Title: The Early Asimov: Volume Three
Author: Isaac Asimov
Type: Fiction
Page Count: 192
Rating: 3.5/5
This book defies all logic, and I’m going to tell you why. The Early Asimov is essentially a collection of Asimov’s short stories from when he was first starting out, published as one volume in hardback but in three separate volumes for the paperback. By the time that we get to this specific paperback, we’re towards the latter end of the early stuff, and so theoretically Dr. Asimov should have been at his best.
Instead, I found that I preferred his really early stuff, and by the time we get to this point, I’m left with the feeling that it’s almost a waste. He accompanies his stories with little reflective essays that talk about where he was in his life at the time, and the stories here were written during the downtime between some of his all-time greats.
Having said all that, I’m a completionist, especially when it comes to someone as prolific and as fascinating as Asimov, who I consider to be something of a personal challenge.
