Whatever happened to...

[CatBar]

The Asimovians forum was hacked, and some weeks later the whole site went down. I have searched since then for other Asimov forums, and it seems this rather quiet sub-forum is the most active one. I think this tells a lot, apparently Asimov's popularity has declined considerably since his death. Or am I wrong?

Seems like he never was 'popular'; not in the way all this (tedious) Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Twilight and Buffy stuff is.

 

[Abyssimal]

<quote from AE35Unit> I don't think Asimov's popularity has gone down at all. He's as unpopular as ever </quote>

I agree. I feel Asimov has never been popular in the way all this (tedious) Harry Potter and Buffy and Anime/Manga Fantasy stuff is. There are obviously too few intelligent people around to make Asimov popular in the same way.

I don't know about that. I think many readers have at least heard of Asimov. If they made a film based on one of his books (the Robot series springs to mind here) I would think his popularity would surge - at least temporarily.

 

[j d worthington]

You know, for someone who was so unpopular, he certainly sold a heck of a lot of books....

Let us not forget that, for the last several years of his life, nearly every one of Isaac's sf books ended up on bestseller lists, sometimes for fairly lengthy periods. Or the fact that nearly all of his work sold quite respectably, including numbers of his science books, which often went through various editions and numerous printings. Ditto his Guide to the Bible and Guide to Shakespeare. This sort of track record for a man whose name (as either author or editor) is on over 400 book titles, doesn't exactly spell "unpopular" in most spheres of reference.

There is also the fact that, from at least the 1970s, Asimov tended to receive hefty numbers of fan letters a day -- sometimes into the hundreds, apparently. And the the fact that he was frequently asked by the leading journals, magazines, newspapers, and the like, to contribute articles on all sorts of topics. That his name was big enough for a publishing firm to take a chance on selling not one, but two new magazines based on that name recognition alone. Can anyone name any other contemporary writers to have that sort of recognition and respect?

Asimov may not have been in the "Harry Potter" league as far as sales during a relatively brief period, but for nearly 50 years his work was almost a guarantee of sales. Somehow, that just doesn't sound anything like unpopularity to me....

 

[CatBar]

Asimov may not have been in the "Harry Potter" league as far as sales during a relatively brief period, but for nearly 50 years his work was almost a guarantee of sales. Somehow, that just doesn't sound anything like unpopularity to me....

I know...you're right really, j.d. I get so bored of all this Harry Potter/Buffy/Anime-Manga stuff that's everywhere and feel like I'm in a minority (story of my life!), so I feel the need to vent a little. Not always rational, I know.

 

[Sparrow]

Originally Posted by Darkday
The Asimovians forum was hacked, and some weeks later the whole site went down. I have searched since then for other Asimov forums, and it seems this rather quiet sub-forum is the most active one. I think this tells a lot, apparently Asimov's popularity has declined considerably since his death. Or am I wrong?

I would say you're wrong on that one.
Probably more to do with a general decline in Science Fiction than Asimov the man. And let us not degrade Harry Potter so much. The books are fantastic 'lite' entertainment that may well stand the test of time.

Take a visit to the Asimov's Science Fiction site and you'll discover to what level SF has fallen. You are apt to find more energetic discussions at any Harry Potter forum... I would imagine.

 

[j d worthington]

I know...you're right really, j.d. I get so bored of all this Harry Potter/Buffy/Anime-Manga stuff that's everywhere and feel like I'm in a minority (story of my life!), so I feel the need to vent a little. Not always rational, I know.

While I am not overly fond of Harry Potter, neither do I have anything particularly against it (save for some rather slipshod writing, as I recall). But then, I've only read the earlier volumes, so my opinion on this isn't as well-informed as it might be. I was also a fan of Buffy, though I think it dragged on a bit too long and became quite watered-down toward the end. Anime and Manga... most of that I'm indifferent to, but yes, there are both good and bad there.

Nonetheless, I can understand your frustration... I feel it every time I walk into a bookstore now and, despite my interest in a rather wide variety of subjects, can't find a bloody thing I have any interest in buying. That has been happening to me more and more the past 5 years or so, and I find it a disturbing trend, especially given that, for all my life previous, I'd be lucky to get out of there without blowing my budget for months!

As for your needing to vent... no problem there. I just couldn't help challenging the view (expressed by others as well) that Asimov not only is not currently, but never was a particularly popular writer, as I'd say the evidence is strongly to the contrary.....