I have an issue with the brief aside in David Leslie’s article on Isaac Asimov, in which he notes that “Asimov had his own egregious behaviour: the unapologetic harassing of women” (Nature 577, 614–616; 2020). Although this is a step up from not mentioning Asimov’s long history as a serial groper at all, it seems at best tone-deaf.

As a woman in science as well as a fan of science fiction, it gets pretty wearing to keep reading about these great men who just happened to regularly assault women. Particularly so in this case, in which Asimov is praised for his ethos and vision for humanity.