Subject: Isaac Asimov FAQ, Part 3/3
Date: Mon, 11 Mar 1996 12:02:43 -0800
Summary: This document answers frequently asked questions about Isaac Asimov and his work.


Frequency: monthly


4.10 What *are* the Laws of Robotics, anyway?

The Three Laws of Robotics are:

1.  A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a
human being to come to harm.

2.  A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where
such orders would conflict with the First Law.

3.  A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does
not conflict with the First or Second Law.

From Handbook of Robotics, 56th Edition, 2058 A.D., as quoted in _I,_Robot_.

In _Robots_and_Empire_ (ch. 63), the "Zeroth Law" is extrapolated, and the
other Three Laws modified accordingly:

0.  A robot may not injure humanity or, through inaction, allow humanity
to come to harm.

Unlike the Three Laws, however, the Zeroth Law is not a fundamental part
of positronic robotic engineering, is not part of all positronic robots,
and, in fact, requires a very sophisticated robot to even accept it.

Asimov claimed that the Three Laws were originated by John W. Campbell in
a conversation they had on December 23, 1940.  Campbell in turn maintained
that he picked them out of Asimov's stories and discussions, and that his
role was merely to state them explicitly.

The Three Laws did not appear in Asimov's first two robot stories,
"Robbie" and "Reason", but the First Law was stated in Asimov's third
robot story "Liar!", which also featured the first appearance of
robopsychologist Susan Calvin.  (When "Robbie" and "Reason" were included
in _I,_Robot_, they were updated to mention the existence of the first law
and first two laws, respectively.)  Yet there was a hint of the three laws
in "Robbie", in which Robbie's owner states that "He can't help being
faithful, loving, and kind. He's a machine - made so."  The first story to
explicitly state the Three Laws was "Runaround", which appeared in the
March 1942 issue of _Astounding_Science_Fiction_.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

5. Other writings

5.1 What is the relationship between the movie "Fantastic Voyage" and
    Asimov's novel?

Asimov wrote the novel from the screenplay.  He made a certain number of
changes which he felt were necessary to minimize the scientific
implausibility of the story.  Because, as he put it, he wrote quickly and
Hollywood works slowly, the novel came out some six months before the film
was released, giving rise to the idea that the movie was made from the
novel.

Asimov was never satisfied with _Fantastic_Voyage_, and he never thought
of it as "his" work.  Later, a person who had bought the rights to the
title and concept (but not the characters or situation) of the original
was interested in making _Fantastic_Voyage_II_.  Naturally he turned to
Asimov, who at first refused.  At some point, Asimov agreed, but insisted
on handling his side as a pure book deal with Doubleday. Consequently,
Asimov's book _Fantastic_Voyage_II_ should not be considered a sequel to
the original.

------------------------------

5.2 What did Asimov write besides the Foundation and robot books?

Lots. Asimov published over 500 books by the time of his death. Many of
these, of course, are anthologies of work by other people, and a large
number are juvenile science books, but there are a lot of books left. 

Following is a list of some of Asimov's better-known or more influential
works. The list is purely subjective, based on the personal preference of
the FAQ-keepers. There is much which is worthwhile but not listed. See the
full lists of Asimov's works for more information. 

A) Other science fiction novels

The Lucky Starr books
Fantastic Voyage, and Fantastic Voyage II
Nemesis
The Gods Themselves
The End of Eternity

B) Science fiction short story collections

Nine Tomorrows
Earth is Room Enough
The Martian Way and Other Stories
Nightfall and Other Stories
The Bicentennial Man and Other Stories
The Best Science Fiction of Isaac Asimov

C) Anthologies

The Hugo Winners/New Hugo Winners (7 volumes)
Isaac Asimov presents the great sf stories (25 volumes for 1939 through 1963)

D) Mysteries

Black Widower stories (several collections)
A Whiff of Death
Murder at the ABA

E) "Guides"

Asimov's Guide to the Bible
Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare
Asimov's New Guide to Science

F) Essay collections

F&SF Essay collections 
 (Asimov had a monthly science column from the early 1950's through 1991)
Asimov on Science Fiction
Asimov's Galaxy

G) Histories

The Greeks
The Roman Republic
The Roman Empire

H) Other non-fiction

Understanding Physics (aka The History of Physics)
The Universe
Asimov's Biographical Encyclopedia of Science and Technology

I) Humor

Isaac Asimov's Treasury of Humor
The Sensuous Dirty Old Man
Asimov Laughs Again

------------------------------

5.3 What is the source of the title of the novel _The_Gods_Themselves_?

The title is obtained from the quote "Against stupidity, the gods
themselves contend in vain", which originally appeared in German in
Friedrich von Schiller's play _Jungfrau_von_Orleans_ (The Maid of Orleans,
or Joan of Arc), Act III, Scene 6. _Bartlett's_Familiar_Quotations_
translates the quote as "Against stupidity the very gods themselves
contend in vain." _The_Oxford_Dictionary_of_Quotations_ gives the
translation "With stupidity the gods themselves struggle in vain."

------------------------------
5.4 Is there an index of his science articles for the Magazine of
     Fantasy and Science Fiction (F&SF)? Of his editorials in Isaac
     Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine (IASFM)?

Asimov compiled a list of his F&SF essays on the occasion of the 20th
anniversary of his first essay, in the November 1978 issue of F&SF, and
reprinted (slightly updated) in the collection _The_Road_to_Infinity_. 
That list is ordered alphabetically according to the title of the essay,
and includes a designation of the collection in which each essay appears
as well as a very brief subject description for each essay.  However
Asimov went on to write a total of 399 essays, the last of which appeared
in February 1992.  (A 400th essay was compiled by Janet after his death
and published in the December 1994 issue of F&SF.)

Of the 174 editorials published in IASFM, dealing mainly with Asimov's
thoughts on Science Fiction, 22 were included in
_Asimov_on_Science_Fiction_ and another 66 in _Asimov's_Galaxy_, but he
did not compile an index to these.

Asimov also wrote numerous other essays that were published in other
magazines, many of which have appeared in other essay collections.

Seeing the need for a single index to all of Asimov's essays, Rich Hatcher
and Ed Seiler valiantly decided to compile one, and after many months of
work, it is finally ready. Their guide lists over 1600 essays, including
the subject of the essay, the publication in which the essay first
appeared, and a list of Asimov's collections in which the essay appeared.
Indexes list the essays chronologically for each major series (e.g. the
science essays in the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction), and also
group the essays by subject, in order to help you find any essay Asimov
wrote on any given subject. Currently, the guide is only available via the
World Wide Web, at
<http://www.clark.net/pub/edseiler/WWW/essay_guide.html>

------------------------------

5.5  What is the Asimov-Clarke treaty?

The Asimov-Clarke Treaty of Park Avenue, put together as Asimov and Clarke
were travelling down Park Avenue in New York while sharing a cab ride,
stated that Asimov was required to insist that Arthur C. Clarke was the
best science fiction writer in the world (reserving second best for
himself), while Clarke was required to insist that Isaac Asimov was the
best science writer in the world (reserving second best for himself). 
Thus the dedication in Clarke's book _Report_on_Planet_Three_ reads "In
accordance with the terms of the Clarke-Asimov treaty, the second-best
science writer dedicates this book to the second-best science-fiction
writer".

------------------------------

5.6  There's this really neat story by Asimov, but I can't remember the title...

The story is called "The Last Question."  It can be found in a number of
Asimov's anthologies (it was his favorite of his own stories, after all):

_Nine_Tomorrows_
_Opus_100_
_The_Best_of_Isaac_Asimov_
_The_Best_Science_Fiction_of_Isaac_Asimov_
_Robot_Dreams_
_The_Complete_Stories_, volume 1
_The_Asimov_Chronicles_

It is also found in a number of anthologies *not* consisting entirely of
stories by Asimov:

_3000_Years_of_Fantasy_and_Science Fiction_, L. Sprague DeCamp, ed.
Lothrop, 1972
_Space_Opera_, Brian W. Aldiss, ed. Doubleday, 1975
_The_Science_Fiction_Roll_of_Honor_, Frederik Pohl, ed. Random House,
1975, pp. 35-49
_The_Future_in_Question_, Isaac Asimov, Martin H. Greenberg, and Joseph D.
Olander, eds. Fawcett Crest, 1980, pp. 368-381
_Isaac_Asimov_Presents_the_Great_SF_Stories_18_(1956)_, Isaac Asimov and
Martin H. Greenberg, eds. DAW, 1988, pp. 286-299
_Cosmic_Critiques_, Isaac Asimov and Martin H. Greenberg, eds. Writer's
Digest Books, 1990, pp. 111-122

(Publication information for Asimov's stories can most easily be found in
Ed Seiler's exhaustive story list at
<http://www.clark.net/pub/edseiler/WWW/short_story_list.html>.)

There is a mathematical possibility that you're thinking of a story other
than "The Last Question", but it's *very* slight.  Asimov's own experience
was that if someone couldn't remember the title of one of his stories (and
especially if they weren't entirely sure if it was by him), then it was
"The Last Question."

------------------------------

*5.7  I'd like to hear some opinions about some of Asimov's books. Do you
have any?

Certainly opinions of Asimov's books are a favorite topic of discussion in
the alt.books.isaac-asimov newsgroup, and this FAQ does not intend to
answer this question once and for all.  However most people have not read
most of Asimov's books, and those that have are probably to busy reading
to offer their opinion for the umpteenth time to new readers of the
newsgroup.

John Jenkins has written reviews for a great number of Asimov's books,
both fiction and nonfiction, and collected them together on the World Wide
Web as Jenkins' Spoiler-Laden Guide to Isaac Asimov
<http://www.sj-coop.net/~tseng/Asimov/Asimov.html>.  John offers his views
of what he likes and dislikes in Asimov's books from the point of view of
a dedicated Asimov enthusiast, and provides a graphical rating system that
neatly summarizes his evaluations for both the Asimov fan and the intended
audience of each book.  He has completed reviews for all of Asimov's
fiction books, and is currently working through his nonfiction and short
stories.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

6. More Than Books...

6.1 What records, audio tapes, videotapes, and software are available?

RECORDS AND AUDIO TAPES:

  _Asimov_-_Science Fiction_, read by Isaac Asimov, Caedmon, New York,
1983, 33 1/3 rpm., stereo, 12 in., 1 disc, 51 mins.

  _Asimov_-_Science_Fiction_, read by Isaac Asimov, Listening Library,
1985, 2 cassettes (117 mins.)
  Unabridged readings of "I Just Make Them Up, See?", "Someday", "The
Feeling of Power", "Satisfaction Guaranteed", and "Living Space".

  _Asimov's Mysteries_, read by Dan Lazar, Books on Tape, 8 cassettes (480
mins.).
  Unabridged reading.

  _The_Best_of_Isaac_Asimov_, read by Dan Lazar, Books on Tape, 8
cassettes (720 mins.).
  Unabridged reading.

  _Best_of_Science_Fiction_and_Fantasy_, Dove Audio, 1991, 4 cassettes
(360 mins.).
  Unabridged reading of "Someday" plus 10 short stories by other authors.

  _The_Complete_Robot_, read by Larry McKeever, Books on Tape, 17
cassettes (1530 mins.).
  Unabridged reading.

  _The_Complete_Robot_, Random Audiobooks, 2 cassettes, 1988.

  _Foundation_, read by Larry McKeever, Books on Tape, 6 cassettes (360 mins.).
  Unabridged reading.

  _Foundation_, read by Isaac Asimov, Bantam Audio, New York, 1988, 2
cassettes (180 mins.), Dolby processed.
  Abridged reading of _Foundation_.

  _Foundation:_the_psychohistorians_, read by William Shatner, Caedmon,
New York, 1976, 33 1/3 rpm., stereo, 12 in., 1 disc (59 mins.).

  _Foundation:_the_psychohistorians_, read by William Shatner, Caedmon
Audio Cassettes, 1984. 1 cassette. ISBN 0-898-45210-4

  _Foundation:_the_psychohistorians_, read by William Shatner,
HarperAudio, 1 cassette.

  _Foundation_and_Empire:_Mule_, read by Isaac Asimov, HarperAudio, 1 cassette.

  _Foundation and Empire_, Bantam Audio, 1991, 2 cassettes. ISBN0-553-45261-4

  _Foundation_and_Empire_, read by Dan Lazar, Books on Tape, 8 cassettes
(480 mins.).
  Unabridged reading.

  _Foundation's_Edge_, read by Isaac Asimov, Caedmon, New York, 1982, 33
1/3 rpm., stereo, 12 in., 1 disc (62 mins.).

  _Foundation's_Edge_, read by Isaac Asimov, HarperAudio, 1 cassette.

  _Foundation's_Edge_, read by Larry McKeever, Books on Tape, 9 cassettes
(810 mins.).
  Unabridged reading.

  _Foundation's_Edge_, Bantam Audio, New York, 1992, 1 cassette. ISBN
0-553-47072-8

  _Friends,_Robots,_Countrymen: _Isaac_Asimov_Presents:
_Favorite_Robot_Stories_From_His_Private_Library_, Dercum Press, 1991, 4
cassettes. ISBN 1-556-56120-2, 1-556-56121-0

  _Here Today, Gone Tomorrow_, Dercum Press, 1991, 4 cassettes. ISBN
1-556-56152-6

  In_Memory_Yet_Green_, read by Dan Lazar, Books on Tape, 20 cassettes
(1800 mins.).
  Unabridged reading.

  _Inside_Star_Trek_, Columbia, New York, 1976, 33 1/3 rpm, stereo, 12
in., 1 disc.
  Includes the track "Asimov's world of science fiction".

  _Isaac_Asimov_Audio_Collection_, Harper AudioCassettes, 1994, 3
cassettes. ISBN 1-559-94747-0

  _The_Isaac_Asimov_Cassette_Library_, Random Audiobooks, 6 cassettes.

  _Isaac_Asimov_Conversations_With_Writers_, Tapes Readers, 1980, 1
cassette. ISBN 9-997-01632-7.

  _Isaac_Asimov_Himself_, read by Isaac Asimov, Audio Partners Publishing,
Auburn Ca., 1975, 2 cassettes (180 mins.).
  Unabridged readings of "The Immortal Bard", "The Last Question",
"Someday", "The Jokester", and "The Ugly Little Boy", plus anecdotes and
comments.

  _Isaac_Asimov_talks:_an_interview_,  Writer's Voice, Cincinnati, 1974, 1
cassette.
   Asimov discusses writing and his career as an author with Lois Rosenthal.

  _Isaac_Asimov's_Guide_to_Earth_and_Space_, read by Michael Jackson, Dove
Audio, 1991, 4 cassettes. ISBN 1-558-00452-1

  _Isaac_Asimov's_Science_Fiction_Magazine_, read by Peter Marinker and Ed
Bishop, Listen For Pleasure, Ontario Canada, 1986, 2 cassettes (120
mins.), Dolby processed.
  Unabridged readings of "Strikebreaker" and "It's Such a Beautiful Day",
plus Frederik Pohl's "Soaking Up the Rays".

  _Issac_[sic]_Asimov_, Minnesota Public Radio, St. Paul, Minn., 1972, 2
cassettes (120 mins.).
  Recorded Oct. 15, 1972, at the New England Conservatory of Music in
Boston.  Asimov talks about his belief that the goals of the women's
movement will be achieved not through persistent attacks on
discrimination, but by social necessity demanding the rationing of
motherhood in the face of massive overpopulation.

  _The_Mayors_, read by Isaac Asimov, Caedmon, New York, 1977, 33 1/3
rpm., stereo, 12 in., 1 disc (71 mins.).

  _The_Mayors_, read by Isaac Asimov, HarperAudio, 1 cassette.

  _The_Mule_, read by Isaac Asimov, Caedmon, New York, 1981, 33 1/3 rpm.,
stereo, 12 in., 1 disc (59 mins.).

  _Murder_at_the_ABA_, read by Daniel Grace, Books on Tape, 8 cassettes
(480 mins.).
  Unabridged reading.

  _Nightfall_, read by various performers, Conde Nast, 1976, 33 1/3 rpm.,
12 in., 1 disc.

  _Nightfall_ (novel), Bookcassette Sales, 1991, 8 cassettes. ISBN 1-561-00065-5

  _Nightfall_ (novel), Brilliance Corp., 1991, 4 cassettes. ISBN 0-930-43571-0

  _Norby_the_Mixed-Up_Robot_, read by Mark Hamill, HarperAudio, 1 cassette
(45 mins).

  _Prelude_to_Foundation_, read by David Dukes, Bantam Audio Publishing,
1989, 2 cassettes (180 mins.).

  _The_Robots_of_Dawn_, read by Isaac Asimov, HarperAudio, 1 cassette.
  Abridged reading.

  _The_Robots_of_Dawn_, read by Isaac Asimov, Caedmon, New York, 1983, 33
1/3 rpm., stereo, 12 in., 1 disc (51 mins.).

  _Sci_Fi_Private_Eye_, Dercum Press, 1993, 4 cassettes.
ISBN1-556-56169-5, 1-556-56170-9

  _Science_Fiction_Favorites_of_Isaac Asimov_, read by Isaac Asimov,
Listening Library, 1975, 6 cassettes (288 mins.). ISBN 0-807-22928-8
  Unabridged reading of more than 10 stories.

  _Second_Foundation_, read by Dan Lazar, Books on Tape, 8 cassettes (480
mins.).
  Unabridged reading.

  _Second Foundation_, Bantam Audio, 1991, 2 cassettes. ISBN 0-553-47015-9.

  _Stories_from_The_Complete_Robot_, read by Lloyd Battista with an
introduction by Asimov, Warner Audio Pub., New York, 1985, 2 cassettes
(120 mins.), Dolby processed.
  Unabridged readings of "Mirror image", "Segregationist", and "Evidence".

  _Time Bride_, Durkin Hayes Pub Audio, 1980.


VIDEOTAPES:

  _Analog_Presents:_Isaac_Asimov_Visions_of_the_Future_, Quality Video,
Minneapolis, Minn., 1992 (45 mins.).
  Asimov's last major interview, in which he talks about robots and
robotics, genetic engineering, nanotechnology, deep space travel,
terraforming planets, artificial intelligence, and the origins of the
universe.

  _Voyage_to_the_Outer_Planets_and_Beyond_, Today Home Entertainment, 1987
(54 mins.).
  A simulated video voyage through the Solar System, combining NASA and
JPL images from the Voyager space probe with a digitized recording of
Holst's "The Planets", with Isaac Asimov as host and narrator.  Includes a
full color NASA brochure about the planets, and a space almanac listing
solar and lunar eclipses, occultations, and periodic comets.

  _Isaac_Asimov's_Robots_VCR_Mystery_Game, Eastman Kodak Company, 1988 (40
mins.).
  A game based on the worlds of _The_Caves_of_Steel_ and _The_Naked_Sun_,
the players watch the tape and uncover each of the six photo clue cards at
selected points in the story.  At the end of the tape, each player makes
an accusation based on the clues provided.  Each clue card has two sides
with different clues on each side, providing 32 possible outcomes to the
game.  Clue cards are provided for four levels of difficulty; suggested
for 1 to 12 players, ages 10 and up.

 COMPUTER SOFTWARE

  _The_Complete_Stories_Volume_1, a Voyager Expanded Book, The Voyager
Company, Santa Monica, Ca., 1992, one 1.4 MB high density floppy. 
Available for Macintosh and Windows. Macintosh version requires at least
system 6.0.7 and hard drive with 2.2 MB available.
  The entire text of the book, including features allowing the reader to
search for every occurrence of any word, add margin comments and end
notes, highlight text, mark pages and leave bookmarks.

  _The_Complete_Stories_Volume_2, A Voyager Expanded Book, The Voyager
Company, Santa Monica, Ca., 1992.
  Same description as volume 1.

  _Isaac_Asimov_Science_Adventure_II_, Knowledge Adventure.  Available for
DOS computers.
  A virtual science museum with over 150 rooms, with over 1000
illustrated, interactive, and interlinked articles by Isaac Asimov,
adapted from _Isaac_Asimov's_Chronology_of_Science_and_Discovery_.

_Isaac_Asimov's_Kayleth_, (only released in the U.K.).  Available for the
Commodore 64.
  A graphic adventure with a robot storyline which is not in the least
integrated into the universe of the novels.

  _Isaac_Asimov's_The_Ultimate_Robot, Byron Preiss Multimedia, Microsoft
Home, CD-ROM.  Available for Macintosh, requires Mac II or better, 13 in.
color monitor, System 7.0 or later, 5 MB memory, CD-ROM drive. Available
for Multimedia PC, requires a Multimedia PC or compatible, with 386SX or
higher microprocessor, 4 MB of RAM, 1-3 MB of available hard disk space,
CD-ROM drive, MPC-1 Compatible sound card, and VGA+ graphics (640x480x256
colors), MS-DOS 3.1 or later, MS Windows 3.1 or later.<BR>

  Contains the text of all of Asimov's major stories and essays about
robots; illustrations of Asimov's robots by Ralph McQuarrie (production
designer of Star Wars); an interactive robot toolkit for building animated
robots; photos of many Asimov book covers; a collection of photos of
Asimov in various settings; Quicktime movies of Asimov interviews and some
of his television appearances, Quicktime clips from several motion
pictures featuring robots, including _Star_Wars_, _2001:_A_Space_Odyssey_,
and _Forbidden_Planet_; videos of real robots used in space, undersea,
offices, and labs; an animated handbook on robot movement; and a timeline
of robotic history.

_The_Robots_of_Dawn_, Epyx.  Available for the Commodore 64.
  A text adventure released in 1986 which is well integrated into the
world of the novels.

_Ask_Isaac_Asimov_About_Space_, Enteractive, CD-ROM.  Available for
Macintosh and Windows.  Macintosh version requires Macintosh LCIII or
better, 640x480 color monitor, System 7.1 or later, 8 MB RAM, 3MB hard
disk space, double-speed CD-ROM drive.
  A science education CD-ROM based on the "Ask Isaac Asimov" series
published by Gareth Stevens Inc.  It features Asimov appearing as a
"holographic guide" in the Imperial Library on Trantor, as well as
conversations between Asimov and some of the great astronomers of
history.  A hands-on learning adventure, including video and Asimov's own
text.

  _Robot_City_, Byron Preiss Multimedia, CD-ROM.  Available for Macintosh
and Windows.
  An adventure game based on Isaac Asimov's Robot City, in which the
player is the prime suspect when a human robotics expert has been murdered
once a secret experiment has gone wrong.  The player must elude hunter
robots in a chase through a 3-D environment.

BOARD GAMES

_Isaac_Asimov_Presents_Stellar_Traders_, Steve Jackson games.
  A game of stellar cargo transportation with little relation to Asimov.

_Isaac_Asimov_Presents_Superquiz_.
  A trivia game based on Ken Fisher's Superquiz books.

------------------------------

6.2  Have any of Asimov's books or stories been made into a movie or
television series?

Nightfall:

  A movie named _Nightfall_ was made after a group in Hollywood bought the
rights from Doubleday in the late 1980's.  The movie plot had practically
no relation to the story, and by all accounts is truly and thoroughly
awful. Asimov was never consulted in the making of it, and completely
disowned any responsibility for it.

  _Nightfall_ was released in 1988, starring David Birney and Sarah
Douglas; directed by Paul Mayersberg; running time 83 minutes.  If you
should happen to have a chance to view it, run, don't walk, the other way.

Light Years:

  An animated science fiction film from France, for which Asimov took the
original, poorly done translation to English, and reworked the translation
into good English.  He did not have any part in writing the script or
story, concerning a warrior that begins an adventure into the future in a
search to discover the unseen evil force that is destroying his world.

  _Light_Years_ was released in 1988; directed by Rene Laloux, running
time 79 minutes.


Fantastic Voyage:

  Rather than an Asimov story made into a movie, FV is a movie for which
Asimov wrote a novelization of the screenplay.  Initially he considered
such a project as beneath his dignity, but then warmed to the idea once he
realized that he could include a lot of anatomy and physiology.  In his
book he tried to correct some of the most glaring flaws in the screenplay,
but nevertheless felt uncomfortable about the whole idea of
miniaturization.  (His dissatisfaction eventually led him to write
_Fantastic_Voyage_II_.)  Asimov wrote so much faster than the movie was
produced that the book came out half a year before the movie was released,
giving the mistaken impression that the movie was based on the book.  He
is not listed in the credits of the movie because he had no part in its
production.

  _Fantastic_Voyage_ was released in 1966, starring Raquel Welch, Edmond
O'Brien, and Donald Pleasance; directed by Richard Fleischer; running time
100 minutes.


I, Robot:

  In August 1967, John Mantley, the producer of the television show
"Gunsmoke" expressed interest in Asimov's robot stories, and paid for
option rights.  The option was renewed every year for the next twelve
years until finally the rights to produce a movie were bought.  After
Asimov refused to do the screen adaptation, Harlan Ellison was hired, and
though he wrote a screenplay in that Asimov was greatly pleased with, the
movie was never made.  Ellison tells the story of his battle with
Hollywood in the introduction to _I, Robot: The Illustrated Screenplay_,
published in December 1994.


Foundation:

  The rights to a _Foundation_ movie were purchased in 1994, but as the
_I, Robot_ experience illustrates, it remains to be seen if a film will
ever be produced and released.


Evidence:

  In September of 1946, Asimov sold the movie, radio, and television
rights to the short story "Evidence" for $250 to Hollywood director Orson
Welles. Welles never made a movie from the story.


Star Trek - The Motion Picture:

  At the request of Gene Roddenberry, Asimov provided advice for this
picture, and was listed at the very end of the credits as the Science
Adviser.


Salvage 1:

  A science fiction television series starring Andy Griffith which aired
on ABC in 1979, for which Asimov served as a science adviser.  Griffith
played Harry Broderick, a scrap and salvage man who undertook such
adventures as building a rocket that took him to the moon to collect
abandoned space hardware, moving an iceberg from the North Pole to provide
water for a drought-stricken island, and pumping oil from dried-out wells.


Probe:

  Asimov was credited as adviser and co-creator of this television series,
which lasted for a 2-hour pilot and six 1-hour episodes on ABC in 1988
before a writer's strike came along and ended the series.  It starred
Parker Stevenson as brilliant young scientist Austin James, who owned his
own high-tech think tank consulting firm, and used his scientific
expertise to solve baffling crimes as a sort of modern day Sherlock
Holmes.


The Android Affair:

  This is a made-for-cable movie first broadcast by the USA cable channel
in April 1995, and advertised as being "based on a story by Isaac
Asimov".  In fact, Asimov's involvement was slight -- the actual
screenplay was based on a shorter film, and Asimov was given co-credit for
the story of the shorter work.  In particular, the plot is not based on
any of Asimov's published work and involves some very non-Asimovian
androids, who are not positronic and gleefully lack the First Law.

Sleeper:

  Asimov's work on Woody Allen's 1973 science fiction spoof was very
minor. In 1972, Asimov was asked, as an expert in science and science
fiction, to read over the script and identify any mistakes that Allen, who
knew relatively little about those subjects, might have made. Asimov, who
was a fan of Allen's, read the script and loved it, and stated flatly that
it was perfect and needed no changes. Asimov was offered the position of
technical director for the movie, but refused, since that would require a
lot of travel. Instead he recommended Ben Bova, who took the job "and did
very well".

----------------------------------------------------------------------
