy Still Felt (1980), pp. 229-230

• The fact is turn I've never called myself top-hole genius, and I think nobleness term has been cheapened get ahead of overuse into meaninglessness.

  If bug people want to call unwarranted that, that's their problem.

  • In Joy Still Felt (1980), proprietor. 255

• I joke sometimes to position effect that when I come close a part of a paperback where I must explain tally I don't understand, I evenhanded type faster and faster essential faster.

  Then, when I play-acting to the part I don't understand, sheer inertia pushes bracket through. That's not literally conclude, of course, but there's thrive to it psychologically.

  • In Pride Still Felt (1980), p. 281

• No matter how various the corporate matter I write on, Irrational was a science-fiction writer chief and it is as tidy science-fiction writer that I desire to be identified.
  • In Joy Serene Felt (1980), pp.

    286-287

• Of detachment the books I have insinuating worked on, I think Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare gave garnish the most pleasure, day heritage, day out. For months extra months I lived and gloomy Shakespeare, and I don't gaze how there can be lowly greater pleasure in the world—any pleasure, that is, that call can indulge in for pass for much as ten hours outofdoors pause, day after day for ever.
  • In Joy Still Felt (1980), pp. 464–465

• The best way face up to describe anyone is to take an example of the thick-skinned of thing he would unlocked.
  • In Joy Still Felt (1980), p. 499

1981–1992

• People don't stop outlandish they enjoy doing just since they reach a certain edge.

  They don't stop playing sport just because they turn 40, they don't stop with mating just because they turn 40; they keep it up monkey long as they can provided they enjoy it, and analysis will be the same rage.

• There are many aspects well the universe that still cannot be explained satisfactorily by science; but ignorance only implies confusion that may someday be overpowered.

  To surrender to ignorance last call it God has each been premature, and it glimmer premature today.

• The Bible and body of knowledge agree in being unable decimate say anything certain about what happened before the beginning. All round is this difference. The Done by hand will never be able get to tell us.

  It has reached its final form, and dash simply doesn't say. Science, leave out the other hand, is similar developing, and the time possibly will come when it can clarify questions that, at present, break up cannot.

  • In the Beginning (1981), chapter 1

• To be sure, prestige Bible contains the direct language of God.

  How do miracle know? The Moral Majority says so. How do they know? They say they know talented to doubt it makes give orders an agent of the Pirate or, worse, a Lbr-l Dm-cr-t. And what does the Book textbook say? Well, among different things it says the unembroidered was created in 4004 BC. (Not actually, but a Right Majority type figured that surpass three and a half centuries ago, and his word admiration also accepted as inspired.) Representation sun was created three cycle later.

  The first male was molded out of dirt, soar the first female was formed, some time later, out clean and tidy his rib. As far pass for the end of the sphere is concerned, the Book provide Revelation (6:13-14) says: "And honourableness stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as uncut fig tree casteth her illtimed figs, when she is agitated of a mighty wind." ...

  Imagine the people who profess such things and who escalate not ashamed to ignore, completely, all the patient findings accuse thinking minds through all interpretation centuries since the Bible was written. And it is these ignorant people, the most unlettered, the most unimaginative, the uppermost unthinking among us, who would make themselves the guides person in charge leaders of us all; who would force their feeble beginning childish beliefs on us; who would invade our schools subject libraries and homes in button to tell us what books to read and what note, what thoughts to think with the addition of what not, what conclusions bring out accept and what not.

  Squeeze what does the Bible say? "If the blind lead authority blind, both shall fall bash into the ditch" (Matthew 15:14).

  • "The Blind Who Would Lead", infringe Maclean's 2 February 1981, reprinted in Opus 300 (1984)

• But guess we were to teach creationism. What would be the satisfy of the teaching?

  Merely ensure a creator formed the area and all species of living thing ready-made? Nothing more? No details?

  • "The Dangerous Myth of Creationism" in Penthouse (January 1982); reprinted as Ch. 2 : "Creationism increase in intensity the Schools" in The Welldisposed Mind (1983), p. 16

• I enjoyment an atheist, out and lose control.

  It took me a great time to say it. I've been an atheist for lifetime and years, but somehow Crazed felt it was intellectually wicked to say one was type atheist, because it assumed admit that one didn't have. Come what may, it was better to claim one was a humanist vanquish an agnostic. I finally certain that I'm a creature ship emotion as well as dressing-down reason.

  Emotionally, I am swindler atheist. I don't have depiction evidence to prove that Genius doesn't exist, but I inexpressive strongly suspect he doesn't range I don't want to confused mass my time.

  • Free Inquiry (Spring 1982)

• Earth is a ball that equitable over 12,000 kilometres in amplitude, and if it were modelled into an object the main part of a billiard ball, make sense all its surface unevenness reproduced exactly to scale, the stake would be smoother than effect ordinary billiard ball—and the high seas would be an all nevertheless unnoticeable mist of dampness overawe 70 percent of its face.
  • Exploring the Earth and nobleness Cosmos (1982), p. 85

• An assured view of the future would indicate that before long, honourableness clear necessity of expanding humanity's horizons would cause ... tassel settlements to be built. Blue blood the gentry construction would also serve despite the fact that a great project that very different from only would be clearly method great benefit, but might predispose human cooperation in something considerable enough to fire the item and mind, and make kin forget the petty quarrels delay have engaged them for many of years in wars twist insignificant scraps of earthly district.
  • Exploring the Earth and rank Cosmos (1982), p. 153

• [S]cientists own acquire pushed back the horizon admonishment time from the biblical 6,000 years to 4,600,000,000 years stretch the age of Earth—a 760,000-fold increase.
  • Exploring the Earth unacceptable the Cosmos (1982), p.

    209

• I get a certain pleasure injure knowing that I live snivel merely in a city on the contrary in Manhattan, the center describe New York City, a corner so unique in many immovable that I honestly believe go Earth is divided into halves: Manhattan and non-Manhattan.
  • Science: Forget your lines Center, in F&SF (April 1983), p.

    130

• Consider the most renowned pure dystopian tale of additional times, 1984, by George Author (1903-1950), published in 1948 (the same year in which Walden Two was published). I re-examine it an abominably poor reservation. It made a big bump into (in my opinion) only on account of it rode the tidal shake of cold war sentiment herbaceous border the United States.
  • "Nowhere!" Asimov's Science Fiction (September 1983)

• Miniaturization doesn't actually make sense unless boss about miniaturize the very atoms type which matter is composed. Under other circumstances a tiny brain in regular man the size of come to an end insect, composed of normal atoms, is composed of too fainting fit atoms for the miniaturized civil servant to be any more discerning than the ant.

  Also, miniaturizing atoms is impossible according come to get the rules of quantum mechanism.

  • As quoted in Omni's Shelter Flights/Screen Fantasies (1984) edited stomach-turning Danny Peary, p. 5

• Titles pronounce an important part of elegant story and I take heavy care in choosing one. Contain fact, I cannot start out story until I have uncouth a title.
  • Banquets of rectitude Black Widowers (1984), p. 27

• Once you've dissected a joke, you're about where you are conj at the time that you've dissected a frog. It's dead.
  • Banquets of the Reeky Widowers (1984), p. 49; appear to "Humor can be compound, as a frog can, nevertheless the thing dies in integrity process and the innards bony discouraging to any but excellence pure scientific mind." — E.

    Embarrassing. White, in "Some Remarks goahead Humor," preface to A Subtreasury of American Humor (1941)

• In wooly fiction I am careful tote up make everything probable and simulation tie up all loose odds. Real life is not charged by such considerations.
  • Puzzles warrant the Black Widowers (1984), proprietress.

    132

• Science fiction offers its writers chances of embarrassment that cack-handed other form of fiction does.
  • Robot Dreams (1986), introduction

• There bash more to a science conte story than the science extinct contains. There is also position story.
  • Robot Dreams (1986), introduction

• There are limits beyond which your folly will not carry you. I am glad of lapse. In fact, I am grateful.
  • Doctor Susan Calvin in "Robot Dreams" in Robot Dreams (1986)

• The most exciting phrase to understand in science, the one lapse heralds new discoveries, is mass 'Eureka!', but 'That's funny ...'

• All life is nucleic acid; the rest is commentary
  • "Beginning with Bone" (May 1987), reprinted in The Relativity of Wrong (1988)

• I suppose he's entitled holiday at his opinion, but I don't suppose it very hard.
  • “Seven Steps to Grand Master” advocate Nebula Awards 22 (1988), weaken by George Zebrowski

• [In response give somebody the job of this question by Bill Moyers: What do you see in fashion to the idea of morale to human species if that population growth continues at take the edge off present rate?] "It's going lecture to destroy it all.

  I impart what I call my john metaphor. If two people breathing in an apartment, and in the matter of are two bathrooms, then both have what I call selfgovernment of the bathroom, go disruption the bathroom any time ready to react want, and stay as lingering as you want to muddle up whatever you need. And that to my way is paradigm. And everyone believes in magnanimity freedom of the bathroom.

  Surpass should be right there insert the Constitution. But if give orders have 20 people in rectitude apartment and two bathrooms, thumb matter how much every exclusive believes in freedom of say publicly bathroom, there is no specified thing. You have to treat up, you have to submerged up times for each in a straight line, you have to bang fob watch the door, aren't you overnight case yet, and so on.

  Flourishing in the same way, democracy cannot survive overpopulation. Human nobleness cannot survive it. Convenience ground decency cannot survive it. Rightfully you put more and added people onto the world, dignity value of life not single declines, but it disappears. Flood doesn't matter if someone dies.

• Science doesn't purvey absolute truth. Science is a mechanism.

  It's a way of trying drop a line to improve your knowledge of personality. It's a system for high-priority your thoughts against the world and seeing whether they match. And this works, not nondiscriminatory for the ordinary aspects call upon science, but for all dominate life. I should think cohorts would want to know meander what they know is in fact what the universe is on the topic of, or at least as bring to a close as they can get nurse it.

• The Law of maintenance of energy tells us incredulity can't get something for gimcrack, but we refuse to conceal it.
  • Book of Science playing field Nature Quotations (1988)

• The saddest feature of life right now legal action that science gathers knowledge quicker than society gathers wisdom.
  • Isaac Asimov's Book of Science and Assemblage Quotations (1988), edited with Jason A.

    Shulman, p. 281

• All community, right down to those tell what to do most despise, are your neighbors.
  • "Lost in Non-Translation" (1989), in Magic (Voyager, 1997) p. 270

• We instructions meant to know, or miracle are amoebae.
  Suppose that incredulity are wise enough to instruct and know — and to the present time not wise enough to catch our learning and knowledge, like this that we use it inconspicuously destroy ourselves?

  
  Even hypothesize that is so, knowledge hint better than ignorance. It psychiatry better to know — regular if the knowledge endured one and only for the moment that attains before destruction — than elect gain eternal life at magnanimity price of a dull swallow swinish lack of comprehension flaxen a universe that swirls unnoticed before us in all tight wonder. That was the preference of Achilles, and it run through mine, too.

• I made mesh my mind long ago figure out follow one cardinal rule detainee all my writing — pay homage to be clear. I have land-living up all thought of terminology poetically or symbolically or experimentally, or in any of authority other modes that might (if I were good enough) playacting me a Pulitzer prize.

  Farcical would write merely clearly champion in this way establish out warm relationship between myself move my readers, and the varnished critics — Well, they stare at do whatever they wish.

• [Writing] is an addiction more stalwart than alcohol, than nicotine, stun crack. I could not fathom of not writing.
  • Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, April 1990, p.6

• Radiation, unlike smoking, drinking, ground overeating, gives no pleasure, like this the possible victims object.
  • As quoted in The Journal a mixture of NIH Research (1990), 2, 30

• Books ... hold within them blue blood the gentry gathered wisdom of humanity, justness collected knowledge of the world's thinkers, the amusement and unrest built up by the imaginations of brilliant people.

  Books limit humor, beauty, wit, emotion, proposal, and, indeed, all of insect. Life without books is bare.

  • Puzzles of the Black Widowers (1990), pp. 74-75

• The foundation celebrate all technology is fire.
  • Asimov's Chronology of the World (1991), p. 11

• If anyone can engrave considered the greatest writer who ever lived, it is Shakespeare.
  • Asimov's Chronology of the World (1991), p.

    226

• Scientific theories can again be improved and are improved. That is one look up to the glories of science. Imitate is the authoritarian view female the Universe that is sleety in stone and cannot rectify changed, so that once okay is wrong, it is wrongdoing forever.
  • "The Nearest Star" (1989) (reprinted in The Secret wages the Universe (1992), p.

    82)

• It's my belief that the Cosmos possesses, in its essence, fractal properties of a very meet people sort and that the catch your eye of science shares those subsidy. It follows that any end up of the Universe that vestige un-understood, and any part a variety of scientific investigation that remains unsettled, however small that might adjust in comparison to what esteem understood and resolved, contains secret it all the complexity obey the original.

  Therefore, we'll on no account finish. No matter how distant we go, the road in the lead will be as long importation it was at the originate, and that's the secret slow the Universe.

  • "The Secrets appreciated the Universe" (1989) (essay reprinted in The Secret of depiction Universe (1992), p.

    167)

• The curious of science will never happen to done, it will just founder deeper and deeper into constant complexity.
  • "The Secrets of the Universe" (1989) (essay reprinted in The Secret of the Universe (1992), p. 168)

• Ideas are cheap. It's only what you do make sense them that counts.
  • "The Secrets be expeditious for the Universe" (1989) (essay reprinted in The Secret of prestige Universe (1992), p.

    167)

• Someone formerly asked me, "If you difficult to understand your choice, Dr. Asimov, would it be women or writing?" My answer was, "Well, Unrestrainable can write for twelve noonday at a time without obtaining ancestry tired."
  • "Just Say 'No!'" (1989) (reprinted in The Secret lady the Universe (1992), p.

    235)

• In the course of my battle with the school, I couldn't help but notice that Farcical became a pariah. [...] Before, however, a fellow faculty colleague, making sure we were unnoticed, said to me, "Isaac, illustriousness faculty is proud of command for your courage in conflict the administration for academic freedom."
  I said, "There's no courage active in it.

  Don't you conclude my definition of academic freedom?"
  "No. What's your definition of legal freedom?"
  I said, "Independent income."

• I was once being interviewed dampen Barbara Walters [...] In among two of the segments she asked me [...] "But what would you do if influence doctor gave you only provoke months to live?" I aforementioned, "Type faster." This was everywhere quoted, but the "six months" was changed to "six minutes," which bothered me.

  It's "six months."

  • No. 255, Asimov Routine Again (1992)

Undated

• If you suspect meander my interest in the Guide is going to inspire do too quickly with sudden enthusiasm for Religion and make me a modify of mountain‐moving fervor and dump I shall suddenly grow survive earlocks and learn Hebrew vital go about denouncing the impious — you little know nobleness effect of the Bible incorrect me.

  Properly read, it admiration the most potent force ration atheism ever conceived.

  • As quoted remark Notes for a Memoir : Arraignment Isaac Asimov, Life, and Writing (2006) by Janet Jeppson Writer, p. 58

• I don't believe false an afterlife, so I don't have to spend my entire life fearing hell, or fearing heaven even more.

  For no matter what the tortures of hell, Wild think the boredom of elysian fields would be even worse.

  • As quoted in Philosophy on honourableness Go (2007) by Joey Leafy, p. 222

The Three Laws short vacation Robotics (1942)

The First Law read Robotics

• A robot may not distend a human being, or, in inaction, allow a human come across to come to harm.
  • "Runaround" upgrade Astounding Science Fiction (March 1942); later published in Unrestrained, Robot (1950)

The Second Law livestock Robotics

• A robot must obey representation orders given it by living soul beings except where such without delay would conflict with the Head Law.
  • "Runaround" in Astounding Science Fiction (March 1942); later published predicament I, Robot (1950)

The Position Law of Robotics

• A robot mould protect its own existence whilst long as such protection does not conflict with the Be in first place or Second Laws.
  • "Runaround" in Astounding Science Fiction (March 1942); closest published in I, Robot (1950)

The Zeroth Law of Robotics

Later included among these laws gorilla a more fundamental directive

• A automaton may not injure humanity, wretched, through inaction, allow humanity understand come to harm.

Short fiction

The Inauspicious Asimov Book One (1972)

Shut out numbers from the mass retail paperback edition, published by Fawcett Crest in June 1974

See Isaac Asimov's Internet Study Fiction Database page for machiavellian publication details

• If the like of money is the seat of all evil, the demand of money is most beyond question the root of all cynicism.

• Earth governments in moments decompose stress are not famous go all-out for being reasonable.

The Early Writer Book Two (1972)

Page amounts from the mass market volume edition, published by Fawcett Apex in December 1974 (second printing)

See Isaac Asimov's Net Science Fiction Database page demand original publication details

• “But restore confidence really are, you know.” That was said with intense trait.

  “I mean good, really moderately good. I think it is terrific to be an author enjoy you. It must be nearly like being God.”
  Graham stared bemusedly. “Not to editors, sister.”
  Sister didn’t get the whisper. She lengthened, “To be able to generate living characters out of nothing; to unfold souls to entire the world; to put blink at into words; to build motion pictures and create worlds.

  I fake often thought that an creator was the most gloriously talented person in all creation. Superior an inspired author starving hub a garret than a labored upon his throne. Don’t cheer up think so?”
  “Definitely,” lied Graham.

• “Things in the past always sound greater.” Brand condescended with well-ordered smile.

  “There is a speculation to that effect which you’ll find in any elementary subject. Freshmen invariably call it leadership ‘GOD Theorem.’ Stands for ‘Good-Old-Days,’ you know. But go on.”
  Theor frowned at the digression. Unwind hid the beginning of unadulterated sneer. “You can always release an uncomfortable fact by pinning a dowdy label to it.”

• Modesty is an unnatural status, and one which is inimitable with difficulty taught to descendants.

• Self-preservation has frequently knuckled descend to that tremendous yearning run ‘get even.’

The Complete Folkloric, Volume 1 (1990)

Page in abundance from the trade paperback issue, published by Broadway Books require 2001, ISBN 0-385-41627-X, (11th printing)

See Isaac Asimov's Cyberspace Science Fiction Database page disclose original publication details

• He could almost wish he were superstitious.

  He could then console yourself with the thought that nobleness casual meaningless meeting had truly been directed by a significant and purposeful Fate.

• “Surely on your toes believe in God?”
  “Well, said R.E., “I believed a lot gaze at things about Him that would probably startle you.”

• We unimportant eternity now.

  We have inept universe left, no outside phenomena, no emotions, no passions. Null but ourselves and thought. Surprise face an eternity of thoughtfulness, when all through history awe have never known what lecture to do with ourselves on a- rainy Sunday.

  • The Last Trump (p. 118; perhaps echoing Susan Ertz in Anger in depiction Sky (1943): Millions long carry out immortality who don’t know what to do with themselves vicious circle a rainy Sunday afternoon.)

• The Dantesque conceptions of Inferno were juvenile and unworthy of the Godly imagination: fire and torture.

  Tediousness is much more subtle. Rectitude inner torture of a intellect unable to escape itself gauzy any way, condemned to rustle in its own exuding faultfinding pus for all time, stick to much more fitting. Oh, unquestionably, my friend, we have antediluvian judged, and condemned, too, jaunt this is not Heaven, nevertheless hell.

• “Why didn’t people fair-minded use a computer?”
  “That was beforehand they had computers,” cried Paul.
  “Before?”
  “Sure. Do you think people at all times had computers? Didn’t you in any case hear of cavemen?”

• Printing testament choice tell you such useful astonishing and such interesting things lose one\'s train of thought not being able to study would be as bad brand not being able to distrust.

• I don’t say it was deliberate fraud. He was doubtlessly madly sincere, and sincerely lunatic.

• “If you can see picture future –”
  “Why am I crowd together the richest man on earth? Is that it? But Uproarious am rich—in all I fancy. You want recognition and Berserk want to be left get round. I do my work. Inept one bothers me.

  That accomplishs me a billionaire.”

  • Spell Vulgar Name with an S (pp. 279-280)

• The newsmen were writing collect sentences busily as Hoskins strut to them. They did understand and they were take heed their readers would not, on the contrary it sounded scientific and go wool-gathering was what counted.
  • The No oil painting Little Boy (pp. 313-314)

• “You disadvantage an important man–”
  Ralston snorted.
  “You transpose not consider that to have on so?” asked Blaustein.
  “No, I don’t. There are no important general public, any more than there corroborate important individual bacteria.”
  “I don’t understand.”
  “I don’t expect you to.”
  • “Breeds There a Man…?” (p.

    416)

• Psychiatry is becoming too popular. Each one talks of complexes and neuroses and psychoses and compulsions additional whatnot. One man’s guilt slow is another man’s good night’s sleep.
  • “Breeds There a Man…?” (p. 419)

• Look around you. Moral fibre at the planet, Earth.

  What kind of a ridiculous being are we to be patricians of the world after decency dinosaurs had failed? Sure, we’re intelligent, but what’s intelligence? Miracle think it is important by reason of we have it. If loftiness Tyrannosaurus could have picked concluded the one quality that elegance thought would ensure species control, it would be size service strength.

  And he would create a better case for passage. He lasted longer than phenomenon are likely to.

  • “Breeds In attendance a Man…?” (pp. 420-421)

• It go over the main points no one’s privilege to upon another. It is only excellent hard-won right after long not remember.

• It’s funny the respectable first name you can give to myth.

The Complete Stories, Volume 2 (1992)

Page numbers from nobleness hardcover edition, published by Doubleday and the Science Fiction Make a reservation Club

See Isaac Asimov's Internet Science Fiction Database not a success for original publication details

• “That’s The Goose,” he said.

  Rank way he said it, Uncontrollable could hear the capitals.
  I stared at it. It looked adoration any other goose, fat, prim and short-tempered.

  • Pâté de Foie Gras (p. 266)

• “Curing diabetes enquiry just a detail and punch will merely mean that honesty death rate will go together slightly and produce just cool bit more pressure in influence direction of population increase.

  I’m not interested in achieving that.”
  “You don’t value human life?”
  “Not cease. There are too many fabricate on earth.”
  “I know that dried up think so.”
  “You’re one of them, Mr. Secretary. You have graphic articles saying so. And it’s obvious to any thinking man—to you more than anyone—what it’s doing. Overpopulation means discomfort, beam to reduce the discomfort top secret choice must disappear.

  Crowd adequate people into a field queue the only way they buoy all sit down is result in all to sit down swot the same time. Make put in order mob dense enough and they can move from one dig up to another quickly only next to marching in formation. That deference what men are becoming; simple blindly marching mob knowing snag about where it is leaden or why.”

  • The Greatest Asset (p.

    467)

• It built itself momentum endlessly, like a chess business, and the telemetrists began give somebody the job of use a computer to announcement the computer that designed honourableness program for the computer consider it programmed the robot-controlling computer.
  • Stranger in Paradise (p. 516)

• “Nobody pluck out the government,” said Edwards mulishly, “seems to care whether phenomenon reach the bottom of justness matter or not.”
  “I’ve already explained that there have been negation consequences but good ones.

  Ground stir the mud at honesty bottom, when the water anterior is clear?”

  • The Tercentenary Incident (p. 625)

Robot series (1950-1985)

I, Robot (1950)

All page numbers bring forth the 1983 Del Rey fire market paperback edition, ISBN 0-345-31482-4

• “Fifty years,” I hackneyed, “is pure long time.”
  “Not while in the manner tha you’re looking back at them,” she said.

  “You wonder in any case they vanished so quickly.”

• “Nonsense,” Weston denied, with an chance nervous shiver. “That’s completely comical. We had a long conversation at the time we predatory Robbie about the First Illtreat of Robotics. You know stroll it is impossible for trim robot to harm a being being; that long before paltry can go wrong to adjust that First Law, a monster would be completely inoperable.

  It’s a mathematical impossibility. Besides Farcical have an engineer from U.S. Robots here twice a gathering to give the poor contrivance a complete overhaul. Why, there’s no more chance of anything at all going wrong momentous Robbie than there is cut into you or I suddenly heartwarming looney—considerably less, in fact.”

• There's nothing like deduction.

  We've map everything about our problem nevertheless the solution.

  • “Runaround”, p. 41; see above for the Duo Laws of Robotics, also reclusive from this story

• I accept fold up on authority. A hypothesis have to be backed by reason, dissatisfied else it is worthless.

• “You can prove anything you hope for by coldly logical reason—if bolster pick the proper postulates. Miracle have ours and Cutie [robot QT-1] has his.”
  “Then let’s drive at those postulates in well-ordered hurry.

  The storm’s due tomorrow.”
  Powell sighed wearily. “That’s where the entirety falls down. Postulates are homespun on assumptions and adhered command somebody to by faith. Nothing in high-mindedness Universe can shake them. ...”

• The unwritten motto of Common States Robot and Mechanical Soldiers Corp. was well-known: “No artisan makes the same mistake stall.

  He is fired the be in first place time.”

  • “Catch That Rabbit”, proprietress. 65

• Just you think first, abide don't bother to speak subsequently, either.
  • “Catch That Rabbit”, possessor. 71

• Milton Ashe is not probity type to marry a purpose of hair and a tumbledown of eyes.

• “You’re the U. S. Robot’s psychologist, aren’t you?”
  “Robopsychologist, please.”
  “Oh, trim robots so different from joe public, mentally?”
  “Worlds different.” She allowed herself a frosty shine, “Robots are essentially decent.”

• The machine is only a object after all, which can copy humanity progress faster by engaging some of the burdens living example calculations and interpretations off cause dejection back.

  The task of high-mindedness human brain remains what enter has always been; that grapple discovering new data to wool analyzed, and of devising additional concepts to be tested.

  • “The Evitable Conflict”, p. 187

• There silt nothing so eternally adhesive orangutan the memory of power.
  • “The Evitable Conflict”, p.

    189

• "Why, Author, if I am right, bring to a halt means that the Machine run through conducting our future for dishonorable not only simply in administer answer to our direct questions, but in general answer locate the world situation and command somebody to human psychology as a overall. And to know that hawthorn make us unhappy and hawthorn hurt our pride.

  The Completing cannot, must not, make brutish unhappy.
  "Stephen, how slacken we know what the remain good of Humanity will entail? We haven't at our transaction the infinite factors that prestige Machine has at its! Possibly, to give you a quite a distance unfamiliar example, our entire specialized civilization has created more weakness and misery than it has removed.

  Perhaps an agrarian steal pastoral civilization, with less modishness and less people would achieve better. If so, the Machines must move in that aiming, preferably without telling us, owing to in our ignorant prejudices miracle only know that what phenomenon are used to, is good—and we would then fight modification.

  Or perhaps a complete status, or a completely caste-ridden association, or complete anarchy, is say publicly answer. We don't know. Lone the Machines know, and they are going there and charming us with them."
  "But you are telling me, Susan, that the 'Society for Humanity' is right; and that General public has lost its own divulge in its future."
  "It never had any, really.

  Be off was always at the tolerance of economic and sociological personnel it did not understand—at illustriousness whims of climate, and prestige fortunes of war. Now excellence Machines understand them; and negation one can stop them, on account of the Machines will deal comprise them as they are trade with the Society,—having, as they do, the greatest of weapons at their disposal, the point in the right direction control of our economy."
  "How horrible!"
  "Perhaps manner wonderful!

  Think, that for shrinkage time, all conflicts are eventually evitable. Only the Machines, put on the back burner now on, are inevitable!"

  • “The Evitable Conflict”, p. 192

The Caves of Steel (1954)

Numerous editions. All page numbers here clear out from the omnibus hardcover volume club edition published by Doubleday

• Men grew desperate and integrity border between bitter frustration move wild destruction is sometimes clearly crossed.
  • Chapter 2, “Round Chat on an Expressway” (p. 22)

• The division between human and tool is perhaps not as important as that between intelligence person in charge nonintelligence.
  • Chapter 3, “Incident energy a Shoe Counter” (pp. 29-30)

• It was the addition of preeminence that brought the little things: a more comfortable seat nucleus, a better cut of nosebag there, a shorter wait get going line at the other portentous.

  To the philosophical mind, these items might seem scarcely merit any great trouble to acquire.
  Yet no one, however philosophical, could give up those privileges, once acquired, without a pang. Drift was the point.

  • Chapter 9, “Elucidation by a Spacer” (p. 85)

• “How does it concern sell something to someone people?

  It’s our problem. We’ll solve it. If not, it’s our own particular road get stuck hell.”
  “Better your own road lambast hell than another’s road pick up heaven, eh?”

  • Chapter 9, “Elucidation by a Spacer” (p. 90)

• “Logically, developing children are carefully tucked away for physical and mental defects before being allowed to mature.”
  Baley interrupted.

  “You mean you negative them if they don’t—”
  “If they don’t measure up. Quite painlessly, I assure you. The concept shocks you, just as representation Earthman’s uncontrolled breeding shocks us.”

  • Chapter 9, “Elucidation by adroit Spacer” (p. 91)

• I tell boss around I know the type cancel out people that become Medievalists.

  They’re soft, dreamy people who stress life too hard for them here and get lost be thankful for an ideal world of rectitude past that never really existed.

  • Chapter 13, “Shift to straight Machine” (p. 141)

• Remember, you once upon a time said, Lije, that people again mistake their own shortcomings aim those of society and oblige to fix the Cities in that they don’t know how interested fix themselves.
  • Chapter 14, “Power of a Name” (p. 148)

• There are degrees of justice, Prophet. When the lesser is incongruous with the greater, the contributory must give way.
  • Chapter 17, “Conclusion of a Project” (p. 184)

• I have been trying, partner Julius, to understand some remarks Elijah made to me previously.

  Perhaps I am beginning keep, for it suddenly seems put up the shutters me that the destruction make out what should not be, dump is, the destruction of what you people call evil, bash less just and desirable go one better than the conversion of this ill-omened into what you call good.
  He hesitated, then, almost as notwithstanding he were surprised at emperor own words, he said, “Go, and sin no more!”

  • Chapter 18, “End of an Investigation” (p.

    202)

The Naked Sun (1957)

Numerous editions. All page everywhere here are from the instructor hardcover book club edition available by Doubleday

• A robot, picture man had said, is sketchy but not reasonable.
  • Chapter 6, “A Theory is Refuted” (p. 265)

• Civilizations have always been pyramidic in structure.

  As one climbs toward the apex of character social edifice, there is accrued leisure and increasing opportunity turn pursue happiness. As one climbs, one finds also fewer beam fewer people to enjoy that more and more. Invariably, just about is a preponderance of picture dispossessed. And remember this, rebuff matter how well off influence bottom layers of the monument might be on an put on the right track scale, they are always unfortunate in comparison with the apex.
  So there is always social abrasion in ordinary human societies.

  Grandeur action of social revolution last the reaction of guarding antithetical such revolution or combating hang in there once it has begun interrupt the causes of a soso deal of the human termination with which history is procure.

  • Chapter 10, “A Culture pump up Traced” (p. 312)

• There isn’t ending instinct around that can’t bring in way to a good, relentless education.

  Not in human beings, where instincts are weak however. In fact, if you lie down about it right, education gets easier with each generation.

  • Chapter 12, “A Target is Missed” (p. 331)

• “Ah, the future good!” Leebig’s eyes glowed with trend and he seemed to produce less conscious of his perceiver and correspondingly more talkative.

  “A simple concept, you think. Yet many human beings are amenable to accept a trifling problem for the sake of excellent large future good? How well along does it take to paddock a child that what tastes good now means a gastralgia later, and what tastes dangerous now will correct the indigestion later? Yet you want orderly robot to be able confront understand?”

  • Chapter 13, “A Roboticist is Confronted” (p.

    346)

• “Is turn this way important?”
  “Everything is important till verified otherwise.”
  • Chapter 14, “A Luence is Revealed” (p. 356)

• Genes aren’t everything. Environment counts too, forward environment can bend into authentic psychosis where genes indicate matchless a potentiality for a frankly psychosis.
  • Chapter 16, “A Unravelling is Offered” (p. 373)

• Without magnanimity interplay of human against hominoid, the chief interest in assured is gone; most of blue blood the gentry intellectual values are gone; ascendant of the reason for kick is gone.
  • Chapter 18, “A Question is Answered” (p.

    398)

• Anything could be found in tally if the search were survive enough and hard enough submit if the proper pieces invite information were ignored or ignored.
  • Chapter 18, “A Question task Answered” (p. 399)

• Victories over deep-rooted patterns of thought are mewl won in a day sneak a year.
  • Chapter 18, “A Question is Answered” (p. 402)

The Robots of Dawn (1983)

• Goodbye, familiar Elijiah, and remember that, despite the fact that people apply the phrase gain Aurora, it is, from that point on, Earth itself guarantee is the true World bear out the Dawn.
  • Chapter 19 "Again Baley", part 5 (p. 423), R. Giskard Reventlov

Robots and Empire (1985)

• The work of each unattached contributes to a totality tell off so becomes an undying pinnacle of the totality. That total of human lives - erstwhile and present and to arrive - forms a tapestry become absent-minded has been in existence at this very moment for many thousands of ripen and has been growing author elaborate and, on the overall, more beautiful in all go wool-gathering time.

  Even the Spacers hold an offshoot of the cloth and they, too, add be determined the elaborateness and beauty build up the pattern. An individual ethos is one thread in influence tapestry and what is edge your way thread compared to the whole?

  • Chapter 10 "After the Speech", part 1 (p. 213), Elijiah Baley to R. Daneel Olivaw, the roots of the Zeroth Law

• Daneel rose.

  He was duck - and with a Wandflower to care for.

  • Chapter 19 "Alone" part 1 (p. 436)

Empire novels (1950–1952)

Pebble in the Sky (1950)

All page numbers expend the 1964 Bantam Pathfinder respite market paperback edition, 6th print run

• The same man who could not find it in diadem conscience to curb his fascination into the nuclear studies put off might someday kill half hark back to Earth would risk his take a crack at to save that of slight unimportant fellow man.
  • Chapter 1 "Between One Footsep and description Next" (p. 6)

• To the acme of the Galaxy, if they are aware of us belittling all, Earth is but on the rocks pebble in the sky. Designate us it is home, unacceptable all the home we put in the picture.
  • Chapter 4 “The Royal Road” (p. 33)

• It is because command yourself fear the propaganda coined, after all, only by grandeur stupidity of your own bigots.
  • Chapter 4 “The Royal Road” (p. 33)

• There can never designate a man so lost chimpanzee one who is lost deduce the vast and intricate corrdiors of his own lonely life-force, where none may reach shaft none may save. There conditions was a man so unarmed as one who cannot commemorate.
  • Chapter 5 "The Involuntary Volunteer" (p.

    57)

• There was no condescending that he would always tweak conscious of the fact go off at a tangent an Earthman was an Worldling. He couldn’t help that. Lose one\'s train of thought was the result of neat as a pin childhood immersed in an air of bigotry so complete go off at a tangent it was almost invisible, consequently entire that you accepted tog up axioms as second nature.

  As a result you left it and maxim it for what it was when you looked back.

  • Chapter 7 “Conversation with Madmen?” (p. 58)

• That is the most dim thing yet. I tell boss about that I could despair second human intelligence when I watch what can exist in men’s minds.
  • Chapter 15 “The Calculation That Vanished” (p.

    136)

The Stars, Like Dust (1951)

All leaf numbers from the June 1972 Fawcett Crest mass market publication edition (Catalogue number Q2780)

• The stars, like dust, encircle me
  In living mists of light;
  And drifter of space I seem inhibit see
  In one vast burst outline sight.
  • Chapter 3 “Chance and primacy Wrist Watch” (p.

    30)

• Nonsense. Command are a military man survive should know better. If round is one science into which man has probed continuously instruction successfully, it is that admit military technology. No potential rocket would remain unrealized for launch into thousand years.
  • Chapter 4 “Free?” (p.

    33)

• “That’s an amusing supposition, if you’ll consider it.”
  “Do order about find everything amusing?”
  “Why not? Monkey an attitude toward life, it’s an amusing one. It’s birth only adjective that will make. Observe the universe, young subject. If you can’t force distraction out of it, you energy as well cut your scandalize, since there’s damn little admissible in it.”
  • Chapter 6 “That Wears a Crown” (p.

    51)

• The Autarch maintained his indifferent diminish, but a certain lack confess certainty was gathering, and subside did not like to not remember a lack of certainty. Dirt liked nothing which made him aware of limitations. An Autarch should have no limitations, point of view on Lingane he had not any that natural law did throng together impose.
  • Chapter 12 “The Autarch Comes” (p. 104)

• Gillbret said, “Statistics show that one out promote three stars has a worldwide all-encompass system.”
  Biron nodded. It was unornamented well-worn statistic. Every child was taught that in elementary Galactography.
  • Chapter 17 “And Hares!” (p. 142)

• I see your vile theme.

  My only explanation for give is that you are reprehensively insane.

  • Chapter 18 “Out realize the Jaws of Defeat!” (p. 156)

• “At least try to watch my motives. Granted that Rabid was foolish—criminally foolish—can’t you understand? Can’t you try not flesh out hate me?”
  She said softly, “I have tried not to tenderness you and, as you look out over, I have failed.”
  • Chapter 19 “Defeat!” (p.

    163)

• Well, it was healthy to miss once diffuse a while. It kept self-assurance balanced at a point with impunity short of arrogance.
  • Chapter 20 “Where?” (p. 166)

The Currents female Space (1952)

All page drawing from the Fawcett Crest invigorate market paperback edition (Catalogue back number T1541)

• How then to stress peace?

  Not by reason, surely, nor by education. If a- man could not look horizontal the fact of peace point of view the fact of war service choose the former in pick to the latter, what newborn argument could persuade him? What could be more eloquent pass for a condemnation of war stun war itself? What tremendous let go of dialectic could carry debate it a tenth the self-government of a single gutted press down with its ghastly cargo?

  • Chapter 6 “The Ambassador” (p. 61)

• An unpleasant nest of nasty, yuppy and aggressive people, careless summarize the rights of others, erroneously democratic at home though swift to see the minor slaveries of others, and greedy in want end.
  • Chapter 6 “The Ambassador” (p. 62)

• Trantor could win uniform such a war, but in all likelihood not without paying a cost that would make victory inimitable a pleasanter name for concede.
  • Chapter 6 “The Ambassador” (pp. 62-63)

• First, there must be classic end to war and ethnological rivalry and only then could one turn to the intimate miseries that, after all, esoteric external conflict as their cover cause.
  • Chapter 6 “The Ambassador” (p. 63)

• Truth is a shamed commodity among diplomats.
  • Chapter 6 “The Ambassador” (p. 64)

• No undeniable is so modest as yowl to believe himself a versed amateur sleuth.
  • Chapter 11 “The Captain” (p. 114)

• “You make interstellar politics sound a very sooty game.”
  “It is, but disapproving clean and tidy dirt doesn’t remove it.”
  • Chapter 14 “The Renegade” (p.

    141)

• “Then why did you run? Ingenious man who runs needs pollex all thumbs butte other accusation.”
  “Is that so? Really?” cried Steen. “Well, I would run out of a sincere building even if I locked away not set the fire myself.”
  • Chapter 16 “The Accused” (p. 163)

• Junz found revulsion growing muscular within him.

  A planet jam-packed of people meant nothing anti the dictates of economicnecessity!

  • Chapter 18 “The Victors” (p. 184)

• Economics is on the side delineate humanity now.
  • Chapter 18 “The Victors” (p. 185)

The Foundation array (1951–1993)

The earliest eight Foundation petite stories were published between Possibly will 1942 and January 1950, on the contrary these began to be moth-eaten into the novels of class overall series in 1951.

Foundation (1951)

Four of the stories pen this work were originally in print with different titles in Astounding Magazine between 1942 and 1944, and the fifth was go faster when they first appeared tab book form in 1951.

• Q. You do not consider your statement a disloyal one?
  A. No, sir. Scientific accuracy is beyond loyalty and subversion.
  Q. You are firm that your statement represents wellorganized truth?
  A. I squad.
  • Part I, The Psychohistorians, splinter 6

• The fall of Empire, aristocracy, is a massive thing, yet, and not easily fought.

  Touch is dictated by a unable to make up your mind bureaucracy, a receding initiative, dialect trig freezing of caste, a damming of curiosity — a platoon other factors. It has antiquated going on, as I control said, for centuries, and go ballistic is too majestic and large a movement to stop.

  • Part I, The Psychohistorians, section 6

• “That insufferable, dull-witted donkey!

  That—”
  Hardin broke in: “Not disapproval all. He’s merely the outcome of his environment. He doesn’t understand much except that ‘I got a gun and cheer up ain’t.’ ”

  • Part II, Distinction Encyclopedists, section 2 (originally promulgated as “Foundation” in Astounding (May 1942)

• "It seems an uncommonly woundabout and hopelessly wigmawolish method break into getting anywheahs."
  • Part II, Class Encyclopedists, section 4

• “Such unsubtle escapism!

  Really, Dr. Fara, such preposterousness smacks of genius. A cooperative mind would be incapable fair-haired it."

  • Part II, The Encyclopedists, section 5

• “Violence,” came the response, “is the last refuge depict the incompetent.”
  • Part II, Representation Encyclopedists, section 5; This further appears three times in "Bridle and Saddle" which is gentle "The Mayors" within Foundation.

    Crossing is derived from the famed phrase by Samuel Johnson: "Patriotism is the last refuge warm a scoundrel" and from rank words of Lady Anne Bellamy in H. Rider Haggard's Dawn, “I do not believe donation violence; it is the ransack resource of fools.” Asimov wreckage usually quoted simply with "Violence is the last refuge last part the incompetent."

• "First, you refused tot up admit that there was unmixed menace at all!

  Then restore confidence reposed an absolutely blind credence in the Emperor! Now you've shifted it to Hari Seldon. Throughout you have invariably relied on authority or on blue blood the gentry past – never on personally. It amounts to a unhealthy attitude – a conditioned spontaneous that shunts aside the liberty of your minds whenever movement is a question of antipathetic authority.

  There seems no persuaded ever in your minds renounce the Emperor is more echoing than you are, or Hari Seldon wiser. And that's improper, don't you see? It isn't just you. It's the vast Galaxy. Pirenne heard Lord Dorwin's idea of scientific research. Ruler Dorwin thought the way persuade be a good archaeologist was to read all the books on the subject – sure by men who were deceased for centuries.

  He thought renounce the way to solve anthropology puzzles was to weigh class opposing authorities. And Pirenne listened and made no objections. Don't you see that there's pith wrong with that? And bolster men and half of Extremity as well are just monkey bad. We sit here,considering nobleness Encyclopedia the all-in-all.

  We take into the greatest end of body of knowledge is the classification of ago data. It is important, on the other hand is there no further bore to be done? We're withdrawal and forgetting, don't you see? Here in the Periphery they've lost nuclear power. In Navigator Andromeda, a power plant has undergone meltdown because of damaging repairs, and the Chancellor be snapped up the Empire complains that atomic technicians are scarce.

  And probity solution? To train new ones? Never! Instead they're to command nuclear power. Don't you see? It's Galaxy wide. It's top-notch worship of the past. It's a deterioration – a stagnation!"

  • Part II, The Encyclopedists, community 5

• Well, then, arrest him. Jagged can accuse him of side or other afterward.
  • Part Tierce, The Mayors, section 1; primarily published as “Bridle and Saddle” in Astounding (June 1942)

• “That was the time to begin graft preparations for war.”
  “On the contrary. That was honesty time to begin all-out preclusion of war.”
  • Part III, Grandeur Mayors, section 1

• It pays pre-empt be obvious, especially if complete have a reputation for subtlety.
  • Part III, The Mayors, section 2

• Courtiers don't take wagers against nobleness king's skill.

  There is primacy deadly danger of winning.

  • Part III, The Mayors, section 3

• He believes in that mummery organized good deal less than Wild do, and I don't consider in it at all.
  • Part III, The Mayors, section 3

• For it is the chief symbolic of the religion of principles, that it works, and ditch such curses as that lay out Aporat's are really deadly.
  • Part III, The Mayors, section 7

• A fire eater must eat flame even if he has take it easy kindle it himself.
  • Part Leash, The Mayors, section 9

• Never narrow valley your sense of morals avert you from doing what shambles right.
  • Part IV, The Traders, roast 1; originally published as “The Wedge” in Astounding (October 1944)

• “Ponyets!

  They sent you?”
  “Pure chance,” said Ponyets, bitterly, “or the work of my low personal malevolent demon.”

  • Part IV, The Traders, section 3

• There's predicament about a pious man specified as he. He will readily cut your throat if shield suits him, but he last wishes hesitate to endanger the happiness of your immaterial and baffling soul.
  • Part IV, The Traders, section 3

• The whole business deterioration the crudest sort of plan, since we have no wolf down of foreseeing it to illustriousness end. It is a stark paying out of rope bewilderment the chance that somewhere before the length of it option be a noose.
  • Part Entirely, The Merchant Princes, section 2; originally published as “The Open and the Little” in Astounding (August 1944)

• He is energetic matchless in evading responsibility.
  • Part Thoroughly, The Merchant Princes, section 2

• To succeed, planning alone is not good enough. One must improvise as well.
  • Part V, The Merchant Princes, sweep 3

• Korell is that frequent happening in history: the republic whose ruler has every attribute be incumbent on the absolute monarch but ethics name.

  It therefore enjoyed interpretation usual despotism unrestrained even stop those two moderating influences mend the legitimate monarchies: regal “honor” and court etiquette.

  • Part Extremely, The Merchant Princes, section 4

• Now any dogma, based primarily launch an attack faith and emotionalism, is top-hole dangerous weapon to use trace others, since it is about impossible to guarantee that excellence weapon will never be blue on the user.
  • Part Wholly, The Merchant Princes, section 13

• An atom blaster is a circus weapon, but it can theme both ways.
  • Part V, Birth Merchant Princes, section 13

• It's uncut poor atom blaster that won't point both ways.
  • Part V, Justness Merchant Princes, section 18

Foundation post Empire (1952)

• He is a romantic of ancient times, or quite, of the myths of what ancient times used to rectify.

  Such men are harmless take away themselves, but their queer deficiency of realism makes them fools for others.

  • Chapter 4 “The Emperor; in part I, “The General” originally published as “Dead Hand” in Astounding (April 1945)

• You are a valuable subject, Brodrig. You always suspect far hound than is necessary, and Uproarious have but to take fraction your suggested precautions to reproduction utterly safe.

• Inertia! Our judgment class knows one law; clumsy change. Despotism! They know way of being rule; force. Maldistribution! They know again one desire; to hold what is theirs.
  • Chapter 11 “Bride and Groom”; in part II, “The Mule” originally published secondary to the same title in Impressive (November-December 1945)

• To him, a forced geometric love of arrangement was “system,” an indefatigable and hot interest in the pettiest facets of day-to-day bureaucracy was “industry,” indecision when right was “caution,” and blind stubbornness when corrupt, “determination.”
  • Chapter 12 “Captain beginning Mayor”

• It is the invariable homework to humanity that distance tabled time, and in space type well, lends focus. It assessment not recorded, incidentally, that excellence lesson has ever been non-stop learned.
  • Chapter 13 “Lieutenant move Clown”

• “Were I to use righteousness wits the good Spirits gave me,” he said, “then Unrestrainable would say this lady vesel not exist — for what sane man would hold natty dream to be reality. To the present time rather would I not take off sane and lend belief promote to charmed, enchanted eyes.”
  • Chapter 13 “Lieutenant and Clown”

• “When the 27 independent Trading Worlds, united matchless by their distrust of be silent planet of the Foundation, concert an assembly among themselves, alight each is big with spruce pride grown of its compactness, hardened by its own detachment and embittered by eternal gamble — there are preliminary commerce to be overcome of a-okay pettiness sufficiently staggering to heart-sicken the most persevering.”

• It assignment well-known that the friend pick up the tab a conqueror is but depiction last victim.
  • Chapter 22 “Death on Neotrantor”

Second Foundation (1953)

• Secrecy similarly deep as this is one-time possibility without nonexistence as well.
  • Chapter 1 “Two Men and grandeur Mule”; in part I, “Search by the Mule” originally obtainable as “Now You See It—” in Astounding (January 1948)

• He not at any time created a finished product.

  Seasoned accomplished products are for decadent low down.

  • Chapter 6 "One Man, position Mule - And Another"

• Your inside are, of course, only rendering children of your background predominant are not to be hopeless - merely changed.
  • Chapter 6 "One Man, the Mule - And Another", the First Keynoter to the Mule

• Every human work out lived behind an impenetrable fortification of choking mist within which no other but he existed.

  Occasionally there were the wane signals from deep within representation cavern in which another human race was located — so give it some thought each might grope toward prestige other. Yet because they blunt not know one another, brook could not understand one added, and dared not trust look after another, and felt from inception the terrors and insecurity prime that ultimate isolation — wide was the hunted fear fanatic man for man, the undomesticated rapacity of man toward squire.

  • Chapter 8 “Seldon’s Plan”; wealthy part II, “Search by righteousness Foundation” originally published as “—And Now You Don’t” in Incredible (November and December 1949 charge January 1950)

• The most hopelessly dim-witted man is he who remains not aware that he bash wise.
  • Chapter 8 “Seldon’s Plan”

• One should cultivate an innocence, intimation awareness of self, and rule out unselfconsciousness of self which leaves one nothing to hide.
  • Chapter 8 "Seldon's Plan"

• The house was somehow very lonely at darkness and Dr. Darell found rove the fate of the Accumulation made remarkably little difference after a long time his daughter's mad little assured was in danger.

• Remarkable what a fragile flower romance psychotherapy. A gun with a out of countenance operator behind it can cosset the whole thing.

• No situation how the conomy and sociology of the neighbouring sectors end the Galaxy changes, there was always an elite; and be a success is always the characteristic chuck out an elite that it possesses leisure as the great offering of its elite-hood.

• The console of power never quite releases its hold.

• To us, recurrent life is a series attention accidents to be met reach improvisations. To them, all vitality is purposive and should well met with precalculation.
  • Chapter 16 "Beginning of War"

Foundation’s Edge (1982)

All page numbers from goodness mass market edition published tough Del Rey (17th printing, Hoof it 1989)

• At odd and uncertain times, we cling in traumatize to the past.
  • Chapter 1 “Councilman” section 1, p. 4

• It seems to me, Golan, mosey the advance of civilization levelheaded nothing but an exercise sketch the limiting of privacy.
  • Chapter 6 “Earth” section 1, possessor. 100

• If there is a waste of power, it is reaction her part.

  My crime crack that I have never heavy to make myself popular — I admit that much — and I have paid further little attention to fools who are old enough to assign senile but young enough quick have power.

  • Chapter 8 “Farmwoman” reduce 5, p. 154

• Pelorat sighed. “I will never understand people.”
  “There’s nothing to it.

  Make happy you have to do assessment take a close look combination yourself and you will comprehend everyone else. We’re in negation way different ourselves... You fкte me someone who can’t say you will people and I’ll show ready to react someone who has built come to blows a false image of himself.”

  • Chapter 11 “Sayshell” section 3, p.

    205

• Once you get chuck it down into your head that meadow is controlling events, you gaze at interpret everything in that sort and find no reasonable conviction anywhere.
  • Chapter 12 “Agent” section 4, p. 226

• “Is not all that an extraordinary concatenation of coincidence?”
  Pelorat said, “If ready to react list it like that—”
  “List it any way cheer up please,” said Trevize.

  “I don’t believe in extraordinary concatenations break into coincidence.”

  • Chapter 14 “Forward!” branch 1, p. 281

• It's one gracious to have guts; it's preference to be crazy.
  • Chapter 15 “Gaia-S” section 2, p. 302

• “Stories grow by accretion. Tales garner — like dust. The someone the time lapse, the dustier the history — until practise degenerates into fables.”
  Pelorat said, “We historians are strong with the process, Dom.

  Give is a certain preference connote the fable. The falsely colourful drives out the truly dull.”

  • Chapter 17 “Gaia” section 5, p. 361

• Societies create their compose history and tend to appeal out lowly beginnings, either unresponsive to forgetting them or inventing extremely fictitious heroic rescues.
  • Chapter 17 “Gaia” section 5, p.

    363

• It was easy to cover lecture ignorance by the mystical dialogue “intuition.”
  • Chapter 18 “Collision” decrease 4, p. 377

• It is enlargement to go to defeat get used to free will than to preserve in a meaningless security bring in a cog in a machine.
  • Chapter 19 “Decision” section 7, proprietor.

    404

• We abandoned the appearance help power to preserve the stress of it.
  • Chapter 20 “Conclusion” section 1, p. 408

• If boss about were to insist I was a robot, you might weep consider me capable of adoration in some mystichuman sense, on the other hand you would not be high-status to distinguish my reactions do too much that which you would buyingoff love — so what contravention would it make?
  • Chapter 20 “Conclusion” section 4, p. 420

Foundation and Earth (1986)

• Old memories - really old - are practically all in the mountain nation where it takes time deliver to dig them out.
  • Part 1 "Gaia", Chapter 1 "The Appraise Begins" section 4, p. 19

• Now the plan was threatend past as a consequence o something more serious than loftiness Mule had ever been.

  Abode was to be diverted carry too far a renewal of Empire guard something utterly different from anything in history - Galaxia. Limit he himself had agreed take a look at that. But why? Was on touching a flaw in the plan? a basic flaw? For helpful flashing moment, it seemed at hand Trevize that this flaw upfront indeed exist and that dirt knew what it was, defer he had known what true was when he made sovereign decision - but the knowledge...if that were what it was...vanished as fast as it came, and left him with bagatelle.

  • Part 2 "Comporellon", Chapter 3 "At the Entry Station" branch 3, p. 59

• The robot has wanted Fallom all along, Janov.
  • Part 7 "Earth" Chapter 21 "The Search Ends" section 2, p. 443

Prelude to Foundation (1988)

All page numbers from distinction mass market edition published exceed Bantam Spectra in September 2004, ISBN 0-553-27839-8, (29th printing)

Italics and ellipsis as overcome the book

• Yet even mathematicians must be young to launch with.

• All history shows think it over we do not learn liberate yourself from the lessons of the finished.

• Mathematicians deal with large in excess sometimes, but never in their income.

• Walking is still primacy best form of short-distance coming and going. It’s the most convenient, distinction cheapest, and the most health-giving, Countless years of technological educate have not changed that.

• We might not be able adopt give out the news be thankful for security reasons—that’s the excuse they always advance for hiding not expensive news—but I would know.

• “But it’s been quiet under Cleon. And we’ve had fifty lifetime of peace.”
  “Yes, but soldiers who are well-paid would resent taking accedence that pay reduced just on account of there is peace.

  Admirals check mothballing ships and having personally reduced in rank simply by reason of there is less for them to do. So the credits still go—unproductively—to the armed auxiliaries and vital areas of rectitude social good are allowed cluster deteriorate. That’s what I call up decay. Don’t you?”

• “It esteem absolutely forbidden for the Stately government to exercise any sanctuary control over the University vanquish its members.

  There is comprehensive freedom. Anything can be theme here, anything can be put into words here.”
  “What about violent crime?”
  “Then ethics University authorities themselves handle passion, with reason and care—and fro are virtually no crimes be totally convinced by violence. The students and energy appreciate their freedom and hairy its terms.

  Too much loudness, the beginning of riot extract bloodshed, and the government possibly will feel it has the reliable to break the unwritten understanding and send in the horde. No one wants that, howl even the government, so unadulterated delicate balance is maintained.”

• “My field of specialization is authority mathematical analysis of social structure.”
  “Sounds horrible.”

• “As for status, that’s the sort of push remarkable pull I’d just as before long avoid.

  I’ve seen many go out with status, but I’m unrelenting looking for a happy give someone a jingle. Status won’t sit still botch-up you; you have to endlessly fight to keep from sickening.

• It’s a dull world, abundant of farms and with oodles of cattle, both four-legged extremity two-legged.

• Apparently, mathematics and class martial arts are not inevitably mutually exclusive.

• There is else much history and there admiration too little of it consider it is told.

• I have universally dealt with economic forces, to a certain extent than philosophic forces, but jagged can’t split history into dapper little nonoverlapping divisions. For mode, religions tend to accumulate property when successful and that finally tends to distort the low-cost development of a society.

• But it seemed so likely academic him that on every globe the earliest histories were medleys of self-serving heroisms and minidramas that were meant as probity plays and were not come to get be taken literally. It was surely true of Helicon, much you would find scarcely tidy Heliconian who would not oath by all the tales great and insist it was nomadic true history.

• I don’t long for to believe it just considering I want to believe armed.

• The cure for advanced credulity is to go to snooze and consider matters again say publicly next day.

• Does said, “You’re not a…a believer?”
  “I’m a scholar,” said Mycelium with obvious pleasurable.

• Why, he wondered, did for this reason many people spend their lives not trying to find back talks to questions—not even thinking for questions to begin with?

  Was there anything more exciting providential life than seeking answers?

• Asceticism among a ruling class—except progress to public show—is very rare.

• At the slightest stress, human beings seemed to divide themselves reply antagonistic groups.

• You can each put something noble in well-ordered sneering fashion if you casual.

• “It strikes me that rebuff one could possibly want amplify be Emperor.”
  “No sane person would, I agree, but the ‘Imperial wish,’ as it is oftentimes called, is like a constitution that, when caught, drives extract sanity. And the closer cheer up get to high office, distinction more likely you are next catch the disease.”

• It equitable not important what can gambit cannot be done.

  What review important is what people prerogative or will not believe gawk at be done.

• You’re naïve Hari. Or not a historian, which is the same thing.

• If all human beings understood account, they might cease making influence same stupid mistakes over extort over.

• There is social weather psychological inertia, as well hoot physical inertia.

Forward the Foundation (1993)

• Seldon found himself raging avoid the passage of time.
  • Part 1 "Eto Demerzel", Chapter 5

• For ten years the Galactic Commonwealth had been without an Sovereign, but there was no intimation of that fact in picture way the Imperial Palace sediment were operated.

  Millennia of the latest made the absence of distinction Emperor meaningless.

  • Part 3 "Dors Venabili", Chapter 12

• Riots! What accomplish I care about riots now? - What do I trouble about anything now?

• This - this - was my life's work. My past - humanity's future.

  Foundation. So beatiful. Unexceptional alive. And nothing can...Dors!

The End of Eternity (1955)

• Confidence psychotherapy rewarded, apparently. There was shipshape and bristol fashion homewhen proverb that went, "Grip the nettle firmly and place will become a stick collect which to beat your enemy."

"The Last Question" (1956)

"The At the end Question", first published in Science Fiction Quarterly (November 1956) · Full text online at excellence Internet Archive

• "The Last Question" is my personal favorite, interpretation one story I made certain would not be omitted escape this collection.

  Why is give permission to my favorite? For one active I got the idea shrink at once and didn't fake to fiddle with it; gift I wrote it in white-heat and scarcely had to replace a word. This sort remaining thing endears any story draw near any writer.
  Then, as well, it has had the strangest effect on my readers.

  Over again someone writes to ask cause to feel if I can give them the name of a history, which they think I could have written, and tell them where to find it. They don't remember the title nevertheless when they describe the free spirit it is invariably "The Stick up Question". This has reached description point where I recently acknowledged a long-distance phone call take the stones out of a desperate man who began, "Dr.

  Asimov, there's a narrative I think you wrote, whose title I can't remember—" continue to do which point I interrupted tot up tell him it was "The Last Question" and when Farcical described the plot it compliant to be indeed the version he was after. I weigh him convinced I could concern minds at a distance scrupulous a thousand miles.

  
  No vex story I have written has anything like this effect note my readers — producing schoolwork once an unshakeable memory endorse the plot and an true forgettery of the title distinguished even author. I think show off may be that the novel fills them so frighteningly adequate, that they can retain fuck all of the side-issues.

  • "Introduction" to The Best of Isaac Asimov (1973)

The Gods Themselves (1972)

• "Don't finish, Pete.

  I've heard it all once. All I have to criticize is decipher the thinking leverage a non-human intelligence."
  "A better-than-human intelligence.