It鈥檚 Been a Good Life by Isaac Asimov, edited by Janet Jeppson Asimov,
Prometheus, 拢25, ISBN 1573929689
A CARTOON of Isaac Asimov鈥檚 office showed a filing cabinet with three
drawers, labelled 鈥淩obot manuscripts鈥�, 鈥淔oundation manuscripts鈥� and 鈥淥ther
manuscripts鈥�. Asimov鈥檚 500-odd books included far more non-fiction than fiction,
and covered every subject from Shakespeare to science. He loved to explain, he
loved to write.
It鈥檚 Been a Good Life is a cut-down version of Asimov鈥檚 three-volume
autobiography with some additions, primarily from letters he wrote his widow,
Janet Jeppson Asimov, plus her epilogue. The one significant revelation is that
Asimov died of AIDS, contracted during bypass surgery. The information was
withheld from the public on his doctors鈥� advice.
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Its genesis makes this book a somewhat incoherent scatter of bits. But it鈥檚
fun to read as Asimov wanders through his impoverished childhood followed by
life as a research chemist, science fiction author and famous writer. My
favourite bit is his dream of touring his new residence, Heaven. Looks around at
choirs. Surveys landscape. 鈥淚s there a typewriter I can use?鈥� he asks.