Authors

Randall Garrett was born December 16, 1927, in Lexington, Missouri. His early life offered few signs of the intricate tales he would go on to weave. Instead, it unfolded with the quiet rhythm of a boy fascinated by puzzles and the precise mechanics of things—an interest that would later become the bedrock of his writing. […]

Herbert George Wells was born September 21, 1866, in Bromley, Kent, England. His beginnings were not those of privilege; a fractured family life and early lessons in hardship shaped a mind that would later dismantle comfortable assumptions about the world. He wasn’t destined for academia, initially apprenticed to a draper, then a teacher—experiences which instilled

Born amid the noisy optimism and lingering shadows of a post-depression Brooklyn on July 16, 1928, Robert Sheckley grew up with a city’s nervous heartbeat beneath his stories. His early life wasn’t marked by grand estates or academic privilege; rather, it unfolded amidst the bustling energy and subtle anxieties of a city rebuilding after hardship.

Stanley Grauman Weinbaum was born on April 4, 1902, in Louisville, Kentucky. His life, though tragically short, burned with an intensity that continues to illuminate the landscape of science fiction. Stanley Grauman Weinbaum erupted onto the science fiction scene like a geyser from unexpected depths: sudden, brilliant, and gone too soon. Weinbaum’s early life was

John Holbrook Vance (August 28, 1916–May 26, 2013) was a towering figure whose legacy continues to ripple across speculative fiction. Born in San Francisco, California, his early life was marked by a restless spirit and a fascination with the exotic—a trait that would become a defining characteristic of his work. Though he studied mining engineering,

Edward Elmer Smith (May 2, 1890–August 31, 1965) was a name that would become synonymous with the burgeoning genre of space opera in the early to mid-20th century. Born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, Smith’s early life offered little hint of the vast interstellar landscapes he would later conjure. He pursued chemical engineering, earning a PhD and

flack t Paul Myron Anthony Linebarger (July 11, 1913–August 6, 1966) was, in many ways, a man forged by the contradictions of his time. Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to parents serving in the Philippines, Linebarger’s early life was steeped in both cultural immersion and political upheaval. This unique upbringing would profoundly shape not only his

William Fitzgerald Jenkins (June 16, 1896–June 8, 1975) was more than just a prolific science fiction author; he was a foundational figure in the genre’s exploration of complex scientific concepts and their societal impact. Born in Norfolk, Virginia, his early life was marked by a restless spirit and diverse occupations—experiences that would later infuse his

Philip José Farmer was born January 26, 1918, in North Terre Haute, Indiana—a heartland genesis for a mind destined to roam far beyond earthly boundaries. He departed this world February 25, 2009, leaving behind a legacy as complex and layered as the universes he constructed. To simply call him a science fiction author feels …