The Fun They Had

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"The Fun They Had"
Author	Isaac Asimov
Country	USA
Language	English
Genre(s)	Science fiction short story
Published in	Boys and Girls Page
Publication type	Periodical
Media type	Print (Newspaper, Magazine, Hardback & Paperback)
Publication date	1 December 1951

"The Fun They Had" is a science fiction story written by Isaac Asimov. It first appeared in a children's newspaper in 1951, and was reprinted in the February 1954 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, as well as the collections Earth Is Room Enough (1957) and The Best of Isaac Asimov (1973).

Written by Asimov as a personal favour for a friend, "The Fun They Had" went on to become more popular than he expected. It is the most anthologised of all Asimov's stories and has appeared in many publications outside of the science fiction genre. He intended it as an ironic criticism of today's schools (in which children are all forced to learn the same things at the same pace, regardless of interest or ability), but the irony is often missed.

v • d • e Earth Is Room Enough by Isaac Asimov The Dead Past • The Foundation of S.F. Success • Franchise • Gimmicks Three • Kid Stuff • The Watery Place • Living Space • The Message • Satisfaction Guaranteed • Hell-Fire • The Last Trump • The Fun They Had • Jokester • The Immortal Bard • Someday • The Author's Ordeal • Dreaming Is a Private Thing

v • d • e The Best of Isaac Asimov by Isaac Asimov Marooned Off Vesta • Nightfall • C-Chute • The Martian Way • The Deep • The Fun They Had • The Last Question • The Dead Past • The Dying Night • Anniversary • The Billiard Ball • Mirror Image