[ExI] Asimov's 90th today

[David Lubkin]

Asimov *did* say that Fred Pohl and Marvin Minsky were the only two
people he acknowledged as being smarter than himself. But I would
not be at all surprised if he has told more than one version.

I'm not going to hunt for a proper citation (I *so* wish I could grep
through my book collection) but my correspondence file is at hand,
and is consistent with what I wrote --

 > 25 October 1977
 >
 > Dear David,
 >
 > In re Fred:
 >
 > I have known Fred since 1938 and in all those nearly four decades,
 > I have never ceased to marvel at his intelligence and wit.
 >
 > He knows more about more things than anyone else I know, and he
 > is cleverer at writing about them all than anyone else I know.
 >
 > He is also a sweet guy, who helped me in my career more than
 > anyone but John Campbell, himself. I explained about that in THE
 > EARLY ASIMOV and I am doing it again in my autobiography,
 > now in preparation.
 >
 > Isaac


-- David.