Odd that this is Asimov's favorite - it seems so inferior to Nightfall, or The Dead Past, or probably some others that I am forgetting.
thank you for reminding me of a couple more great stories! But, if you believe these are superior writings to the one in TFA you should probably expand on why. IMO The Last Question is so loved because it hits readers with a much stronger emotional force than Nightfall or The Dead Past. Possibly it's the usage of that specific formula, at the end, which already carries so much weight. I, for one, believe only another…
Well, that's fair. I suppose I don't in general think much of stories that are essentially philosophical inquiries, with a little bit of "plot" added on. I'm just not emotionally affected by the "Wow" at the end, like I was in Nightfall, or how I was affected by the dead child aspect of "The Dead Past."
Also, I think that "The Dead Past" really demonstrates the apex of Asimov's technical writing ability in a way that the format of "The Last Question" doesn't really allow.