For the legions of Isaac Asimov fans who have been enjoying his short fiction for over half a century, but just can't keep up with the Good Doctor's prolific appearances in print, here is the definitive Asimov collection. This volume, first in a series of handsome collector's editions, contains 46 science fiction stories--many now classics of the genre. As Dr. Asimov points out in his introduction, may also hold a personal meaning for him, including, "The Last Question" (his favorite short story of all), "The Ugly Little Boy" (his third favorite, a real heart-tugger), "Sally" (which reveals his true feeling about automobiles), and "Nightfall," which readers and the Science Fiction Writers of America have voted the best science fiction story of all time. By turns erudite and fanciful, provocative and just plain fun, the stories collected here illustrate the rich diversity of Isaac Asimov's remarkable talent. To read anyone of them is to understand immediately his enormous and ever-expanding popularity. To have them gathered in a single collection is a welcome and long-overdue treat for all lovers of science fiction, be they long-time Asimov fans or readers just discovering his imaginative new worlds for the first time.