Asimov's style: Simple and Clear (Continued)

Notice here that within these three sentences we learn a great deal about the physical appearance of the Spacer, Daneel. Upon closer inspection you will find that Asimov makes three passes on Daneel, each time moving logically from top to bottom. The first section describes his lower torso, the second sentence starts from his upper torso and moves downward and the third covers what most people would assume the most important feature- his face. Asimov deliberately describes different parts of Daneel one at a time as to not confuse the reader. Although describing Daneel in one pass from top to bottom may have worked, it would not reach the degree of clarity as seen here. The reader would be forced to comprehend multiple unrelated objects. Also this highly organized quote enables Asimov to leave a strong impression of Daneel's face on the reader- it is the last sentence read. Let us now look at how Asimov goes about describing objects.

"The Brain was a two-foot globe merely-one which contained within it a thoroughly conditioned helium atmosphere, a volume of space completely vibration absent and radiation-free-- and within that was that unheard-of complexity of positronic brain-paths that was The Brain. The rest of the room was crowded with the attachments that were the intermediaries between The Brain and the outside world-- its voice, its arms and its sense organs," (Asimov, I, Robot 180)

Again, we can see that Asimov takes a systematic, logical approach. He starts with the outside of "The Brain" and works inward, describing each layer. When he has finished describing The Brain itself, only then does he describe the other objects present in the room. Notice too that he does not go into describing the various attachments of The Brain. Doing so would detract from the importance of The Brain itself. Asimov is trying to establish The Brain as an important piece of hardware early on in the story. The systematic organization we have seen in the above quotations help to establish clarity. Now moving beyond the sentences and paragraphs we can expand on the second literary device that achieves clarity and examine how Asimov organizes his thoughts globally- throughout his entire books.

The most logical (and thereby clear) way of organizing a story would be to present it in a linear fashion- feeding the reader bits and pieces as they needing it. Using flashbacks or fragmenting the main story line is likely to confuse the reader. Asimov therefore omitted or minimized these stylistic devices. We can look at any of his science fiction novels and find this straightforward plot. However, it is most apparent in his Robot Series . Each of the novels is a detective and science fiction hybrid. In the example of The Caves of Steel , you would find that first, there is the problem (most likely a murder) then clues are given, and finally a solution is derived. Note here that the reader follows the main characters in a linear fashion. Some would argue that this linear sequence gives way to dull reading. This is not the case because as a result of Asimov's clarity, he is able to explain extraordinary ideas as mentioned earlier. Asimov's other widely famous series, The Foundation Series does this as well- although over a 50,000 time span. His nonfiction books are not discussed here because they always follow the linear path- there is no room to drift because the spring board (a story plot) is not present. Asimov himself explains his organization in non-fiction works as "begin at the beginning, then stop and explain." (Goble 109)

In review we have: 1) Asimov varies style through sentence length, paragraph length and sentence structure based on the intended audience to achieve the same amounts of clarity. His science fiction works are characterized by short simple sentences, while his non-fiction works move in the opposite direction. 2) His organization of these sentences is taken in a systematic, logical approach. Asimov isolates abd subdivides his arguments or ideas as to reduce the chance of loosing the reader. The result is a highly organized paragraph that is fluid and easy to read. 3) His global organization of such paragraphs follows a linear model. The absence of flash backs and time shifts enables Asimov to focus on the idea in which he chooses to express. The resulting clarity cancels the normally bland style of straightforward linear organization. Asimov utilizes each of these three points to produce works that are clear and enjoyable to read. Many other authors may have produced story lines and ideas that excel Asimov's but without clarity, they are no rival to him. Perhaps this is the reason why thousands today are dumbfounded by his extraordinary imagination, just as thousands had then.

"At one point, Red said to me, 'When you read my report on sports, Isaac, do you understand it?' 'Of course,' I said. 'Well, I don't understand your report on science and it bothers me.' 'It shouldn't Red,' I said. "If you don't understand me, the fault is mine, not yours.'" (Asimov Asimov Laughs Again 289)

Author: Roland Saekow (saekow@sbcglobal.net)

Works Cited

Asimov, Isaac. It's Been a Good Life . New York: Prometheus Books, 2002.

Asimov, Isaac. Asimov Laughs Again . New York: HarperCollinsPublishers, 1992.

Asimov, Isaac. I, Robot . New York: Bantam Books, 1950.

Asimov, Isaac. The Naked Sun . New York: Bantam Books, 1965.

Asimov, Isaac. The Caves of Steel . New York: Bantam Books, 1954.

Goble, Neil. Asimov Analyzed . Baltimore: Mirage Press, 1972.

Howard, Chris. "C.S. Lewis and Isaac Asimov: A Comparison and Contrast of the Men,

Their Minds and Literature." May, 1997.

Judson, Karen. Isaac Asimov: Master of Science Fiction . Spring Field: Enslow

Publishers, Inc., 1998.

Seiler, Edward and Jenkins, John H. "Frequently Asked Questions about Isaac Asimov."

May 2003. < http://www.asimovonline.com >.

Bibliography

Asimov, Isaac. It's Been a Good Life . New York: Prometheus Books, 2002.

Asimov, Isaac. In Memory Yet Green . Garden City: Doubleday, 1979.

Asimov, Isaac. In Joy Still Felt . Garden City: Doubleday, 1980.

Asimov, Isaac. Asimov Laughs Again . New York: HarperCollinsPublishers, 1992.

Asimov, Isaac. I, Robot . New York: Bantam Books, 1950.

Asimov, Isaac. The Caves of Steel . New York: Bantam Books, 1954.

Asimov, Isaac. The Naked Sun . New York: Bantam Books, 1965.

Asimov, Isaac. The Robots of Dawn . New York: Bantam Books, 1983.

Asimov, Isaac. Prelude to Foundation . New York: Bantam Books, 1988.

Asimov, Isaac. Foundation . New York: Bantam Books, 1951.

Beauchamp, Gorman. The Frankenstein Complex and Asimov's Robots. Rpt. In Mosaic:

A Journal for the Interdisciplinary Study of Literature , Vol. XIII, Nos. 3-4, Spring-

Summer, 1980, pp. 83-94.

Datnow, Claire L. American Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers . Spring Field: Enslow

Publishers, Inc., 1999

Elms, Alan C. From Nightfall to Dawn: Asimov as Acrophobe . Rpt. In Extrapolation ,

Vol. 28, No.2, Summer 1987, pp. 130-138.

Erlanger, Ellen. Isaac Asimov: Scientist and Storyteller . Minneapolis: Lerner

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Gunn, James. Isaac Asimov: The Foundations of Science Fiction . New York: Oxford

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