Previous

Isaac Asimov wrote "The Last Question" and many other notable works within the context of the Cold War, a period of political rivalry and tension between the world's two superpowers, the Unites States of America and the Soviet Union (USSR), and their allies. The era of geopolitical tension lasted over forty years between 1947 and 1991. It is known as a “cold war” because there was never a direct, physical confrontation between the United States and the USSR. However, there were a series of regional conflicts in Central America, the Middle East, Africa, and East and Southeast Asia, in which the opposing superpowers each backed a different side. 

The Cold War heavily influenced the surge of science fiction narratives that emerged during the mid-20th century. Key elements of the Cold War, particularly the Space Race—the intense rivalry between the United States and the USSR in space exploration—impacted the themes and tones of the science fiction movement. It can be said that the competition technically began on July 30th, 1955 when the United States first announced its plan to launch artificial satellites into outer space. Just four days later, the USSR similarly announced its intent to study and launch satellites and was successful with the launch of Sputnik in 1957, just one year after the publication of "The Last Question." Against the historical backdrop of the Space Race, authors turned to the unknown frontier of space and mass technological discovery to characterize and drive their works of speculative fiction, and many authors even set their narratives on unfamiliar planets, galaxies, and universes.

Other elements of the Cold War, such as the nuclear arms race and the invention of the atomic bomb, also impacted the themes explored by science fiction authors. Many sci-fi writers, including Asimov, toyed with the concept of mass technological advancements and its moral implications. Within works of science fiction, we can often detect signs of the widespread paranoia that characterized the Cold War era and the atomic age. An understanding of the Cold War and the technological and scientific rivalries between the two superpowers that characterized the period may help readers contextualize the literary era in which Asimov emerged as a major writer and published "The Last Question." The literary canon of writers such as Asimov reflect Cold War-era anxieties about the dangers of technological advancement, mirroring the real-world fear of utter destruction due to nuclear war.

Previous section About Isaac Asimov

Take a Study Break