Damon Knight
Encyclopedia
Damon Francis Knight was an American science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...

 author, editor, critic
Literary criticism
Literary criticism is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often informed by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of its methods and goals...

 and fan
Science fiction fandom
Science fiction fandom or SF fandom is a community or "fandom" of people actively interested in science fiction and fantasy and in contact with one another based upon that interest...

. His forte was short stories
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...

 and he is widely acknowledged as having been a master of the genre.

Biography

Damon Knight was born in Baker, Oregon in 1922, and grew up in Hood River, Oregon
Hood River, Oregon
The city of Hood River is the seat of Hood River County, Oregon, United States. It is a port on the Columbia River, and is named for the nearby Hood River. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 5,831...

. He entered science-fiction fandom at the age of eleven and published two issues of a fanzine entitled "Snide."

Knight's first professional sale was a cartoon drawing to a science-fiction magazine, Amazing Stories
Amazing Stories
Amazing Stories was an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction...

. His first story, "Resilience", was published in 1941; an editorial error made this story's ending incomprehensible, although the story was later reprinted elsewhere as Knight originally wrote it. He was a Hugo Award
Hugo Award
The Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...

 winner, founder of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, or SFWA is a nonprofit association of professional science fiction and fantasy writers. It was founded in 1965 by Damon Knight under the name Science Fiction Writers of America, Inc. and it retains the acronym SFWA after a very brief use of the SFFWA...

 (SFWA), cofounder of the National Fantasy Fan Federation
National Fantasy Fan Federation
The National Fantasy Fan Federation is one of the world's oldest science fiction fandom organizations. The organization was founded in April 1941 when all science fiction, horror, and fantasy literature was lumped into one category called "fantasy." The group actively encourages the development of...

, cofounder of the Milford Writer's Workshop
Milford Writer's Workshop
The Milford Writer's Workshop or more properly Milford Writers' Conference is an influential science fiction writer's event founded by Damon Knight among others in the mid-1950s in Milford, Pennsylvania...

, and cofounder of the Clarion Writers Workshop. Until his death, Knight lived in Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...

, with his wife Kate Wilhelm
Kate Wilhelm
Kate Wilhelm is an American writer whose works include science fiction, mystery, and fantasy.- Career :Wilhelm was born in Toledo, Ohio....

, also a writer of science fiction and of fantasy, contemporary mimetic and crime fiction.

At the time of his first story, he was living in New York, and was a member of the Futurians
Futurians
The Futurians were a group of science fiction fans, many of whom became editors and writers as well. The Futurians were based in New York City and were a major force in the development of science fiction writing and science fiction fandom in the years 1937-1945.-Origins of the group:As described...

. One of his short stories describes paranormal disruption of a science fiction fan group, and contains cameo appearances of various Futurians and others under thinly-disguised names: For instance, non-Futurian sf writer H. Beam Piper
H. Beam Piper
Henry Beam Piper was an American science fiction author. He wrote many short stories and several novels. He is best known for his extensive Terro-Human Future History series of stories and a shorter series of "Paratime" alternate history tales.He wrote under the name H. Beam Piper...

 is identified as "H. Dreyne Fifer".

In a series of reviews for various magazines, he became famous as a science fiction critic, a career which began when he wrote in 1945 that A. E. van Vogt
A. E. van Vogt
Alfred Elton van Vogt was a Canadian-born science fiction author regarded by some as one of the most popular and complex science fiction writers of the mid-twentieth century: the "Golden Age" of the genre....

 "is not a giant as often maintained. He's only a pygmy who has learned to operate an overgrown typewriter." After nine years, he ceased reviewing when a magazine refused to publish one review exactly as he wrote it. These reviews were later collected in In Search of Wonder
In Search of Wonder
In Search of Wonder: Essays on Modern Science Fiction is a collection of critical essays by Damon Knight. Most of the material in the book was originally published between 1952 and 1955 in various science fiction magazines including Infinity Science Fiction, Original SF Stories, and Future SF...

.

The SFWA's Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award
Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award
The Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award is an award given by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. It is awarded to a living author for lifetime achievement in science fiction and/or fantasy. Officially, it is not a Nebula Award though it is awarded at the Nebula ceremony...

 for lifetime achievement was renamed in his honor. Formerly known as the Grand Master Award, Knight received that honor in 1994.

To the general public, he is best known as the author of "To Serve Man
To Serve Man
"To Serve Man" is a science fiction short story written by Damon Knight. It first appeared in the November 1950 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction and has been reprinted a number of times, including in Frontiers in Space , Far Out and The Best of Damon Knight...

", which was adapted for The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)
The Twilight Zone is an American anthology television series created by Rod Serling, which ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964. The series consisted of unrelated episodes depicting paranormal, futuristic, dystopian, or simply disturbing events; each show typically featured a surprising...

. He is also known for the term "idiot plot
Idiot plot
In literary criticism, idiot plot refers to "a plot which is kept in motion solely by virtue of the fact that everybody involved is an idiot," otherwise "they'd immediately figure out everything and the movie would be over." Reviewing Prime in 2005 critic Roger Ebert said "I can forgive and even...

," a story that only functions because almost everyone in it is an idiot; the term was probably invented by James Blish, but became well-known through Knight's frequent use of it in his reviews.

One of Knight's best-known stories, "The Country of the Kind
The Country of the Kind
The Country of the Kind is a science fiction short story by Damon Knight. It was first published in the February 1956 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction and has been reprinted many times, including in In Deep , The Science Fiction Hall of Fame The Country of the Kind is a science...

" (reprinted in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One) describes a future utopia
Utopia
Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...

 in which everyone is peaceful, kindly and honest ... except for a single individual who is compelled to be destructive and abusive; his mental illness (and artistic temperament) is contrasted with savage irony to their bland but apparently contented conformity. Another particularly interesting piece is "Rule Golden", in which an alien spreads a chemical that makes everyone receive as much pain as they give unto others. The consequences of what this would do to governments in general, and America's role in the world, are discussed in some detail.

Novels

  • Hell's Pavement
    Hell's Pavement
    Hell's Pavement is a science fiction novel by Damon Knight. The story postulates a technique for dealing with asocial behavior by giving everyone an "analogue", a mental imprint of an authority figure that intervenes whenever violent or otherwise harmful acts are contemplated.Chapter I first...

    (1955)
  • A for Anything
    A for Anything
    A for Anything is a science fiction novel by Damon Knight. The author postulates the discovery, in the near future, of the "Gismo", a device that can duplicate anything -- even another Gismo...

    (1961) (original version titled The People Maker, 1959)
  • Masters of Evolution
    Masters of Evolution
    Masters of Evolution is a 1959 science fiction novel by Damon Knight. It first appeared in 1954 in Galaxy Science Fiction as the novella "Natural State". Knight subsequently expanded the text by about 5000 words, and the longer version was published by Ace Books in 1959 as Masters of Evolution, in...

    (1959)
  • The Sun Saboteurs
    The Sun Saboteurs
    The Sun Saboteurs is a 1961 science fiction novel by Damon Knight. Its topic is expatriate Earthmen living on an alien planet, and their daily hardships in dealing with their status as a minority group among aliens....

    (1961)
  • Beyond the Barrier (1964)
  • Mind Switch
    Mind Switch
    Mind Switch is a science fiction novel by Damon Knight. It follows two individuals, a reporter for Paris-Soir and an intelligent alien at the Berlin Zoo, after their minds have been switched by a time-travel experiment gone awry....

    (1965)
  • The Rithian Terror
    The Rithian Terror
    The Rithian Terror is a science fiction novel by Damon Knight. The story is a psychological thriller that follows an Earth security officer in the future who is racing against time to locate an alien spy.-Synopsis:...

    (1965)
  • The Earth Quarter
    The Sun Saboteurs
    The Sun Saboteurs is a 1961 science fiction novel by Damon Knight. Its topic is expatriate Earthmen living on an alien planet, and their daily hardships in dealing with their status as a minority group among aliens....

    (1970)
  • World without Children (1970)
  • The World and Thorinn (1980)
  • The Man in the Tree (1984)
  • CV (1985)
  • The Observers (1988)
  • Double Meaning (1991)
  • God's Nose (1991)
  • Why Do Birds (1992)
  • Humpty Dumpty: An Oval (1996)

Short stories and other writings

  • "Not with a Bang
    Not with a Bang (short story)
    "Not with a Bang" is a science fiction short story written by Damon Knight. It first appeared in the winter 1949 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction and has been reprinted a number of times, including in Far Out , The Best of Damon Knight , 50 Short Science Fiction Tales, and The...

    " (1949)
  • "To Serve Man
    To Serve Man
    "To Serve Man" is a science fiction short story written by Damon Knight. It first appeared in the November 1950 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction and has been reprinted a number of times, including in Frontiers in Space , Far Out and The Best of Damon Knight...

    " (1950)
  • "Ask Me Anything" (1951)
  • "Cabin Boy" (1951)
  • "The Analogues" (1952)
  • "Beachcomber" (1952)
  • "Ticket to Anywhere" (1952)
  • "Anachron" (1953)
  • "Babel II" (1953)
  • "Four in One" (1953)
  • "Special Delivery
    Special Delivery (short story)
    "Special Delivery" is a science fiction short story written by Damon Knight. It first appeared in the April 1953 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction and has been reprinted a number of times, in Operation Future , Far Out , and The Best of Damon Knight .- Synopsis :Len and Moira Connington are expecting...

    " (1953)
  • "Natural State" (1954)
  • "Rule Golden" (1954)
  • "The Country of the Kind
    The Country of the Kind
    The Country of the Kind is a science fiction short story by Damon Knight. It was first published in the February 1956 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction and has been reprinted many times, including in In Deep , The Science Fiction Hall of Fame The Country of the Kind is a science...

    " (1955)
  • "Dulcie and Decorum
    Dulcie and Decorum
    "Dulcie and Decorum" is a science fiction short story written by Damon Knight. It first appeared in the March 1955 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction...

    " (1955)
  • "You're Another
    You're Another
    "You're Another" is a science fiction short story written by Damon Knight. It first appeared in the June 1955 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction and has been reprinted a number of times, including in the 1961 collection Far Out....

    " (1955)
  • "Extempore
    Extempore
    "Extempore" is a science fiction short story written by Damon Knight. It first appeared in the August 1956 issue of Infinity Science Fiction and has been reprinted twice, in Far Out and The Best of Damon Knight .- Synopsis :Albert Rossi, a New York dishwasher, learns to travel through time...

    " (1956)
  • "The Last Word
    The Last Word (Knight short story)
    "The Last Word" is a science fiction short story written by Damon Knight. It first appeared in the February 1957 issue of Satellite Science Fiction and has been reprinted twice, in Far Out and The Best of Damon Knight .- Synopsis :...

    " (1956)
  • "Stranger Station" (1956)
  • "Dio" (1957)
  • "The Dying Man" (1957)
  • "The Enemy
    The Enemy (short story)
    "The Enemy" is a science fiction short story written by Damon Knight. It first appeared in the January 1958 issue of Venture magazine and has been reprinted twice, in Far Out and The Best of Damon Knight .- Synopsis :...

    " (1958)
  • "An Eye for a What?" (1957)
  • "Be My Guest
    Be My Guest (short story)
    "Be My Guest" is a science fiction short story by Damon Knight. It was first published in the September 1958 issue of Fantastic Universe and was re-printed in the collections Off Center and The Others...

    " (1958)
  • "Eripmav" (1958)
  • "Idiot Stick
    Idiot Stick
    "Idiot Stick" is a science fiction short story written by Damon Knight. It first appeared in a 1958 issue of Star Science Fiction and has been reprinted a number of times, including in Star Science Fiction Stories No. 4 and Far Out ....

    " (1958)
  • "Thing of Beauty
    Thing of Beauty (short story)
    "Thing of Beauty" is a science fiction short story written by Damon Knight. It first appeared in the September 1958 issue of Galaxy magazine and has been reprinted three times, in Far Out , The Sixth Galaxy Reader , and The Best of Damon Knight .- Synopsis :One morning, a group of men in tight...

    " (1958)
  • "The Handler" (1960)
  • "Time Enough
    Time Enough
    "Time Enough" is a science fiction short story written by Damon Knight. It first appeared in the July 1960 issue of Amazing magazine and has since been reprinted twice, in Far Out and The Best of Damon Knight .- Synopsis :A psychiatrist of the future treats a young man, using a machine that...

    " (1960)
  • A Century of Science Fiction (1962) (editor)
  • The Big Pat Boom (1963)
  • God's Nose (1964)
  • Maid to Measure (1964)
  • "Shall the Dust Praise Thee?
    Shall the Dust Praise Thee?
    "Shall the Dust Praise Thee?" is a science fiction short story by Damon Knight. It was first published in the anthology Dangerous Visions...

    " (1967)
  • Masks (1968)
  • I See You (1976)
  • Forever (1981)
  • O (1983)
  • Strangers on Paradise (1986)
  • Not a Creature (1993)
  • Fortyday (1994)
  • Life Edit (1996)
  • Double Meaning
  • In the Beginning

Literary criticism and analysis

  • In Search of Wonder
    In Search of Wonder
    In Search of Wonder: Essays on Modern Science Fiction is a collection of critical essays by Damon Knight. Most of the material in the book was originally published between 1952 and 1955 in various science fiction magazines including Infinity Science Fiction, Original SF Stories, and Future SF...

    (1956) (collected reviews and critical pieces)
  • Creating Short Fiction (1981) (advice on writing short stories)
  • Turning Points (editor/contributor: critical anthology)
  • Orbit (editor)
  • The Futurians (1977, memoir/history)

Short story collections

  • Far Out
    Far Out (book)
    Far Out is a collection of 13 science fiction short stories by Damon Knight. The stories were originally published between 1949 and 1960 in Galaxy Magazine, If Science Fiction and other science fiction magazines...

    (1961) (contains "To Serve Man
    To Serve Man
    "To Serve Man" is a science fiction short story written by Damon Knight. It first appeared in the November 1950 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction and has been reprinted a number of times, including in Frontiers in Space , Far Out and The Best of Damon Knight...

    ")
  • In Deep
    In Deep (book)
    In Deep is a collection of eight science fiction short stories by Damon Knight. The stories were originally published between 1951 and 1960 in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Rogue and other magazines....

    (1963) (contains "The Country of the Kind
    The Country of the Kind
    The Country of the Kind is a science fiction short story by Damon Knight. It was first published in the February 1956 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction and has been reprinted many times, including in In Deep , The Science Fiction Hall of Fame The Country of the Kind is a science...

    ")
  • Off Center
    Off Center
    Off Center is a collection of five science fiction short stories by Damon Knight. The stories were originally published between 1952 and 1964 in Galaxy, If and other science fiction magazines....

    (1965) (contains "Be My Guest
    Be My Guest
    Be My Guest is an ongoing television programme produced by Television Broadcasts Limited in Hong Kong. It is originally broadcast on TVB Lifestyle Channel of TVB Pay Vision in 2006. It is also aired on certain Cathay Pacific flights. TVB released the VCD, DVD, and books...

    ")
  • Turning On
    Turning On
    Turning On is a collection of thirteen science fiction short stories by Damon Knight. The stories were originally published between 1951 and 1965 in Galaxy, Analog and other science fiction magazines....

    (1966)

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK