Only a Trillion is a collection of ten science essays and three scientific spoof articles by Isaac Asimov. It was the first collection of science essays published by Asimov. It was first published by Abelard-Schuman in 1957. A paperback edition published by Ace Books in 1976 included updates of outdated material (re-issued in 1980). The book was also published under the title Marvels of Science by Collier Books in 1962.
 First edition | |
| Author | Isaac Asimov |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Abelard-Schuman |
Publication date | 1957 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Hardback and Paperback) |
| Pages | 195 |
The title refers to the number of atoms of astatine-215 in the top 10 miles of the Earth's crust of the North and South American continents – only a trillion.
Contents
edit- The Atoms That Vanish (first published in Change!, 1957)
- The Explosions Within Us (original article)
- Hemoglobin and the Universe (first published in Astounding Science Fiction, Feb. 1955)
- Victory on Paper (first published in Astounding, Sept. 1955)
- The Abnormality of Being Normal (first published in Astounding, May 1956)
- Planets Have an Air About Them (first published in Astounding, March 1957)
- The Unblind Workings of Chance (first published in Astounding, April 1957)
- The Trapping of the Sun (first published in Astounding, May 1957)
- The Sea-Urchin and We (first published in Astounding, July 1957)
- The Sound of Panting (first published in Astounding, June 1955)
- The Marvellous Properties of Thiotimoline
- The Endochronic Properties of Resublimated Thiotimoline (first published in Astounding, March 1948)
- The Micropsychiatric Applications of Thiotimoline (first published in Astounding, Dec. 1953)
- Pâté de Foie Gras (first published in Astounding, Sept. 1956)
Reception
editFloyd C. Gale stated that Asimov "[a]lmost certainly had enormous fun writing this collection of articles. He staggers, frightens, amazes and, in two, fiendishly misleads his reader".[1]
Following the publication of Only a Trillion, Asimov compiled several more science essays into the manuscript for another, similar book titled Only a Light-Year, but that book was never published, because Only a Trillion had not sold enough copies.[2]
References
edit- ^ Gale, Floyd C. (October 1958). "Galaxy's 5 Star Shelf". Galaxy Science Fiction. pp. 132–133.
- ^ Asimov, I. (1980) In Joy Still Felt: The Autobiography of Isaac Asimov, 1954–1978, New York: Avon Books, pp. 342–343
External links
edit- A review of Only a Trillion by Robert E. K. Rourke.
- Only a Trillion (1957) at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- Only a Trillion (1976) at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- Marvels of Science at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database