# The Black Widowers Appreciation Thread (Isaac Asimov) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 30, 2003, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-black-widowers-appreciation-thread-isaac-asimov/221843 "2003-12-30T22:04:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2003, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-black-widowers-appreciation-thread-isaac-asimov/221843/1 "2003-12-30T22:04:13Z")
I can’t be the only Black Widowers fan, since my local Barnes & Noble already had the new collection on back order though it was just released in November. (Luckily, [BN.com](http://BN.com) had it in stock. Yay!) So fess up! I’ve managed to track down all five previous collections. My favorite stories are the first one, “The Acquisitive Chuckle,” and (apropos of recent events) “Nothing Like Murder.” I also enjoyed the one where the meeting was held in Manny’s apartment and the other members were amazed at the ultraconservative cut of Henry’s clothes. And while I’ve always been a fan of Asimov’s mysteries, it was the little introductions to each story that endeared me to Asimov’s personal writing style and persuaded me to read _I. Asimov,_ one of his autobiographies, which I thoroughly enjoyed. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2003, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-black-widowers-appreciation-thread-isaac-asimov/221843/2 "2003-12-30T23:53:46Z")
I love them too, and I wasn’t aware that there are any collections in print. Amongst the ones I remember offhand: “Unique is Where You Find It” and “The Cross of Lorraine”. Very clever. Maybe I’ll look into getting some of those books myself. That’s six in all? Do they constitute the entirety of the series? ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-black-widowers-appreciation-thread-isaac-asimov/221843/3 "2003-12-31T00:46:00Z")
Was “Nothing Like Murder” the story of the Russian visitor who overheard what he believed to be a murder plot discussed between two college-age men? If so, yes, that was quite clever. I never got it, though. In fact, I never got most of the stories. I was quite proud when I was actually able to figure out a solution. DAMN, they’re good. 🙂 And **cmkeller** , yes, there are collections out, some published fairly recently, too. One has two stories not published anywhere else (one of which is “The Wrong House;” I don’t remember the title of the other… “The Intruder”?). Not sure how many, tho’. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-black-widowers-appreciation-thread-isaac-asimov/221843/4 "2003-12-31T03:44:42Z")
There’s a new collection? Lovely. Don’t forget the time they met the _real_ Batman. ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-black-widowers-appreciation-thread-isaac-asimov/221843/5 "2003-12-31T06:20:14Z")
I just read his collection _The Union Club Mysteries_. They don’t measure up to the Widowers, maybe because they were done under contract for _Gallery_, a skin magazine, and thus aimed at a different audience. They’re still amusing. I’ll have to look for the new one. ---
**Author:** ![gum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bbe5ce/32.png) [@gum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gum)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-black-widowers-appreciation-thread-isaac-asimov/221843/6 "2003-12-31T08:18:56Z")
Another Asimov lover checking in. Thank for the tip on Barnes and Noble. I have three Black Widowers, but sadly, all in Dutch. It’s some time ago since I’ve read them, but I remember with pleasure the atmosphere in the puzzling stories. \*\* Scarlett67\*\* May I humbly recommend Asimov’s “I Robot” ? Even when not fond of sci-fi, they’re a treasure. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-black-widowers-appreciation-thread-isaac-asimov/221843/7 "2003-12-31T12:56:02Z")
Damn, there’s _more_ Black Widower’s I haven’t read? I have two slim paperback collections. Barnes and Noble, here I come! That said, there was one story that is appropriate considering the current LOTR fever, “Nothing Like Murder.” ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-black-widowers-appreciation-thread-isaac-asimov/221843/8 "2003-12-31T13:22:38Z")
I actually preferred his Wendell Urth mysteries. The Black Widowers were just too slight for me. ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-black-widowers-appreciation-thread-isaac-asimov/221843/9 "2003-12-31T16:13:30Z")
I had a crush on Henry as a teen. The one I remember most is the Cross of Lorraine. ---
**Author:** ![Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krisfer_the_Cat)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-black-widowers-appreciation-thread-isaac-asimov/221843/10 "2003-12-31T16:44:59Z")
WOO HOO! A new collection! What’s it called Scarlett? Screw B&N I’ll have my local INDEPENDENT bookseller order it in for me!😃 ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-black-widowers-appreciation-thread-isaac-asimov/221843/11 "2003-12-31T17:59:01Z")
Here are the titles of the collections (I’m not sure but several of them may be out of print – try [http://www.mxbf.com/](http://www.mxbf.com/) for OOP books): Tales of the Black Widowers More Tales of the Black Widowers Casebook of the Black Widowers Banquets of the Black Widowers Puzzles of the Black Widowers Return of the Black Widowers (2003) The first five collections each have a dozen stories, three of which were not previously published elsewhere. **rjk:** I read _The Union Club Mysteries_ too, and while I enjoyed them, I agree that they didn’t quite measure up to the Widowers. I’d still like to own a copy, though. **gum:** With my renewed interest in Asimov, I actually have been thinking of taking up some of his sci-fi. I do occasionally read sci-fi short stories but haven’t seriously tackled any novels yet. **Krisfer:** I used to be hipped on indie booksellers too (especially since my friend was one and I spent nearly every weekend hanging out in her store), but since my friend closed up shop it’s just been too hard to get to indies from out here in the sticks. ☹ I just remembered another favorite story – one that I used for practice when I was teaching myself how to type: “Truth to Tell.” ---
**Author:** ![Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krisfer_the_Cat)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-black-widowers-appreciation-thread-isaac-asimov/221843/12 "2003-12-31T18:03:20Z")
Thanks **scarlett**! Yup if our store ever closed its doors I’d be heartbroken. ---
**Author:** ![Ara-Alon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4af34b/32.png) [@Ara-Alon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ara-Alon)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-black-widowers-appreciation-thread-isaac-asimov/221843/13 "2003-12-31T19:12:32Z")
Scarlett67, if you liked _I, Asimov_ then you should read his first autobiography, split into two books called _In Memory Yet Green_ and _In Joy Still Felt_. They are a very detailed account of his life from his childhood up to the 1970s. I enjoyed those as much as any of his fiction. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-black-widowers-appreciation-thread-isaac-asimov/221843/14 "2003-12-31T21:38:41Z")
By a screwy coincidence, I picked up a used mass-market copy of _Casebook_ a few weeks ago, and have read the first few stories in it. “The Cross of Lorraine” was fair-to-middling, I thought, but “The Family Man” had an overly-esoteric denouement, even for me, and “The Sports Page” just _stunk_. I give Asimov credit for admitting that several readers wrote in with much _better_ solutions to his problem of the dying message left by the Soviet double agent. After “The Sports Page” I set the book down and haven’t gone back to it. I think I’d rather dig out my old copies of _Queen’s Experiments in Deduction_ and other collections of Ellery short-short whodunits.