Ben bova

American science fiction and fantasy author (–)

Not to be confused with James Bliss.

James Benjamin Blish (May 23, &#;&#; July 30, ) was an American science fiction and fantasywriter. He is best known for his Cities in Flight novels and his series of Star Trek novelizations written with his wife, J.

A. Lawrence. His novel A Case of Conscience won the Hugo Award. He is credited with creating the term "gas giant" to refer to large planetary bodies.^[2]

His first published stories appeared in Super Science Stories and Amazing Stories.

Blish wrote literary criticism of science fiction using the pen nameWilliam Atheling Jr. His other pen names included Donald Laverty, John MacDougal, and Arthur Lloyd Merlyn.^[1]

Life

Blish was born on May 23, , at East Orange, New Jersey.^[3] While in high school, Blish self-published a fanzine, called The Planeteer, using a hectograph.^{[citation needed]} The fanzine ran for six issues.

Blish was a member of the Futurians.^[4]

Blish attended meetings of the Futurian Science Fiction Society in New York City during this period. Futurian members Damon Knight and Cyril M. Kornbluth became close friends. However, Blish's relationships with other members were often bitter.^[5] A personal target was fellow member Judith Merril, with whom he would debate politics.

Merril would frequently dismiss Blish's self-description of being a "paper fascist". She wrote in Better to Have Loved (), "Of course [Blish] was not fascist, antisemitic, or any of those terrible things, but every time he used the phrase, I saw red."^[6]

Blish studied microbiology at Rutgers University, graduating in He was drafted into Army service, and he served briefly as a medical laboratorytechnician.

The United States Armydischarged him for refusing orders to clean a grease trap in Following discharge, Blish entered Columbia University as a masters student of zoology. He did not complete the program, opting to write fiction full-time.^[5]

In , he married Virginia Kidd, a fellow Futurian.^[1] They divorced in Blish then married artist J.

A. Lawrence in ,^[1] moving to England that same year.

From to , Blish worked for the Tobacco Institute as a writer and critic. Much of his work for the institute went uncredited.

Blish died on July 30, , from complications related to lung cancer. He was buried in Holywell Cemetery, Oxford. The Bodleian Library at Oxford is the custodian of Blish's papers.^[7] The library also has a complete catalog of Blish's published works.

Career

Throughout the s, Blish published most of his stories in the few pulp magazines still in circulation. His first story was sold to fellow Futurian Frederik Pohl for Super Science Stories (), called "Emergency Refueling". Other stories were published intermittently, but with little circulation.

Blish's "Chaos, Co-Ordinated", co-written with Robert A. W. Lowndes, was sold to Astounding Science Fiction, appearing in the October issue, earning Blish national circulation for the first time.

Pantropy (–)

Blish was what Andrew Litpack called a "practical writer".^[5] He would revisit, revise, and often expand on previously written stories.

An example is "Sunken Universe" published in Super Science Stories in The story reappeared in Galaxy Science Fiction as "Surface Tension", in an altered form in The premise emphasized Blish's understanding of microbiology, and featured microscopic humans engineered to live on a hostile planet's shallow pools of water.

The story proved to be among Blish's more popular and was anthologized in the first volume of Robert Silverberg'sThe Science Fiction Hall of Fame.^[8] It was also anthologized in The Big Book of Science Fiction (), edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer.^[9]

The world of microscopic humans continued in "The Thing in the Attic" in , and "Watershed" the following year.

The fourth entry, "A Time to Survive", was published by The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction in The stories were collected, edited together, and published as the fix-upThe Seedling Stars (), by Gnome Press. John Clute said all of Blish's "deeply felt work" explored "confronting the Faustian (or Frankensteinian) man".^[5]

Cities in Flight (–)

Main article: Cities in Flight

The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction asserts that not until the s, and the Okie sequence of stories beginning their run, "did it become clear [Blish] would become a [science fiction] writer of unusual depth".^[10] The stories were loosely based on the Okie migration following the Dust Bowl of the s, and were influenced by Oswald Spengler's two-part Der Untergang des Abendlandes (The Decline of the West).

The stories detail the life of the Okies, humans who migrate throughout space looking for work in vast city-ships, powered by spindizzies, a type of anti-gravity engine.

The premise and plot reflected Blish's feelings on the state of western civilization, and his personal politics.^[5] The first two stories, "Okie", and "Bindlestiff", were published in , by Astounding. "Sargasso of Lost Cities" appeared in Two Complete Science-Adventure Books in April "Earthman, Come Home" followed a few months later, published by Astounding.

In , Blish collected the four stories together into an omnibus titled Earthman, Come Home, published by Putnam.

More stories followed: In , They Shall Have Stars, which edited together "Bridge" and "At Death's End", and in , Blish published The Triumph of Time. Four years later, he published a new Okies novel, A Life for the Stars.

The Okies sequence was edited together and published as Cities In Flight ().

James blish cities in flight Discover new books on Goodreads. Sign in with Facebook Sign in options. Join Goodreads. Science Fiction , Fantasy. Combine Editions.

Clute notes, "the brilliance of Cities in Flight does not lie in the assemblage of its parts, but in the momentum of the ideas embodied in it (albeit sometimes obscurely)."^[5]

After Such Knowledge (–)

Blish continued to rework older stories, and did so for one of his best known works, A Case of Conscience ().

The novel originated as a novella, originally published in an issue of If, in The story follows a Jesuit priest, Ramon Ruiz-Sanchez, who visits the planet Lithia as a technical member of an expedition. While on the planet they discover a race of bipedal reptilians that have perfected morality in what Ruiz-Sanchez says is "the absence of God", and theological complications ensue.

The book is one of the first major works in the genre to explore religion and its implications. It was the first of a series including Doctor Mirabilis () and the two-part story Black Easter () and The Day After Judgment (). The latter two were collected as The Devil's Day ().

An omnibus of all four entries in the series was published by Legend in , titled After Such Knowledge.

A Case of Conscience won the Hugo Award for Best Novel, and was collected as part of Library of America's omnibus American Science Fiction: Five Classic Novels .^[11][12]

Star Trek (–)

Main article: Star Trek (Bantam Books)

Bantam Books commissioned Blish to adapt episodes of Star Trek.

The adapted short stories were generally based on draft scripts and contained different plot elements from the aired television episodes.

The stories were collected into twelve volumes and published as a title series of the same name from to The adaptations were largely written by Blish; however, his declining health during this period proved problematic.

His wife, J. A. Lawrence, wrote a number of installments. Her work remained uncredited until the final volume, Star Trek 12, published in , two years after Blish's death.^{[13]:&#;25&#;}

The first original novel for adults based on the television series, Spock Must Die! (),^[14] was also written by Blish, and he planned to release more.

According to Lawrence, two episodes featuring popular character Harry Mudd, "I, Mudd" and "Mudd's Women", were held back by Blish for adaptation to be included in the follow-up to Spock Must Die!.^[15] However, Blish died before a novel could be completed. Lawrence did eventually adapt the two episodes, as Mudd's Angels (), which included an original novella The Business, as Usual, During Altercations by Lawrence.

In her introduction to Star Trek 12, Lawrence states that Blish "did indeed write" adaptations of the two episodes. The introduction to Mudd's Angels acknowledges this, stating that Blish left the two stories in various stages of completion and they were finished by Lawrence; Blish does not receive author credit on the book.

Blish credited his financial stability later in life to the Star Trek commission and the advance he received for Spock Must Die!.^{[13]:&#;21&#;}

Literary criticism and legacy

Blish was among the first literary critics of science fiction, and he judged works in the genre by the standards applied to "serious" literature.^[16] He took to task his fellow authors for deficiencies, such as bad grammar and a misunderstanding of scientific concepts, and the magazine editors who accepted and published such material without editorial intervention.

His criticism was published in "fanzines" in the s under the pseudonym William Atheling Jr.

The essays were collected in The Issue at Hand () and More Issues at Hand (). Reviewing The Issue at Hand, Algis Budrys said that Atheling had, along with Damon Knight, "transformed the reviewer's trade in this field". He described the persona of Atheling as "acidulous, assertive, categorical, conscientious and occasionally idiosyncratic".^[16]

Blish was a fan of the works of James Branch Cabell, and for a time edited Kalki, the journal of the Cabell Society.

In his works of science fiction, Blish developed many ideas and terms which have influenced other writers and on occasion have been adopted more widely, such as faster than light communication via the Dirac communicator, introduced in the short story "Beep" (). The Dirac is comparable to Ursula K. Le Guin's ansible.

Blish is also credited with coining the term gas giant, first used in the story "Solar Plexus", collected in the anthology Beyond Human Ken, edited by Judith Merril.

Brian aldiss

Anywhen james blish biography death

Ben bova

The story was originally published in , but did not contain the term. Blish reworked the story, changing the description of a large magnetic field to "a magnetic field of some strength nearby, one that didn't belong to the invisible gas giant revolving half a million miles away".^[17]

Honors, awards and recognition

The British Science Fiction Foundation inaugurated the James Blish Award for science fiction criticism in , recognizing Brian W.

Aldiss. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame inducted him in

Awards and nominations

Posthumous Awards and nominations

• [] Retro-Hugo Award nomination for Best Novelette, for "Okie".^[22]
• [] Retro-Hugo Award for Best Novella, for A Case of Conscience.^[23]
• [] Retro-Hugo Award for Best Novelette, for "Earthman, Come Home".^[23]

Guest of Honor

Bibliography

Blish's work was published by a variety of publishers in the United Kingdom and the United States, often with variations between editions, and with different titles.

Blish also expanded and re-published his older work on numerous occasions. His works continued to be re-published after his death.

Very few of Blish's first editions were assigned ISBN numbers.

Short fiction and novellas (–)

Novels published in complete form, or serialized, in fiction magazines are included for completeness, and to avoid confusion.

^β Novelette, ^ε Novella, ^γ Novel.

The Planeteer (–)

Super Science Stories ()

• "Emergency Refueling" (March )
• "Bequest of the Angel" (May )
• "Sunken Universe" (May ), rewritten as "Surface Tension" ()

Stirring Science Stories ()

• "Citadel of Thought" (February )
• "Callistan Cabal" (April )

Science Fiction Quarterly ()

• "Weapon Out of Time" (April )
• "When Anteros Came" (December )

Cosmic Stories ()

• "Phoenix Planet"^β (May )
• "The Real Thrill" (July )

Future (–)

Astonishing Stories ()

• "Solar Plexus" (September )

Super Science and Fantastic Stories ()

• "The Bounding Crown"^β (December )

Science*Fiction ()

• "Knell", as by Arthur Lloyd Merlyn (January )

Astounding Science Fiction (–)

Startling Stories ()

• "Mistake Inside" (April )

Planet Stories (–)

• "Against the Stone Beasts"^β (August )
• "Blackout in Cygni" (July )

Thrilling Wonder Stories (–)

Jungle Stories ()

• "Serpent's Fetish" (December )

Fantastic Story Quarterly ()

Imagination ()

• "The Void Is My Coffin" (June )

Two Complete Science-Adventure Books ()

• The Warriors of Day&#;^γ (August )
• Sargasso of Lost Cities&#;^ε (April )

Other Worlds Science Stores ()

Galaxy Science Fiction (–)

Dynamic Science Fiction ()

• "Turn of a Century" (March )
• The Duplicated Man&#;^γ with Robert A.

  W. Lowndes (August )

Worlds of If (–)

Star Science Fiction Stories ()

The Magazine of Science Fiction and Fantasy (–)

Fantastic Universe ()

• "Translation" (March )

Infinity Science Fiction (–)

• "King of the Hill" (November )
• "Sponge Dive" (June )
• "Detour to the Stars" (December )
• "Nor Iron Bars"^β (November ), expanded as Galactic Cluster ()

Science Fiction Stories ()

Science Fiction Adventures ()

• Two Worlds in Peril&#;^ε (February )

Amazing Stories (–)

• … And All the Stars a Stage&#;^γ (June )
• "And Some Were Savages" (November )
• "A Dusk of Idols"^β (March )

Impulse ()

• "A Hero's Life"^β (March )

Analog (–)

• "To Love Another" (April ), expanded as A Torrent of Faces ()
• "Skysign"^β with Norman L.

  Knight, (May )

Penthouse ()

• "A Light to Fight by" (June )

Fantasy Book ()

• "The White Empire" (September )

Anthologized short fiction (–)

• Beanstalk,^εFuture Tense (), ed.

  Kendell Foster Crossen. Greenberger. expanded in Titan's Daughter ().

• "Common Time", Shadows of Tomorrow (August ), ed. Frederik Pohl. Permabooks #P
• "A Matter of Energy", The Best from Fantasy and Science Fiction, Fifth Series (January ), ed. Anthony Boucher. Doubleday.
• "Nor Iron Bars"^β (expanded), Galactic Cluster (October ), ed.
  Anywhen james blish biography wikipedia James Benjamin Blish May 23 , — July 30 , was an American science fiction and fantasy writer. He is best known for his Cities in Flight novels and his series of Star Trek novelizations written with his wife, J. He is credited with creating the term " gas giant " to refer to large planetary bodies. Blish wrote literary criticism of science fiction using the pen name William Atheling Jr. Blish was a member of the Futurians.

  James Blish. Signet #S

• "The Abattoir Effect", So Close to Home (February 27, ), ed. James Blish. Ballantine Books #K.
• "None So Blind", Anywhen (July ), ed. James Blish. Doubleday.
• "How Beautiful With Banners", Orbit 1 (), ed. Damon Knight. Whiting & Wheaton.
• "We All Die Naked", Three for Tomorrow (August ), ed.

  Arthur C. Clarke. Meredith Press.

• "More Light", Alchemy and Academe (November ), ed. Anne McCaffrey. Doubleday.
• "Statistician's Day", Science Against Man (December ), ed. Anthony Cheetham. Avon #V
• "Getting Along",^βAgain, Dangerous Visions (March 17, ), ed. Harlan Ellison.

  Doubleday.

• "A True Bill: A Chancel Drama in One Act",^βTen Tomorrows (September ), ed. Roger Elwood. Fawcett Gold Medal #M
• "The Price of a Drink", The Berserkers (January ), ed. Roger Elwood. Trident ISBN&#;X.
• "Making Waves", Works of Art (January 30, ). NESFA Press ISBN&#;

Novels (–)

• Jack of Eagles ().

  Greenberg., also published as ESPer (). Avon.

• The Frozen Year (March 19, ). Ballantine Books #, also published as Fallen Star (). Faber & Faber.
• VOR (April ). Avon #T
• The Duplicated Man (). Avalon Books.
• A Torrent of Faces (), with Norman L. Knight. Doubleday.
• The Warriors of Day ().

  Lancer Books #

• The Star Dwellers (). G. P. Putnam's Sons.
• Titan's Daughter (March ). Berkley Medallion #G
• The Night Shapes (October ). Ballantine Books #F
• Mission to the Heart Stars (November 11, ). Faber & Faber.
• Welcome to Mars (July ). G. P. Putnam's Sons.
• The Vanished Jet ().

  Weybright and Talley.

• … And All the Stars a Stage (July ). Doubleday.
• Midsummer Century (May ). Doubleday, included in Midsummer Century Daw ed. ().
• The Quincunx of Time (October ). Dell #

Cities in Flight series (–)

• Earthman, Come Home (). G. P. Putnam's Sons.
• They Shall Have Stars ().

  Faber & Faber, also published as Year ! (). Avon Books.

• The Triumph of Time (October ). Avon #T, also published as A Clash of Cymbals ().

  Brian aldiss: James Benjamin Blish (May 23, – July 30, ) was an American science fiction and fantasy writer. He is best known for his Cities in Flight novels and his series of Star Trek novelizations written with his wife, J. A. Lawrence. His novel A Case of Conscience won the Hugo Award.

  Faber & Faber.

• A Life for the Stars (). G. P. Putnam's Sons.

After Such Knowledge series (–)

Collections (–)

• The Seedling Stars (). Gnome Press.
• The Seedling Stars (February ). Signet #S
• Best Science Fiction Stories of James Blish ().

  Faber & Faber, also published as The Testament of Andros (August ). Arrow Books ISBN&#;

• Midsummer Century (February ). Daw #UQ
• The Best of James Blish (August ). Ballantine/Del Rey ISBN&#;X
• Get Out of My Sky (April ). Panther ISBN&#;
• A Work of Art and Other Stories (July ). Severn House ISBN&#;
• With All Love: Selected Poems (March ).

  Anamnesis Press ISBN&#;X.

• A Dusk of Idols and Other Stories (May ). Severn House ISBN&#;
• In This World, or Another (July 2, ). Five Star ISBN&#;
• Works of Art (January 30, ). NESFA Press ISBN&#;
• Flights of Eagles (October 20, ). NESFA Press ISBN&#;

Anthologies (–)

• Galactic Cluster (October ).

  Signet #S

• So Close to Home (February 27, ). Ballantine Books #K.
• New Dreams This Morning (October ).

  Anywhen james blish biography images

  Search Biographies:. Contact Us Privacy Policy Sitemap. It uses material from the Wikipedia article James Blish. James Blish Biography. Blish also wrote criticism of science fiction using the pen-name William Atheling Jr.

  Ballantine Books #U

• Anywhen (). Doubleday.
• Nebula Award Stories 5 (). Gollancz.

Nonfiction (–)

• The Issue at Hand (), as by William Atheling Jr. Advent Publishers.
• More Issues at Hand (December ), as by William Atheling Jr. Advent Publishers ISBN&#;
• The Tale That Wags the God (July ).

  Advent Publishers ISBN&#;

Star Trek (–)

• Star Trek (January ). Bantam Books #F
• Star Trek 2 (February ). Bantam Books #F
• Star Trek 3 (April ). Bantam Books #F
• Spock Must Die! (February ). Bantam Books #H
• Star Trek 4 (July ).

  Bantam Books #S

• Star Trek 5 (February ). Bantam Books #S
• Star Trek 6 (April ). Bantam Books #S
• Star Trek 7 (July ). Bantam Books #S
• Star Trek 8 (November ). Bantam Books #SP
• Star Trek 9 (August ). Bantam Books #SP
• Star Trek 10 (February ). Bantam Books #SP
• Star Trek 11 (April ).

  Bantam Books #Q, also published as The Day of the Dove (October ). Spectra ISBN&#;

• Star Trek 12 (November ), with J. A. Lawrence. Bantam Books ISBN&#;

Omnibuses (–)

• Cities in Flight (February ). Avon #W
• After Such Knowledge (July ).

  Legend ISBN&#;).

• The Seedling Stars / Galactic Cluster (April ). Signet ISBN&#;
• Black Easter / The Day After Judgement / The Seedling Stars (September 26, ) ISBN&#;

References

Further reading

External links