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The Last Question

Isaac Asimov

First published November 1956
Type Short Fiction
Length Short Story
Series Multivac

Synopsis

At various points from the near future into the far future, people ask their advanced computers how to get past the impending entropic end of the universe.

External Links

Awards

YearAwardCategoryStatus
2012 Locus Online 20th Century Short Story Nominee/Finalist

Publications (118)

Date Publication Publisher Type Page
November 1956 Science Fiction Quarterly, November 1956 Columbia Publications, Inc.; Holyoke, MA MAGAZINE 6
February 1959 Nine Tomorrows Doubleday Collection
June 1959 Nine Tomorrows Doubleday / SFBC Collection 177
July 1960 Nine Tomorrows Bantam Books Collection 147
July 1960 Nine Tomorrows Bantam Books Collection 147
1963 Nine Tomorrows Dennis Dobson Collection
December 1964 Nine Tomorrows The Science Fiction Book Club (UK) Collection
1966 Nine Tomorrows Pan Books Collection 189
1967 Nine Tomorrows Pan Books Collection 189
June 1969 Opus 100 Houghton Mifflin Collection 69
November 1969 Nine Tomorrows: Tales of the Near Future Fawcett Crest Collection 170
October 1970 Opus 100 Dell Collection 72
October 1970 Opus 100 Dell Collection 72
November 1971 Nine Tomorrows Fawcett Crest Collection 170
1972 Nine Tomorrows Pan Books Collection 189
September 1972 3000 Years of Fantasy and Science Fiction Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Anthology 237
1973 Nine Tomorrows Fawcett Crest Collection 170
March 1973 The Best of Isaac Asimov Sphere Collection 183
October 1973 The Best of Isaac Asimov Sidgwick & Jackson Collection
1974 Nine Tomorrows Fawcett Crest Collection 170
1974 Nine Tomorrows Pan Books Collection 189
January 1974 The Best of Isaac Asimov Sphere Collection 183
August 1974 Space Opera Futura Anthology 309
September 1974 The Best of Isaac Asimov Doubleday Collection 157
November 1974 Space Opera Weidenfeld & Nicolson Anthology 290
1975 Space Opera Book Club Associates Anthology 309
1975 The Science Fiction Roll of Honor Random House / BOMC Anthology 35
1975 Space Opera Futura Anthology 309
March 1975 Space Opera Doubleday Anthology
May 1975 Space Opera: An Anthology of Way-Back-When Futures Doubleday / SFBC Anthology 290
October 1975 The Science Fiction Roll of Honor Random House Anthology 35
January 1976 The Best of Isaac Asimov Fawcett Crest Collection 178
March 1977 Space Opera Berkley Medallion Anthology 231
March 1977 The Best of Isaac Asimov 1954-1972 Sphere Collection 18
1978 Nine Tomorrows Pan Books Collection 189
July 1978 Nine Tomorrows Fawcett Crest Collection 170
1979 Nine Tomorrows Pan Books Collection 189
1980 Opus: A Selection from the First 200 Books Andre Deutsch Omnibus |72
February 1980 The Future in Question Fawcett Crest Anthology 368
December 1980 Opus 100 Dell Collection
March 1981 Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Treasury Bonanza Books / Crown Publishers Anthology 368
July 1981 Nine Tomorrows Fawcett Crest Collection 170
1982 The Best of Isaac Asimov Fawcett Crest / Ballantine Collection 178
1982 Nine Tomorrows Pan Books Collection 189
1982 The Best of Isaac Asimov 1954-1972 Sphere Collection 18
1984 R-A-M Random Access Messages of the Computer Age Hayden Book Company Anthology 181
1984 R-A-M Random Access Messages of the Computer Age Hayden Book Company Anthology 181
July 1984 Top Science Fiction: The Authors' Choice J. M. Dent Anthology 12|12.2
1985 Top Science Fiction: The Authors' Choice J. M. Dent Anthology 12|12.2
1985 The Best of Isaac Asimov Fawcett Crest / Ballantine Collection 178
1985 Nine Tomorrows Granada Collection 177
February 1985 Nine Tomorrows Del Rey / Ballantine Collection 170
July 1985 The Edge of Tomorrow Tor Collection 437
July 1985 Microworlds: Tales of the Computer Age Severn House Anthology |181
December 1985 Microworlds Hamlyn Anthology 164
March 1986 The Edge of Tomorrow Harrap Collection 437
July 1986 The Edge of Tomorrow Tor Collection 437
August 1986 The Best Science Fiction of Isaac Asimov Doubleday Collection 209
November 1986 Robot Dreams Berkley Books Collection 220
November 1986 Nine Tomorrows Panther / Grafton Collection |9
November 1986 Robot Dreams Berkley Books Collection 220
January 1987 Nine Tomorrows Del Rey / Ballantine Collection
April 1987 Robot Dreams Gollancz Collection 220
1988 The Best Science Fiction of Isaac Asimov Grafton Collection 209
February 1988 The Best Science Fiction of Isaac Asimov Signet / New American Library Collection 251
February 1988 The Best Science Fiction of Isaac Asimov Signet / New American Library of Canada Collection 251
May 1988 Robot Dreams VGSF / Gollancz Collection
August 1988 The Great SF Stories # 18 (1956) DAW Books Anthology 286
August 1988 The Great SF Stories # 18 (1956) DAW Books Anthology 286
1989 Robot Dreams VGSF Collection 295
May 1989 The Asimov Chronicles: Fifty Years of Isaac Asimov Dark Harvest Collection 287
May 1989 The Asimov Chronicles: Fifty Years of Isaac Asimov Dark Harvest Collection 287
August 1989 Grand Masters' Choice NESFA Press Anthology 211
1990 Cosmic Critiques: How & Why Ten Science Fiction Stories Work Writer's Digest Books Anthology 111
June 1990 Robot Dreams Ace Books Collection 234
November 1990 The Complete Stories, Volume 1 Doubleday Foundation Collection 290
November 1990 The Complete Stories, Volume 1 Doubleday Foundation Collection 290
December 1990 The Asimov Chronicles: Fifty Years of Isaac Asimov!: Volume Three Ace Books Collection 101
1991 The Asimov Chronicles: Fifty Years of Isaac Asimov Legend Collection 350
March 1991 The Complete Stories, Volume 1 Doubleday Foundation / SFBC Collection 290
October 1991 Grand Masters' Choice Tor Anthology 337
October 1991 The Asimov Chronicles: Fifty Years of Isaac Asimov: Volume One Legend Collection 350
March 1993 The Complete Stories, Volume 1 HarperCollins (UK) Collection
July 1994 The Ascent of Wonder: The Evolution of Hard SF Tor Anthology 826
July 1994 The Complete Stories: Volume One HarperCollins (UK) Collection 415
October 1994 The Ascent of Wonder: The Evolution of Hard SF Orbit Anthology 826
October 1994 The Ascent of Wonder: The Evolution of Hard SF Tor / SFBC Anthology 826
1997 The Complete Stories: Volume One HarperCollins (UK) Collection 415
1997 The Complete Stories: Volume One HarperCollins (UK) Collection 415
August 1997 Foundation's Friends: Stories in Honor of Isaac Asimov Tor Anthology 372
September 1997 The Ascent of Wonder: The Evolution of Hard SF Orb Anthology 826
October 1999 Bangs and Whimpers: Stories About the End of the World Roxbury Park / Lowell House Anthology 205
April 2000 The SFWA Grand Masters: Volume Two Tor Anthology 210
July 2000 Bangs and Whimpers: Stories About the End of the World Roxbury Park / SFBC Anthology 205
April 2001 The SFWA Grand Masters, Volume 2 Tor Anthology
April 2001 Robot Dreams Gollancz Collection 295
March 2002 It's Been a Good Life Prometheus Books Nonfiction 275
June 2004 Robot Dreams Ace Books Collection 204
January 2005 The World Turned Upside Down Baen Books Anthology 431
January 2005 The World Turned Upside Down Baen Books Anthology 18
January 2005 The World Turned Upside Down Baen Books Anthology
February 2005 The World Turned Upside Down Baen Books / SFBC Anthology
March 2006 Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Treasury Gramercy Books Anthology 368
June 2006 The World Turned Upside Down Baen Books Anthology 431
May 2007 The 1634: The Baltic War Disk Baen Books Omnibus |17.20
May 2007 The 1634: The Baltic War Disk Baen Books Omnibus |17.20
July 2007 The Best of Jim Baen's Universe 2006 Disk Baen Books Omnibus |3.20
March 2008 The David Drake When the Tide Rises Disk Baen Books Omnibus |17.20
October 2010 The 1635: The Eastern Front Disk Baen Books Omnibus |19.20
March 2011 The Drabblecast, #200 The Drabblecast MAGAZINE
August 2012 Digital Rapture: The Singularity Anthology Tachyon Publications Anthology 16
December 2012 Foundation's Friends: Stories in Honor of Isaac Asimov Tor Anthology
September 2014 Robot Dreams Recorded Books Collection |220
July 2016 The Big Book of Science Fiction: The Ultimate Collection Vintage Crime / Black Lizard / Vintage Books Anthology 300
July 2016 The Big Book of Science Fiction: The Ultimate Collection Vintage Crime / Black Lizard / Vintage Books Anthology |28
July 2016 The Big Book of Science Fiction: The Ultimate Collection Vintage Crime/Black Lizard / SFBC Anthology 300
November 2023 The Complete Stories: Volume One Harper Voyager (UK) Collection |415
November 2024 Living Space: And Other Stories Harper Voyager (UK) Collection |415