After a scientist’s work is rejected by peer-reviewed journals, Azazel arranges for its publication, whereupon its true worth becomes clear to all.

The mad scientist is an ancient and venerable cliché in science fiction, of course, but there really are people who deserve the name—not demented geniuses who single-handedly build huge laboratories, discover the secrets of the universe, and invent machines of unbelievable destructive power. The real mad scientists are the crackpots who have their half-baked theories which never see the light of day and who are convinced that there is a massive conspiracy against them on the part of the Scientific Establishment.

Asimov, of course, had to deal with people like this more than he would have cared to, as an obvious spokesman for the Scientific Establishment, and this story is his way of getting back at them. It’s a pleasant little job, worth reading.

Found In

	Magic: The Final Fantasy Collection