Quotes & anectdotes from the wise, the foolish, the courageous & the drunk

Isaac Asimov Novelist

  • Gender: Male
  • Citizenship: United States
  • Born: Jan 2, 1920
  • Died: Apr 6, 1992

Isaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000 letters and postcards. His books have been published in 9 of the 10 major categories of the Dewey Decimal Classification.

Asimov is widely considered a master of hard science fiction and, along with Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke, he was considered one of the "Big Three" science fiction writers during his lifetime. Asimov's most famous work is the Foundation Series; his other major series are the Galactic Empire series and the Robot series. The Galactic Empire novels are explicitly set in earlier history of the same fictional universe as the Foundation series. Later, beginning with Foundation's Edge, he linked this distant future to the Robot and Spacer stories, creating a unified "future history" for his stories much like those pioneered by Robert A. Heinlein and previously produced by Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson.

All sorts of computer errors are now turning up. You'd be surprised to know the number of doctors who claim they are treating pregnant men. medical & men

The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom. knowledge, life, science, society & wisdom

It is not only the living who are killed in war. war

I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them. computers & fear

A subtle thought that is in error may yet give rise to fruitful inquiry that can establish truths of great value. greatness

The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' but 'That's funny...' being funny & science

Part of the inhumanity of the computer is that, once it is competently programmed and working smoothly, it is completely honest. computers

Science fiction writers foresee the inevitable, and although problems and catastrophes may be inevitable, solutions are not. science

Self-education is, I firmly believe, the only kind of education there is. education

There is a single light of science, and to brighten it anywhere is to brighten it everywhere. science

It takes more than capital to swing business. You've got to have the A. I. D. degree to get by - Advertising, Initiative, and Dynamics. business

To insult someone we call him 'bestial. For deliberate cruelty and nature, 'human' might be the greater insult. nature

If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them. knowledge

People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do. being funny & greatness

Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It's the transition that's troublesome. death & life

To surrender to ignorance and call it God has always been premature, and it remains premature today. God

St. Patrick's Day March 17, 2025

There is no language like the Irish for soothing and quieting. 3 more quotes from John Millington Synge

3 more quotes from John Millington Synge

Being Irish, he had an abiding sense of tragedy, which sustained him through temporary periods of joy. 28 other quotes from William Butler Yeats

28 other quotes from William Butler Yeats

Geographically, Ireland is a medium-sized rural island that is slowly but steadily being consumed by sheep. 27 quotes from Dave Barry

27 quotes from Dave Barry

We have always found the Irish a bit odd. They refuse to be English. 74 sayings from Winston Churchill

74 sayings from Winston Churchill