Brian W. Aldiss

AUGUST 18, 1925

Brian Aldiss is an author, anthologist, and critic who has written more than 370 short stories and over 30 novels and was a noted member of the 1960s New Wave of science fiction. He is a key figure in British science fiction literature.

Before starting his prolific literary career, Aldiss served in the British Army in Burma and Sumatra until 1947. When he returned home, he secured a job in an Oxford bookstore where his literary career would eventually start. Aldiss began publishing short stories in 1954. In 1958, he published his first novel, Non-Stop.

Later works include Hothouse (1962) and Greybeard (1964), both of which won a Hugo Award. His short story, “Super-Toys Last All Summer Long” (1969) inspired the Ridley Scott/Steven Spielberg film A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001). His Helliconia (1982–1985) series explores the history of a planet whose year is equivalent to 2,500 years on Earth. The first volume, Helliconia Spring, won the 1983 John W. Campbell Memorial Award.

In addition to his fiction writing, Aldiss is an anthologist and critic. His anthologies include Penguin Science Fiction (1961), Best Fantasy Stories (1962), and Space Opera (1974). As a literary editor of the Oxford Mail, he reviewed hundreds of science fiction books.