h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I don't know how anything could be written about Dr. Asimov that doesn't mention "Nightfall". This has been widely regarded as the greatest science fiction story of all time. Conversely, it also made one of the worst movies ever made, too. It had one actor of note, David Birney, and was so bad I only stayed through the entire movie because I thought that it HAS to get better, it didn't.

"Nightfall" has been published in perhaps more languages and anthologies, re-released, and rehashed than any other story ever written. I'm sorry to see it was left out of even a short piece about one of the greatest, most prolific authors in any genre of all time.

The 1990 novelization of "Nightfall" by Robert Silverberg with Isaac Asimov's endorsement, draws somewhat on the tradition of the Phlebian priesthood which for a time following the first explosion of Thera had a monopoly on firemaking, a reaction to the incendiarism of the mob, the sky darkened by volcanic smoke and ash clouds, igniting buildings so they would have some light to see by.

The abolition of the Phlebian priesthood is a core issue of the Promethean cycle.

Though Prometheus was punished for dire threats and insults he'd uttered, ultimately the Pantheon supported abolition of the Phlebian priesthood, which had grown corrupt, giving their provenance over to the cult of Hestia, Vesta of the Romans, who became thereafter the keeper of the sacred flame of purification.