I was born in the former Soviet Union, but grew up in Brooklyn, New York. I taught biochemistry at Boston University until I retired in 1958 to become a full-time writer. I had been publishing short stories since the late 1930s, and in 1952 published my first novel. I wrote more than 400 books and won every major science fiction award. I also wrote popular books and essays on science and technology, earning me the nickname "The Great Explainer."
I died of "heart and kidney failure", which were complications of the HIV infection I contracted from a transfusion of tainted blood during my December 1983 triple-bypass operation.
