Difference between revisions of "Damon Knight"

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(1922 - Apr 15, 2002)
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(September 19, 1922 – April 15, 2002)
  
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Damon Knight was a [[fan]] who had a major [[fannish]] career and then turned with even greater success to [[prodom]].  He found [[sf]] at age ten in ''[[Amazing]]'' and became a fan after receiving a copy of [[Bob Tucker]]'s ''[[Nova (Tucker)|Nova]]''.
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'''Damon Francis Knight''' (or '''damon knight''' — early on he affected the lowercase style) was a [[fan]] who had a major [[fannish]] career and then turned with even greater success to [[prodom]].  Knight was a [[Hugo]]-winning SF writer, fan, critic, editor, and inspired ''two'' of the most durable [[sf]] [[organizations]] ever: [[N3F]] and [[SFWA]]. (He later said that they were his two biggest mistakes.)
  
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[[Hugo]]-winning SF writer, fan, critic, editor, and co-founder of ''two'' of the most durable fannish organizations ever: [[N3F]] and [[SFWA]].  (He later said that both were mistakes.)  In his youth he published the [[fanzine]] ''[[Snide]]'', he began selling his SF writing in 1941, and was a member of the [[Futurians]] which he described in detail in his memoir ''[[The Futurians (Knight)|The Futurians]]''. He published ''[[It]]'' with [[Larry Shaw]].  He was also a [[fan artist]] of some note in the 40s.
 
  
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For more about some episodes of his early [[fannish]] career, see [[General Fan Organization]] and [[Futurian Houses]], [[Vanguard]], [[Nicknames]], [[Quote-cards]], and [[X Document]].
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==Fan==
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He found [[sf]] at age 10 in ''[[Amazing]]'' and became a fan after receiving a copy of [[Bob Tucker]]'s ''[[Nova (Tucker)]]''.  
  
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He may be most famous as one of the earliest -- and most incisive -- [[critics]] of SF with his columns collected in ''[[In Search of Wonder]]'' published by [[Advent]]. Probably his most famous critical piece was also one of the earliest when in 1945 he demolished [[A. E. van Vogt]]'s revered ''World of Null-A''. (Van Vogt was one of the [[Big Three]] and ''Null-A'' had up to that point had a huge reputation.) The criticism, while entirely valid, was so uncharitable that it also diminished Knight's own reputation.
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In his youth, he published the [[fanzine]] ''[[Snide]]''. He was a member of the [[Futurians]] which he described in detail in his memoir ''[[The Futurians (Knight)]]''. He published ''[[It]]'' with [[Larry Shaw]]. He was also a [[fan artist]] of some note in the 1940s. He wrote an [https://www.fanac.org/fanzines/COMET2/Comet2-13.html autobiography] at 17 in which he noted:
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I have sold one [[cartoon]] to [[Ziff-Davis]] and hope to sell more. My favorite authors are [[James Branch Cabell|Cabell]], [https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?1061 Charteris], [[P. G. Wodehouse|Wodehouse]], [[Thorne Smith]], and [[Ernest Bramah]], my favorite movie actor is Donald Duck, and I don't like eggs, neckties, or preachers.
  
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He was  the founding editor of the ''[[SFWA Bulletin]]''. With [[James Blish]] and [[Judith Merril]] he also founded the [[Milford Science Fiction Writers' Conference]] in 1956 (and directed it for its first twenty years), and in 1968 helped to found the [[Clarion SF Writers' Workshop]].  
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He may be most famous as one of the earliest — and most incisive — [[critics]] of SF with his [[fanzine]] [[columns]] collected in ''[[In Search of Wonder]]'' published by [[Advent]].  
  
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He began his editing career in 1943 with [[Popular Publications]], worked for a while for a literary agency, then returned to Popular Publications and assisted [[Ejler Jakobsson]] at ''[[Super Science Stories]]''. He left ''[[Super Science Stories]]'' in 1950 to become editor of ''[[Worlds Beyond]]''. He wrote for television, including [[Captain Video and His Video Rangers]], and returned to professional editing with ''[[IF]]'' in 1958.  He is credited with creating the [[original anthology]] with his influential ''[[Orbit]]'' series starting in 1966 and also began the ''[[Nebula Award Winners]]'' series from [[SFWA]].
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Probably [https://www.fanac.org/fanzines/1940s_One_Shots/1940s13.pdf#page=3 his most famous critical piece] was also one of the earliest. In 1945, he demolished [[A. E. van Vogt]]'s revered ''World of Null-A''.  (Van Vogt was one of the [[Big Three]] and ''Null-A'' had up to that point had a huge reputation.) The criticism, while entirely valid, was so uncharitable that it diminished Knight's own reputation.
 +
 
 +
For more about some episodes of his early [[fannish]] career, see [[General fan organization]], [[Futurian Houses]], [[Vanguard]], [[Nicknames]], [[Quote-cards]], and [[X Document]].
 +
 
 +
==Pro ==
 +
He began selling his SF writing in 1941. He was  the founding editor of the ''[[SFWA Bulletin]]''. With [[James Blish]] and [[Judith Merril]] he also founded the [[Milford Science Fiction Writers' Conference]] in 1956 (and directed it for its first twenty years), and in 1968 helped to found the [[Clarion SF Writers' Workshop]].
 +
 
 +
He began his editing career in 1943 with [[Popular Publications]], worked for a while for a literary agency, then returned to Popular Publications and assisted [[Ejler Jakobsson]] at ''[[Super Science Stories]]''. He left ''[[Super Science Stories]]'' in 1950 to become editor of ''[[Worlds Beyond]]''. He wrote for television, including [[Captain Video and His Video Rangers]], and returned to professional editing with ''[[IF]]'' in 1958.  He is credited with creating the [[original anthology]] with his influential ''[[Orbit]]'' series starting in 1966 and also began the ''[[Nebula Award Winners]]'' series from [[SFWA]]. His influential short story “[[To Serve Man]]” became a ''[[Twilight Zone]]'' episode.  
  
 
He used the [[pseudonyms]] '''Donald Laverty''' (with [[James Blish]]), '''Ritter Conway''', and '''Stuart Fleming'''.
 
He used the [[pseudonyms]] '''Donald Laverty''' (with [[James Blish]]), '''Ritter Conway''', and '''Stuart Fleming'''.
  
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The 3rd issue of the fanzine ''[[Fanhistory]]'', dated April 1956, was devoted to Knight and his work. "All in a Knight's Work" by [[James Blish]] appeared in ''[[Speculation (Weston)|Speculation]] 29'' (1971). Knight was interviewed in the March, 1972 issue (#34) of the fanzine ''[[Luna Monthly]]'', and in ''[[Eternity Science Fiction]]'' #4 (February, 1975). Over the years he has been featured in several issues of ''[[The National Fantasy Fan]]'' (he is credited with founding the [[National Fantasy Fan Federation]], or N3F). The Knight Manuscript Collection is held at the George Arents Research Library, Manuscript Division, Syracuse University.
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===''Orbit''===
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''Orbit'' was a series of [[original anthologies]] edited by Knight starting in 1966.  The stories ranged from great to too experimental for most [[fans]] and was more than a bit controversial for that reason. At its best it marked a major turning point in [[SF]].
  
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He was married three times (the second time to Helen Schlaz del Rey, a former wife of [[Lester del Rey]]) before he married author [[Kate Wilhelm]] in 1963.
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{{SFE|name= orbit}}.  
  
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[[InfinityBox Press]] has been created to present the new and legacy works of  Wilhelm and Knight in hardcover and ebook formats.
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See [[Orbit (Disambiguation)|disambiguation]] for other orbits.  
  
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For a ''very'' early short biography, see {{WhosWho1940|page=8}}. A short bio-bibliography of Knight by Jon D. Swartz appeared in the June, 2015 issue of The National Fantasy Fan (TNFF), and he will be featured in an upcoming N3F Fandbook..
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==Personal Life ==
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He was married three times: His second wife was [[Helen Schlaz del Rey]] (a former wife of [[Lester del Rey]]’s). He married author [[Kate Wilhelm]] in 1963 and they remained together until his death.
  
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{{link | website=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uj9VqZMPkM | text=GoH Speech at Noreascon 2}}
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[[InfinityBox Press]] was created to present the new and legacy works of Wilhelm and Knight in hardcover and ebook formats. The Knight Manuscript Collection is held at the George Arents Research Library, Manuscript Division, Syracuse University.
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'''More Reading:'''
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* {{SFE|name=knight_damon}}.
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* {{link | website=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uj9VqZMPkM | text=Audio of Knight's GoH Speech at Noreascon 2}}.
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* A ''very'' early short biography in {{WhosWho1940|page=8}}.
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* A short bio-bibliography in the June, 2015 issue of ''[[The National Fantasy Fan]]''.
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* ''[[Fanhistory (Hoffman)]]'' 3, April 1956, devoted to Knight and his work.
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* "All in a Knight's Work" by [[James Blish]] in ''[[Speculation (Weston)]] 29'' (1971).
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* Knight interviews in ''[[Luna Monthly]]'' 34 (March, 1972) and ''[[Eternity Science Fiction]]'' #4 (February, 1975).
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{{fanzines}}
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* ''[[Dirty Word]]'' [1946]
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* ''[[It]]'' [1945] (with [[Larry Shaw]])
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* ''[[SFWA Bulletin]]''
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* ''[[Snide]]'' [1940-41]
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* ''[[Science Fiction Forum (Knight)]]'' with [[Lester del Rey]].
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* ''[[The Stencil Duplicated Newspaper]]'' [1941] (with [[F. S. Knight]])
  
 
{{recognition}}
 
{{recognition}}
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* 1951 -- '''[[Best Short Story Retro Hugo]]'''
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* 1941 -- [[Denvention Medal]]
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* 1956 -- '''[[Best Book Reviewer Hugo]]'''
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* 1956 -- '''[[1956 Best Book Reviewer Hugo|Best Book Reviewer Hugo]]'''
 
* 1967 -- [[Boskone 4]]
 
* 1967 -- [[Boskone 4]]
 
* 1970 -- [[Balticon 4]]
 
* 1970 -- [[Balticon 4]]
Line 43: Line 70:
 
* 1995 -- [[Fourth Street Fantasy 1995]]
 
* 1995 -- [[Fourth Street Fantasy 1995]]
 
* 1996 -- [[Raymond Z. Gallun Award]]
 
* 1996 -- [[Raymond Z. Gallun Award]]
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* 2001 -- [[1951 Best Short Story Retro Hugo]]
 
* 2003 -- [[Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame]] (Posthumous)
 
* 2003 -- [[Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame]] (Posthumous)
 
* The [[SFWA Grand Master Award]] is named after him.
 
* The [[SFWA Grand Master Award]] is named after him.
  
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{{fanzines}}
 
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* ''[[Dirty Word]]'' [1946]
 
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* ''[[It]]'' [1945] (with [[Larry Shaw]])
 
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* ''[[SFWA Bulletin]]''
 
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* ''[[Snide]]'' [1940-41]
 
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* ''[[Science Fiction Forum (Knight)]]'' with [[Lester del Rey]].
 
  
 
{{person | born=1922 | died=2002}}
 
{{person | born=1922 | died=2002}}
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[[Category:Notable]]
 
 
[[Category:fan]]
 
[[Category:fan]]
 
[[Category:first_fandom]]
 
[[Category:first_fandom]]
 
[[Category:pro]]
 
[[Category:pro]]
 
[[Category:US]]
 
[[Category:US]]
 +
[[Category:artist]]

Latest revision as of 12:41, 1 February 2024

(September 19, 1922 – April 15, 2002)

Damon Francis Knight (or damon knight — early on he affected the lowercase style) was a fan who had a major fannish career and then turned with even greater success to prodom. Knight was a Hugo-winning SF writer, fan, critic, editor, and inspired two of the most durable sf organizations ever: N3F and SFWA. (He later said that they were his two biggest mistakes.)


Fan[edit]

He found sf at age 10 in Amazing and became a fan after receiving a copy of Bob Tucker's Nova.

In his youth, he published the fanzine Snide. He was a member of the Futurians which he described in detail in his memoir The Futurians. He published It with Larry Shaw. He was also a fan artist of some note in the 1940s. He wrote an autobiography at 17 in which he noted: 

I have sold one cartoon to Ziff-Davis and hope to sell more. My favorite authors are Cabell, Charteris, Wodehouse, Thorne Smith, and Ernest Bramah, my favorite movie actor is Donald Duck, and I don't like eggs, neckties, or preachers.

He may be most famous as one of the earliest — and most incisive — critics of SF with his fanzine columns collected in In Search of Wonder published by Advent.

Probably his most famous critical piece was also one of the earliest. In 1945, he demolished A. E. van Vogt's revered World of Null-A. (Van Vogt was one of the Big Three and Null-A had up to that point had a huge reputation.) The criticism, while entirely valid, was so uncharitable that it diminished Knight's own reputation.

For more about some episodes of his early fannish career, see General fan organization, Futurian Houses, Vanguard, Nicknames, Quote-cards, and X Document.

Pro[edit]

He began selling his SF writing in 1941. He was the founding editor of the SFWA Bulletin. With James Blish and Judith Merril he also founded the Milford Science Fiction Writers' Conference in 1956 (and directed it for its first twenty years), and in 1968 helped to found the Clarion SF Writers' Workshop.

He began his editing career in 1943 with Popular Publications, worked for a while for a literary agency, then returned to Popular Publications and assisted Ejler Jakobsson at Super Science Stories. He left Super Science Stories in 1950 to become editor of Worlds Beyond. He wrote for television, including Captain Video and His Video Rangers, and returned to professional editing with IF in 1958. He is credited with creating the original anthology with his influential Orbit series starting in 1966 and also began the Nebula Award Winners series from SFWA. His influential short story “To Serve Man” became a Twilight Zone episode.

He used the pseudonyms Donald Laverty (with James Blish), Ritter Conway, and Stuart Fleming.

Orbit[edit]

Orbit was a series of original anthologies edited by Knight starting in 1966. The stories ranged from great to too experimental for most fans and was more than a bit controversial for that reason. At its best it marked a major turning point in SF.

Entry in The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction.

See disambiguation for other orbits.

Personal Life[edit]

He was married three times: His second wife was Helen Schlaz del Rey (a former wife of Lester del Rey’s). He married author Kate Wilhelm in 1963 and they remained together until his death.

InfinityBox Press was created to present the new and legacy works of Wilhelm and Knight in hardcover and ebook formats. The Knight Manuscript Collection is held at the George Arents Research Library, Manuscript Division, Syracuse University.

More Reading:

Fanzines and Apazines:

Awards, Honors and GoHships:


Person 1922—2002
This is a biography page. Please extend it by adding more information about the person, such as fanzines and apazines published, awards, clubs, conventions worked on, GoHships, impact on fandom, external links, anecdotes, etc. See Standards for People and The Naming of Names.

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