Biographies
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| 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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