Isaac Asimov's Admiration for Carl Sagan

The friendship between some of our historical scientific personalities is well known, but the case of Isaac Asimov and Carl Sagan left a historical document revealed in the book Suyo, Isaac Asimov: Una vida en cartas (1995), published in English as 'Yours, Isaac Asimov: A Lifetime in Letters'. In the letters of admiration from Isaac Asimov to Carl Sagan, we see the early respect that the science fiction author had for the young scientist. An admiration that, of course, was mutual.

A Mutual Admiration

History has told us many stories about the admiration that the most extraordinary figures have had for each other. This admiration is not always revealed, especially when it involves an older person and a younger one. However, Isaac Asimov, author of science fiction milestones such as the 'Foundation', 'I, Robot', 'The Bicentennial Man', 'The End of Eternity', and more than four dozen other fascinating stories, met Carl Sagan through his readings of Sagan's work.

Isaac could not restrain his intellectual honesty when referring to the young scientist and communicator as a true sage, capable of correcting even the great Asimov and thereby earning intellectual respect and a friendship that lasted more than 25 years.

One of the first phrases that catches our attention about this relationship is the idea Isaac Asimov had of Carl Sagan before meeting him. The sideburned genius said:

I imagined him as a person of advanced years (the stereotype of the astronomer with his telescope), but I found him to be a young and elegant man, 27 years old; tall, dark, eloquent, and absolutely and incredibly intelligent.

From the Letters of Asimov

The book, Yours, Isaac Asimov: A lifetime in Letters, edited by Asimov's brother, Stanley Asimov, contains incredible entries about the relationship between these two geniuses. For example, in a letter Asimov sent to a friend in 1966, he wrote this about Sagan:

Sagan has read half of my book about the universe and found a fundamental error. In my translation of Eddington's theories on stellar structure, I spoke about radiation pressure. Apparently, I should not have. Fortunately, it only means correcting a sentence here and there.

But this is what I need Sagan for. Anything he doesn't find, is not there to be discovered. If only he were a bit faster about it… I told him I realized he was very busy, too busy, but then I added with my trademark naivety: "But then, what is your work compared to mine?"

And he said: "You say it in such a way that I can take it as a joke. But you mean it seriously, don't you?"

So I made the best of it. I said: "Yes, that's right." A very smart guy, that Sagan.

In 1971, the two met and, along with Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, and the science editor of The New York Times, discussed 'Mars and the Mind of Man' in an obligatory literary document. Two years later, Asimov couldn't resist again and wrote to him:

I have just finished 'The Cosmic Connection' (a book by Sagan) and I loved every word I read. You are my idea of a good writer, because you have a natural and artificially unaffected style; when I read what you write, I hear you speak.

One thing about the book made me nervous. It is too obvious that you are smarter than me: I hate that.

In 1980, Isaac was not indifferent to the declared and formally established love between Carl Sagan and Anne Druyan:

Three cheers for Carl Sagan and Ann Who today have become husband and wife. May your life shine as bright as the day As much as the great Milky Way As much as the Big Bang with which everything began.

Asimov's admiration for Sagan had another demonstration in 1985, when the former wrote:

I have just heard your talk on nuclear winter on the public broadcast. I am so proud of you that I almost break down with it. It was without a doubt the best and most sound speech I could imagine on the subject. I am very pleased to see that I was on your side in every sentence of your talk.

Finally, one of the most intriguing aspects of the relationship was that kind of admiration-respect-intellectual competition that existed between the two, especially on Asimov's part. This is how, with a bit of humor, he told another friend how he felt about Sagan's success:

Half a year ago, Carl Sagan published 'Contact' and it left half of the sales of 'Robots and Empire' out (Today, who can afford to buy two hardcovers?)

Undoubtedly, a whole manifestation of Isaac Asimov's admiration for Carl Sagan, which was always shared by the astronomer. Two men who, in different ways but sharing a topic and a curiosity, were part of the history of science and its popular dissemination.

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