A.E. van Vogt

A.E. van Vogt, a preeminent figure in science fiction's Golden Age, distinguished himself through his complex, metaphysically-oriented space operas, characterized by intricate plotting and a distinctive prose style that conveyed an otherworldly sense of wonder with dreamlike intensity, solidifying his position as one of the genre's most influential and widely read authors of the mid-20th century.

van Vogt became well known for abrupt complications of plot. Though often illogical, these sudden shifts of perspective, rationale, and scale are best considered similar to those of a dream. Grippingly void of constraints, the resulting “hard science fiction dreams” have convincingly haunted generations of children and adolescents.  

His approach strongly influenced a generation of science fiction writers, especially Philip K. Dick, Charles L. Harness and Larry Niven. van Vogt's space operas are at heart enacted dreams, articulating the symbolic needs and wishes of his readership.