Clifford D. Simak

Clifford Donald Simak ( born August 3, 1904 in Millville, Wisconsin, USA, † April 25, 1988 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA ) was an American journalist and science fiction writer of Czech origin. Simak is one of the " Great Masters " of science fiction and has been honored with numerous awards within the genre.

Life

The parents of Clifford Donald Simak were John Lewis and Margaret (nee Wiseman ) Simak, Bohemian immigrants. Simak worked as a teacher and married in 1929 Agnes cake mountain. He remained married to her until her death in 1985 and had two children from this marriage.

Also in 1929, moved Simak his profession. The former teacher studied journalism at the University of Wisconsin, the study did not complete and henceforth worked for several newspapers in the Midwest. From 1939 until his retirement in 1976 Simak worked at the Minneapolis Star and the Minneapolis Tribune (now the Star Tribune). Among other things, he oversaw the science side dish. For his outstanding work in the service of science to him in 1967 of the Minnesota Academy of Science Award was presented.

Services

Simak's first science fiction short story The World of the Red Sun appeared in Hugo gladly Backs " Wonder Stories ". Until 1938 Simak wrote only sporadically science fiction. That changed when he moved from Gernsback to John W. Campbell in the same year. There he wrote some short stories collected as City Cycle in 1952 in book form ( City; When there were people in 1964 German ) published. This cycle completed Simak in 1973 with the short story epilogue. Simak's most active time is in the 1960s. In this time he wrote eight novels and a large number of short stories. The first was the novel Time is the Simplest Thing (Eng. The invisible barrier ). The short story published in Galaxy Here Gather the Stars appeared as a novel under the title Way Station (German Space Station on Earth ) in 1963 and is regarded critics and fans alike as one of the best novels ever Simak. More falling in this period novels include Why call them back from Heaven (German business with eternity ) and The Goblin Reservation (German colony of goblins ).

With the 1980, published in Analog history Grotto of the Dancing Deer (German Grotto of the Dancing Wild ), Simak proved that he did not yet belong to the "old iron ".

Simak's stories and novels deal mostly of "simple" people, farmers or small city dwellers who find themselves unexpectedly in situations that are initially not to overlook. These people often run into doors, doors to other dimensions or times. Simak's novels and short stories are characterized by humanity and subtle humor. In Clifford Simak's stories not the technology is important, even if there are many robots and other genre-typical vehicles such as dimensional gates.

In 1973 Clifford Simak was awarded the First Fandom Hall of Fame Award and included in the Science Fiction Hall of Fame. More Awards for his life's work was followed in 1976 received Simak the Nebula Grand Master Award of the Science Fiction Writers of America for lifetime achievement in 1987 and the Bram Stoker Award, also for his life's work. Clifford Donald Simak died on 25 April 1988, in a hospital in Minneapolis. According to him, the asteroid ( 228883 ) Cliffsimak was named in 2003.

Brian W. Aldiss characterized Simak in his book The billion-year dream as follows: " Clifford Simak has a special position in the Science Fiction held as a living embodiment of anti- urban values ​​and a kind of open-air Midwest decency ".

Bibliography

  • The Creator ( first published in a magazine in 1935, Book Version 1946)
  • Engineers of the cosmos, 1958, Moewig, Cosmic Engineers, ( first as a serial novel in Astounding in 1939, expanded book version 1950)
  • Empire, 1959, Pabel, Empire, 1951
  • Death from the future, 1961, Moewig, Time and Again also: First He Died in 1951
  • Ring Around the Sun, circa 1965, Widukind Verlag, Ring Around the Sun, 1952-54
  • The Lunar Prospector also: The case of the lunar craters, 1963, Moewig, The Trouble with Tycho, 1961
  • Planet for Sale, 1966, Moewig, They Walked Like Men, 1962
  • The invisible barrier, 1964, Goldmann, The Fisherman also: Time is the Simplest Thing, 1962
  • Space station on Earth, 1964, ISBN 3-442-23032-2, Way Station also: Here Gather the Stars, 1963
  • Flowers from another world, 1966, Goldmann, All Flesh is Grass, 1965
  • The colony of goblins, 1969, Heyne, The Goblin Reservation, 1968
  • Transactions with eternity, 1967, Moewig, Why Call Them Back From Heaven? , 1968
  • Man from the retort, 1968, Heyne, The Werewolf Principle, 1968
  • Verteufelte world, 1971, Heyne, Out of Their Minds, 1970
  • Prehistoric Man, 1971
  • The last idyll, 1973, ISBN 3-453-30247-8, A Choice of Gods, 1971
  • Native soil, 1976, ISBN 3-453-30400-4, Cemetery World, 1972
  • World of dolls, 1974, ISBN 3-453-30263- X, Destiny Doll, 1972
  • Danger from the future, 1979, ISBN 3-548-31007-9, Our Children's Children, in 1973/74
  • All the Traps of Earth, 1974
  • Marc Cornwall Pilgrimage, 1977, ISBN 3-453-30391-1, Enchanted Pilgrimage, 1975
  • Shakespeare's Planet, 1978, ISBN 3-442-23273-2, Shakespeare 's Planet, 1976
  • A heritage of stars, 1980, ISBN 3-453-30630-9, A Heritage of Stars, 1977
  • Mastodonia, 1981, ISBN 3-426-05748-4, Mastodonia, 1978
  • The brotherhood of Talisman, 1979, ISBN 3-442-23330-5, The Fellowship of the Talisman, 1978
  • Catface, 1979
  • Foreign visitors, 1983, ISBN 3-426-05759- X, Visitors, 1980
  • Companies Pope, 1983, ISBN 3-814-70036-8, Project Pope, 1981
  • In the land of dragons, 1984, ISBN 3-426-05783-2, Where the Evil Dwells 1982
  • Poker to the future, 1983, ISBN 3-426-05768-9, Special Deliverance, 1982
  • Highway of Eternity, 1986

Short story collections

  • City also: When there were people in 1964, ISBN 3-453-52628-7, City, 1952
  • Strangers in the Universe, 1956
  • The gate to the other world, 1961, ISBN 3-442-23015-2, The Worlds of Clifford Simak, 1960
  • Aliens for Neighbours, 1961
  • The Lonely Robot, 1962, ISBN 3-442-23045-4, All the Traps of Earth and Other Stories, 1962
  • Other Worlds of Clifford Simak, 1962
  • The Guild of dreamers, 1968, Moewig, Worlds Without End, 1964
  • The Night of the Puudly, 1964
  • Best Science Fiction Stories of Clifford D. Simak, 1967
  • Night on Mars, 1967
  • The crystal beetle, 1967, Moewig, So Bright the Vision 1968
  • Trilogy of the Future, 1972
  • The Best of Clifford D. Simak, 1975
  • Invasions, 1979, ISBN 3-442-23310-0, Skirmish: The Great Short Fiction of Clifford D. Simak, 1977
  • Marathon Photograph, 1986
  • Off -Planet, 1988
  • The Immigrant, 1991
  • The Creator, 1993
  • Over the River and Through the Woods, 1996
  • The Civilisation Game and Other Stories, 1997

Non-fiction

  • The Solar System: Our New Front Yard (1962 )
  • Trilobite, Dinosaur, and Man: The Earth 's Story (1965 )
  • Wonder and Glory: The Story Of The Universe (1969 )
  • Prehistoric Man: The Story Of Man's Rise To Civilization (1971 )

Awards

  • City - International Fantasy Award in 1953, ISBN 3-442-23036-5
  • The Big Front Yard - Hugo Award 1959
  • Way Station - Hugo Award in 1964, ISBN 3-442-23032-2
  • A Heritage Of Stars - Jupiter Award 1978
  • Grotto Of The Dancing Deer - Nebula Award 1980 Analog Award, Hugo Award, Locus Award 1981
Author University of Wisconsin System Goldmann (publisher) Integrated Authority File
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