Only a Trillion
Encyclopedia
Only a Trillion is a collection of ten science essay
s 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in 1976 included updates of outdated material.
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
s and three scientific spoof articles by Isaac 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...
. It was the first collection of science essays published by Asimov. It was first published by Abelard-Schuman in 1957. A paperback
Paperback
Paperback, softback or softcover describe and refer to a book by the nature of its binding. The covers of such books are usually made of paper or paperboard, and are usually held together with glue rather than stitches or staples...
edition published by Ace Books
Ace Books
Ace Books is the oldest active specialty publisher of science fiction and fantasy books. The company was founded in New York City in 1952 by Aaron A. Wyn, and began as a genre publisher of mysteries and westerns...
in 1976 included updates of outdated material.
Contents
- 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 ThiotimolineThiotimolineThiotimoline is a fictitious chemical compound conceived by science fiction author Isaac Asimov and first described in a spoof scientific paper titled "The Endochronic Properties of Resublimated Thiotimoline" in 1948...
- 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 GrasPâté de Foie Gras (Asimov)Pâté de Foie Gras is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov which was first published in the September 1956 issue of Astounding Science Fiction. It appeared in Asimov's 1957 science essay collection Only a Trillion, in his 1968 short story collection Asimov's Mysteries, and in The Complete...
(first published in Astounding, Sept. 1956)