Isaac Asimov is best known as an iconic Science Fiction writer, best known for his Foundation trilogy. But Asimov also wrote SF novels with mysteries in them like Caves of Steel and The Naked Sun.
Asimov also wrote traditional mysteries. Starting in 1972, Asimov wrote more than a 100 mystery stories. His most popular mysteries involved the Black Widowers, a fictional men-only dining club for a series of sixty-six mystery stories.
Asimov uses the Black Widower stories to delve into aspects of science, history, culture and his other interests: for example, Goldbach’s conjecture in “Sixty Million Trillion Combinations“; Gilbert and Sullivan in “The Year of the Action”; and the origins of the name “Susan” in “The Intrusion”.
Isaac Asimov’s other mystery series, Union Club, features stories set at a club known as the Union Club, in which a conversation between three members prompts a fourth member, Griswold, to tell about a mystery he has solved. These are often tall stories, and often based on his time in US intelligence. The format is based on that utilized by P. G. Wodehouse in recounting his golf stories. Asimov wrote 55 Union Club stories.
If you’re a fan of Isaac Asimov, you might be familiar with some of these stories. Some of these stories were published for the first time in this collection. I found these stories clever and intelligent. GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
- Black Widowers
- “The Obvious Factor” — 3
- “The Pointing Finger” — 20
- “Out of Sight” — 36
- “Yankee Doodle Went to Town” — 55
- “Quicker Than the Eye” — 73
- “The Three Numbers” — 90
- “The One and Only East” — 109
- “The Cross of Lorraine” — 126
- “The Next Day” — 144
- “What Time Is It?” — 162
- “Middle Name” — 180
- “Sixty Million Trillion Combinations” — 197
- “The Good Samaritan” — 213
- “Can You Prove It?” — 230
- “The Redhead” — 247
- Union Club
- “He Wasn’t There” — 267
- “Hide and Seek” — 274
- “Dollars and Cents” — 281
- “The Sign” — 288
- “Getting the Combination” — 295
- “The Library Book” — 302
- “Never Out of Sight” — 309
- “The Magic Umbrella” — 316
- “The Speck” — 323
- Other
- “The Key” — 333
- “A Problem of Numbers” — 366
- “The Little Things” — 372
- “Halloween” — 376
- “The Thirteenth Day of Christmas” — 381
- “The Key Word” — 386
- “Nothing Might Happen” — 391
Asimov’s mystery stories do not involve murder, rather they are puzzle stories. I believe his only murder mystery — excluding some of his SF/mysteries — was MURDER AT THE ABA. The Black Widowers was based on a real-life dining club called the Trap Door Spiders and the various Widowers were based on real-life Trap Door Spiders such as Lester del Rey and Lin Carter.
Jerry, you’re right about Asimov loving puzzles. There were murders in CAVES OF STEEL and THE NAKED SUN.
I read a couple of the Black Widowers collections but I don’t remember the Union Club. Will have to check it out.
Jeff, inexpensive copies of THE BEST MYSTERIES OF ISAAC ASIMOV are available on the Internet. Plus, there’s always the Library. I came home from NYC to find the Library left a phone message for me to pick up SEVEN books they’re holding for me. So many books, so little time!
I liked the Black Widowers as a scientist, but remember just two stories.
One is about the temperature scales and reminds us that minus 40 is equal in Fahrenheit and Celsius.
The other uses the different date formats – like 9/11 in the USA which in Germany is november 9th, the day the Berlin wall was opened.
Really nice suspense stories!
The cleverest guy is the waiter if I remember correctly.
Wolf, your memory is sharp! Asimov used science in many of these tales.
I read them too, probably the only work of his I read.
Patti, these stories capture much of Asimov’s interests and writing style.
These are interesting for their trivia, but terrible as stories. I gave up on them early on.
Jeff, I set the bar low for the Asimov mysteries. When I’m in the mood for them, they’re like potato chips…I can’t stop at one!
At this point, I wonder if Asimov is more famous for his sf or for his nonfiction writing (or, latterly, for his bad behavior with women). Certainly the nonfiction writing was what initially allowed him to quit his “day jobs”…
Todd, I suspect Asimov’s SF, mysteries, and nonfiction will keep him relevant for years.
George, I have read Asimov’s novel Murder at the ABA. Risque but very enjoyable.
Neeru, Asimov could be risqué and playful…but sometimes that got him into trouble!
I have separate editions of some of the Black Widowers stories (which I have read a few of, and enjoyed), and a book of the Union Club stories (not read yet). The titles of the other stories sounds interesting too. Will have to seek them out.
Tracy, I’ve read many of the Union Club stories, but about 30 of those stories haven’t been collected…yet.