Declare Books As Nine Tomorrows
| ISBN: | 0345346041 (ISBN13: 9780345346049) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Characters: | Multivac |
Isaac Asimov
Mass Market Paperback | Pages: 224 pages Rating: 4.15 | 4729 Users | 158 Reviews
List Based On Books Nine Tomorrows
| Title | : | Nine Tomorrows |
| Author | : | Isaac Asimov |
| Book Format | : | Mass Market Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Anniversary Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 224 pages |
| Published | : | August 12th 1975 by Del Rey (first published 1959) |
| Categories | : | Science Fiction. Fiction. Short Stories. Science Fiction Fantasy. Anthologies. Collections. Classics |
Rendition During Books Nine Tomorrows
Isaac Asimov may very well be the most prolific author in modern history. With over 500 books to his credit (506, to be exact...go to asimovonline.com for the full list, if you don't believe me!), covering just about every subject in the Dewey Decimal System (except philosophy, I believe), the man was a real marvel. One of these 500 volumes, "Nine Tomorrows," is a collection of short stories that Doc Ike first had published in various magazines during the period July '56 to November '58. As the title suggests, all nine tales deal with possible futures that may face mankind, and all feature the wit, erudition and clarity that are the hallmarks of every Asimov story/novel that I've ever read. The collection kicks off with the longest tale, "Profession," in which Asimov presents a 65th century when one's vocation is determined by a kind of computerized psychological profile, and in which youngsters compete in Olympics-style games for plum jobs on other planets. But what happens if it is deemed that you're cut out for nothing at all? That's what happens to young George Platen, in this consistently interesting tale. (Asimov does make one rare goof in this story: George should be 20, not 19, by the story's end. Has anyone else noticed this?) In "The Feeling of Power," Asimov tells us of a scientist who is actually capable of doing simple math problems on paper (gasp!), without the aid of a computer (!), and how the military minds of that distant century make use of these newfound skills. But the old ways of doing things lead to nothing but trouble, in this brilliantly cynical tale. Asimov has been called "the Agatha Christie of Science Fiction," and in "The Dying Night," a murder mystery of sorts, we see an early example of how he earned that title. A scientist lies dead, his papers on mass transference stolen, and three of his old school chums are suspect. This somewhat contrived story nonetheless leads to a satisfactory conclusion that most readers will never foresee. (The 1965 observations of Mercury, by the way, have dated the science in the tale, but this is certainly nothing that Asimov could have foreseen in July '56.) What is certainly the most humorous tale in the bunch comes next: "I'm in Marsport Without Hilda." Written in Heinlein-like, tough-guy prose, this tale concerns a Galactic Service agent who must determine which of three men is attempting to smuggle a powerful drug out of the eponymous port. This one really had me chuckling out loud, and winds up very amusingly indeed. A most entertaining tale. In "The Gentle Vultures," the author tells us that an alien race has been living on the Moon's far side for several decades, waiting for Earth's Cold War to blow up so that they might come to our aid...for a fee, of course. Asimov would have us believe that these folks are the source of the 1940s' and '50s' UFO's, and who knows...maybe he's right! Anyway, the interaction between the chimplike aliens and their kidnapped Earthling is very well done in this unique tale. In "All the Troubles of the World," a computer is responsible for not only caring for everyone on Earth, but also for predicting and preventing crimes. Is it possible that this 1958 story was inspired in part by P.K. Dick's "Minority Report," published two years before? Who knows? The story is very clever, though, and has a most touching ending. "Spell My Name With an S" shows how the smallest alteration in one's life can occasionally lead to great worldwide changes. A way-out surprise ending caps off another very clever Asimov short story. And then there's "The Last Question," in which Asimov theorizes on nothing less than the end of the universe 10 trillion years in the future...and what might happen after that. This is a truly mind-expanding short story that offers much food for thought in its 12 pages. The collection wraps up with perhaps my favorite story of the bunch, "The Ugly Little Boy." Here, a nurse is hired to take care of a 4-year-old Neanderthal tyke who has been plucked from the past by a scientific institute. The tale should be instructive to all those critics who have accused Asimov of being unable to depict convincing female characters. Nurse Fellowes is VERY well drawn, I think, with some psychological complexity and surprising maternal tendencies. The ending of this tale is nicely sentimental, and lingers long in the memory. Thus ends a really fine collection of stories from one of sci-fi's true masters. Trust me, you'll wish there were 20 tomorrows here, instead of just nine!Rating Based On Books Nine Tomorrows
Ratings: 4.15 From 4729 Users | 158 ReviewsNotice Based On Books Nine Tomorrows
Didn't put a lot of stock into this book simply because they were short stories - but I have never been more wrong. These are by far my favorite writings by Asimov. Could. NOT. Put. The. Book. Down. Asimov, god of scifi, managed to remain thought provoking in a limited amount of space and really raised a ton of valid questions about out actions today. Since he wrote this around the Cold War time, it is a little out of date with current events, but the main idea about mathematical theory stillI was surprised to realize although I knew a great deal about Isaac Asimov, I had never actually read a book by him. So I took this one off my shelf and was not disappointed. I ended each story with a smile on my face, and only in one did I have some trouble getting into the story. Once I realized they were talking about Earth, it made sense and proved to be equally enjoyable. Asimov was right that computers would be a key player in the world (copyright 1959), but did not foresee how quickly
Nine tomorrows is a collection of stories by Isaac Asimov originally published between 1956 and 1958. Ive given the stories an average rating of 4.3. In my opinion the short story forms are ideal for sf, but a lot of what gets published fails the first test - they arent stories. Asimov always gives you a beginning, a middle and an end. Each piece has a central point. The best thing in the collection is The ugly little boy, which is about a Neanderthal child who is kidnapped into the 20th century
"Two nights ago I really wanted to read a book before bed, but it was late, and I knew that I would end up reading until all hours of the morning and regret it the next day. So, I scoured the mass market Mt. TBR and found a thin book, which also happened to be a collection of short stories. Yay! Last night I finished reading this book, and as can be expected, it was an engaging read, with each short story providing a different insight into how (in some cases, minor and insignificant) actions and
Isaac Asimov may very well be the most prolific author in modern history. With over 500 books to his credit (506, to be exact...go to asimovonline.com for the full list, if you don't believe me!), covering just about every subject in the Dewey Decimal System (except philosophy, I believe), the man was a real marvel. One of these 500 volumes, "Nine Tomorrows," is a collection of short stories that Doc Ike first had published in various magazines during the period July '56 to November '58. As the
A good short story collection from Isaac Asimov. Favourites:The Feeling of PowerThe Gentle VulturesThe Ugly Little Boy
Consisting of nine short stories, Asimov writes in a way that was incredibly inventive for his time. Not all of the stories are equal in quality, but the ones that are great are truly great. A good use of time for fans of older science fiction, and not too hard to breeze through in a week or so.
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