Astounding Stories, April, 1931 |
I'm still astonished by the idea that science fiction, as a literary genre, was invented in the Asimov Reality. In the Reality that came before that, the Foundation Reality, Isaac Asimov was a science writer. For the past several years, I've understood the special role that Asimov played in creating the science fiction genre. While growing up, Asimov read all of the stories that were published in magazines like Astounding.
The Exile of Time |
Asimov particularly detested all the murderous clanking robots. A good example of the "clanking robot genre" is "The Exile of Time" by Ray Cummings. Cummings included several types of robots in this story, one of which is mistaken for a man until the very end of the story. The Exile of Time is also a time travel story.
According to Gohrlay, in the Foundation Reality, Raymond Cummings helped Thomas Edison's team develop the first computers. In that Reality, positronic robots were developed on Earth during the 20th century.
Apparently both the Foundation Reality and the Ekcolir reality had slightly faster paces of technological advance than the Asimov and Buld Realities. In the Asimov Reality, Cummings died from a viral infection before he ever had a chance to publish a story. In the Ekcolir Reality, Cummings received special help from his replicoid and he was among the most influential editors and mentors for science fiction writers like Asimov and Vance.
Copies
The Girl in the Golden Atom |
During the past year, I have become aware of the special role that has been played in Earth's history by "copies" of a few key science fiction writers. Asimov rose to prominence as a science fiction writer in the Asimov Reality. The Asimov Reality was a true disaster for Earth with a devastating nuclear was during the 20th century. According to Gohrlay, Asimov died in that nuclear war, but his "copy" continued to work with Grean to plan the Ekcolir Reality.
The Writers Block
by Pyracantha |
Asimov's think tank existed within the Hierion Domain. Gohrlay says that the science fiction think tank existed within a seemingly endless complex, something that seemed like an endless skyscraper from the perspective of its residents. Asimov accumulated all the world's speculative fiction authors there, or at least their replicoids.
Aura in the Ekcolir Reality (model) See the original magazine cover |
Within the Ekcolir Reality, Raymond Cummings was one of the writers who was assisted by his replicoid, an artificial copy of his analog from the Asimov Reality. However, in many ways the science fiction literary genre became too successful in the Ekcolir Reality.
Brigands of the Moon |
However, one of the topics that was well-explored in the science fiction of the Ekcolir Reality was nanotechnology, a field that was pioneered by Thomas Edison and boosted by his discovery of the transistor. Next: more science fiction from Deep Time.
Related Reading: Tellers of Weird Tales
The Girl in the Golden Atom
Visit the Gallery of Films, Book and Magazine Covers from Deep Time. |
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