Isaac Asimov bibliography (categorical)

See also: Isaac Asimov bibliography (chronological) and Isaac Asimov bibliography (alphabetical)

Depending on the counting convention used, and including all titles, charts, and edited collections, there may be currently over 500 books in Isaac Asimov's bibliography— as well as his individual short stories, individual essays, and criticism. For his 100th, 200th, and 300th books (based on his personal count), Asimov published Opus 100 (1969), Opus 200 (1979), and Opus 300 (1984), celebrating his writing.

Asimov was so prolific that his books span all major categories of the Dewey Decimal Classification except for category 100, philosophy and psychology. Although Asimov did write several essays about psychology, and forewords for the books The Humanist Way (1988) and In Pursuit of Truth (1982), which were classified in the 100s category, none of his own books was classified in that category.

According to UNESCO's Index Translationum database, Asimov is the world's 24th most-translated author.

An online exhibit in West Virginia University Libraries' virtually complete Asimov Collection displays features, visuals, and descriptions of some of his over 600 books, games, audio recordings, videos, and wall charts. Many first, rare, and autographed editions are in the Libraries' Rare Book Room. Book jackets and autographs are presented online along with descriptions and images of children's books, science fiction art, multimedia, and other materials in the collection.

For a listing of Asimov's science fiction books in chronological order within his future history, see the Foundation series list of books.

Science fiction

"Greater Foundation" series

Main articles: Isaac Asimov's Robot Series, Isaac Asimov's Galactic Empire Series, and Foundation series

The Robot series was originally separate from the Foundation series. The Galactic Empire novels were published as independent stories, set earlier in the same future as Foundation. Later in life, Asimov synthesized the Robot series into a single coherent "history" that appeared in the extension of the Foundation series.

• The Robot series:
  • The Caves of Steel. 1954. ISBN 0-553-29340-0. (first Elijah Baley SF-crime novel)
  • The Naked Sun. 1957. ISBN 0-553-29339-7. (second Elijah Baley SF-crime novel)
  • The Robots of Dawn. 1983. ISBN 0-553-29949-2. (third Elijah Baley SF-crime novel)
  • Robots and Empire. 1985. ISBN 978-0-586-06200-5. (sequel to the Elijah Baley trilogy)
• Galactic Empire novels:
  • The Currents of Space. 1952. ISBN 0-553-29341-9. (Republic of Trantor still expanding)
  • The Stars, Like Dust. 1951. ISBN 0-553-29343-5. (long before the Empire)
  • Pebble in the Sky. 1950. ISBN 0-553-29342-7. (early Galactic Empire)
• Foundation prequels:
  • Prelude to Foundation. 1988. ISBN 0-553-27839-8. (occurs before Foundation)
  • Forward the Foundation. 1993. ISBN 0-553-40488-1. (occurs after Prelude to Foundation and before Foundation)
• Original Foundation trilogy:
  • Foundation. 1951. ISBN 0-553-29335-4.
  • Foundation and Empire. 1952. ISBN 0-553-29337-0., Published with the title 'The Man Who Upset the Universe' as a 35c Ace paperback, D-125, in about 1952
  • Second Foundation. 1953. ISBN 0-553-29336-2.
• Extended Foundation series:
  • Foundation's Edge. 1982. ISBN 0-553-29338-9.
  • Foundation and Earth. 1986. ISBN 0-553-58757-9. (last of the Foundation series)

Lucky Starr series (as Paul French)

Main article: Lucky Starr series

• David Starr, Space Ranger (1952)
• Lucky Starr and the Pirates of the Asteroids (1953)
• Lucky Starr and the Oceans of Venus (1954)
• Lucky Starr and the Big Sun of Mercury (1956)
• Lucky Starr and the Moons of Jupiter (1957)
• Lucky Starr and the Rings of Saturn (1958)

Norby Chronicles (with Janet Asimov)

Main article: Norby

• Norby, the Mixed-Up Robot (1983)
• Norby's Other Secret (1984)
• Norby and the Lost Princess (1985)
• Norby and the Invaders (1985)
• Norby and the Queen's Necklace (1986)
• Norby Finds a Villain (1987)
• Norby Down to Earth (1988)
• Norby and Yobo's Great Adventure (1989)
• Norby and the Oldest Dragon (1990)
• Norby and the Court Jester (1991)

Novels not part of a series

Novels marked with an asterisk * have minor connections to the Foundation and Robot series.

• The End of Eternity (1955) *
• Fantastic Voyage (1966) (a novelization of the movie)
• The Gods Themselves (1972)
• Fantastic Voyage II: Destination Brain (1987) * (not a sequel to Fantastic Voyage, but a similar, independent story)
• Nemesis (1989) *
• Nightfall (1990), with Robert Silverberg (based on "Nightfall", a 1941 short story written by Asimov)
• Child of Time (1992), with Robert Silverberg (based on "The Ugly Little Boy", a 1958 short story written by Asimov)
• The Positronic Man (1993) *, with Robert Silverberg (based on The Bicentennial Man, a 1976 novella written by Asimov)

Short-story collections

See also: Isaac Asimov short stories bibliography

• I, Robot. 1950. ISBN 0-553-29438-5.
• The Martian Way and Other Stories. 1955. ISBN 0-8376-0463-X.
• Earth Is Room Enough. 1957. ISBN 0-449-24125-4.
• Nine Tomorrows. 1959. ISBN 0-449-24084-3.
• The Rest of the Robots. 1964. ISBN 0-385-09041-2.
• Through a Glass, Clearly. 1967. ISBN 0-86025-124-1.
• Asimov's Mysteries. 1968.
• Nightfall and Other Stories. 1969. ISBN 0-449-01969-1.
• The Best New Thing. 1971.
• The Early Asimov. 1972. ISBN 0-449-02850-X.
• The Best of Isaac Asimov. 1973. ISBN 0-7221-1256-4.
• Buy Jupiter and Other Stories. 1975. ISBN 0-385-05077-1.
• Have You Seen These? 1974.
• The Bicentennial Man and Other Stories. 1976. ISBN 0-575-02240-X.
• The Complete Robot. 1982.
• The Winds of Change and Other Stories. 1983. ISBN 0-385-18099-3.
• The Edge of Tomorrow. 1985. ISBN 0-312-93200-6.
• The Alternate Asimovs. 1986. ISBN 0-385-19784-5.
• The Best Science Fiction of Isaac Asimov. 1986.
• Robot Dreams. 1986. ISBN 0-441-73154-6.
• Azazel. 1988.
• Robot Visions. 1990. ISBN 0-451-45064-7.
• Gold. 1995. ISBN 0-553-28339-1.
• Magic. 1996. ISBN 0-00-224622-8.

Mysteries

Novels

• The Death Dealers (1958), republished as A Whiff of Death
• Murder at the ABA (1976), also published as Authorized Murder

Short-story collections

Black Widowers series

Main article: Black Widowers

• Tales of the Black Widowers (1974)
• More Tales of the Black Widowers (1976)
• Casebook of the Black Widowers (1980)
• Banquets of the Black Widowers (1984)
• Puzzles of the Black Widowers (1990)
• The Return of the Black Widowers (2003)

Other mysteries

• Asimov's Mysteries (1968)
• The Key Word and Other Mysteries (1977)
• The Union Club Mysteries (1983)
• The Disappearing Man and Other Mysteries (1985)
• The Best Mysteries of Isaac Asimov (1986)

Nonfiction

Astronomy

• The Clock We Live On (1959) ISBN 978-0-200-71100-5
• Satellites in Outer Space (1960)
• The Double Planet (1960)
• Planets for Man (with Stephen H. Dole) (1964, reprinted by RAND 2007) ISBN 978-0-8330-4226-2
• The Kingdom of the Sun (1966) ISBN 978-0020912507
• The Moon (1976)
  • revised (2003) by Richard Hantula ISBN 978-1-59102-122-3
• To The Ends of the Universe (1967)
• Mars (1967)
• Stars (1968)
• Galaxies (1968)
• ABC's of Space (1969)
• What Makes the Sun Shine (1971)
• Comets and Meteors (1973)
• The Sun (1973)
  • revised (2003) by Richard Hantula ISBN 978-1-59102-122-3
• Jupiter, the Largest Planet (1973)
  • revised (2003) by Richard Hantula ISBN 978-1-59102-123-0
• The Tragedy of the Moon (1973)
• Asimov on Astronomy (1974)
• Our World in Space (1974) ISBN 978-0-8212-0434-4
• The Solar System (1975)
• How Did We Find Out About Comets? (1975)
• Eyes on the Universe: A History of the Telescope (1975)
• The Collapsing Universe (1977), ISBN 0-671-81738-8
• Extraterrestrial Civilizations (1979) ISBN 978-0-449-90020-8
• Visions of the Universe with co-author Kazuaki Iwasaki (1981) ISBN 978-0-939540-01-3
• Exploring the Earth and the Cosmos (1982) ISBN 978-0-517-54667-3
• The Measure of the Universe (1983)
• Think About Space: Where Have We Been and Where Are We Going? with co-author Frank White (1989)
• Isaac Asimov's Guide to Earth and Space (1991) ISBN 978-0-449-22059-7
• Mysteries of deep space: Quasars, Pulsars and Black Holes (1994) ISBN 978-0-8368-1133-9
• Venus (2004), revised by Richard Hantula ISBN 978-0-8368-3877-0

Geoscience

• Environments Out There (1967)
• ABC's of the Earth (1971)
• How Did We Find Out the Earth is Round? (1973)
• The Ends of the Earth: The Polar Regions of the World (1975)
• The Earth (2004), revised by Richard Hantula ISBN 978-1-59102-177-3

Mathematics

• Realm of Numbers (1959) ISBN 978-0-395-06566-2
• Realm of Measure (1960)
• Realm of Algebra (1961)
• Quick and Easy Math (1964)
• An Easy Introduction to the Slide Rule (1965) ISBN 9780395065754
• How Did We Find Out About Numbers? (1973)

Physics

• The Kite That Won the Revolution (1963), ISBN 0-395-06560-7
• Understanding Physics Vol. I, Motion, Sound, and Heat (1966) ISBN 978-0-451-00329-4
• Understanding Physics Vol. II, Light, Magnetism, and Electricity (1966) ISBN 978-0-451-61942-6
• Understanding Physics Vol. III, The Electron, Proton, and Neutron (1966) ISBN 978-0-451-62634-9
• The Genetic Effects of Radiation (1966)
• The Universe: From Flat Earth to Quasar (1966) ISBN 978-0-380-01596-2
  • 2nd edition (1971)
  • 3rd edition (1980), as The Universe: From Flat Earth to Black Holes and Beyond
• Light (1970)
• World Within Worlds (1972)
• How Did We Find Out About Electricity? (1973)
• How Did We Find Out About Energy? (1975)
• Asimov On Physics (1976) ISBN 978-0-385-00958-4

Chemistry

• Biochemistry and Human Metabolism (1952)
• The Chemicals of Life: Enzymes, Vitamins, and Hormones (1954) ISBN 978-0-451-62418-5
• Chemistry and Human Health (1956)
• Inside the Atom (1956) ISBN 978-0-200-71444-0
• Building Blocks of the Universe (1957; revised 1974) ISBN 0-200-71099-0 ISBN 978-0-200-71099-2
• The World of Carbon (1958) ISBN 978-0-02-091350-4
• The World of Nitrogen (1958) ISBN 978-0-02-091400-6
• The Search for the Elements (1962)
• A Short History of Chemistry (1965)
• The Noble Gases (1966)
• The Neutrino (1966) ASIN B002JK525W
• Atom: Journey Across the Subatomic Cosmos (1991) ISBN 978-1-4395-0900-5

Biology

• Races and People (1955); co-written with William C. Boyd, illustrations by John Bradford
• The Living River (1960); book on hematology
• The Wellsprings of Life (1960) ISBN 978-0-451-03245-4
• The Human Body: Its Structure and Operation (1963) ISBN 978-0-451-02430-5, ISBN 978-0-451-62707-0 (revised)
• The Human Brain: Its Capacities and Functions (1963) ISBN 978-0-451-62867-1
• The Genetic Code (1963) ISBN 978-0451621108
• A Short History of Biology (1964)
• Photosynthesis (1968) ISBN 978-0-465-05703-0
• ABC's of the Ocean (1970)
• ABC's of Ecology (1972)
• How Did We Find Out About Germs? (1974)
• How Did We Find Out About Vitamins? (1974)

Etymology

• Words of Science and the History Behind Them (1959) ISBN 978-0-395-06571-6
• Words from the Myths (1961)
• Words in Genesis (1962)
• Words on the Map (1962)
• Words from the Exodus (1963)
• Words from History (1968)
• More Words of Science (1972)

History

• Breakthroughs in Science (1959) ISBN 978-0-395-06561-7
• The Greeks: A Great Adventure (1965)
• The Roman Republic (1966)
• The Roman Empire (1967)
• The Egyptians (1967)
• The Near East: 10,000 Years of History (1968)
• The Dark Ages (1968)
• The Shaping of England (1969)
• Constantinople: The Forgotten Empire (1970)
• The Land of Canaan (1971)
• The Shaping of France (1972)
• The Shaping of North America: From Earliest Times to 1763 (1973)
• The Birth of the United States: 1763-1816 (1974)
• Our Federal Union (1975), ISBN 0-395-20283-3
• Asimov's Chronology of the World (1991) ISBN 978-0-06-270036-0

The Bible

• Asimov's Guide to the Bible, Volume I (1968)
• Asimov's Guide to the Bible, Volume II (1969)
• The Story of Ruth (1972), ISBN 0-385-08594-X

Interdisciplinary Science

• Life and Energy (1962) ISBN 978-0-380-00942-8
• The Intelligent Man's Guide to Science (1960)
  • Revised versions were published as The New Intelligent Man's Guide to Science (1965), Asimov's Guide to Science (1972), and Asimov's New Guide to Science (1984) ISBN 978-0-14-017213-3
• Asimov's Biographical Encyclopedia of Science and Technology (1965)
  • 2nd Edition, 1972
  • 3rd Edition, 1983
• How Did We Find Out About Dinosaurs? (1973)
• Earth: Our Crowded Spaceship (1974)
• Asimov's Chronology of Science and Discovery (1989), second edition adds content thru 1993, ISBN 978-0-06-270113-8

Works published in Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction – originally published as monthly columns

1. Fact and Fancy (1962)
2. View from a Height (1963)
3. Adding a Dimension (1964)
4. Of Time and Space and Other Things (1965)
5. From Earth to Heaven (1966)
6. Science, Numbers, and I (1968)
7. The Solar System and Back (1970)
8. The Stars in their Courses (1971)
9. The Left Hand of the Electron (1972)
10. The Tragedy of the Moon (1973)
11. Asimov On Astronomy (updated version of essays in previous collections) (1974) ISBN 978-0-517-27924-3
12. Asimov On Chemistry (updated version of essays in previous collections) (1974)
13. Of Matters Great and Small (1975)
14. Asimov On Physics (updated version of essays in previous collections) (1976) ISBN 978-0-385-00958-4
15. The Planet That Wasn't (1976)
16. Asimov On Numbers (updated version of essays in previous collections) (1976)
17. Quasar, Quasar, Burning Bright (1977)
18. The Road to Infinity (1979)
19. The Sun Shines Bright (1981)
20. Counting the Eons (1983)
21. X Stands for Unknown (1984)
22. The Subatomic Monster (1985)
23. Far as Human Eye Could See (1987)
24. The Relativity of Wrong (1988)
25. Beginnings: The Story of Origins (1989)
26. Asimov On Science: A 30 Year Retrospective 1959–1989 (features the first essay in the introduction) (1989)
27. Out of the Everywhere (1990)
28. The Secret of the Universe (1991)

Other science essay collections

• Only a Trillion (1957) ISBN 978-0-441-63121-6
• Is Anyone There? (1967), ISBN 0-385-08401-3 – where he used the term Spome
• Today and Tomorrow and... (1973)
• Please Explain (Science Essay Collection) (1975) ISBN 978-0-440-96804-7
• Science Past, Science Future (1975) ISBN 978-0-385-09923-3

Ginn Science Collection (Children's Textbooks)

• Ginn Science Program, Intermediate Level A (1972)
• Ginn Science Program, Intermediate Level B (1972)
• Ginn Science Program, Intermediate Level C (1972)
• Ginn Science Program, Advanced Level A (1973)
• Ginn Science Program, Advanced Level B (1973)

Annotations

• Asimov's Annotated "Don Juan"
• Asimov's Annotated "Paradise Lost"
• Asimov's Annotated "Gilbert and Sullivan"
• Asimov's The Annotated "Gulliver's Travels"
• Familiar Poems, Annotated

Guides

• Asimov's Guide to the Bible, vols I and II (1967 and 1969, one-volume ed. 1981), ISBN 0-517-34582-X
• Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare, vols I and II (1970), ISBN 0-517-26825-6

Autobiography

Main article: Autobiographies of Isaac Asimov

• In Memory Yet Green: The Autobiography of Isaac Asimov, 1920–1954, (1979, Doubleday)
• In Joy Still Felt: The Autobiography of Isaac Asimov, 1954–1978, (1980, Doubleday)
• I. Asimov: A Memoir, (1994, Doubleday)
  • It's Been a Good Life, (2002, Prometheus Books), condensation of Asimov's three-volume biography edited by his widow, Janet Jeppson Asimov

Miscellanies

Wide-ranging collections issued to celebrate the publication of Asimov's 100th, 200th and 300th books.

• Opus 100 (1969), ISBN 0-395-07351-0
• Opus 200 (1979), ISBN 0-395-27625-X
• Opus 300 (1984), ISBN 0-395-36108-7

Other nonfiction

• The Sensuous Dirty Old Man (1971) (As Dr. A), ISBN 0-451-07199-9
• Isaac Asimov's Treasury of Humor (1971)
• Isaac Asimov's Book of Facts (1979), ISBN 0-517-36111-6
• The Roving Mind (1983) (collection of essays). New edition published by Prometheus Books, 1997, ISBN 1-57392-181-5
• Our Angry Earth: A Ticking Ecological Bomb (1991), ISBN 0-312-85252-5.
• Asimov Laughs Again (1992)

Poems

• Lecherous Limericks (1975), ISBN 0-449-22841-X
• More Lecherous Limericks (1976), ISBN 0-8027-7102-5
• Still More Lecherous Limericks (1977), ISBN 0-8027-7106-8
• Limericks, Two Gross, with John Ciardi (1978), ISBN 0-393-04530-7
• A Grossery of Limericks, with John Ciardi (1981), ISBN 0-393-33112-1