The Complete Stories

by Isaac Asimov

The Foundation of S. F Success

  (with apologies to W. S. gilbert)

  If you ask me how to shine in the science-fiction line as a pro of luster

  bright, I say, practice up the lingo of the sciences, by jingo (never mind if not

  quite right). You must talk of Space and Galaxies and tesseractic

  fallacies in slick and mystic style, Though the fans won't understand it, they will all the same demand it

  with a softly hopeful smile.

  And all the fans will say,

  As you walk your spatial way,

  If that young man indulges in flights through all

  the Galaxy, Why, what a most imaginative type of man that type

  of man must be.

  So success is not a mystery, just brush up on your history,

  and borrow day by day. Take an Empire that was Roman and you'll find it is at home in all the

  starry Milky Way. With a drive that's hyperspatial, through the parsecs you will race, you'll

  find that plotting is a breeze,

  Copyright © 1954 by Fantasy House, inc.

  With a tiny bit of cribbin' from the works of Edward Gibbon and that Greek, Thucydides.

  And all the fans will say,

  As you walk your thoughtful way,

  If that young man involves himself in authentic history,

  Why, what a very learned kind of high IQ, his high IQ must be.

  Then eschew all thoughts of passion of a man-and-woman fashion from

  your hero's thoughtful mind. He must spend his time on politics, and thinking up his shady tricks, and

  outside that he's blind. It's enough he's had a mother, other females are a bother, though they're

  jeweled and glistery. They will just distract his dreaming and his necessary

  scheming with that psychohistory.

  And all the fans will say As you walk your narrow way, If all his yarns restrict themselves to masculinity, Why, what a most particularly pure young man that pure young man must be.