Isaac Asimov — Prolific Writer Best Known for Works of Science Fiction

Holding a BS in physics and mathematics from Cornell University and an MS in physics from UCLA, Mark Thek leads as president of Esterline Power Systems, a division of Esterline Technologies Corporation. In his free time, Mark Thek enjoys reading the works of noted science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov.

Born in 1920 in Petrovichi, Russia, Isaac Asimov grew up in Brooklyn, New York. The son of a small-business owner, he showed a skill for learning early in life, teaching himself to read before turning five years old and graduating from high school at the age of 15. He subsequently studied at Columbia University, where he went on to earn a BA, MA, and PhD.

Although his short story “Marooned Off Vesta” appeared in the publication Amazing Stories in 1939, his writing career did not come into full flower until 1950. That year saw the publication of his first novel, Pebble in the Sky, and the short-story collection I, Robot. Asimov followed these works up with Foundation, a 1951 novel that spawned the Foundation series and led to two immediate sequels, 1952’s Foundation and Empire and 1953’s Second Foundation. During this time, he also carried on an academic career at the Boston University School of Medicine, where he later became a full professor.

Not limited to science fiction, Asimov wrote about a diverse range of subjects, including religion, astronomy, and mathematics. His 1979 autobiography arrived at approximately the same time he suspended his full-time teaching duties. However, he continued writing in earnest, and by the mid-1980s he had completed 300 books.

Isaac Asimov died in 1992 as a result of heart and kidney failure. A prolific writer until the end, he wrote close to 200 additional books in his final years.