''Buy Jupiter and Other Stories'' is a 1975 collection of
short stories
A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...
by American writer
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov ( ; – April 6, 1992) was an Russian-born American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. During his lifetime, Asimov was considered one of the "Big Three" science fiction writers, along with Robert A. H ...
. Each story is introduced by a short account of how it came to be written and what was happening in Asimov's life at the time, and follows on from where ''
The Early Asimov
''The Early Asimov or, Eleven Years of Trying'' is a 1972 collection of short stories by American writer Isaac Asimov. Each story is accompanied by commentary by the author, who gives details about his life and his literary achievements in the pe ...
'' (1972) left off. In the introduction, Asimov explains that his objective is to tell enough of his autobiography in his short story collections so that his editors will stop asking him to write an actual autobiography. (However he eventually wrote
three volumes of autobiography anyway.) The collection was voted 13th in the 1976
Locus Award
The Locus Awards are an annual set of literary awards voted on by readers of the science fiction and fantasy magazine '' Locus'', a monthly magazine based in Oakland, California. The awards are presented at an annual banquet.
Originally a poll ...
competition for the Best Single Author Collection.
Contents
The book includes the following stories:
* "
Darwinian Pool Room
"Darwinian Pool Room" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the October 1950 issue of ''Galaxy Science Fiction'', edited by Horace L Gold, and reprinted in the 1975 collection ''Buy Jupiter ...
" (1950)
* "
Day of the Hunters" (1950)
* "
Shah Guido G." (1951)
* "
Button, Button" (1953)
* "The Monkey's Finger" (1953)
* "
Everest
Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at its ...
" (1953)
* "
The Pause" (1954)
* "
Let's Not" (1954)
* "
Each an Explorer" (1956)
* "
Blank!
"Blank!" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov. It was commissioned by Larry Shaw, editor of ''Infinity Science Fiction'', as being the least inspirational title on which to base a story. Harlan Ellison
Harlan Ja ...
" (1957)
* "
Does a Bee Care?
"Does a Bee Care?" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov. It was first published in '' If: Worlds of Science Fiction'' in June 1957, and reprinted in the 1975 collection ''Buy Jupiter and Other Stories''. Gold Key Co ...
" (1957)
* "
Silly Asses
"Silly Asses" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov. It was published in the February 1958 issue of ''Future Science Fiction'', after having been twice rejected by other outlets. It was subsequently included in the co ...
" (1958)
* "
Buy Jupiter" (1958)
* "
A Statue for Father" (1959)
* "
Rain, Rain, Go Away
"Rain, Rain, Go Away" is a popular English language nursery rhyme. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 19096 and many different variations of it have been recorded.
Lyrics and melody
There are several versions and variations of this rhymin ...
" (1959)
* "
Founding Father
The following is a list of national founders of sovereign states who were credited with establishing a state. National founders are typically those who played an influential role in setting up the systems of governance, (i.e., political system ...
" (1965)
* "
Exile to Hell
"Exile to Hell" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov. It appeared in the May 1968 issue of ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' and was included in the 1975 collection ''Buy Jupiter and Other Stories''.
The serializa ...
" (1968)
* "Key Item" (1968), ''Multivac'' series
* "
The Proper Study
"The Proper Study" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov. Inspired by a painting of a head surrounded by random psychedelic designs, it was commissioned by ''Boys' Life'', and published in the September 1968 issue. (Th ...
" (1968)
* "
2430 A.D." (1970)
* "
The Greatest Asset
"The Greatest Asset" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov. It was written as a counterpoint to his story " 2430 A.D." with the intention of refuting, rather than illustrating, the same quotation by writer and social ...
" (1972)
* "
Take a Match
"Take a Match" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov. It was first published in Robert Silverberg's 1972 anthology '' New Dimensions II'' and reprinted in the 1975 Asimov collection ''Buy Jupiter and Other Stories''.
...
" (1972)
* "
Thiotimoline to the Stars
Thiotimoline is a fictitious chemical compound conceived by American biochemist and science fiction author Isaac Asimov. It was first described in a spoof scientific paper titled "The Endochronic Properties of Resublimated Thiotimoline" in ...
" (1973), ''Thiotimoline'' series #4
* "
Light Verse
Light poetry or light verse is poetry that attempts to be humorous. Light poems are usually brief, can be on a frivolous or serious subject, and often feature word play including puns, adventurous rhyme, and heavy alliteration. Nonsense poetry i ...
" (1973), ''Robot'' series
References
External links
*
*
Science fiction short story collections by Isaac Asimov
1975 short story collections
Doubleday (publisher) books
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