Masters Theses

Date of Award

6-1987

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Major

English

Major Professor

Michael L. Keene

Committee Members

David Goslee, Allison Ensor

Abstract

Isaac Asimov has enjoyed phenomenal success as a popularizer of science for over 30 years. The volume and diversity of his works, his many honors, and his large following make him a model technical writer worthy of study.

Even though Asimov denies any knowledge of audience analysis, this study shows that he gives careful consideration to rhetorical and stylistic techniques that are especially suited for the lay audience. He achieves an informal, personal style through the use of autobiographical comment, first and second person personal pronouns, direct address, rhetorical questions, plays on words, parenthetical expressions, self-effacement, and self-praise. Asimov's stylistic approach (sentence length, paragraph length, and sentence structure) is also adapted to the audience.

Many critics consider Asimov to be America's greatest explainer, yet two readability measures (the Flesch test and the cloze procedure) applied to samples of Asimov's popular science writing do not corroborate the claims that Asimov's material is highly readable.

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