Isaac Asimov (c. January 2, 1920 – April 6, 1992), pronounce /ˈaɪzək ˈæzɪmʌv/, originally Исаак Озимов but now transcribed into Russian as Айзек Азимов, was a Russian-born American author and professor of biochemistry, a highly successful writer, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books.