GOLD: The Final Science Fiction Collection.

The last science fiction collection from the great author contains stories previously unpublished in book form and centers around the powerful tale of a writer who gambles everything on a chance at immortality--a gamble the author himself made. 50,000 first printing.

Asimov, who died in 1992 and whose influence can hardly be exaggerated, is ill-served by this work, two-thirds of which consists of book introductions and editorials he wrote for Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine. The fiction included here, though a decidedly mixed bag (several pieces are short-shorts whose long-term value is dubious), includes two of Asimov's most important late stories, "Cal" and the title story. "Cal" is one of several tales here in which a robot's use of a word processor has unexpected consequences, but it stands above the others (such as "Fault-Intolerant") because Cal is as vibrant as the humans in the story. The Hugo-winning "Gold," meanwhile, in which a "compu-drama" director agrees to adapt an SF novel to the new medium, is by itself worth the price of this book. The two nonfiction sections, by contrast, are sloppily compiled ("Suspense" is the first part of a two-part editorial not continued here, for instance). Additionally, several of the editorials, by referring to stories published in the magazine but not here, have lost much of their effectiveness. A volume of Asimov's uncollected fantasy stories is promised by HarperPrism for 1996; one wishes that this book had included those stories instead of the nonfiction here. Even so, however, this collection presents enough valuable insight into Asimov's work to mitigate disappointment.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Asimov's ideas continue to inspire, as novelizations of his classic stories and a series of adventures derived from the virtual universe he created attest. This compilation of uncollected work promises to be the last from the late sf grand master himself. Replete with some of Asimov's characteristically cerebral tales, introductions to anthologies, and essays on writing sf, it provides a final feast of entertaining reading for loyal fans. Most of the stories included showcase Asimov's penchant for briefly sketched thought experiments and for fables capped by groan-inducing puns. Standing out above these is the title story, which recounts the fate of a holographic film producer who learns that stretching his talents is worth more than any amount of gold. Asimov's always insightful pieces on the history and craft of science fiction further help make Gold a necessary--and very readable--addition to any thorough collection of this enduring sf maestro's work. Carl Hays

This collection of previously uncollected stories also contains many of Asimov's essays on the craft of science fiction. Libraries may want this "final collection" of work by the late grand master of sf.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.