expanded short stories

[Martin G Manley]

While browsing in a bookstore recently, I saw a copy of the novel Nightfall.
It seems that in the last 2 or so years before his death, Asimov collaborated
with Silverberg in expanding the short story into a full novel (they also
did this with at least 2 other classic Asimov short stories). Does anyone
have any idea why? Also, does anyone who has read both the short story
and the novel have any opinions on their relative merits?

[Rob Keeney]

I have read both the short "Nightfall" and the novel _Nightfall_. Of
course the short was very good, and many consider it the greatest SF stroy
of all time but I wouldn't go that far. I really like the novel also. It
kept pretty close to the original short but added a lot of material and plot.
At least half the book is devoted to what happens after the fall of night
when the light returns. If you like Robert Silverberg's work, you'll like
the novel since he did most of the work on it.

['Chancellor' Conner]

In article <29rurq$a...@genesis.ait.psu.edu> Martin G Manley,

M...@ECL.PSU.EDU writes:
>While browsing in a bookstore recently, I saw a copy of the novel
Nightfall.
>It seems that in the last 2 or so years before his death, Asimov
collaborated
>with Silverberg in expanding the short story into a full novel (they also
>did this with at least 2 other classic Asimov short stories). Does
anyone
>have any idea why?

As i understand it, Robert Silverberg, with some cooperation with
Asimov, is taking several of Asimov's short stories and expanding them.
I hear he is even doing one now, after Asimov's death. I guess some
people saw more in the stories than Asimov did (at first). It almost
seerms like a type of leeching by Silverberg, like he is taking someone
else's ideas and using them to write books with his name on them. I
enjoy the books (like the new Nightfall), but i'm not sure i like the
idea.

-'Chancellor'-

-"He may not have a conscience, but he does have a
memory"-