Brian W. Aldiss

As a key figure in British Science Fiction literature, Brian Aldiss was an author, anthologist, and critic who wrote more than 370 short stories and over 30 novels and was a noted member of the 1960s New Wave of Science Fiction.  

Before starting his prolific literary career, Aldiss served in the British Army in Burma (now Myanmar) and Sumatra until 1947. When he returned home, he secured a job in an Oxford bookstore where his literary career would 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 was 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.