Damon Knight

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Damon Francis Knight (* 19th September 1922 in Baker , Oregon ; † 15. April 2002 in Eugene , Oregon) was an American science fiction - Author artist, editor and critic.

Life

Damon Knight went to New York in 1941 , where he became a member of the Futurians , a group of teenage science fiction fans and writers. This influential fandom group also included Frederik Pohl , Donald A. Wollheim , Isaac Asimov , and Cyril M. Kornbluth . Here he started writing short stories. Initially, his stories appeared in so-called fanzines , replicated magazines published by science fiction fans. One of his first professional stories, The Avenger , appeared in Planet Stories under the pseudonym Stuart Fleming . Several other publications in Pulp magazines followed, but Knight found the restrictions and specifications that this type of publication entailed too stressful. He became co-editor of various publications. On the side he continued to write science fiction. During his time with the Futurians , which he described in his book The Futurians as a "... critical gang", he realized that he himself was one of the greatest critics within the Futurians . He cultivated this trait with his friend James Blish after his time in fandom .

Damon Knight was married three times, first to Gertrud Werndl, then to Helen del Rey (née Schlaz), Lester del Rey's ex-wife . After divorcing Helen del Rey in 1962, he married Katie Gertrude Wilhelm (née Meredith), better known under the name Kate Wilhelm, on February 23, 1963 .

Services

In addition to his literary work, Knight was also the editor of genre anthologies as well as magazines and book series and a recognized SF literary critic.

At the suggestion of James Blish, Knight founded Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA), an association of North America's professional science fiction writers, in 1965 and became its first president.

In genre circles, the inside joke made the rounds, "whether he had learned anything from the founding of the N3F". This joke refers to the National Fantasy Fan Federation (N3F) , an extremely cumbersome organization that Knight founded with his fan article Unite or Fie! Initiated in 1941.

With James Blish and Judith Merril he founded the Milford Writing Workshops , in which he taught young writers. He later founded the Clarion Science Fiction Writers' Workshop together with his wife Kate Wilhelm , where the two taught young writers for decades. One of the best guides for budding writers in the genre is Creating Short Fiction (1981). He is revered as a teacher and one of the greats of the genre by many authors who have taken Knight's writing classes, including Gene Wolfe , who dedicated The Fifth Head of Cerberus to him.

Damon Knight's accomplishments for the science fiction genre lie primarily in his work as the editor of various anthologies, of which the Orbit series is by far the best known. He published a total of 21 volumes in the series between 1966 and 1980, in which, in addition to old acquaintances such as Kate Wilhelm, new discoveries such as RA Lafferty were often found.

The compilation of his book reviews and essays on the state of SF literature In Search of Wonder (1956) is considered the first serious work of modern science fiction criticism and received a Hugo Award . The book was reprinted in an expanded form in 1967 and 1996. Gardner Dozois called Damon Knight the "founder of SF criticism".

Some of his more important novels were published in Germany , but his numerous prose collections were almost neglected, although he was far more valuable in the field of short stories. From his short stories is To Serve Man (dt. A plan for humanity and how to prepare the people ) one of the best known and first appeared in 1950 in the magazine Galaxy . It also served as a template for an episode of the television series Twilight Zone .

His book The Futurians (1977) about his time at the SF fan club of the same name is considered to be one of the most entertaining publications in the history of science fiction.

Kate Wilhelm and Damon Knight received an honorary doctorate in humanities from Michigan State University in 1996. In 1994 he received the SFWA Grand Master Award for life's work. This award was renamed the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award after his death . In 2003, Knight was posthumously inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame.

bibliography

The Analogues. (Series of novels)
  • The Analogues. 1952. (short story)
  • Ticket to Anywhere. 1952. (short story)
    • German: Drive into the unknown. In: Lothar Heinecke (Ed.): Galaxis Science Fiction. Moewig, 1959.
  • Hell's Pavement. 1955. (also as: Analogue Men , 1962)
The World and Thorinn. (Series of novels)
  • 1 The World and Thorinn. 1968. (short story)
  • 2 The Garden of Ease. 1968. (short story)
  • 3 The Star Below. 1968. (short story)
  • The World and Thorinn. 1981.
    • English: Fall into the Underworld. Knaur Science Fiction & Fantasy # 5758, 1983, ISBN 3-426-05758-1 .
CV (series of novels)
  • 1 CV. 1985.
  • 2 The Observers. 1988.
  • 3 A Reasonable World. 1991.
Novels
  • Masters of Evolution. 1959.
  • The People Maker. 1959. (also as: A for Anything )
  • The Sun Saboteurs. 1961 (also as: The Earth Quarter , 1970)
  • Beyond the Barrier. 1964. (also called The Tree of Time )
    • German: jump over the time barrier. Bastei Lübbe Science Fiction Paperback # 27, 1973, ISBN 3-404-00114-1 .
  • The Rithian Terror. 1965. (also as: Double Meaning , 2011)
  • Mind switch. 1965. (also as: The Other Foot )
  • The Man in the Tree. 1984.
  • Why Do Birds. 1992.
  • Humpty Dumpty: An Oval. 1996.
Collections
  • Far out. 1961.
  • In Deep. 1963.
  • Off center. 1965.
  • Turning on. 1966.
  • Three novels. 1967. (also as Natural State and Other Stories , 1975)
    • German: World without machines. Goldmann's Space Paperback # 092, 1968.
  • World Without Children and The Earth Quarter. 1970.
  • The Best of Damon Knight. 1976.
  • Rule Golden and Other Stories. 1979.
  • Better Than One. 1980. (with Kate Wilhelm)
  • Late Knight Edition. 1985.
  • Rule Golden / Double Meaning. 1991.
  • God's Nose. 1991.
  • One Side Laughing: Stories Unlike Other Stories. 1991.
Anthologies

Nebula Awards

  • Nebula Award Stories 1965. (1966) German:
    • Computers don't argue. Lichtenberg (Science Fiction for Connoisseurs # 4), 1970.
    • The giant. Lichtenberg (Science Fiction for Connoisseurs # 5), 1971, ISBN 3-7852-2005-7 .

orbit

  • Orbit. 1-21, 1966-1980.
  • The Best from Orbit 1–10, 1975. (also as: Best Stories from Orbit )
  • Damon Knight's Collection 1-11, 1972-1973. (all in the Fischer Orbit series )
  • A Century of Science Fiction. 1962.
  • First flight. 1963. (also as: Now Begins Tomorrow. 1969)
  • A Century of Great Short Science Fiction Novels. 1964.
  • Tomorrow X 4th 1964.
  • Beyond Tomorrow. 1965.
  • The dark side. 1965.
  • The Shape of Things. 1965.
  • Thirteen French Science-Fiction Stories. 1965.
  • Cities of Wonder. 1966.
  • Science fiction inventions. 1967.
  • Worlds to Come. 1967.
  • One Hundred Years of Science Fiction. 1968.
  • Toward Infinity. 1968.
  • The Metal Smile. 1968.
  • Dimension X. 1970.
  • A pocketful of stars. 1971.
  • First contact. 1971.
  • Perchance to Dream. 1972.
  • A science fiction Argosy. 1972.
  • Tomorrow and Tomorrow. 1973.
  • The Golden Road. 1974.
  • Elsewhere X 3rd 1974.
  • Happy endings. 1974.
  • A shocking thing. 1974.
  • Science Fiction of the Thirties. 1976.
  • First Voyages. 1981. (with Martin H. Greenberg and Joseph D. Olander)
  • The Clarion Awards. 1984.
  • The Earth Quarter / Envoy to New Worlds. 2011. (with Keith Laumer)
  • Web of the Worlds / Rule Golden. 2012. (with Harry Harrison and Katherine MacLean)
Short stories
  • The itching hour. 1940.
  • Resilience. 1941.
  • Devil's Pawn. 1942.
  • New Day on Aurora. 1943. (as Stuart Fleming)
  • Blackout. 1943.
  • The Avenger. 1944. (as Stuart Fleming)
  • Doorway to Kal-Jmar. 1944. (as Stuart Fleming)
  • The Third Little Green Man. 1948.
  • No winter, no summer. 1948. (with James Blish, as Donald Laverty)
  • Tiger ride. 1948. (with James Blish)
  • The Star Beast. 1949.
  • The Weakness of RVOG. 1949. (with James Blish)
  • Gravity Trap. 1949.
  • Not with a bang. 1950.
    • German: Don't slam the door! In: Terry Carr (ed.): The super weapon. Goldmanns Weltraum Taschenbücher # 095, 1968. Also as: Ohne Knall. In: Edward L. Ferman (Ed.): 30 Years of Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Heyne SF&F # 3763, 1981, ISBN 3-453-30732-1 .
  • The Secret People. 1950. (with James Blish)
  • To serve man. 1950.
  • The Mighty Fallen. 1951.
  • Ask me anything. 1951.
  • Don't Live in the Past. 1951.
  • Cabin boy. 1951.
  • World Without Children. 1951.
  • Beachcomber. 1952.
  • Catch That Martian. 1952.
  • It Kud Habben Tu Yu! 1952.
  • Double meaning. 1953.
  • In the beginning. 1953.
  • Definition. 1953.
  • Four in one. 1953.
    • German: Spes Hominis. In: Lothar Heinecke (Ed.): Galaxis Science Fiction. Moewig, 1959. Also as: Hope of humanity. In: Walter Spiegl (Ed.): Science-Fiction-Stories 89. Ullstein Science Fiction & Fantasy # 31029, 1981, ISBN 3-548-31029-X .
  • The worshipers. 1953.
  • Turncoat. 1953.
    • German: The defector. In: Walter Spiegl (Ed.): Science-Fiction-Stories 71. Ullstein 2000 # 141 (3458), 1965, ISBN 3-548-03458-6 .
  • Babel II. 1953.
  • Anachron. 1954. (also as: Arachon , 1997)
  • Natural State. 1954.
    • German: World without machines. In: World without machines. 1968.
  • Special delivery. 1954.
  • Rule Golden. 1954.
    • German: World without violence. In: World without machines. 1968. Also called: The golden rule. In: Joe Haldeman (ed.): Never again war. Heyne SF&F # 3863, 1982, ISBN 3-453-30749-6 .
  • The Earth Quarter. 1955.
  • Dulcie and Decorum. 1955.
  • You're Another. 1955.
  • Extempore. 1956.
  • A Likely Story. 1956.
  • The Country of the Kind. 1956.
  • Backward, O Time. 1956. (also as: This Way to the Regress )
  • The Beach Where Time Began. 1956.
  • The Indigestible Invaders. 1956.
  • Stranger Station. 1956.
  • The Day Everything Fell Down. 1957. (with Kenneth Bulmer)
  • The Last Word. 1957.
  • An Eye for a What? 1957.
  • Man in the Jar. 1957.
  • The Night Express. 1957.
  • Dio. 1957. (also as: The Dying Man )
    • German: world without death. In: World without machines. 1968. Also as: Dio, the planner. In: Groff Conklin (Ed.): Unearthly Visions. Moewig (Terra Taschenbuch # 171), 1970.
  • A for anything. 1957.
  • The enemy. 1958.
  • Eripmav. 1958.
  • Be my guest. 1958.
  • Thing of Beauty. 1958.
  • The Night of Lies. 1958.
  • Idiot stick. 1958.
  • What Rough Beast? 1959.
  • To Be Continued. 1959.
  • Time enough. 1960.
  • The handler. 1960.
  • Auto-da-Fe (1961)
  • The Visitor at the Zoo. 1963.
  • Collector's Item. 1963. (also as: The End of the Search )
  • The Second-Class Citizen. 1963.
  • The Big Pat Boom. 1963.
  • Mary (1964, also as: An Ancient Madness )
  • Semper Fi. 1964. (also as: Satisfaction )
  • God's Nose. 1964.
  • Maid to Measure. 1964.
  • To the pure. 1966.
    • German: specialist from Antares. In: Thomas Landfinder (Ed.): Liebe 2002. Bärmeier & Nikel, 1971.
  • Shall the Dust Praise Thee? 1967.
    • German: where have you been? In: Harlan Ellison (Ed.): 15 Science Fiction Stories II. Heyne Anthologies # 34, 1970.
  • Masks. 1968.
    • German: masks. In: Science-Fiction-Stories 51. Ullstein 2000 # 97 (3159), 1975, ISBN 3-548-03159-5 .
  • Truly human. 1969.
  • On the wheel. 1972.
  • Down There. 1973.
  • I see you. 1976.
  • Forever. 1981.
    • German: Forever and ever. In: Terry Carr (ed.): The most beautiful science fiction stories of the year: Volume 2. Heyne SF&F # 4047, 1984, ISBN 3-453-30990-1 .
  • Azimuth 1, 2, 3 ... 1982.
  • Tarcan of the Hoboes. 1982.
  • La Ronde. 1983.
    • German: La Ronde. In: Ronald M. Hahn (Ed.): Kryogenese. Heyne SF&F # 4169, 1985, ISBN 3-453-31131-0 .
  • O. 1984.
  • The Time Exchange. 1984.
  • The Very Objectionable Mr. Clegg. 1984.
  • Good-bye, Dr. Ralston. 1985.
  • The cage. 1985.
  • Who Is Damon Knight? 1985.
  • A fantasy. 1985.
  • The God Machine. 1985.
  • Point of View. 1985.
  • Each Prisoner Pent. 1985.
  • The Man Who Went Back. 1985.
  • Strangers in Paradise. 1986 (also as: Strangers on Paradise , 1986)
  • Not a creature. 1993.
  • Fortyday. 1994.
  • Life Edit. 1996.
  • Watching Matthew. 2002.
Non-fiction

Monad series

  • Monad: Essays on Science Fiction # 1. 1990.
  • Monad Number Two. 1992.
  • Monad: Essays of Science Fiction # 3. 1993.
  • 1939 Yearbook of Science, Weird and Fantasy Fiction. 1940. (with Wilson Tucker, Harry Warner, Jr., and Jane Tucker)
  • In Search of Wonder. 1956.
  • Charles Fort, Prophet of the Unexplained. 1970.
  • Turning Points: Essays on the Art of Science Fiction. 1977.
  • The Futurians. 1977.
  • The Clarion Writers' Handbook. 1978.
  • Creating Short Fiction. 1981.
  • Faking the reader out. 1991.

Award

  • 2001: Retro Hugo Award for To Serve Man , A Plan for Humanity from 1950

literature

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Knight, Damon
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Knight, Damon Francis (full name); Conanight (pseudonym); Fleming, Stuart (pseudonym); Knight, Damon F. (pseudonym); Laverty, Donald (pseudonym)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American author
DATE OF BIRTH September 19, 1922
PLACE OF BIRTH Baker , Oregon
DATE OF DEATH April 15, 2002
Place of death Eugene , Oregon