PAST, PRESENT AND THE FUTURE

Past, Present, and Future is another of Asimov''s ubiquitous essay collections. Unlike his compilations of science essays from the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, it ranges widely, from censorship to Gilbert & Sullivan to space colonies. Two essays see print for the first time, but most first appeared as book introductions or articles. Despite the variety of topics, fans may find this collection a bit repetitious as Asimov reiterates opinions about space-based nuclear and solar power, genetic engineering, and feminism. The majority of the essays are copyrighted 1983-86; however, some seem dated. Two pieces about colonizing the moon written in 1969 postulate the presence of water molecules in lunar rock (which was disproved during Apollo missions), while an essay written before Chernobyl seems overly sanguine about nuclear safety. For public libraries. Laurie Tynan, Huntingdon Cty. Lib., Pa.