The Imaginary.

About The Imaginary

"The Imaginary" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov. It first appeared in the November 1942 issue of Super Science Stories and was reprinted in the 1972 collection The Early Asimov. Following the sale of "Half-Breeds on Venus", which was a sequel to "Half-Breed", Asimov suggested to Astounding Science Fiction editor John W. Campbell that he write a sequel to the story "Homo Sol". Campbell was unenthusiastic, but agreed. However, he rejected "The Imaginary" because it lacked the human-alien conflict he preferred in the earlier story. "The Imaginary" was the twenty-first story written by Asimov, and the twenty-ninth to be published. Due to the unusual workings of the science fiction magazine publishing industry, "The Imaginary" appeared a month after the third story in the Homo Sol Trilogy, "The Hazing".