Tag Archives: Isaac Asimov

The Relativity of Wrong

Posted on September 1, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

In the essay below from 1988, the iconic American writer, philosopher, and scientist Isaac Asimov addresses the comforting myth that being ‘wrong’ always means starting from zero, arguing instead that knowledge evolves in degrees rather than absolutes. A wonderful piece … Continue reading →

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“There is a great deal of art to creating something that seems artless.”

Posted on July 3, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

There is writing which resembles the mosaics of glass you see in stained-glass windows. Such windows are beautiful in themselves and let in the light in colored fragments, but you can’t expect to see through them. In the same way, … Continue reading →

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Nightfall

Posted on April 9, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

Imagine a planet in a system with six suns where total darkness, in the form of a solar eclipse, comes only once every 2,049 years. This is the setting of “Nightfall,” a short story that appeared in the September 1941 … Continue reading →

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Shelves of Time

Posted on August 10, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

The acclaimed Pulitzer Prize-winning American author Michael Chabon recently shared a very personal project that he worked on during the Covid-19 pandemic. In a serious bout of nostagia, he recreated the science fiction and fantasy section of his childhood bookshop … Continue reading →

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Are these the 50 best scifi books of all time ?

Posted on April 17, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

I read quite a lot of science fiction. My reading habits were informed early in childhood by my love of writers such as Ray Bradbury and Isaac Asimov. These days I find myself leaning towards post-apocalyptic sci-fi and space operas. … Continue reading →

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A Library Is A Spaceship

Posted on January 3, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

I have been a fan of the wildly imaginative writing of Isaac Asimov since I was a child. Recently I ran across a charming story about the iconic sci-fi author and a letter that he wrote in 1971. He sent … Continue reading →

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Snowstorm of Rejections

Posted on January 26, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

All authors face rejection at some point in their writing careers. Some of us throw in the towel and are content with publishing blogs, but the greats always seem to persevere. Here are some suggestions from writers who knew how … Continue reading →

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Foundation

Posted on September 27, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

I first read Isaac Asimov’s seminal science fiction Foundation trilogy as an adolescent. It was challenging and sometimes confusing, but worth the effort. So, I was excited to discover the new television series based on the iconic books that premiered last Friday. … Continue reading →

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Science Fiction Day

Posted on January 2, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Even if you are one of those readers who claim that they don’t like science fiction, it’s more than likely that there are some works in the genre that you have appreciated and enjoyed. When it comes to science fiction … Continue reading →

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