Isaac Asimov anticipated the idea of a research distiller in "The Dead Past" with the character of Nimmo, a professional science writer: "Nimmo received his fi

Isaac Asimov anticipated the idea of a research distiller in "The Dead Past" with the character of Nimmo, a professional science writer: "Nimmo received his first assignment at the age of twenty-five, after he had completed his apprenticeship and been out in the field for less than three months. It came in the shape of a clotted manuscript whose language would impart no glimmering of understanding to any reader, however qualified, without careful study and some inspired guesswork. Nimmo took it apart and put it together again (after five long and exasperating interviews with the authors, who were biophysicists), making the language taut and meaningful and smoothing the style to a pleasant gloss." In the story Nimmo has less prestige than a "real researcher" but the role pays well and he is in high demand.