Book description
Brilliant invention, a rich sense of humour, an equal facility for
describing ideas and technologies - these are the ingredients of
Knight's extraordinary talent as an SF writer. This collection of
stories takes the reader from the death bed of the last man on earth to
the unlikely demise of a vegetable vampire - and proves that Knight was
at the top of his form. Damon Knight (1922 - 2002) Damon Francis
Knight was born in Oregon in 1922. He is regarded as one of the most
important figures in modern science fiction, having made significant
contributions to the field as an author, editor and critic. Knight
co-founded the Milford Writers' Conference, the influential Clarion
Workshop and the Science Fiction Writers of America, serving as its
first president from 1965-67. Around this time he also made his
reputation as one of the field's foremost anthologists. Beginning with
reprint collections, in 1966 he launched the influential Orbit series of
original anthologies. Starting with Orbit 1, the series would continue
for over a decade, concluding in 1980 with Orbit 21. Orbit was the
longest running and most influential anthology series in SF up to that
point, showcasing such important authors as Gene Wolfe, R. A. Lafferty
and Knight's third wife, Kate Wilhelm. A master of short fiction, Damon
Knight is best known in wider circles as the author of 'To Serve
Mankind', which was adapted for The Twilight Zone and later spoofed in a
Hallowe'en episode of The Simpsons. He was granted the SFWA's Grand
Master Award in 1995, and in 2002, SFWA renamed it the Damon Knight
Grand Master Award in his honour. He died in 2002.
