2.1 Linear Feet, 2 ft. 1 in. (5 document cases, 5 in. each)
Location
West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown,
WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536 / Fax: 304-293-3981 / URL: https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/
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Conditions Governing Access
No special access restriction applies.
Preferred Citation
[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Jack Stewart, Collector, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, A&M
4473, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.
Personal Life and Education:
Isaac Asimov was born in Russia in 1920 and immigrated to the United States with his family when he was three. Asimov grew
up in New York City and attended public schools, then earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry at Columbia University. He applied
to all five NYC medical schools and was rejected by all of them. He instead applied for the master's degree program in chemistry
at Columbia, and was rejected again, but convinced the department to let him pursue his studies on probationary status, and
finished his master's degree in 1941. He spent the next four years in the army. After being honorably discharged he returned
to his studies, and finished his Ph.D in chemistry at Columbia in 1948. He spent a year in a post-doctoral position at Columbia
researching compounds to fight malaria, then accepted a faculty position at Boston University. He stopped teaching and gave
up his salary in 1958 to write full-time. Boston University elevated him to the rank of full professor in 1979. He died in
1992 at the age of 72.
Works:
Asimov wrote more than 400 books, spread across numerous fiction and non-fiction genres. He is best known for his science
fiction, particularly I, Robot and The Foundation Trilogy. He is considered one of the most influential science fiction writers
of the 20th century, having contributed significantly to advancing the genre both in popularity and in literary prestige.
He incorporated into his science fiction elements drawn from history, mathematics, sociology, and other sciences. Asimov's
works also include mysteries, books on science written for general audiences, and works on classical literature, among numerous
other subjects. He also wrote hundreds of articles and columns for the magazines Fantasy and Science Fiction and Isaac Asimov's
Science Fiction.
Source:
Adapted from"C250 Celebrates Columbians Ahead of their Time" (accessed in 2019)
c250.columbia.edu/c250_celebrates/remarkable_columbians/Isaac_asimov.html
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History of "Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine":
The magazine was founded in 1977 as "Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine", following the example of contemporary magazines
like "Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine" and "Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine" by naming the magazine after a major figure
in the field. Asimov founded the magazine with Joel Davis of Davis Publications at Davis' suggestion. Asimov himself refused
the role of editor, but answered fan letters and contributed editorials as editorial director. In 1992 the magazine was sold
to Bantam Doubleday Dell, and the title changed to "Asimov's Science Fiction". In 1996 Dell Magazines, the division of Bantam
Doubleday publishing "Asimov's Science Fiction", was acquired by Crosstown Publications, and since then the magazine has been
published by their partner, Penny Publications. As of 2019 the magazine has had five editors over its lifetime: George H.
Scithers from 1977-1982, who was also editor for "Amazing Stories" and "Weird Tales"; Kathleen Moloney from 1982 to 1983,
serving as interim editor; Shawna McCarthy from 1983 to 1985, who was also editor for "Realms of Fantasy" and several anthologies;
Gardner Dozois from 1986 to 2004, who won 15 Hugo awards as editor; and Sheila Williams from 2004 to the present (as of 2019),
who also edited the Isaac Asimov's anthology series. The magazine has published works by more than fifty famous authors, including
Isaac Asimov himself, Octavia Butler, Pat Cadigan, Orson Scott Card, Arthur C. Clarke, Glenn Cook, Harlan Ellison, Joe Haldeman,
Ursula K. Le Guin, George R. R. Martin, Frederick Pohl, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, S. P. Somtow, Karen Traviss, Harry Turtledove,
Kate Wilhelm, and Connie Willis.
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Title Changes
Vol. 1 (1977)-10 (1986) Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine (ISSN: 1062-2188). Published quarterly in 1977, bimonthly
in 1978, and thereafter monthly beginning in 1979.
Vol. 11 (1987)-14 (1990) Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction (ISSN: 1045-6414)
This collection includes 103 issues of "Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine" and "Asimov's Science Fiction", published
from 1977-1994; numerous issues from this print run are missing (see contents list for details). In addition to the volume
numbers and issues, the publisher numbered each issue consecutively regardless of the volume number; that number is enclosed
in parenthesis and labeled "issue." There are also 2 issues of Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Anthology, published in 1979.
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