Harry Harrison! Harry Harrison! Read online

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  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  A word from Moira Harrison

  My father never missed a deadline in his working life. He took great pride in his work ethic and he went to work every day as a writer. He always said, “Writers write, they don’t just talk about it,” and that is what he did. Even when he was seriously ill and very frail, he kept writing. When he could not use the computer anymore, he wrote by hand. When he could not write by hand, he dictated. We labored together to get his memoirs finished. It was a very tough task, and when it was finished, he did not want to celebrate with a glass of wine, as he would normally do. He knew that the book and his life were ending together, and four days after he asked me to type “The End,” he passed away peacefully. He loved his life in science fiction and he loved all his fans. I hope you will enjoy this memoir, as you have enjoyed all his other works.

  These are the words he asked me to write on his behalf:

  Firstly, I would like to thank my daughter, Moira, for all her help in getting this book finished. I would also like to thank my children, Todd and Moira, as well as my late wife, Joan, for all the love and support they have shown me over the years—they had to put up with a lot! My son-in-law, Mark, deserves a special mention for all the support and practical help he has given me and my daughter over the last few years through some very challenging times. Finally, I would like to thank all my fans throughout the world who have bought and read my books and told me what they meant to them. Thank you.

  TIME LINE OF HARRY’S LIFE

  The 1920s and 1930s

  1925

  Harry Max Harrison is born March 12 in Stamford, Connecticut, USA, the only child of Ria and Henry Leo Harrison.

  1927

  The family moves to Brooklyn, New York, USA.

  1930

  The family moves to Queens, New York, USA.

  1938

  Harry Harrison becomes a charter member of the Queens Chapter of the Science Fiction League.

  The 1940s

  1941

  The May–June 1941 issue of the fanzine Sun Spots publishes a piece of artwork called “Robot” by a sixteen-year-old Harry Harrison.

  1943

  Graduates from Forest Hills High School. Attends the Eastern Aircraft Instrument School in New Jersey and becomes a certified aircraft instrument mechanic. Drafted into the U.S. Army Air Corps, he is sent to Keesler Field, Mississippi, for basic training, then to Lowry Field in Denver, Colorado, where he is trained as a power-operated turret and computing gunsight specialist.

  1944

  Sent to the Air Corps base in Laredo, Texas, where he maintains gunsight computers and acts as armorer, gunnery instructor, and truck driver.

  1945

  Transferred to the gunnery school in Panama City, Florida. When the school is closed, Harrison is promoted to sergeant and transferred to military police duties.

  1946

  Discharged from the army in February, Harrison works briefly as a hydraulic press operator. Then at the start of the fall term he begins an art course at Hunter College in New York City and becomes a student of noted American painter John Blomshield. Harrison leaves the class but continues to study privately under Blomshield for the next two years. At the same time, he attends the Cartoonists and Illustrators School.

  1948

  Teams up with Wally Wood while at the Cartoonists and Illustrators School, and they begin to produce comics and freelance commercial illustration work.

  The 1950s

  1950

  HH chairs Hydracon on July 4 in New York: the first professional science fiction writers’ convention.

  HH illustrates the first two issues of Worlds Beyond magazine for Damon Knight, but illness prevents him from illustrating the third and drives him to the typewriter to write his first story.

  1950 to 1952, Harrison is a freelance illustrator, operating his own art agency with two employees.

  1951

  “Rock Diver,” Harry Harrison’s first science fiction story, appears in the August edition of Worlds Beyond.

  1952

  Moves into editing, packaging, and publishing comics, often writing and/or illustrating much of the content of an issue.

  1952 to 1953, Harry Harrison is publisher of the magazine On the Q.T. and editor for Royal Publications, Inc.

  1953

  As the comics boom comes to an end, Harrison moves into writing for, and editing, pulp magazines. HH writes “true” adventures for men’s magazines and “true confessions” for women’s magazines.

  1953 to 1954, Harrison acts as editor of Space Science Fiction, Science Fiction Adventures, Rocket Stories, and Fantasy Fiction.

  1954

  Marries Joan Marian Merkler, June 4.

  1955

  Birth of son, Todd, May 21.

  September, Harrison delivers “Plotting Science Fiction,” City College of New York, extension program.

  1955 to 1956, Harrison is art director of Picture Week magazine.

  HH begins writing The Saint comic strips and continues until the strip ends in 1960.

  1956

  Harrison becomes a full-time freelance writer. Moves to Mexico and begins work on his first novel, Deathworld.

  1957

  HH attends the 15th Worldcon held in London, England. Participates in a panel on “American Science Fiction.”

  The Harrisons move to England. Spends a short period writing Jeff Hawke comic scripts for Sydney Jordan in the autumn, as well as comics for Fleetway Publications.

  First Stainless Steel Rat short story published.

  1958

  Moves to Italy.

  Begins to write Flash Gordon scripts for the comic strip drawn by Dan Barry. Continues to write these scripts for the next ten years.

  Returns to New York for the birth of his daughter.

  1959

  Birth of daughter, Moira, January 9.

  Deathworld is completed and sold to John Campbell.

  Moves to Denmark in the summer, where the Harrisons live for the next six years.

  January, Harrison delivers “Science Fiction as a World Literature” to the Kopenhago Esperanto Klubo, Copenhagen, Denmark.

  June, Harrison delivers “Science Fiction in Esperanto,” Klubo Esperantista de Malmo, Malmo, Sweden.

  Harrison begins work on Bill, the Galactic Hero.

  The 1960s

  1960

  Deathworld published in Astounding.

  May, Harrison delivers “First on the Moon” to the Young Conservative Club of Hørsholm, Hørsholm, Denmark.

  September, Harrison delivers “American Science Fiction” to the Swedish Science Fiction Convention, Gothenburg, Sweden.

  1961

  The Stainless Steel Rat is published in book form.

  March, Harrison delivers “The Future of the Future” to the British Science Fiction Association annual meeting, Gloucester, England.

  1962

  Planet of the Damned and War with the Robots, Harrison’s first short story collection, are published.

  April, Harrison delivers “American and British Science Fiction” to the British Science
Fiction Association annual meeting, Harrogate, England.

  1963

  Harrison is the guest of honor at the British Science Fiction Association annual meeting, Birmingham, England, where he delivers the guest of honor address on “Sex and Censorship in Science Fiction.”

  1964

  Founds SF Horizons—the first magazine of SF criticism—with Brian Aldiss.

  Vendetta for the Saint is published under the name of Leslie Charteris. Deathworld 2 is published.

  March, Harrison delivers “Criticism in Science Fiction” at the annual meeting of the Eastern Science Fiction Association, Newark, New Jersey, USA.

  July, Harrison delivers “The Future of the Science Fiction Film” at the First International Convention on the Problems of Science Fiction, First International Festival of the Science Fiction Film, Trieste, Italy.

  1965

  Bill, the Galactic Hero is finally published, following difficulties in trying to get editors to accept its blend of SF and satire. Two Tales and Eight Tomorrows published.

  HH moves to England.

  April, Harrison delivers “Quasi-astronomical Sources in Science Fiction” to the Cambridge University Astronomical Society, Cambridge, England.

  May, Harrison participates in the debate “The Existence of UFOs” at the Reigate Grammar School, Reigate, England.

  September, Harrison attends the 23rd World Science Fiction Convention in London, England, where he participates in the panel “The New Criticism in Science Fiction.”

  November, Harrison delivers “Technology in Science Fiction” to the London University Science Fiction Association, London, England.

  1965 to 1966, Harrison is editor of the English magazine SF Impulse.

  1966

  Make Room! Make Room! and Plague from Space are published.

  February, Harrison delivers “The Future of the Biological Sciences” at Bromley Technical College, Bromley, England.

  April, Harrison takes part in the panel “Editing Science Fiction” at the British Science Fiction Association annual meeting, Great Yarmouth, England.

  July, Harrison attends the Third International Festival of the Science Fiction Film, Trieste, Italy, where he is elected judge of the festival prize films and takes part in the Astronomical Roundtable on the Possibilities of Extraterrestrial Life, where he discusses “Possible Forms of Alien Life.”

  1967

  Moves to San Diego, California.

  The Technicolor Time Machine is published.

  November, Harrison delivers “Traveling with Science Fiction” at Kiwanis International, Long Beach, New York, USA.

  1967 to 1968, Harrison is editor of Amazing Stories and Fantastic Science Fiction.

  1968

  Edits the first of nine volumes of the Year’s Best SF with Brian Aldiss: the anthology is published annually until 1976.

  Deathworld 3 published.

  February, Harrison delivers “International Income Tax” to The American Society of Women Accountants, San Diego, California, USA.

  March, Harrison attends the annual conference of the Science Fiction Writers of America in Berkeley, California, USA, where he is cochairman at the Nebula Awards Banquet and delivers “Needed Reforms in Authors’ Contract Negotiations.”

  April, Harrison delivers “Writing and Selling Modern Science Fiction” at San Diego State College, San Diego, California, USA.

  May, Harrison delivers “The Role of Science in Science Fiction,” Mar Vista High School, Imperial Beach, California, USA.

  June, Harrison delivers “Science Fiction, Spokesman for Science” at the First Unitarian Church, San Diego, California, USA.

  July, Harrison is guest of honor at the Future Unlimited Convention, Los Angeles, California, USA, where he delivers the guest of honor address “The Year 2000.”

  August, Harrison delivers “The Craft of Science Fiction” at the Writers Summer Workshop, San Diego State College, San Diego, California, USA.

  September, Harrison attends the 26th World Science Fiction Convention, Berkeley, California, USA, and takes part in the panel “Future Trends: The Writers to Watch.”

  1969

  Captive Universe is published and chosen as the Book-of-the-Month Club selection for April. Prime Number is published.

  The 1970s

  1970

  In Our Hands the Stars, One Step from Earth, and The Stainless Steel Rat’s Revenge are published.

  1972

  The Stainless Steel Rat Saves the World; A Transatlantic Tunnel, Hurrah!; Stonehenge; and Montezuma’s Revenge are all published.

  1973

  Soylent Green is released: the film wins Harry Harrison and the film’s screenwriter the Nebula Award, presented by the Science Fiction Writers of America, for the Best Dramatic Presentation.

  Star Smashers of the Galaxy Rangers is published.

  1974

  HH returns to London.

  Queen Victoria’s Revenge is published.

  1975

  Takes up residence in the Republic of Ireland.

  1976

  Organizes the first International Science Fiction Authors Conference, which is held in Dublin.

  Lifeship, Skyfall, and The Best of Harry Harrison are published.

  1977

  HH elected president of World SF.

  Great Balls of Fire is published.

  1978

  The Stainless Steel Rat Wants You is published.

  1979

  Planet Story published.

  The 1980s

  1980

  Homeworld and The QEII Is Missing are published.

  1981

  Planet of No Return, Wheelworld, and Starworld are published.

  1982

  Invasion: Earth, The Jupiter Plague, and The Stainless Steel Rat for President are published.

  1983

  Rebel in Time and Stonehenge: Where Atlantis Died are published.

  1984

  West of Eden is published.

  1985

  A Stainless Steel Rat Is Born and You Can Be the Stainless Steel Rat, an interactive game book, are published.

  Harry Harrison becomes an honorary patron of the Universal Esperanto Association.

  1986

  Winter in Eden is published.

  Harry Harrison is guest of honor at Windycon XIII in Chicago.

  1987

  The Stainless Steel Rat Gets Drafted is published.

  HH attends the International SF Authors’ Convention in Moscow.

  1988

  Return to Eden is published.

  1989

  Bill, the Galactic Hero on the Planet of Robot Slaves is published.

  Harry Harrison by Leon Stover published in Twayne’s United States Authors Series, the first full-length critical study of Harrison’s works.

  The 1990s

  1990

  HH is guest of honor at the 48th World Science Fiction Conference in The Hague. Bill, the Galactic Hero on the Planet of Bottled Brains is published.

  1991

  Bill, the Galactic Hero on the Planet of Tasteless Pleasure; Bill, the Galactic Hero on the Planet of Ten Thousand Bars; Bill, the Galactic Hero: the Final Incoherent Adventure; and There Won’t Be War are all published.