SOURCE: Hassler, Donald M. “The Campbell Years and All the Short Stories.” In Isaac Asimov, pp. 18-36. Mercer Island, Wash.: Starmont House, Inc., 1991.

In the following essay, Hassler scrutinizes Isaac Asimov's literary origins and assesses his importance as a short fiction writer.

Many critics writing on Asimov's fiction have argued that the shorter forms not only are where he began but also constitute his extent of narrative competence. Still others argue that science fiction itself is best seen as a short story genre.¹ Asimov's mind set from the start, however, tended toward large general themes and hence toward longer and longer narratives. For example, his very short story “Black Friar of the Flame,” examined in more detail later in this [essay], is his first attempt at future history and at large social questions; thus, it is intended to be a longish story. Further, all during his early writing...