Azazel (Asimov)
Encyclopedia
Azazel is a character created by Isaac Asimov
and featured in a series of fantasy
short stories
. Azazel is a two-centimeter-tall demon
(or extraterrestrial), named after the Biblical demon
.
Some of these stories were collected in Azazel, first published in 1988. The stories take the form of conversations between an unnamed writer (whom Asimov identifies in the collection introduction as himself) and a shiftless friend named George (named in The Two-Centimeter Demon as George Bitternut). At these meetings George tells how he is able to conjure up Azazel and their adventures together. George's greatest goal in life is a free lunch (or dinner, or ride, etc), but Azazel is constrained so that he cannot directly benefit George. George can only call upon Azazel for favors to various friends, which invariably go awry.
"Getting Even" (1980) was the first story featuring Azazel, and was also the first "Union Club Mystery". Ironically, Asimov stated that this story was omitted from both The Union Club Mysteries
(1983) and the Azazel collection because it did not match the later stories in either series. However, it does appear in an anthology. The stories' theme about a demon/alien that grants wishes echoes an earlier work by Lester del Rey
, titled "No Strings Attached" from 1954.
, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
, Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact
, and Gallery
. Besides the Azazel collection, a number of the stories featuring George and Azazel appear in other Asimov
collections including The Winds of Change and Other Stories
, Science Fiction by Asimov, The Asimov Chronicles, Magic
, and as part of the "Cal" story in the Gold
collection.
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
and featured in a series of fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
short stories
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
. Azazel is a two-centimeter-tall demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
(or extraterrestrial), named after the Biblical demon
Azazel
Azazel or Azazael or Azâzêl is a term used three times in the Hebrew scriptures, and later in Hebrew mythology as the enigmatic name of a character....
.
Some of these stories were collected in Azazel, first published in 1988. The stories take the form of conversations between an unnamed writer (whom Asimov identifies in the collection introduction as himself) and a shiftless friend named George (named in The Two-Centimeter Demon as George Bitternut). At these meetings George tells how he is able to conjure up Azazel and their adventures together. George's greatest goal in life is a free lunch (or dinner, or ride, etc), but Azazel is constrained so that he cannot directly benefit George. George can only call upon Azazel for favors to various friends, which invariably go awry.
"Getting Even" (1980) was the first story featuring Azazel, and was also the first "Union Club Mystery". Ironically, Asimov stated that this story was omitted from both The Union Club Mysteries
The Union Club Mysteries
The Union Club Mysteries is a collection of mystery short stories by American author Isaac Asimov featuring his fictional mystery solver Griswold...
(1983) and the Azazel collection because it did not match the later stories in either series. However, it does appear in an anthology. The stories' theme about a demon/alien that grants wishes echoes an earlier work by Lester del Rey
Lester del Rey
Lester del Rey was an American science fiction author and editor. Del Rey was the author of many of the Winston Science Fiction juvenile SF series, and the editor at Del Rey Books, the fantasy and science fiction branch of Ballantine Books, along with his fourth wife Judy-Lynn del Rey.-Birth...
, titled "No Strings Attached" from 1954.
Azazel, the collection
The introduction of this book describes how Dr. Asimov came to create Azazel, with an explanation about how the stories and book came to be published.- "The Two-Centimeter Demon" - Written to introduce this collection, this story describes how the writer and George first met, and supplies information about Azazel. The tale is of George's goddaughter, in love with a mediocre basketball player. Azazel is asked to improve his game.
- "One Night of Song" - A man asks revenge on mistress who cruelly dumped him - by giving her one night performing with a perfect voice.
- "The Smile That Loses" - A woman asks George to capture her husband's radiantly happy smile in a photograph.
- "To the Victor" - A young man is unsuccessful with women, so Azazel boosts his pheromones.
- "The Dim Rumble" - A speleologist informs George that he has discovered a sound amplifier underground which, when disturbed, caused rumbles all over the world.
- "Saving Humanity" - A man wishes to be cured of being a jinx - but also wants, as compensation, to be able to save humanity.
- "A Matter of Principle" - An advertising man wants to write novels, but is unable to get past the first paragraph. George hopes to enrich himself with a share of the man's profit as a novelist.
- "The Evil Drink Does" - A beautiful but forceful girl wants to get close to a man but can't overcome her inhibitions, and is extremely sensitive to alcohol.
- "Writing Time" - An author is exasperated by the amount of time he must spend waiting everywhere he goes.
- "Dashing Through the Snow" - In order to stay at a friend's country retreat during the winter, George arranges for him to be able to fly over snow.
- "Logic Is Logic" - An idle rich man loves his snobbish club but makes no friends there, so Azazel gives him the ability to tell jokes.
- "He Travels the Fastest" - George's former lover marries a rich man, but he is miserly and will not take her abroad. Azazel gives him the urge to travel.
- "The Eye of the Beholder" - Two homely people fall in love and marry each other, but then the girl wishes she could be beautiful for him.
- "More Things in Heaven and Earth" - An economist wants to accept a new position, but each person in the post has survived a shorter time period.
- "The Mind's Construction" - A young detective believes any story a suspect tells him.
- "The Fights of Spring" - An old friend's son at college is actually studying instead of the usual youthful pursuits. George arranges for the 97-pound weakling to beat the college bully.
- "Galatea" - A young sculptress is in love with a male statue she has created.
- "Flight of Fancy" - A skeptic argues with believers about the Bible, but what he really wants is to fly like an angel.
List of Azazel stories by Isaac Asimov
Most of the Azazel stories originally appeared in magazines, such as Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction MagazineAsimov's Science Fiction
Asimov's Science Fiction is an American science fiction magazine which publishes science fiction and fantasy and perpetuates the name of author and biochemist Isaac Asimov...
, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction is a digest-size American fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House and then by Fantasy House. Both were subsidiaries of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Publications, which took over as publisher in 1958. Spilogale, Inc...
, Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact
Analog Science Fiction and Fact
Analog Science Fiction and Fact is an American science fiction magazine. As of 2011, it is the longest running continuously published magazine of that genre...
, and Gallery
Gallery (magazine)
Gallery is a men's magazine begun by Montcalm Publishing in 1972. It is one of the more popular "skin" magazines that arose on the Playboy magazine pattern in the 1970s...
. Besides the Azazel collection, a number of the stories featuring George and Azazel appear in other Asimov
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
collections including The Winds of Change and Other Stories
The Winds of Change and Other Stories
The Winds of Change and Other Stories is a collection of short stories by American writer Isaac Asimov, published in 1983 by Doubleday.-Contents:*"About Nothing" *"A Perfect Fit" *"Belief" *"Death of a Foy"...
, Science Fiction by Asimov, The Asimov Chronicles, Magic
Magic (Asimov)
Magic is a collection of short stories and essays by Isaac Asimov, all within the fantasy genre, collected and released after his death...
, and as part of the "Cal" story in the Gold
Gold (Asimov)
Gold: The Final Science Fiction Collection is a collection of Isaac Asimov's stories and essays. The stories, which comprise its first half, are short pieces which had remained uncollected at the time of Asimov's death. As such, they have been criticized by some as inept or below par—what the...
collection.
| Title | First published in | Year/Month | Collection appears in |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Getting Even" | Gallery | 1980/08 | (Anthology) Tales From the Spaceport Bar, George H. Scithers and Darrell Schweitzer, eds. Avon (pbk.), January 1987 |
| "One Night of Song" | The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction | 1982/04 | Azazel and The Winds of Change and Other Stories |
| "To the Victor" | Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine | 1982/07 | Azazel |
| "The Dim Rumble" | Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine | 1982/12 | Azazel and Science Fiction by Asimov |
| "The Smile that Loses" | The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction | 1982/11 | Azazel and The Winds of Change and Other Stories |
| "Saving Humanity" | Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine | 1983/09 | Azazel and The Asimov Chronicles |
| "A Matter of Principle" | Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine | 1984/02 | Azazel |
| "The Evil Drink Does" | Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine | 1984/05 | Azazel |
| "Writing Time" | Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine | 1984/07 | Azazel |
| "Dashing Through the Snow" | Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine | 1984/12 | Azazel and Science Fiction by Asimov |
| "Logic is Logic" | Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine | 1985/08 | Azazel |
| "He Travels the Fastest" | Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine | 1985/11 | Azazel |
| "The Eye of the Beholder" | Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine | 1986/01 | Azazel and The Asimov Chronicles |
| "More Things in Heaven and Earth" | Science Fiction by Asimov | 1986/NA | Azazel |
| "The Mind's Construction" | Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine | 1986/10 | Azazel |
| "The Fights of Spring" | Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine | 1987/02 | Azazel |
| "Galatea" | Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine | 1987/12 | Azazel |
| "Flight of Fancy" | Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine | 1988/05 | Azazel |
| "The Two-Centimeter Demon" | Azazel | 1988/NA | Azazel |
| "I Love Little Pussy" | Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine | 1988/11 | The Asimov Chronicles |
| "The Mad Scientist" | Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact | 1989/07 | Magic |
| "To Your Health" | Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine | 1989/08 | Magic |
| "Wine Is a Mocker" | Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine | 1990/07 | Magic |
| "The Time Traveler" | Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine | 1990/11 | Magic |
| "Baby, It's Cold Outside" | Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine | 1991/06 | Magic |
| "It's a Job" | Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine | 1991/12 | Magic |
| "The Critic on the Hearth" | Asimov's Science Fiction | 1992/11 | Magic |
| "March Against the Foe" | Asimov's Science Fiction | 1994/04 | Magic |
| "Perfectly Formal" | "Cal" | 1991/NA | Gold |