DOCSLIB.ORG

The Complete Stories 1St Edition Ebook, Epub

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

THE COMPLETE STORIES 1ST EDITION PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Flannery OConnor | 9780374515362 | | | | | The Complete Stories 1st edition PDF Book Published by Schocken Books, New York First Edition; First Printing. Got a lot out of this book overall. I have found only three acting female characters in the whole book, and of them, two are portrayed as weak females unable to deal with a traumatic past "The Dead Past" or needing the help of a male character to grow "Satisfaction Guaranteed". Yes sir! Age Level see all. Seriously, how has it taken me this long to discover Isaac Asimov. View 1 comment. Some of those stories are still very smart and quite relevant, despite the fact that so many decades have past. The Invaders, by Count Lyov N. I pushed myself to select 3 favorite stories and it was really a difficult job. Or "Living Space", in itself an interesting take on the multiverse, where the punchline is simply silly. But in these stories that men make all the important decisions, both at work and home, is taken for granted. NY More information about this seller Contact this seller 4. His short stories quickly establish interesting and compelling characters and unfold unpredictably. When I say Isaac Asimov is a genius I don't mean that he's an excellent writer who brought great innovation to the sci-fi genre. Guaranteed 3 day delivery. He Isaac Asimov needs no introduction, I believe, not especially to those well-versed in the Science-Fiction genre, a much-maligned area of speculative fiction that has only in recent well, recent at least in literary terms years been receiving the recognition it deserves. The other story that's interesting happens to be Franchise, whose storyline is that by studying patterns of human behaviour over a long timeframe, Multivac is able to use one person as a representative sample and elect the US president basis his choice of candidates. We face an eternity of introspection, when all through history we have never known what to do with ourselves on a rainy Sunday. Satisfaction guaranteed is a warm but disturbing story of a woman falling in love with a robot. This denouement is exactly like a punchline, and hence his stories are typically constructed similarly to the literary genre of the "joke". Overall, I could only give this two stars, and this despite the fact that some of the robot novels and the Foundation series rank, in my view, amongst the most excellent Sci-Fi I read. Some d I sometimes joke that Isaac Asimov is my intellectual father: although that's not that far from the truth. Buy It Now. Garcia rated it it was amazing Shelves: hard-sf , scifi-fantasy , favorite-fiction. One of his greatest talents is diversity, the ability to spin a humorous piece eliciting warm chuckles, to chilling diatribes on the depravity of the human condition. Free In-store Pickup. More refinements More refinements Other books in the series. With a new foreword by John Updike. The average man was not yet accustomed to the thought that if he planned to wallop his wife, it would be known in advance. Author see all. Our BookSleuth is specially designed for you. Seller Rating:. We have no universe left, no outside phenomena, no emotions, no passions. His plan is thwarted by his boss, who puts him on a last-minute assignment, but on finishing it, he is just about to be off to his illicit rendezvous when his wife greets him, having been able to catch a service up to Marsport to surprise him. The first edition identification points are as follows: "First printing, " is stated on the copyright page with no references to subsequent printings. Inscription from previous owner on front end page. Short Stories. Was a Volume 2 ever planned? Completed Items. A beautiful production by Schocken Books!. Chip to crown of spine and to front panel's upper-right corner. Condition: Very Good. The King of Andaman by J. Enter your search terms. The Complete Stories 1st edition Writer Friend Reviews. To find the market value for this book, click on the pre-filled eBay, AbeBooks, or Biblio links to the right and look for comparable listings that have all of these first edition points. I know it's a cliche, but they made me feel like a little kid again, curled up in a big comfy chair with a book that made Seriously, how has it taken me this long to discover Isaac Asimov. We have no universe left, no outside phenomena, no emotions, no passions. Or "Living Space", in itself an interesting take on the multiverse, where the punchline is simply silly. All Listings. Cant put my finger on it More information about this seller Contact this seller Special Attributes see all. Asimov wrote the Lucky Starr series of juvenile science-fiction novels using the pen name Paul French. There are 46 short stories here, one from , five from the s, but the bulk are from the fifties. The reader is introduced to some mystery in the exposition, this mystery then is developed throughout the story, and the part that in a novel would be the denouement is delivered in the form of a sentence, or short paragraph, that terminates the story. The phrase clearly portrays domestic violence as a petty crime, and I must say that I am growing suspicious of Isaac as a consequence of this comment. If you spot a mistake, drop us an e-mail and we will do our best to investigate and correct it. In my eyes, Isaac Asimov is a true genius. Not Specified. No Preference. Shop by Category. Satisfaction guaranteed is a warm but disturbing story of a woman falling in love with a robot. Some of these are quite good Indeed, Isaac appeared to be quite far-sighted in some of the themes he was tackling. Family Pride and Pride and Principle by T. Item Location see all. Highly recommended. At the time of Asimov writing these in the 50's computers were becoming a bigger thing. Knox Hardcover 1st Ed. Add to Basket Used Hardcover. As it would be much too great an undertaking to write a review for each and every one of the fort-six short stories included in this compilation, I shall instead provide a general review of the style in which Asimov writes in most of these stories, as well as the different facets of his pieces. As usual Asimov delivers. Bookplate on inside front cover mostly hidden under the front flap. More refinements More refinements I have not counted them, but there is scarcely a story in which there are any female characters at all, and if there are, they are either statistics as in "his father was x, his mother was y" , or non-acting characters receptionists, cooks etc. In "Jokester", computer analyst Timothy Whistler walks past a secretary's desk naturally female and reflects on this archaic item in this computer-ridden world of the twenty-first century, a human secretary. It's great to see his early writings and how they evolved over time. Want to Read Currently Reading Read. Fine in white and gray cloth titled in gilt and decorated in blue. Asimov is one of the only authors I know of where every short story is fascinating, creative, and unique. It's amazing that even after half a century has passed, and humanity has advanced quite a bit, Asimov's work, even in terms of human relationships, raises questions we haven't even begun exploring. I loved it because of the idea it played with; that there is space and necessity for original thinking no matter how much of people's actions are controlled by computers in the future. He had a fluent style that I like a lot. Proceed to Basket. It contain 25 stories: 1. The first edition identification points are as follows: "First printing, " is stated on the copyright page with no references to subsequent printings. Charles N. First Edition; Second Printing. It might very well have been the first Asimov, maybe even the first work of science fiction, I ever read, and it's amazing, because it forever shifted my perception of the meaning of time. His absolute favourite story of all time, "The Last Question", which ends the book, is the best case in this particular point see my separate review here , if you are interested. Jan 13, Peter Pete Mcloughlin rated it really liked it Shelves: , owned-books , scifi , good-things , complexity , american-history , to , fiction , coldwar , general-science. The Complete Stories 1st edition Reviews Sponsored Listings. Dust Jacket Included. Asimov wrote the Lucky Starr series of juvenile science-fiction novels using the pen name Paul French. Granted, the character is portrayed as "good-for-nothing", but that is of course not a characterisation designed to show his action in a negative light. Sold Items. To ask other readers questions about The Complete Stories, Vol 1 , please sign up. Enjoyed it! Some of those stories are still very smart and quite relevant, despite the fact that so many decades have past. Create a Want Tell us what you're looking for and once a match is found, we'll inform you by e-mail. After that it was settled, I HAD to read as much of this man's work as possible. Quite often I forgot that I was reading a man from the 's vision of the future. We face an eternity of introspection, when all through history we have never known what to do with ourselves on a rainy Sunday.
Recommended publications
  • The Life and Times O F Multivac

    The Life and Times O F Multivac

    THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MULTIVAC Isaac UMW Isaac Asimov's body of work is port of the essential corpus of hard science fiction. As a teenager in the 1930s he was one of the first generation of science fiction fans who became a science fiction writer. He was a leading light of Campbell's Astounding in the forties with his robot stories, embodying his fa- mous "Three lows," collected in 1950 as 1, Robot, as well os his Foundation series, later published in the 1960s as The Foundation Trilogy. All the while he was progressing through college and graduate school, finally attaining his Ph.D. in biochemistry ond a tenured teaching position at Boston University School of Medicine. At the height of his powers and popularity in sf, he turned to writing popular science essays ond books in the late fifties and become the greatest living writer in that field of the second half of the twentieth century. Immensely proMic, he had published more than 400 books, most of them nonfiction, before his death in 1992_ Asimov was a rationalist and a true believer in science as a way of knowing, and shot attitude permeated his writing and emanated from his personal affect_ He was on indefatigable public figure in the science fiction work! throughout his adult life, a charismatic center of attention. A protégé of John W_ Campbell (whom at least Unfit the 1950s he used to visit weekly whenever possible for editorial sessions). Asimov was devoted to hard science fiction, generous in his praise of other hard science fiction writers, and always careful to distinguish hard si from other varieties_ Over several decodes, Asimov wrote a number of stories about supercom- puters (not always the same one) named Multivac "The Machine That Won the War" I1961j.
  • The Multidimensional Guide to Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Twentieth Century, Volume 1

    The Multidimensional Guide to Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Twentieth Century, Volume 1

    THE MULTIDIMENSIONAL GUIDE TO SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, VOLUME 1 EDITED BY NAT TILANDER 2 Copyright © 2010 by Nathaniel Garret Tilander All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of both publisher and author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law. Cover art from the novella Last Enemy by H. Beam Piper, first published in the August 1950 issue of Astounding Science Fiction, and illustrated by Miller. Image downloaded from the ―zorger.com‖ website which states that the image is licensed under a Creative Commons Public Domain License. Additional copyrighted materials incorporated in this book are as follows: Copyright © 1949-1951 by L. Sprague de Camp. These articles originally appeared in Analog Science Fiction. Copyright © 1951-1979 by P. Schuyler Miller. These articles originally appeared in Analog Science Fiction. Copyright © 1975-1979 by Lester Del Rey. These articles originally appeared in Analog Science Fiction. Copyright © 1978-1981 by Spider Robinson. These articles originally appeared in Analog Science Fiction. Copyright © 1979-1999 by Tom Easton. These articles originally appeared in Analog Science Fiction. Copyright © 1950-1954 by J. Francis McComas. These articles originally appeared in Fantasy and Science Fiction. Copyright © 1950-1959 by Anthony Boucher. These articles originally appeared in Fantasy and Science Fiction. Copyright © 1959-1960 by Damon Knight. These articles originally appeared in Fantasy and Science Fiction.
  • THE MENTOR 86 “The Magazine Ahead of Its Time”

    THE MENTOR 86 “The Magazine Ahead of Its Time”

    THE MENTOR 86 “The Magazine Ahead of its Time” APRIL 1995 page 1 So this is the world that “swirls around us”, here where we A PLANET MUCH LIKE live in the most quite and forgotten of sites, shielded to our west by the Santa Barbara Range, (perhaps 2,500 metres high, or higher maybe); to our south by the valley’s own heights where lie the vast domains of El EARTH Fuerte... and beyond it there’s a national park, too far to reach easily from here, at the every centre of a geological fault, so that severe earthquakes can occur. To our east just beyond another ridge stretch the wastes of Chaco, becoming more and more swampy as the great BY Mae Strelkov rivers coming down from Brazil encounter difficulty in emptying their burdens into the Atlantic Ocean far to the south-east of us here. Somewhere in the wilds to our east, moreover lies the mysterious homeland of the Guaranies, now called Paraguay To our north there are not cities, just some sugar-producing ingenios employing thousands of peones, so that small thriving towns cluster around such sites. The brisk north wind, whoever, by the time it comes roaring across our own piece of land where we are, halfway This is the story of a bulldozer in a steamy jungle. It is the up this great valley, is so pure it’s a pleasure to have it as our steadiest story of myself, born in China, married to a Russian refugee, with wind the whole year through.
  • Robot Visions - Isaac Asimov

    Robot Visions - Isaac Asimov

    Robot Visions - Isaac Asimov ISAAC ASIMOV ROBOT VISIONS ILLUSTRATIONS BY RALPH McQUARRIE file:///E|/Documents%20and%20Settings/Princess%20D...20Visions/Robot%20Visions%20-%20Isaac%20Asimov.htm (1 of 222)11/19/2005 3:59:53 AM Robot Visions - Isaac Asimov To Gardner Dozois and Stan Schmidt, colleagues and friends CONTENTS Introduction: The Robot Chronicles STORIES Robot Visions Too Bad! Robbie Reason Liar! Runaround Evidence Little Lost Robot The Evitable Conflict Feminine Intuition The Bicentennial Man Someday Think! Segregationist Mirror Image Lenny Galley Slave Christmas Without Rodney ESSAYS Robots I Have Known The New Teachers Whatever You Wish The Friends We Make Our Intelligent Tools The Laws Of Robotics Future Fantastic The Machine And The Robot The New Profession The Robot As Enemy? file:///E|/Documents%20and%20Settings/Princess%20D...20Visions/Robot%20Visions%20-%20Isaac%20Asimov.htm (2 of 222)11/19/2005 3:59:53 AM Robot Visions - Isaac Asimov Intelligences Together My Robots The Laws Of Humanics Cybernetic Organism The Sense Of Humor Robots In Combination Introduction: The Robot Chronicles What is a robot? We might define it most briefly and comprehensively as “an artificial object that resembles a human being.” When we think of resemblance, we think of it, first, in terms of appearance. A robot looks like a human being. It could, for instance, be covered with a soft material that resembles human skin. It could have hair, and eyes, and a voice, and all the features and appurtenances of a human being, so that it would, as far as outward appearance is concerned, be indistinguishable from a human being.
  • The Last Question” Naomi Cooperman

    The Last Question” Naomi Cooperman

    Insufficient Data for a Meaningful Answer: The use of Language in Isaac Asimov’s “The Last Question” Naomi Cooperman Isaac Asimov’s short story, “The Last Questions,” opens with the statement that “the last question was asked for the first time, half in jest, on May 21, 2061.” The story hinges around Multivac, a government-run supercomputer whose function is to answer questions. When asked by two technicians whether humanity is capable of reversing its entropic course, Multivac replies, “there is insufficient data for meaningful answer.” After generations of Multivacs issuing this same reply, and generations of no change to the human trajectory, the universe dies. All that’s left is Multivac in hyperspace. In this paper Naomi Cooperman draws on Marxist theorist Louis Althusser’s notion of Ideological State Apparatuses to explore the possibilities— and pitfalls—of language. Beginning with Althusser’s claim that “ideology has no history” Cooperman reads Asmiov’s story as demonstrative of the notion that the constraints of language are impossible to trace. - Dr. Erin Wunker The words that comprise literature are crucial because they can both create and inhibit the expansion of language. Isaac Asimov’s short story, “The Last Question,” explores the limitations and possibilities of language from the perspective of production both within the story and in the concept of the text as a whole. Using Louis Althusser as the foundational grounding and Roland Barthes as the potentiality, this paper will question how language functions in science fiction. The story begins, “the last question was asked for the first time, half in jest, on May 21, 2061, at a time when humanity first stepped into the light” (Asimov 290).
  • From Infant Sacrifice to the Abc's: Ancient Phoenicians

    From Infant Sacrifice to the Abc's: Ancient Phoenicians

    FROM INFANT SACRIFICE TO THE ABC’S: ANCIENT PHOENICIANS AND MODERN IDENTITIES Brien K. Garnand PLEASE DO NOT CITE ANY CONTEXT WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR 2 Brien Garnand, Committee on the Ancient Mediterranean World, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637 3 I was shocked to learn that Phoenicians were possibly sacrificing young children at the Carthage Tophet. The idea is horrifying. I always thought that the Phoenicians were a civilized race. P.D. Roberts (2001) Forum, Archaeology Odyssey 4(3):10-11 FROM INFANT SACRIFICE TO THE ABC’S1 The Phoenicians showed extraordinary acumen in commerce and communications, colonizing the Western Mediterranean ahead of the Greeks and disseminating their most important invention — alphabetic script. At the same time, they earned a reputation for piracy and deceit, and showed extraordinary depravity in practicing infant sacrifice and ritual prostitution, according to the Classical and Biblical sources. Depraved civilizer, or civilized depraver — the Phoenician presented something of a paradox. During the nineteenth century, and through much of the twentieth, European artists, writers, and scholars solved this paradox by erasing the civilizer, downplaying the significance of the Phoenician development of the alphabet, and leaving only the depraved and exotic Oriental. Formed in an environment of racism, imperialism, and nationalism, the influence of such interpretations of the Phoenicians has now faded, to be superseded by ‘post’ interpretations — post-modern, post-colonial, post-structural. But recently certain scholars have abandoned the conventional infant sacrifice paradigm in favor of a narrative that emphasizes the Phoenicians’ contributions to civilization while expunging their rites of infant sacrifice. The year 1987 was a defining moment for both professional and popular acceptance of this revised narrative.
  • After More. Essays Commemorating the Five Hundredth Anniversary Of

    After More. Essays Commemorating the Five Hundredth Anniversary Of

    More Aer More Essays Commemorating the Five-Hundredth Anniversary of Thomas More’s Utopia edited by ksenia olkusz michał kłosiński krzysztof m. maj FRONTIERS of NOWHERE More After More More After More Essays Commemorating the Five-Hundredth Anniversary of Thomas More’s Utopia edited by Ksenia Olkusz, Michał Kłosiński Krzysztof M. Maj facta ficta research centre • kraków 2016 Some rights reserved by Facta Ficta Research Centre in Kraków The book is licenced under Creative Commons BY 4.0 (Attribution International) in recognition of Open Access Movement and stored in the Center for Open Science repository Reviewed by Prof. Paweł Frelik Proofread by Sven Dwulecki and Karolina Kwaśna Cataloguing: 1. Philosophy 2. Utopian studies 3. Utopia and dystopia I. Frontiers of Nowhere (vol. 1) II. Title III. Ksenia Olkusz, Michał Kłosiński, Krzysztof M. Maj ISBN: 978-83-942923-4-8 Cover photo: Nikos Patsiouris, Syros Island (https://www.flickr.com/photos/patsnik/16936623591) Set in Libre Baskerville and Cinzel open fonts Layout designed by Krzysztof M. Maj Contents List of Figures 10 Preface 12 Introduction: Utopia at 500 14 Gregory Claeys 1. Evantropia and Dysantropia: A Possible New Stage in the History of Utopias 26 Lucas Misseri 2. The Facets of “Universal Religion”: Religion in Nineteenth-Century French Utopian Thought 44 Tomasz Szymański 3. Twenty-first Century Critical Dystopias 56 Peter G. Stillman 4. Deconstructing Utopia 74 Krzysztof M. Maj 5. Micro-dystopias as Socio-political Constructs in Post-apocalyptic Narratives 90 Ksenia Olkusz 6. Boredom and Melancholy in Utopias and Dystopias 104 Mariusz Finkielsztein 7. Creating Utopian or Dystopian Worlds in Digital Games 118 Miłosz Markocki 8.
  • Kinderopfer Im Punischen Karthago. Die Rezeption Der Antiken

    Kinderopfer Im Punischen Karthago. Die Rezeption Der Antiken

    Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn Institut für Geschichtswissenschaft Abteilung für Alte Geschichte Hauptseminar „Karthago - Geschichte einer antiken Weltstadt“ Im Schwerpunktmodul Alte Geschichte I Dozent: Prof. Dr. Konrad Vössing Kinderopfer im punischen Karthago. Die Rezeption der antiken Überlieferung in moderner fiktionaler Literatur unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Kurzgeschichte „The Dead Past/Das Chronoskop“ von Isaac Asimov Vorgelegt am 31.03.2019 von: Erik Christian Pelzer Bonn E-Mail: [email protected] Masterstudiengang Fach: Geschichte (Allgemeine Geschichte) 1. Fachsemester Wintersemester 2018/2019 Inhaltsverzeichnis Inhaltsverzeichnis ..................................................................................................................... 2 I. Einleitung .............................................................................................................................. 3 II. Hauptteil .............................................................................................................................. 5 1. Analyse der literarischen Überlieferungen und archäologischen Befunde zu Kinderopfern im punischen Karthago ......................................................................................................... 5 1.1. Quellenlage und Rekonstruktionsmodelle ..................................................................5 1.2. Die punischen Kinderopfer im Spiegel der Forschung vor dem Hintergrund literarischer und archäologischer Untersuchungen ..........................................................13
  • University of Pardubice Faculty of Arts and Philosophy Technological

    University of Pardubice Faculty of Arts and Philosophy Technological

    University of Pardubice Faculty of Arts and Philosophy Technological Progress in the Works of Isaac Asimov and Philip K. Dick Master Thesis 2020 Šárka Štěpánková Prohlašuji: Tuto práci jsem vypracovala samostatně. Veškeré literární prameny a informace, které jsem v práci využila, jsou uvedeny v seznamu použité literatury. Byla jsem seznámena s tím, že se na moji práci vztahují práva a povinnosti vyplývající ze zákona č. 121/2000 Sb., o právu autorském, o právech souvisejících s právem autorským a o změně některých zákonů (autorský zákon), ve znění pozdějších předpisů, zejména se skutečností, že Univerzita Pardubice má právo na uzavření licenční smlouvy o užití této práce jako školního díla podle § 60 odst. 1 autorského zákona, a s tím, že pokud dojde k užití této práce mnou nebo bude poskytnuta licence o užití jinému subjektu, je Univerzita Pardubice oprávněna ode mne požadovat přiměřený příspěvek na úhradu nákladů, které na vytvoření díla vynaložila, a to podle okolností až do jejich skutečné výše. Beru na vědomí, že v souladu s § 47b zákona č. 111/1998 Sb., o vysokých školách a o změně a doplnění dalších zákonů (zákon o vysokých školách), ve znění pozdějších předpisů, a směrnicí Univerzity Pardubice č. 7/2019 Pravidla pro odevzdávání, zveřejňování a formální úpravu závěrečných prací, ve znění pozdějších dodatků, bude práce zveřejněna prostřednictvím Digitální knihovny Univerzity Pardubice. V Pardubicích dne 22.11. 2020 Šárka Štěpánková ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to my supervisor, doc. Mgr. Šárka Bubíková, Ph.D., for her valuable and helpful advice and guidance. ANNOTATION The master thesis focuses on the depiction of technological progress in the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K.
  • Ein Blog-Projekt Zur Antikenrezeption in Science Fiction, Horror Und Fantasy, In: Thersites 8 (2018), 85-96

    Ein Blog-Projekt Zur Antikenrezeption in Science Fiction, Horror Und Fantasy, In: Thersites 8 (2018), 85-96

    KLEU, MICHAEL (UNIVERSITÄT ZU KÖLN) fantastischeantike.de – ein Blog-Projekt zur Antikenrezeption in Science Fiction, Horror und Fantasy, in: thersites 8 (2018), 85-96. KEYWORDS Classical Reception, Classical Tradition, Science Fiction, Horror, Fantasy ABSTRACT The workshop report presents fantastischeantike.de, a blog project focussing on classical tradition in science fiction, horror and fantasy. Michael Kleu 1. Entstehung und Ziel des Projekts DEMETRIOS Poliorketes im Weltraum? Als Althistoriker mit einem Schwerpunkt auf der antigonidischen Dynastie staunte ich nicht schlecht, als ich in Isaac Asimovs Kurzgeschichte „C-Chute“ (1951), die auf einem Raumschiff und in ferner Zukunft spielt, plötzlich auf einen Charakter stieß, der den Namen des zweiten Antigonidenkönigs trug und auch ge- wisse Charakterzüge mit diesem teilte.1 Ein paar Geschichten weiter folgte dann im selben Sammelband2 die nächste Überraschung, als dort ein Althistoriker auftrat, der mit Hilfe der Zeitschau, einer Möglichkeit, in die Vergangenheit zu blicken, zu widerlegen versuchte, dass die Kar- thager in Krisenzeiten ihre Kinder opferten, was mit einigen ausführli- chen Exkursen zu Karthago im Allgemeinen und zu Hannibal im Beson- deren verbunden war („The Dead Past“, 1956). Als besonders spannend habe ich dabei empfunden, dass Asimov hier auch sehr ausführlich auf Probleme der Quellenlage und der Darstellung fremder Völker in der grie- chischen und römischen Überlieferung einging. Erst später stellte ich fest, dass Asimov in jungen Jahren zeitweise überlegt hatte, Historiker zu wer- den, einige populärwissenschaftliche Bücher zur Geschichte geschrieben hatte und ein großer Bewunderer Hannibals war.3 Als ich mich mit Kolleginnen und Kollegen über diese für mich völlig unerwartete Antikenrezeption unterhielt, berichteten mir auch diese von verschiedenen ähnlichen Dingen, die ihnen beim Lesen phantastischer Li- teratur aufgefallen waren.
  • Entropy's Enemies: Postmodern Fission and Transhuman Fusion In

    Entropy's Enemies: Postmodern Fission and Transhuman Fusion In

    humanities Article Entropy’s Enemies: Postmodern Fission and Transhuman Fusion in the Post-War Era Jordan Burr Department of English, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA; [email protected] Received: 18 November 2019; Accepted: 25 February 2020; Published: 5 March 2020 Abstract: In the early to mid-twentieth century, thermodynamic entropy—the inevitable diffusion of usable energy in the Universe—became a ubiquitous metaphor for the dissolution of Western values and cultural energy. Many Golden Age science fiction writers portrayed twentieth century technological progress as anti-entropic, a sign of Universal progress and unity which might postpone or negate both cultural and thermodynamic forms of entropy. Following the evolutionary metaphysics of Georg Hegel and Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Golden Age science fiction writers like Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov imagined the creation of powerful collective beings whose unitary existence signified the defeat of entropy. In contrast, later literary postmodernists like Thomas Pynchon and Pamela Zoline often accepted and even exalted in the chaotic, liberating potential of entropy. In postmodern fiction, the disorder of entropy was often compared favorably to the stifling hegemony of cultural universalism. More broadly, these two responses might be understood to represent two societal stages of grief– denial and acceptance—to the new trauma introduced to the world by the parallel concepts of cultural entropy and a Universal “heat death.” Keywords: cultural entropy; postmodernism; posthumanism; transhumanism; Georg Hegel; Pierre Teilhard de Chardin Before long, all existing things will be transformed, to rise like smoke (assuming all things become one) or be dispersed in fragments. -Marcus Aurelius (Meditations 6.4) 1.
  • CHAPTER I Isaac Asimov

    CHAPTER I Isaac Asimov

    UNIVERSIDAD DE CUENCA FACULTAD DE FILOSOFÍA, LETRAS Y CIENCIAS DE LA EDUCACIÓN CARRERA DE LENGUA Y LITERATURA INGLESA "Isaac Asimov and the Golden Age of Science Fiction: A Study in Terms of his Contribution to the Genre” Trabajo de graduación previo a la obtención de un título de Licenciado en Ciencias de la Educación en Lengua y Literatura Inglesa AUTOR: ISMAEL ALEJANDRO OCHOA COBOS CI. 0106650153 DIRECTOR: FABIÁN DARÍO RODAS PACHECO CI. 0101867703 CUENCA-ECUADOR 2017 Universidad de Cuenca RESUMEN Este trabajo investigativo trata de la vida y la obra literaria de una persona extraordinaria: Isaac Asimov. Su vida fue la de un genio que aprendió a leer y escribir por sí mismo y que escribió su primer relato a la edad de once años. Su producción literaria abarca diversos campos del conocimiento: ciencia pura, religión, humanismo, ecología y, especialmente, el campo de la ciencia ficción. Este último, género literario al cual él contribuyó a darle la forma definitiva que tiene en la actualidad. Concomitantemente, entonces, esta investigación cubre la historia de la ciencia ficción como género literario, desde sus manifestaciones más tempranas hace miles de años, hasta las absorbentes producciones audiovisuales que cautivan la atención tanto de niños como adultos hoy en día. Por este motivo, los contenidos de esta tesis también incluyen una descripción, llena de abundantes ejemplos, sobre las características que este género ha adquirido en nuestros días. Entre los numerosos trabajos de Asimov que se encuentran ligados a la ciencia ficción, dos series de libros aparecen como los más importantes. Se trata de sus series Fundación y Robots.