Sixty-six essays, 1980-86, taken from Asimov's regular editorial column in the science-fiction magazine that bears his name (he has no other control over the magazine's content), and supplementing his previous remarks on the science-fiction field (Asimov on Science Fiction, 1981). Asimov regulars by now will be familiar with both format (short—about four pages) and style (genial, relaxed, informative, reasonable almost to a fault). Following a general, introductory section, and sometimes in response to readers' letters, Asimov discusses the writing of science fiction (advice for young hopefuls, sf poetry, rejection slips, editors); sf writers; the science in sf (including some well-chosen remarks on Star Wars, which some writers fervently support, others vehemently oppose); fantasy; magazines (with particular reference to Asimov's); and, finally, a more personal section. Here, Asimov reflects upon his own writing and characters (such as the famous Susan Calvin of the robot yarns) and, most interestingly, his well-known aphorism from the Foundation trilogy, "Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent" (it may well prove more durable than his venerated Three Laws of Robotics). It is in this last section, though, that the limitations of the short format become apparent: the subject demands in-depth discussion. Tirelessly, Asimov dispenses precisely metered doses of information sweetened with old-fashioned liberalism—concern for individual rights, respect for the Constitution, an outlook that transcends the parochial—a combination that's hard to decline, even if the rewards are often regrettably fleeting.
Pub Date: Jan. 27, 1988
ISBN: 0385241208
Page Count: -
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Sept. 16, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1981
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
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