counting the books

"Ogden Johnson III" <oj3usmc DeleteThis @yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:d9b240p5og0oke9ot70eu6c2ge90dr46gs@4ax.com...
 > Lancelot appearing sideways <sa-hill1 DeleteThis @uchicago.edu> wrote:
 >
  > >Ogden Johnson III <oj3usmc DeleteThis @yahoo.com> writes:
 >
   > >> "davyd" <d DeleteThis @c.kom> wrote:
 >
   > >> >What does "Emerson" have to do with anything?
 >
   > >> If you had read enough IA, you would know.
 >
  > >Just to point out, reading enough IA and _remembering_ it all are
  > >different things.
 >
 > Granted. I've forgotten a *lot* of what IA wrote [unsurprising,
 > given how much he wrote and how much of that I have read]. But
 > those biographical tidbits that often showed up here and there in
 > his essays [e.g., and perhaps most notably, the introductions to
 > his F&SF magazine columns and the collections thereof] were
 > always memorable. I may not ever be able to render the Emerson
 > quote involved correctly, but I sure as hell will never forget
 > that story. ;->
 > --

I've thanked under separate cover the person who answered my question. As
noted, there's *lots* of IA to read. My initial take on the "Emerson"
reference was that it had something to do with the quote that inspired
'Nightfall', hence my confusion given the context of this discussion.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->

The standard catalog of the works of Mozart (the Koechel list) includes a
separate called an "Anhang" or "appendix", which lists works that may or may
not be by Mozart, or are dubious in some more particular way. Similarly, the
standard catalog of the works of Beethoven includes a separate list of
"works without opus number": again, works that are doubtful or dubious in
some way.

Perhaps the standard catalog of the works of Asimov should similarly include
a separate list of such things as you've discussed: unfinished works,
unpublished works, collaborations, revisions, etc. What do you think?


"Edward Seiler" <DELETEejseiler.RemoveThis@earthlink.netUPPERCASE> wrote in message
news:DELETEejseiler-2F3429.06385529022004@news01.east.earthlink.net...
 > In article <46288738.0402270638.1f4a8d5f.RemoveThis@posting.google.com>,
 > e4e5.RemoveThis@direcway.com (e4e5) wrote:
 >
  > > For the information provided by Ed Seiler in his FAQ see
<font color=green>  > > <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.asimovonline.com/asimov_FAQ.html#starters1</font" target="_blank">http://www.asimovonline.com/asimov_FAQ.html#starters1</font</a>>
  > >
  > > the first question is this issue, and Ed ends up by saying "somewhat
  > > over 500"
  > >
  > > Let me start by just saying "Emerson"
  > > Isaac, himself was very inconsistent in the method that he did or did
  > > not count a "book". It is not my intention to clean up that
  > > inconsistency (I say again, "Emerson")
 >
 > Emerson also wrote "To be great is to be misunderstood".
 >
  > > Ed lists 468 numbered books in the list of "in order published", in
  > > addition, he lists 40 books after #468 without numbers (most published
  > > after Isaac's death, hence Dr. Asimov, himself, did not (could not)
  > > ennumerate).
  > > There is one book inserted between #443 and #444 without a number.
  > > that brings 468+40+1 = 509 total titles in the "Official" list. (the
  > > opening paragraph says 506, but hey, whose checking?)
  > >
  > > To this, I add:
  > >
  > > Two books missing from the list:
  > > _History of Chemistry (chart)_; Carolina Biological Supply, 1989
 >
 > I didn't count this for a number of reasons. In _I. Asimov_ (page 450 of
 > the hardback edition), he mentions _The History of Biology_ and _The
 > History of Mathematics_. Why didn't he mention _History of Chemistry_?
 > Also, my research shows records related to the writing of the two he
 > counted, but nothing about the Chemistry chart. Curiously enough, there
 > was a mention of a _History of Biotechnology_ chart for Carolina
 > Biological Supplies, finished in 1990, but I am not aware that it has
 > ever been published. Finally, I have never seen the Chemistry chart, so
 > there is an obscurity argument to be made as well.
 >
 > It's possible that future research will determine where _History of
 > Chemistry_ came from, and then I may choose to count it. But until the
 > matter is determined conclusively, I stand by my decision to not count
 > it.
 >
  > > _Projects in Astronomy_ (Library of the Universe); Gareth Stevens,
  > > 1989
 >
 > According to Gareth Stevens himself, Asimov did not write Projects in
 > Astronomy. Once again I refer you to _I. Asimov_ (page 518 of the
 > hardback edition):
 >
 > At the present time of writing, twenty-nine of the series have been
 > published and two are still in press. The thirty-second and last of the
 > series came up at a time when my health was such that I couldn't write
 > it. It was therefore written in-house, but I may be credited with it as
 > author, for the sake of series uniformity. (If it is, I won't give it a
 > number.)
 >
 > That's why I did not count Projects in Astronomy.
 >
  > > (I stated there were three missing in an earlier post, found one
  > > included, the one between 443 and 444)
  > >
  > > Two recent releases:
  > > _Its Been a Good Life_; Prometheus, 2002
 >
 > I have some qualms about counting this. Most of it is material from
 > Asimov's previous autobiographical volumes, and some of that is
 > abridged. On that basis, it shouldn't count as a book with a new number,
 > and there are numerous precedents supporting that reasoning. What makes
 > it a new book is the additional material provided by Janet Asimov, some
 > of it her own commentary and some of it correspondence written by Isaac.
 > In my opinion, the new material and the editorial decisions behind them
 > are what makes it her book.
 >
  > > _The Return of the Black Widowers_; Carroll and Graf, 2003
 >
 > This I would count, since it does contain all of the previously
 > uncollected Black Widower stories, and is the kind of collection that
 > Asimov would have counted. It does contain previously collected stories,
 > but they are of a "best of" nature, and there is precedent for counting
 > collections of a similar nature.
 >
  > >
  > > Two books that Isaac himself "Regretted not counting":
  > > _Biochemistry and Human Metabolism, 2nd Edition_, (w/Walker, Boyd);
  > > Williams and Wilkins, 1954
  > > _Biochemistry and Human Metabolism, 3rd Edition_, (w/Walker, Boyd);
  > > Williams and Wilkins, 1957
 >
 > Woulda, coulda, shoulda, didn't.
 >
  > > and this one (I've been berated for including this one before, so
  > > don't bother)
  > > _I Robot, an Illustrated Screenplay_ (Harlan Ellison); Warner Aspect,
  > > 1994
  > > The reason I include it is that, although it was written in 1978, it
  > > was not published until two years after his death. Isaac only counted
  > > published works. I believe that Isaac had some input into its
  > > creation as he and Harlan were good friends. I place this book in the
  > > same category as the novelisations by Robert Silverberg (which WERE
  > > counted). I am sure Isaac would have included it if he had the
  > > chance.
 >
 > But it was Harlan's book. I think there's a reasonable way to decide
 > this one. Ask Harlan if Isaac should have counted it if he were alive
 > when it was published.
 >
  > > Additional inconsistencies abound, and if you want I could ennumerate
  > > them, but not now. In any event, those above bring my total to:
  > >
  > > 516
  > >
  > > And if you disagree with me, well....
  > > :
  > > :
  > > :
  > > "EMERSON"
 >
 > You knew that I would. Keep in mind that Emerson wrote that "a FOOLISH
 > consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds".
 >
  > > OK Ed, let's just leave it at "Somewhat over 500"
 >
 > Let's do that. That leaves room for future refinement without
 > significantly shortchanging the magnitude of the number.
 >
  > >
  > > David
  > > aka e4e5
 >
 > --
 > Ed Seiler
 > aka james-the-first<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->