Was ‘I, Robot’ creator Isaac Asimov really Russian? AP Isaac Asimov made his first major voyage when he was three years old. Having been born in the Soviet Union, the creator of the famous three laws of robotics sailed across the Atlantic in the wake of the Bolshevik Revolution. There, he became an American sci-fi icon with a restless, fairly Russian soul.
The year 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Isaac Asimov, one of the greatest sci-fi writers. Those who like to keep issues straight are pressing for an answer to the question: Was he Russian? Technically, no, but philosophically speaking, in a way. After all, the writer’s formal citizenship and place of living are only part of the picture and are not the be-all and end-all of their cultural identity and moral platform.