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What was Isaac Asimov by profession? How Isaac Asimov Became the World's Most Famous and Rich Science Fiction Writer

What was Isaac Asimov by profession? How Isaac Asimov Became the World's Most Famous and Rich Science Fiction Writer

30.06.2019

From Petrovichi to New York
unusual child
About the science of the past and the future
Geniuses work in silence

Isaac Asimov lived a fairly quiet life, without major upheavals, but, as he himself said, "this was offset by the charming literary style" inherent in him. The author, who did not have false modesty, believed that his books did not make a splash, although here one can disagree with Asimov - the books did not take people to the streets, did not provoke revolutions, but they dragged on and absorbed readers, they stunned. The unbridled fantasy of the author, the fullness, the plausibility of the worlds he invented, as well as the simplicity with which the writer explained complex scientific terms.

Success Story, Biography of Isaac Asimov

From Petrovichi to New York

Despite the fact that Isaac Asimov was born in Russia, in the village of Petrovichi, Smolensk region, he was neither Russian nor Russian. He did not know the exact date of birth, he chose January 2, 1920 as such a day, celebrating his name day on the second day of the New Year. He did not know the Russian language either; it was customary in the family to speak Yiddish; although parents Yuda Aronovich and Anna-Rakhil Isaakovna used Russian in conversations that they did not want to devote their children to. From the age of three, Asimov already lived among the Americans - in 1923, the family emigrated to the United States, and five years later, the Asimovs received citizenship.

Life in Russia in the post-revolutionary years was extremely difficult: lack of food, epidemics - the situation was on the verge of survival, and Isaac was a tiny baby - just over two kilograms at birth, so his parents did not really hope that he would survive. But he was not just resilient, but was the only child in the area to survive when a pneumonia epidemic broke out there. Fleeing from the new revolutionary reality, the Asimovs decided to emigrate to the United States when Anna-Rachel's brother, who had already settled in New York, offered to help them.

unusual child

The Asimovs lived very poorly in Brooklyn until they opened their own business, a candy store, with the money saved. Isaac learned to read and speak English before Yuda Aronovich: he asked his older school friends to show the letters, and then began to read all the signs in a row: “When my father discovered that his son, a preschooler, could read and, moreover, learned it on his own initiative, he was amazed. It was probably then that he first began to suspect that I was an unusual child. (He thought so all his life, which did not stop him from criticizing me without hesitation for my many mistakes.) And since my father thought that I was unusual, his understanding gave me a reason to think about my unusualness myself ” . Indeed, Isaac considered himself a child prodigy.

He studied well and showed his "ego the size of the Empire State Building" (a 102-story skyscraper on the island of Manhattan), admiring both his strengths and weaknesses. Among his innate abilities were an almost photographic memory, a quick mind and quick wits. Asimov understood everything quickly and thoroughly. He did not think to hide his brilliant mind from classmates, and from the fact that he was showing off, and at the same time he was weak and the youngest in the class, he became a "scapegoat". Only with age, Asimov learned not to put himself in the forefront, but he no longer needed to assert himself - he proved his unusualness with a large number of books written on completely different topics, becoming one of the most famous science fiction writers.

Confectionery shop - a cradle for a science fiction writer

Isaac Asimov's first job was in his father's candy store. The store worked 16 hours a day, seven days a week, and it was there that Asimov learned what the daily routine was and how to live according to it. Working in the store made him disciplined for life - having already become a famous writer, Asimov began the day at 6 in the morning, so that at 7.30 he was already working on a new book.

In addition to confectionery, the store sold magazines with fantastic stories, where the future science fiction author first learned what science fiction is. He read magazines avidly, and at the age of 11 he wrote his first fantasy story. An avid reader, he wrote down history for himself to read, and at 16 received his first typewriter as a gift from his father. It was second-hand, but enabled 18-year-old Isaac to print the first story he submitted to the magazine. The editor did not accept the first opus, but the second story “Captured by Vesta” was published in the magazine five months later - on October 21, 1938 - Asimov remembered this date for the rest of his life, he also remembered the fee - $ 64 for a story of 6400 words.

“Luck smiled on me, because at birth I received an efficient brain that works tirelessly. He is able to think clearly and turn thoughts into words. There is absolutely no merit in this. I got a lucky ticket by winning the genetic sweepstakes.”

The transformation of a zoologist into writers

By the time the story was first published, Asimov had already graduated from high school and entered college. Asimov's initial major in college was zoology, but after refusing to dissect a stray cat, he switched to the chemistry department. A career in science was successful: 1941 - a master's degree in chemistry, 1948 - a doctorate in biochemistry. In a 7-year span, Asimov worked for three years as a chemist at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, where another future celebrity, Robert Heinlein, was his colleague. In less than a few decades, Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke will be called the "Big Three" science fiction writers.

After the Second World War, Asimov was enlisted in the army, where he reached the rank of corporal due to his good command of the typewriter, and in 1946 he narrowly escaped participation in the tests of a nuclear bomb on Bikini Atoll.

For a decade after receiving his doctorate, Isaac Asimov worked at the Boston University School of Medicine and wrote novels, and in 1958 he decided to be only a writer - by that time his royalties already exceeded the salary of a scientist. He stopped lecturing on a full-time basis, but continued to be friends with the University: “Every year I give a lecture that opens the biochemistry course. Free, of course. This is some introduction that I try to make amusing. This lecture is attended by both secretaries and students. I hope they like it, I do.”.

About the science of the past and the future

Isaac Asimov's career as a novelist began in 1950 and ended in 1958 with the science fiction novel The Naked Sun. His first novel was A Grain in the Sky in 1950, but a year earlier he, a professor of biochemistry at Boston University, had written with his colleagues a college textbook, Human Biochemistry and Metabolism, which went through three editions. It was then that Asimov realized that he could explain scientific information well - step by step, in an accessible language. And if he can explain science, then he can also explain the Bible, and history, and everything in the world! Therefore, gradually the number of science fiction books written by Asimov decreased, and the number of popular science works increased, but in 1982 he returned to fiction and released the novel The Academy on the Edge of Death. The novel was included in the "Foundation" cycle, whose names translated into Russian have different versions of "Academy", "Foundation", "Foundation", and received the Hugo Award for it in 1983 and a nomination for the Nebula Award in 1982. In the next 10 years until his death, Asimov published several more backstories and sequels to existing novels, tying them into a single, compelling story.

The writer believed that his most striking contribution to literature and science was the Foundation cycle, as well as the three laws of robotics, which the writer formulated gradually, introducing them in different stories, which he later combined into the collection I, Robot.

However, Asimov was modest in this. The Oxford English Dictionary credits Isaac Asimov with the invention of the words "positronic brain", "psychohistory" and "robotics", although the writer argued that "robotics" is a common derivation of the word "robot", analogous to the words "mechanics" and "hydraulics".

Geniuses work in silence

Two signs hung on the door of Isaac Asimov's office: "Keep quiet, please" and "Genius at work." Silence was a necessary condition for Asimov, he was undoubtedly a workaholic and needed a lot of concentration. The immodest Asimov did not agree with the word "genius": "I am one of the most versatile writers in the world, and the greatest promoter of many disciplines" . Indeed, from the study of the Bible and the consequences of the development of various fields of science to Shakespeare and the history of France - such is the range of Asimov's books.

Was he the most prolific writer in the world? Asimov himself answered: "No, there are other authors, the most famous of them is Georges Simenon, but he only writes novels" . Indeed, among the books of the French writer there is no work called “Introduction to the use of a slide rule”, “Life Energy. From spark to photosynthesis”, “Building material of the Universe: The whole Galaxy in the periodic table”, and Asimov has it. The average volume of Asimov's book is 70,000 words, the number of books is about 500, it turns out that he wrote 35 million words for his books alone - but volume and quantity are not the most important thing in the work of a writer - “And the best part is that everything I write is in print”.

By his 65th birthday, Isaac Asimov not only did not slow down, he began to write even faster than before. His first 100th book, which was published in January 1950, took the writer 237 months, that is, almost 20 years. On the 200th book, which appeared from print in March 1979, he worked for 113 months, that is, about 9.5 years. The 300th Opus 300 was completed in 69 months, less than 6 years.

Asimov always broke away from the typewriter with great reluctance. Yes, and when he could not get to the keys, he took a pen, paper and could easily compose a short story. Of all the movements, he preferred walks, and most of all indoor walks: “I have a machine that I stand on for half an hour and do all the movements that imitate the movements of an athlete on cross-country skis, but all this happens in the warmth and comfort of my apartment” . Going on such a ski run, Asimov could take a book with him: he read and reread Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, P.G. Wodehouse and Agatha Christie.

Isaac Asimov spent almost his entire life in his office, which he kept in unusual cleanliness and order, typing his texts on a typewriter - 90 words per minute, and with great reluctance broke away from business, saying that he was "really happy only working." To questions about how it turns out to be so fruitful, Asimov answered: “I make no effort to write more poetically or in a high literary style. I just try to write clearly and fortunately I have the ability to think clearly, so I write the way I think and it immediately has a good outline.

Isaac Asimov's Secrets of Mastery

Asimov created drafts on a typewriter, then typed text on a computer and made corrections only once: “This is not because of high conceit,” he explained: “I still have so much to write that if I sit up over one book, I won’t have time to do everything” . On each book he worked from beginning to end, without resorting to the services of assistants.

Love for the chosen work and amazing performance, combined with an incredible interest in life in all aspects of its manifestation - these are the facts by which the writer explained his skill: “All I do is keep writing. I'm about to be 65 and I feel like a kid trying to tell Grandfather Time something. But I feel that if you continue to write, this skill will forever remain with you, just like people who keep themselves in good physical shape - at 65 years old they can do what I could not at 20 " . But, like any talented creative person, Asimov was tormented by the thought that he would never write better than what had already been done. Despite the fact that for many decades the publishing house did not reject a single work, the writer was a haunted nightmare: “I dream of my publishers who got together and say that Asimov has written himself. They then draw straws to choose who will bring me the bad news.".

“How do you become a truly prolific writer? The very first requirement is that the person must have a passion for the writing process. I mean; that he must have a passion for what happens between thinking about a book and finishing it."

About airplanes, politics and religion

In his dislike to break away from the typewriter, Asimov went to extremes. He could go to a mountain resort, yielding to his wife's demands, and spend all his days in his room, typing a new novel. But he traveled little, believing that if there is a chance to survive as a result of a train crash, then flying is an unfair enterprise, because in the event of a plane crash, you will die. Ironically, it was he, Isaac Asimov, who wrote fantastic works about the battles of interplanetary ships, about time travelers and in hyperspace and in distant nebulae, who never boarded an airplane in his life.

Despite his great passion for work, his occupation did not become an obstacle to communication with the world: Asimov was a very popular person, he had many friends, he was a loving father to his two children and remained very close to his parents until their death.

Asimov gave many interviews, was president of the American Humanist Association, and always claimed to be a humanist and rationalist, speaking out against prejudice and pseudoscience. As for religion, in a 1982 interview, when asked "Are you an atheist?" Isaac Asimov replied: “Undoubtedly, I am an atheist. I thought about this for a long time. I considered myself an atheist for many years, but one day I felt that it was intellectually irresponsible to talk about atheism because it implies knowledge that is not really there. It is better to say not "atheist", but a humanist and agnostic. So I decided that I am both an emotional and sane creature. Emotionally I am an atheist. I don't have proof that God doesn't exist, but I also can't prove that he exists, so I don't want to waste my time on it."

However, in his autobiography, Isaac Asimov talked about religion: “If I were not an atheist, I would believe that God saves people by evaluating their life merits, and not spoken words. I think that this God would prefer an honest and virtuous atheist, and not a churchman broadcasting on TV, whose every word is "God, God, God", and whose deed is dirt, dirt, dirt.

Asimov did not hide his political views either. He was a liberal who opposed US involvement in the Vietnam War. In television interviews, he did not hide his opinion about the highest officials of the country. For example, he called President Richard Nixon “a crook and a liar,” and about the heroes of the American counterculture of the 60s, he said that they rode an emotional wave that, in the end, would leave them on the shores of a “spiritual country without people,” from where there would be no return.

The writer passed away on April 6, 1992 at the age of 72, the official announcement said that the cause of death was heart and kidney failure. 10 years after his death, from the autobiographical book It's Been a Good Life, it became known that the disease developed against the background of the AIDS virus, which was introduced into the writer's blood in 1977 during a heart operation.

In addition to the most interesting science fiction novels and exciting popular science books, Isaac Asimov left his message of friendship, hate and love to earthlings: “History has reached a point where humanity is no longer allowed to fight. People on Earth should be friends. I have always tried to emphasize this in my works... I don't think that it is possible to make all people love each other, but I would like to destroy the hatred between people. And I seriously believe that science fiction is one of the links that help connect humanity. The problems that we raise in science fiction become the pressing problems of all mankind ... The science fiction writer, the science fiction reader, science fiction itself serves humanity.

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American biochemist and science fiction writer Isaac Asimov (Isaac Yudovich Ozimov / Isaac Asimov) was born on January 2, 1920 in the village of Petrovichi, Shumyachsky district, Smolensk region.

In 1923 his family moved to the USA. In 1928, Asimov received American citizenship.

At the age of five, he went to school, where he amazed everyone with his abilities: he jumped through the classes and graduated from elementary school at 11 years old, and the main school course at 15 years old.

Then Asimov entered the Junior College (Seth Low Junior College) in Brooklyn, but a year later the college closed. Asimov became a student at the chemistry department of Columbia University in New York, where he received a bachelor's degree in 1939, and in 1941 a master's degree in chemistry.

From 1942-1945 he worked as a chemist at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard's Naval Air.

In 1945-1946 Azimov served in the army. Then he returned to New York and continued his education.

In 1948 he graduated from graduate school, received a doctorate in chemistry.

In 1949, he became a lecturer at the Boston University School of Medicine, where he became an assistant professor in December 1951 and an associate professor in 1955. In 1979 he was awarded the title of professor (full professor).

Among his main works of a scientific nature are the textbook "Biochemistry and Metabolism in Man" (1952, 1957), "Life and Energy" (1962), "Biographical Encyclopedia of Science and Technology" (1964), a book on evolutionary theory "Sources of Life" (1960), "The Human Body" (1963), "The Universe" (1966).

Asimov wrote popular science books about the achievements of science and technology, revealing and popularizing the problems of chemistry, physics, biology, astronomy, history, among them "Blood is the river of life" (1961), "The world of carbon" (1978), "The world of nitrogen" (1981) and others. He also wrote the Science Guide for Intellectuals (1960).

World popularity came to Asimov thanks to his science fiction novels and short stories. He is considered one of the greatest science fiction writers of the second half of the 20th century. His science fiction works have been translated into many languages.

His famous works are the novel The Gods Themselves (1972), the collection of stories from different years I Am a Robot, the novel The End of Eternity (1955), the collection The Path of the Martians (1955), the novels Foundation and Empire (1952) , "The Edge of the Foundation" (1982), "The Foundation and the Earth" (1986) "Forward to the Foundation" (was published in 1993, after the death of the writer).

In 1979, the autobiographical book "Memory is still fresh" was published, followed by a sequel - "Unlost Joy". In 1993, under the title "A. Azimov", the third volume of his autobiography (posthumous) was published.

In total, he published more than 400 books, both fiction and scientific and popular science.

Isaac Asimov also worked in periodicals. The magazine Fantasy and Science Fiction (now Asimov's Science Fiction and Fantasy) has published his popularizing articles on the latest scientific achievements for over 30 years on a monthly basis. For several years he led a weekly scientific column for the Los Angeles Times Syndycate.

Isaac Asimov - winner of many awards, both scientific and in the field of literature: Thomas Alva Edison Foundation Prize (1957), Howard Blacksley Prize of the Association of American Cardiologists (1960), James Grady Prize of the American Chemical Society (1965), Westinghouse Prize for the Popularization of Science American Association for the Support of Science (1967), winner of six Hugo Awards (1963, 1966, 1973, 1977, 1983, 1995), two Nebula Awards (1973, 1977).

In 1983, Isaac Asimov underwent heart surgery, in which he was infected with HIV through donated blood. The diagnosis came to light a few years later. On the background of AIDS, heart and kidney failure developed.

Isaac Asimov was married twice. In 1945-1970 his wife was Gertrud Blagerman. From this marriage a son and a daughter were born. Asimov's second wife was Janet Opile Jepson, a psychiatrist.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources

Included in the so-called "Big Three" science fiction writers. This fact speaks of the recognition of colleagues in the shop and of the gigantic contribution that he made to literature. In addition, this trio of magnificent masters of fantasy can also be called enlighteners of our time. Asimov and Clark did a lot to popularize science.

Petrovichi (now the Shumyachsky district) of the Smolensk region is a place that was glorified by his birth on January 2, 1920, the boy Isaac, who later became the best science fiction writer of the 20th century, Isaac Asimov. He later said that he was born on the same land as Yuri Gagarin, and therefore still feels as if he belongs to two countries at once.

The writer's father, Yuda Asimov, was an educated person at that time. At first he was employed in the family business, and after the revolution he became an accountant. The writer's mother, Khana-Rachel, was from a large family and worked in a shop.

Emigration

After the birth of their daughter in 1923, Isaac's parents receive an invitation from his mother's brother, who had long ago left for the United States and settled there. The family decides to emigrate to America.

Isaac Asimov claimed that before coming to the United States, his parents had the surname Ozimov, but immigration officials entered them as Asimov and changed the name of the writer to the American way. So he became Isaac.

Parents could not master English well, so it was not possible to get a job. Then Yuda bought a small grocery store and opened a trade. But for his son, he did not want the fate of a small merchant and decided to give him a good education. Isaac himself studied with pleasure, and from the age of 5 he could visit the library.

With admission to the medical faculty, nothing happened - as it turned out, Asimov could not stand the sight of blood. Then it was decided to enter the department of chemistry at Columbia University.

What followed was a successful career. Isaac Asimov became a professor of biochemistry and began teaching at the Boston Medical School. In 1958, he suddenly stops his scientific activities. But he continued to read his famous lectures for several years.

How does he become a science fiction writer?

Asimov began to write as a child. One day his friend, after reading the beginning of the story, demanded to continue. And then it became clear to the future science fiction writer that he was really doing something.

Isaac Asimov's first stories were published in 1939 by the legendary editor and discoverer of young talent. Already the second published work - "The Coming of the Night" - becomes, according to the American Science Fiction Writers Association, the best fantastic creation ever written in the world.

The best books of the writer

In the fantasy genre, these are such works as "The Gods Themselves", "Foundation" and the cycle "I, Robot". But this is not all of his significant creations. No one could better look into the future millennia ahead than Isaac Asimov. The End of Eternity is the writer's best novel dealing with the problem of time travel.

Incredible Asimov

Writing 500 books is incredible. Many people never read that much in their entire lives. Isaac Asimov not only wrote, he managed to do a huge number of other things. He was chairman of the American Humanist Association, promoted science, and edited the science fiction magazine that bears his name. He did not trust literary agents and preferred to do business himself, which was time consuming. Azimov managed, with his workload, to be the chairman of the men's club. He did everything conscientiously. Even a small speech in his club, he carefully prepared. There was no case that he had to blush for the result of his work.

The scope of the writer's interests is also striking. In the past, a professor of biochemistry, Asimov never limited himself to studying only this area of science. He was interested in everything around. Cosmology, futurology, linguistics, history, linguistics, medicine, psychology, anthropology - this is just a small list of the science fiction writer's hobbies. He was not only interested in these sciences, but also seriously studied them. And the books of Isaac Asimov, written by him in these areas of knowledge, are always accurate and impeccable in the reliability of the material presented.

Science popularization work

In the mid-1950s, Asimov began to write journalism, engaging in the popularization of science. His book for teenagers, The Chemistry of Life, was a great success with readers, and he himself realized that it was easier and more interesting for him to write documentary works than fiction. He writes articles on mathematics, physics, chemistry, astronomy for a large number of scientific journals. Most of his work was aimed at children and teenagers. In a form accessible to them, Asimov told young readers about serious things.

Popular science literature of Asimov

The writer is better known in the world for his works in the genre of fantasy and mysticism. Few people know that Isaac Asimov is the author of numerous works in the form of popular science literature. The diversity of his interests is striking.

The famous science fiction writer has written books about the history of the Middle East, the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, races and genes, the evolution of the universe and the mystery of supernovae. He created a "Brief History of Biology", where he spoke in a fascinating way about the development of this science, starting from ancient times. Another work, The Human Brain, humorously describes the structure and operation of the central nervous system. The book also contains many fascinating stories about the development of the science of psychobiochemistry.

Many of the writer's books are a must read for children. One of them is Popular Anatomy. Isaac Asimov in it talks in detail about the amazing structure of the human body. In his usual manner to talk about complex things easily and naturally, the author tries to arouse the reader's interest in anatomy.

Popular science books by Isaac Asimov are always written in a lively, understandable language. He knows how to talk about very complex things in a fascinating and interesting way.

Forecast of the future. What came true from the writer's prediction

At one time, the topic of predicting the future of mankind by famous science fiction authors was very popular. Especially many different options for the development of events were proposed by Asimov and Arthur Clark. This idea is not new. Even Jules Verne in his works described many discoveries that were made by man much later.

At the request of The New York Times in 1964, Isaac Asimov predicted what the world would look like in 50 years, in 2014. It seems surprising, but most of the science fiction writer's assumptions either came true or were predicted very accurately. Of course, these are not pure predictions, the writer made his conclusions about the future of mankind on the basis of existing technology. Still, the accuracy of his statements is amazing.

What happened:

Television in 3D.
Cooking will be largely automated. In the kitchen there will be devices with the “auto-cooking” function.
The world population will reach 6 billion.
During a conversation with an interlocutor who is at a distance, he can be seen. Phones will become portable and will be equipped with a screen. With it, it will be possible to work with images and read books. Satellites will help to communicate with a person anywhere in the world.
Robots will not be widely adopted.
The technique will work without an electrical cord, on batteries or accumulators.
Man will not land on Mars, but programs will be created to colonize it.
Solar power plants will be used.
Schools will introduce the study of computer disciplines.
The Arctic and deserts, as well as the underwater shelf, will be actively explored.

Films based on the works of Isaac Asimov. The most famous film adaptations

In 1999, the screens released "Bicentennial Man", based on the joint novel by Silverberg and Asimov "Positronic Man". And the basis was a short story of the writer with the same name as the filmed picture. The problems associated with the appearance of robots in the future have always worried the science fiction writer. The possible evolution of artificial intelligence, the likelihood of its confrontation with humanity, the safety of robots, fear of them, humanity - the range of issues that Asimov raises in his work is very wide.

This film deals with a very interesting problem: can a robot become a human. The protagonist of the tape is the android Andrew, brilliantly played by Robin Williams.

In 2004, another wonderful film was released - "I, Robot". Isaac Asimov is considered the author of the novel of the same name, on the basis of which it was filmed. In fact, the plot of the picture is taken from a whole cycle of the writer's books about robots. This is one of the most successful adaptations of Asimov's works, in which the problems that he constantly raised in his work are very accurately conveyed.

This time the film deals with the problem of the evolution of artificial intelligence. The laws of robotics Isaac Asimov, invented by him in 1942, will play an important role in the plot. According to them, the robot is obliged to protect people and cannot harm them. He must obey his master in everything, if this does not violate the most important law of robotics - the inviolability of man.

In the film, the artificial intelligence of VIKI, the brain of the largest robot manufacturing company, gradually evolves and comes to the conclusion that humanity needs to be protected from itself, otherwise people will destroy everything around. With the help of robots of the new improved series, he captures the entire city. In the meantime, civilians are dying. The main character, detective Del Spooner, with his assistants in the person of a company employee and the robot Sunny, destroys VIKI. The film also sharply touches upon the problem of people's rejection of these machines, distrust of them.

Another famous Isaac Asimov "Twilight" movie is "Pitch Black" starring Vin Diesel. This is a very free retelling of the writer's work, having almost nothing in common with the original version.

In addition to these three well-known adaptations, the films "Twilight", "The End of Eternity" and "Android Love" were also created based on the works of the writer.

Prizes and awards

Asimov was very proud of his awards, especially in the field of fantasy. He has a huge number of them, and this is not surprising, given the writer's incredible ability to work and his bibliography of 500 written works. He has received several Hugo and Nebula awards and was a recipient of the Thomas Alva Edison Foundation Award. For his work in chemistry, Asimov received an award from the American Chemical Society.

In 1987, the Nebula Prize was presented to Asimov with a stunning wording - "Great Master".

Writer's personal life

Isaac Asimov was successful as an author, but the writer's personal life was not always cloudless. In 1973, after 30 years of marriage, he divorced his wife. There are two children left from this marriage. In the same year, he marries his longtime friend Janet Jeppson.

The last years of the writer's life

He lived not so long by the standards of the Western world - 72 years. In 1983, Asimov underwent heart bypass surgery. During the event, the writer was infected with HIV through donated blood. No one suspected anything until the second operation, when during the examination he was diagnosed with AIDS. A fatal illness led to kidney failure, and on April 6, 1992, the great writer died.