If there was one writer Henry Bott dislike more than any other , it wasIsaac Asimov .
Bott , a book reviewer for the science fable publicationImagination , had spent years lob insults at the respected writer and his work . Of Asimov’sSecond Foundation , published in 1953 , Bottwrotethat Asimov was “ neither a author nor a storyteller ” and could churn out only “ elephantine prose . ”Second Foundationwas , Bott observe , “ not a good book . ”
After another seemingly personal reviewfollowed , this one forThe Caves of Steel , an irritated Asimov compose a perfervid retort in which he relate to Bott as “ The Nameless One ” in the fan publicationPeon[PDF ] . More volleys followed , and Asimov go forward to take a bombardment .
But when Asimov picked up the February 1955 issue ofImagination , he was disport toreadBott ’s enthusiastic recapitulation ofLucky Starr and the Oceans of Venus , a zippy sci - fi adventure yarn that was part of an on-going serial by author Paul French . The storey , Bott flow out , was grip and worthy of a reader ’s care , though he felt it fell little of the untried adult works by Robert Heinlein .
Asimov put the magazine down and began typing a letter toImagination . This sentence , he would not attempt to argue with Bott . “ I am sure that Mr. French , on reading this critique , would experience quite good about the kind language and would feel no rancor at all about the eminently just criticism , ” Asimovwrote . “ In fact , I am sure he would say he does his good to make his juvenile person as practiced as Mr. Heinlein ’s , and that perhaps he will meliorate as he continues to try .
“ I am positive that Mr. French would say all this . The ground I am positive is that Paul French and Isaac Asimov are the same somebody . ”
Lucky Break
Bott ’s vox populi was in the minority . By the fifties , Asimov had developed a report for brainy science fiction that live alongside his donnish work . Having earned a PhD in chemical science , Asimov teach and even co - author a biochemistry school text , Biochemistry and Human Metabolism , while pursuing his fiction career . In 1951 , he publishedFoundation , the first in a series about a galactic empire toppling in a style similar to Rome .
In March 1951 , Asimov had tiffin with his agent , Frederick Pohl , and Doubleday book editor Walter Bradbury . ( Bradbury was no sexual congress to Ray Bradbury , though the two did worktogetheronThe Martian Chronicles . ) The two require to conjointly pitch him on a project that had been percolate in both of their creative thinker . telecasting , theyinsisted , was going to take on an even heavy mien in pop culture . If Asimov could conceive and develop a book series in the pulp tradition about a outer space explorer , it could be adapt for the Modern culture medium and perhaps run for X , create all three human millions in the process .
To illustrate their point , they remind Asimov of The Lone Ranger , a pop westerly character who had been running on radio to with child success . The book series , they offer , would be in crinkle with that — only the hero would be a space ranger .
Asimov had one booking : He consider television was mostly tremendous . Aside from some game shows and mixture serial , nothing had made any seismal shock . The first real classic of the metier , I Love Lucy , was months away from its debut .
“ What happens if they put out something I do n’t wish with my name on it ? ” heaskedBradbury .
Bradbury made a suggestion : apply a pen name . That path , a miserable , second - rate show would n’t reflect poorly on him .
Asimov was please by the idea . inspire by Cornell Woolrich , who occupy on the name William Irish , Asimovuseda nationality and became “ Paul French . ”
Pseudonym prefer , Asimov began working on what would becomeDavid Starr , Space Ranger , in June 1951 . scantily six week later , he was done with the manuscript and air it off .
David Starr , Space Rangerfeatures the nominal grapheme , a biophysicist some 5000 years into the future , who goes undercover on Mars after find a plot tocontaminatethe food for thought provision . There are fight , encounters with uncongenial aliens , and shootouts with laser blasters — much of it familiar to mush readers of the time .
Doubleday was well-chosen with the debut novel . Asimov was not . He wanted to make a primal modification .
Name Withheld
Asimov had name David Starr after his unborn Word : His married woman was pregnant as he was writing the book . ButDavidwasn’t really sufficient for the kind of sci - fi space opera Asimov was craft . He dedicate Starr a nickname , “ favorable , ” and titled the 2nd bookLucky Starr and the Pirates of the Asteroids , which Doubleday released in 1953 .
Asimov also find the “ space commando ” self-love clumsy , so that wasdroppedfor the third ledger in the serial , Lucky Starr and the Oceans of Venus , released in 1954 . This was the intensity that commentator Henry Bott squeeze , which prompted Asimov no end of amusement .
More books followed : Lucky Starr and the Big Sun of Mercury;Lucky Starr and the Moons of Jupiter;Lucky Starr and the Rings of Saturn . But in malice of their editorial plotting , a Lucky Starr boob tube series never materialized .
Asimov believed the outcome wasRocky Jones , Spacer Ranger , an unrelated sci - fi show for nipper thatpremieredin 1954 . Like Lucky Starr , Rocky Jones was a kind of space cop who investigated galactic problem . UnlikeLucky Starr , Rocky Jonesdidn’t benefit from Asimov ’s talents . Just 39 installment were produced . Rocky Jonesseemedto flatline any chancesLucky Starrhad to go up a similar premise on television .
give the deficiency of a tv show , Asimov no longer involve the feigning of a nom de guerre . He even slip in a quotation of a popular figure of speech found in his other novels that sum up the honourable obligation of hokey intelligence . “ I made no drive to hide my identity , therefore , ” Asimovwrote , “ and inLucky Starr and the Moons of JupiterI even put in the three laws of robotics , which was a stagnant giveaway to Paul French ’s identity for even the most casual reader . ”
A seventh record , Lucky Starr and the Snows of Pluto , was in theplanningstages when Asimov determine to pivot to nonfiction piece of work . That was the terminal of Lucky , though Asimov pointed out that it was no modest portion of his career . With the six books amount 250,000 lyric , it was rough the same size of it as hisFoundationseries . ( Subsequent editionscreditedAsimov “ write as Paul French . ” )
As for the ornery Henry Bott : After Asimov dashed off the letter of the alphabet toImaginationouting himself as French , he was amuse to see it published in a later yield . In a rebuttalaccompanyingthe letter , the magazine ’s editor , William L. Hamling , asserted that Bott actually have it off French was Asimov but that the acknowledgment had been left out due to space restraint — an excuse that Asimov would later label “ so lame . ”
extra Sources : In Memory Yet Green;In Joy Still Felt .
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