Damon Knight

Damon Knight, a visionary sci-fi author, editor, and critic who wrote the classic story "To Serve Man," founded the Science Fiction Writers of America, pioneering the Nebula Awards and shaping the genre with his witty tales and sharp critiques on science fiction.  

In 1948, Knight wrote a review of A.E. van Vogt's The World of Null-A. His review was one of the most famous works of critical demolition ever published in the field. It inspired van Vogt to substantially revise the novel some decades later, demonstrating Knight's impact as a critic.

Concurrent with his award-winning criticism, Knight was a moderately prolific author, particularly in the short story format. In the 1950s, he crafted a number of urbane and darkly humorous short stories that have aged remarkably well, including the famous To Serve Man (1950), which was adapted for a 1962 episode of The Twilight Zone.

In the late fifties, Knight focused his efforts on institutionalizing the collegial science fiction field itself. His first effort, begun with James Blish and Kate Wilhelm in 1956, was the Milford Science Fiction Writers' Conference, which he ran for over 20 years. This was followed by his founding of the Science Fiction Writers of America, for which he served as first president from 1965-67. Knight received the Nebula Grand Master Award in 1995.