Biographies

From Fancyclopedia 2, ca. 1959

Of pros have been popular since the very first fanzine. In Second Fandom, biographies of fans became popular, and who's whos of fandom appeared; a little later came autoanalyses. The biographies may give date and place of birth and physical characteristics, but for the most part are given over to the fan's entrance into and career in fandom, and his taste in proz, fanzines, fans, etc, to the virtual exclusion of information about his schooling, family background, jobs, ktp, which would be useful in understanding the person.

From Fancyclopedia 1, ca. 1944

Biografies Biografies of pro figures were in the first fanzines and before. In the Second Fandom, biogs of fans became popular, and who's whos of fandom appeared. A little later came autoanalyses. The biografies usually give date and place of birth, and sometimes physical characteristics, but for the most part are given over to the fan's entrance and career in fandom, and his preferences as to promags, fanzines, fans, etc, to the virtual exclusion of information about his schooling, family background, jobs, &c, which would be useful in understanding the person.

See also: Who's Who in Fandom, Fanoirs.

There have been excellent pro biographies and more than a few fan biographies published. (The titles below include books focusing on the work more than the life, as well as memoirs and collections of various material.)

Subject	Title	Author
Forrest J Ackerman	Forry: The Life of Forrest J Ackerman	Deborah Painter
Douglas Adams	Don't Panic (1986)	Neil Gaiman
	Wish You Were Here (2003)	Nick Webb
	Hitchhiker: A Biography of Douglas Adams (2003)	M. J. Simpson
Brian Aldiss, Alfred Bester, Harry Harrison, Damon Knight, Frederik Pohl and Robert Silverberg	Hell's Cartographers	Brian Aldiss, Harry Harrison, eds.
Piers Anthony	Bio of an Ogre: The Autobiography of Piers Anthony to Age 50	Piers Anthony
Isaac Asimov	In Memory Yet Green	Isaac Asimov
	In Joy Still Felt: The Autobiography of Isaac Asimov, 1954–1978
	I. Asimov: A Memoir (1994)
	Isaac Asimov	James Gunn
	Isaac Asimov	Michael White
Iain M. Banks	Iain M. Banks (2017)	Paul Kincaid
Gregory Benford	Gregory Benford	George Slusser
Otto Binder	Words of Wonder: The Life and Times of Otto Binder (2003)	Bill Schelly
Robert Bloch	Once Around the Bloch: An Unauthorized Autobiography	Robert Bloch
Hannes Bok	And Flights of Angels: The Life and Legend of Hannes Bok (1968)	Emil Petaja
	Hannes Bok: A Life in Illustration	Joseph Wrzos
Ray Bradbury	Becoming Ray Bradbury	Jonathan R. Eller
	Bradbury: An Illustrated Life	Jerry Weist
	The Bradbury Chronicles: The Life of Ray Bradbury	Sam Weller
	Ray Bradbury: Master of Science Fiction and Fantasy	Wendy Mass
	Ray Bradbury Unbound	Jonathan R. Eller
Lois McMaster Bujold	Lois McMaster Bujold	Edward James
	Lois McMaster Bujold: Essays on a Modern Master of Science Fiction and Fantasy (2013)	Donald E. Palumbo, C. W. Sullivan III, eds.
Octavia E. Butler	Conversations with Octavia Butler (2010)	Butler, Conseula Francis
	Octavia E. Butler	Gerry Canavan
John W. Campbell, Jr., Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein and L. Ron Hubbard	Astounding: John W. Campbell, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, L. Ron Hubbard, and the Golden Age of Science Fiction (2018)	Alec Nevala-Lee
Hugh B. Cave	Magazines I Remember	Hugh B. Cave
	Pulp Man's Odyssey: The Hugh B. Cave Story	Audrey Parente
Arthur C. Clarke	Arthur C. Clarke	Gary Westfahl
	Arthur C. Clarke: A Life Remembered (2013)	Fred Clarke (and others)
	Astounding Days	Arthur C. Clarke
	Visionary: The Odyssey of Sir Arthur C. Clarke	Neil McAleer
Sidney Coleman	Theoretical Physics in Your Face	Aaron W. Wright, Diana Coleman, David Kaiser
W. Paul Cook	W. Paul Cook: The Wandering Life of a Yankee Printer	Sean Donnelly
Leslie A. Croutch	Years of Light	John Robert Colombo
L. Sprague de Camp	Time and Chance	L. Sprague de Camp
Samuel R. Delany	Motion of Light in Water (1988)	Samuel R. Delany
Philip K. Dick	Search for Philip K. Dick	Anne R. Dick
	Only Apparently Real	Paul Williams
Gardner Dozois	Being Gardner Dozois	Michael Swanwick
Ed Emshwiller	Emshwiller: Infinity X Two	Luis Ortiz
Lloyd Arthur Eshbach	Over My Shoulder: Reflections on a Science Fiction Era	Lloyd Arthur Eshbach
Jack Gaughan	Outermost: The Art & Life of Jack Gaughan	Luis Ortiz
William Gibson	Conversations with William Gibson	Patrick A. Smith, ed.
	William Gibson	Gary Westfahl
James Gunn	Saving the World Through Science Fiction	Michael R. Page
	Star-Begotten: A Life Lived in Science Fiction	James Gunn
Harry Harrison	Harry Harrison! Harry Harrison!: A Memoir	Harry Harrison
Ray Harryhausen	Ray Harryhausen: An Animated Life	Ray Harryhausen, Tony Dalton
Robert A. Heinlein	Grumbles from the Grave (1989)	Robert A. Heinlein
	Robert A. Heinlein: In Dialogue with His Century. Volume 1 (1907-1948): Learning Curve; Volume 2 (1948-1988): The Man Who Learned Better	William H. Patterson, Jr.
Frank Herbert	Frank Herbert: Prophet of Dune	George Edgar Slusser
	Frank Herbert	Timothy O'Reilly
	Dreamer of Dune: The Biography of Frank Herbert	Brian Herbert
Robert E. Howard	Blood & Thunder: The Life & Art of Robert E. Howard	Mark Finn
	Dark Valley Destiny	L. Sprague de Camp
	Robert E. Howard: A Literary Biography	David C. Smith
L. Ron Hubbard	Bare-Faced Messiah: The True Story of L. Ron Hubbard	Russell Miller
Tove Jansson	Tove Jansson: Life, Art, Words	Boel Westin
	Tove Jansson: Work and Love	Tuula Karjalainen
C. M. Kornbluth	C. M. Kornbluth: The Life and Works of a Science Fiction Visionary	Mark Rich
David A. Kyle	David A. Kyle: A Life of Science Fiction Ideas and Dreams	John L. Coker
Ursula K. Le Guin	Conversations with Ursula K. Le Guin	Ursula K. Le Guin, Carl Howard Freedman
Fritz Leiber	"Not Much Disorder and Not So Early Sex: An Autobiographic Essay" in The Ghost Light (1984)	Fritz Leiber
Murray Leinster	Murray Leinster: The Life and Works	Billee J. Stallings, Jo-An J. Evans
C. S. Lewis	C. S. Lewis: A Life: Eccentric Genius, Reluctant Prophet	Alister E. McGrath
H. P. Lovecraft	H. P. Lovecraft: A Portrait	L. Sprague de Camp
Leo Margulies	Leo Margulies: Giant of the Pulps	Philip Sherman
Anne McCaffrey	Dragonholder: The Life and Dreams (So Far) of Anne McCaffrey	Todd McCaffrey, Anne McCaffrey
	Anne McCaffrey: A Life with Dragons	Robin Roberts
Judith Merril	Better to Have Loved: The Life of Judith Merril (2002)	Judith Merril, Emily Pohl-Weary
Hope Mirrlees	Hope-In-The-Mist: The Extraordinary Career and Mysterious Life of Hope Mirrlees	Michael Swanwick
Sam Moskowitz	After All These Years: Sam Moskowitz on His Science Fiction Career	Fred Lerner, Jeffrey Elliott
E. Nesbit	E. Nesbit: A Biography	Doris Langley Moore
	Magic and the Magician: E. Nesbit and her Children's Books	Noel Streatfeild
Andy Offutt	My Father, the Pornographer: A Memoir	Chris Offutt
Ray Palmer	The Man From Mars: Ray Palmer's Amazing Pulp Journey	Fred Nadis
Daniel M. Pinkwater	The Agony & the Eggplant: Daniel Pinkwater's Heroic Struggles in the Name of YA Literature	Walter Hogan
H. Beam Piper	H. Beam Piper: A Biography	John F. Carr
Frederik Pohl	The Way the Future Was (1978)	Frederik Pohl
Terry Pratchett	The Magic of Terry Pratchett (2020)	Marc Burrows
	Terry Pratchett: A Life With Footnotes: The Official Biography (2022)	Rob Wilkins
Trina Robbins	Last Girl Standing (2017)	Trina Robbins
Eric Frank Russell	Into Your Tent: The World of Eric Frank Russell	John L. Ingham
Julius Schwartz	Man of Two Worlds: My Life in Science Fiction and Comics	Julius Schwartz
Robert Silverberg	Other Space, Other Times: A life spent in the future	Robert Silverberg
George R. Stewart	The Life and Truth of George R. Stewart: A Literary Biography of the Author of Earth Abides (2012)	Donald M. Scott
James Tiptree, Jr.	James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon (2006)	Julie Phillips
J. R. R. Tolkien	J. R. R. Tolkien: Author of the Century (2000)	Tom Shippey
	J. R. R. Tolkien: A Biography (1977)	Humphrey Carpenter
	Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth	Catherine McIlwaine, ed.
Jack Vance	This is Me, Jack Vance! (Or, More Properly, This is "I")	Jack Vance
A. E. van Vogt	Reflections of A. E. van Vogt: The Autobiography of a Science Fiction Giant, with a Complete Bibliography	A. E. van Vogt
Jules Verne	Jules Verne: An Exploratory Biography	Herbert R. Lottman
	Jules Verne: The Definitive Biography (2006)	William Butcher
H. G. Wells	The Young H. G. Wells: Changing The World	Claire Tomalin
Peter Weston	With Stars in My Eyes	Peter Weston
Jack Williamson	Wonder's Child: My Life in Science Fiction	Jack Williamson
Roger Zelazny	Roger Zelazny (2021)	F. Brett Cox

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