Heredity (short story)

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"Heredity"
Short story by Isaac Asimov
ASF Heredity.jpg
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Genre(s) Science fiction
Publication
Published in Astonishing Stories
PublisherPopular Publications
Media typeMagazine
Publication dateApril 1941

"Heredity" is a science fiction short story by the American writer Isaac Asimov. Asimov wrote the story, his twenty-third, in August 1940 under the title "Twins". It was rejected by John W. Campbell, editor of Astounding Science Fiction , on 29 August, and accepted by Frederik Pohl on 4 September. It appeared in the April 1941 issue of Astonishing Stories under the title "Heredity" and was reprinted in the 1972 collection The Early Asimov . Heredity was the second Asimov story to receive a cover illustration.

Contents

Plot summary

A pair of identical twins, Allen and George Carter, have been separated at birth as part of a twin study to settle the nature versus nurture question. Allen is raised on a highly developed Earth, while George has been raised in the provincial frontier society of Ganymede. On their twenty-fifth birthday, they are introduced to each other and given the task of running the family farm on Mars, where they have to work together in both day-to-day matters and unusual events. They find that they are forced to co-operate and also utilise 'primitive' technology in order to survive a major dust storm. After their initial mutual dislike, they develop a deep friendship.

Notes

After the story appeared, Scott Meredith, then a young science fiction fan named Scott Feldman, wrote to Asimov to point out a flaw in the story: Two characters were introduced in the opening scene, then never heard from again. This led Asimov to pay closer attention to the more mechanical aspects of writing. [1]

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References

  1. Asimov, Isaac (1972). The early Asimov; or, Eleven years of trying. Garden City NY: Doubleday. p. 269.