The Return of the Black Widowers
Encyclopedia
The Return of the Black Widowers is a collection of mystery short stories by science fiction
author Isaac Asimov
featuring his fictional club of mystery solvers, the Black Widowers
. It was first published in hardcover
by Carroll & Graf in November 2003.
This book is the sixth and last of the six books featuring the Black Widowers. It was assembled and edited after Asimov's death by Charles Ardai
, and collects the last six stories Asimov wrote for the series. These six previously uncollected stories are preceded by an introduction by Harlan Ellison
, nine stories selected by the editor as the best from the previous Black Widowers collections, and an homage by William Brittain
. They are then followed by a reprinted tale featuring a fictionalized version of Ellison (bringing the reprinted Widowers stories to ten), a new Black Widowers tale by Ardai, and an afterword by Asimov on the creation of the series drawn from his autobiography I, Asimov.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
author 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...
featuring his fictional club of mystery solvers, the Black Widowers
Black Widowers
The Black Widowers is a fictional men-only dining club created by Isaac Asimov for a series of sixty-six mystery stories which he started writing in 1971...
. It was first published in hardcover
Hardcover
A hardcover, hardback or hardbound is a book bound with rigid protective covers...
by Carroll & Graf in November 2003.
This book is the sixth and last of the six books featuring the Black Widowers. It was assembled and edited after Asimov's death by Charles Ardai
Charles Ardai
Charles Ardai is an entrepreneur, writer, editor, and television producer. He is best known as founder and CEO of Juno, an Internet company, and founder and editor of Hard Case Crime, a line of pulp-style paperback crime novels.-Biography:...
, and collects the last six stories Asimov wrote for the series. These six previously uncollected stories are preceded by an introduction by Harlan Ellison
Harlan Ellison
Harlan Jay Ellison is an American writer. His principal genre is speculative fiction.His published works include over 1,700 short stories, novellas, screenplays, teleplays, essays, a wide range of criticism covering literature, film, television, and print media...
, nine stories selected by the editor as the best from the previous Black Widowers collections, and an homage by William Brittain
William Brittain
William Brittain was an English professional cricketer who made 2 known appearances in major cricket matches in 1800.-External sources:*...
. They are then followed by a reprinted tale featuring a fictionalized version of Ellison (bringing the reprinted Widowers stories to ten), a new Black Widowers tale by Ardai, and an afterword by Asimov on the creation of the series drawn from his autobiography I, Asimov.
Contents
- "Introduction" (Harlan EllisonHarlan EllisonHarlan Jay Ellison is an American writer. His principal genre is speculative fiction.His published works include over 1,700 short stories, novellas, screenplays, teleplays, essays, a wide range of criticism covering literature, film, television, and print media...
) - "The Acquisitive Chuckle" (from Tales of the Black WidowersTales of the Black WidowersTales of the Black Widowers is a 1974 collection of mystery short stories written by American author Isaac Asimov.This book is the first of six books that describe mysteries solved by a private men's club known as the Black Widowers. It is a collection of short stories, and is a "straight" mystery...
) - "Early Sunday Morning" (from Tales of the Black WidowersTales of the Black WidowersTales of the Black Widowers is a 1974 collection of mystery short stories written by American author Isaac Asimov.This book is the first of six books that describe mysteries solved by a private men's club known as the Black Widowers. It is a collection of short stories, and is a "straight" mystery...
) - "The Obvious Factor" (from Tales of the Black WidowersTales of the Black WidowersTales of the Black Widowers is a 1974 collection of mystery short stories written by American author Isaac Asimov.This book is the first of six books that describe mysteries solved by a private men's club known as the Black Widowers. It is a collection of short stories, and is a "straight" mystery...
) - "The Iron Gem" (from More Tales of the Black WidowersMore Tales of the Black WidowersMore Tales of the Black Widowers is a collection of mystery short stories by American author Isaac Asimov, featuring his fictional club of mystery solvers, the Black Widowers...
) - "To the Barest" (from Casebook of the Black WidowersCasebook of the Black WidowersCasebook of the Black Widowers is a collection of mystery short stories by American author Isaac Asimov, featuring his fictional club of mystery solvers, the Black Widowers. It was first published in hardcover by Doubleday in 1980, and in paperback by the Fawcett Crest imprint of Ballantine Books...
) - "Sixty Million Trillion Combinations" (from Banquets of the Black WidowersBanquets of the Black WidowersBanquets of the Black Widowers is a collection of mystery short stories by science fiction author Isaac Asimov featuring his fictional club of mystery solvers, the Black Widowers...
) - "The Wrong House" (from Banquets of the Black WidowersBanquets of the Black WidowersBanquets of the Black Widowers is a collection of mystery short stories by science fiction author Isaac Asimov featuring his fictional club of mystery solvers, the Black Widowers...
) - "The Redhead" (from Banquets of the Black WidowersBanquets of the Black WidowersBanquets of the Black Widowers is a collection of mystery short stories by science fiction author Isaac Asimov featuring his fictional club of mystery solvers, the Black Widowers...
) - "Triple Devil" (from Puzzles of the Black WidowersPuzzles of the Black WidowersPuzzles of the Black Widowers is a collection of mystery short stories by American author Isaac Asimov, featuring his fictional club of mystery solvers, the Black Widowers. It was first published in hardcover by Doubleday in 1990, and in paperback by Bantam Books in 1991.This book is the fifth of...
) - "The Men Who Read Isaac Asimov" (William BrittainWilliam BrittainWilliam Brittain was an English professional cricketer who made 2 known appearances in major cricket matches in 1800.-External sources:*...
) - "Northwestward"
- "Yes, But Why"
- "Lost In a Space Warp"
- "Police at the Door"
- "The Haunted Cabin"
- "The Guest's Guest"
- "The Woman in the Bar" (from Banquets of the Black WidowersBanquets of the Black WidowersBanquets of the Black Widowers is a collection of mystery short stories by science fiction author Isaac Asimov featuring his fictional club of mystery solvers, the Black Widowers...
) - "The Last Story" (Charles ArdaiCharles ArdaiCharles Ardai is an entrepreneur, writer, editor, and television producer. He is best known as founder and CEO of Juno, an Internet company, and founder and editor of Hard Case Crime, a line of pulp-style paperback crime novels.-Biography:...
) - "Afterword" (from I, Asimov)
External links
- "The Return of the Black Widowers" - a book review by John H. Jenkins