Asimov's Mysteries by Isaac Asimov

An assortment of (mostly) science fiction mysteries from Isaac Asimov.

https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/murderer
--
My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
My tor pieces at https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/
My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll

On 07/04/2024 08.48, James Nicoll wrote:
> Asimov's Mysteries by Isaac Asimov
>
> An assortment of (mostly) science fiction mysteries from Isaac Asimov.
>
> https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/murderer

With respect to your comments on "The Billiard Ball", XKCD is presented
for your consideration:
<https://what-if.xkcd.com/1/>

--
Michael F. Stemper
Exodus 22:21

On 07/04/2024 15:48, James Nicoll wrote:
> Asimov's Mysteries by Isaac Asimov
>
> An assortment of (mostly) science fiction mysteries from Isaac Asimov.
>
> https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/murderer
>

This is one of the first Asimov books I read - maybe *the* first. I have
extremely fond memories of it but maybe most of all of the author
commentary. I think I'd recommend the book unreservedly on that basis
alone. (to anyone who actually likes science-fiction from that era at least)

As you point out the stories themselves range from meh/cringe to
good/competent so on their own I don't think I'd recommend them to
anyone but an Asimov completionist, or a science-fiction-obsessed child.
But the commentary I feel elevates the whole thing. You get glimpses of
the larger context of SF in the era, the process of writing, etc, that's
all great. But (in my memories, haven't read it in ages) the way the
whole conceit of the book is "can one write science-fiction mysteries
and how" gives it a conceptual unity that justifies everything in it.

In a way it maybe makes it a meta-mystery book, presenting and
methodically solving the mystery of "how could one write a
science-fiction mystery" !

(again, all the caveats for how long ago I read it. I'm actually curious
whether what I wrote is accurate to the collection or whether my memory
distilled it into something more coherent and well-constructed than it
was or was intended)

"Asimov doesn’t say exactly WHO claimed that SF mysteries were
impossible. In the absence of info, I will do as I usually do and blame
John Campbell. He was, after all, responsible for many odd pronunciamentos."

That's funny because I recently discussed this online and I remembered
it being John Campbell, but then I looked it up and he wasn't mentioned
at all. I also didn't get the vibe it was him from the description, it
really came across as a casual encounter. But I love how our minds so
easily went to the same place.

On 7 Apr 2024 13:48:05 -0000, jdnicoll@panix.com (James Nicoll) wrote:

> Asimov's Mysteries by Isaac Asimov
>
> An assortment of (mostly) science fiction mysteries from Isaac Asimov.
>
> https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/murderer

https://agathachristie.fandom.com/wiki/The_%E2%80%9CRules%E2%80%9D_of_Detective_Fiction

So Van Dyne is the culprit who caused so many promising stories to be
ruined by dragging a dead body in for the sole purpose of making the
mystery a murder mystery.

--
Joy Beeson
joy beeson at centurylink dot net
http://wlweather.net/PAGEJOY/