Poul Anderson

{{Short description|American science fiction writer (1926–2001)}}

{{Similar names|Poul Andersen (disambiguation)|Paul Anderson (disambiguation){{!}}Paul Anderson}}

{{Infobox writer

| name = Poul Anderson

| image = poul anderson.jpg

| caption = Anderson (center) at Polcon in 1985

| pseudonym = A. A. Craig
Michael Karageorge
Winston P. Sanders
P. A. Kingsley{{Cite web |url=http://www.conchord.org/xeno/zed2.jpg |title=Tracking Down The First Deliberate Use Of "Filk Song" |access-date=2007-08-11 |author=Lee Gold |author-link=Lee Gold}}

| birth_name = Poul William Anderson

| birth_date = {{birth date|mf=yes|1926|11|25}}

| birth_place = Bristol, Pennsylvania, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|mf=yes|2001|7|31|1926|11|25}}

| death_place = Orinda, California, U.S.{{cite web |url = https://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/03/books/poul-anderson-science-fiction-novelist-dies-at-74.html |title=Poul Anderson, Science Fiction Novelist, Dies at 74 |date =August 3, 2001 |access-date=October 24, 2018 |author= Douglas Martin |website= The New York Times}}{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZHnGCwAAQBAJ&q=Poul+ |title=Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2001: Film, Television, Radio, Theatre ... |author=Harris M. Lentz III |access-date= October 24, 2018|isbn=9780786452064 |year=2008 |publisher=McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers }}

| occupation = Writer

| nationality = American

| period = 1948–2001

| genre = Science fiction
Fantasy
Mystery
Historical fiction

| notableworks = {{plainlist|

}}

| website =

}}

Poul William Anderson (November 25, 1926 – July 31, 2001){{cite web |url= https://www.theguardian.com/news/2001/aug/04/guardianobituaries.books |title= Obituary: Poul Anderson (Prolific writer of science fiction's golden age) |author=David V Barrett |date= August 4, 2001 |access-date=October 25, 2018 |website= The Guardian}} was an American fantasy and science fiction author who was active from the 1940s until his death in 2001. Anderson also wrote historical novels. He won the Hugo Award seven times and the Nebula Award three times, and was nominated many more times for awards.{{cite web |title=Pennsylvania Center for the Book |url=https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map-pa/bios/Anderson__Poul_William |access-date=2009-03-28 |work=Worlds Without End}}{{cite web |url=https://www.worldswithoutend.com/books_nebula_index.asp |title=Science Fiction & Fantasy Books by Award: Complete Nebula Award novel listing |work=Worlds Without End |access-date=2024-02-13}}

Biography

Poul Anderson was born on November 25, 1926, in Bristol, Pennsylvania to Danish parents.{{cite news |last=Barrett |first=David V. |date=2001-08-06 |title=Poul Anderson: Prolific Writer of Science Fiction's Golden Age |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2001/aug/06/guardianobituaries |work=The Guardian |access-date=2024-02-19}} Soon after his birth, his father, Anton Anderson, relocated the family to Texas, where they lived for more than ten years. After Anton Anderson's death, his widow took the children to Denmark. The family returned to the United States after the beginning of World War II, settling eventually on a Minnesota farm.

While he was an undergraduate student at the University of Minnesota, Anderson's first stories were published by editor John W. Campbell in the magazine Astounding Science Fiction: "Tomorrow's Children" by Anderson and F. N. Waldrop in March 1947 and a sequel, "Chain of Logic" by Anderson alone, in July.{{efn|Anderson continued his first two stories more than a decade later. He added a novella and an epilogue, constituting the collection of four pieces (termed a novel), Twilight World: A Science Fiction Novel of Tomorrow's Children (Dodd, Mead). Waldrop was not credited.}} He earned his BA in physics with honors but became a freelance writer after he graduated in 1948. His third story was printed in the December Astounding.

Anderson married Karen Kruse in 1953 and relocated with her to the San Francisco Bay area.{{cite web | last=Martin | first=Douglas | title=Poul Anderson, Science Fiction Novelist, Dies at 74 | website=The New York Times | date=August 3, 2001 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/03/books/poul-anderson-science-fiction-novelist-dies-at-74.html | access-date=January 31, 2024}} Their daughter Astrid (later married to science fiction author Greg Bear{{cite web | last=Holland | first=Steve | title=Greg Bear obituary | website=the Guardian | date=December 29, 2022 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/dec/29/greg-bear-obituary | access-date=January 31, 2024}}) was born in 1954{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}. They made their home in Orinda, California.{{cite web | title=Writer Poul Anderson, 74, Dies | website=Washington Post | date=August 3, 2001 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2001/08/03/writer-poul-anderson-74-dies/ef257faf-0685-4bd9-b6bd-389b861fe2f8/ | access-date=January 31, 2024}} Over the years Poul gave many readings at The Other Change of Hobbit bookstore in Berkeley; his widow later donated his typewriter and desk to the store.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}

In 1954, he published the fantasy novel The Broken Sword, one of his best-known works.

In 1965, Algis Budrys said that Anderson "has for some time been science fiction's best storyteller".{{Cite magazine |last=Budrys |first=Algis |date=February 1965 |title=Galaxy Bookshelf |url=https://archive.org/stream/Galaxy_v23n03_1965-02#page/n153/mode/2up |magazine=Galaxy Science Fiction |pages=153–159}} He was a founding member of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) in 1966 and of the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America (SAGA), also during the mid-1960s. The latter was a group of Heroic fantasy authors organized by Lin Carter, originally eight in number, with entry by credentials as a fantasy writer alone. Anderson was the sixth President of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, taking office in 1972.

Robert A. Heinlein dedicated his 1985 novel The Cat Who Walks Through Walls to Anderson and eight of the other members of the Citizens' Advisory Council on National Space Policy.{{cite book |author=Heinlein, Robert A |title=The Cat Who Walks Through Walls |publisher=New England Library |year=1986 |isbn=0-450-39315-1}}[http://www.nitrosyncretic.com/rah/dedications.html Heinlein's Dedications Page Jane Davitt & Tim Morgan]. Retrieved August 20, 2008.

The Science Fiction Writers of America made Anderson its 16th SFWA Grand Master in 1998. In 2000's fifth class, he was inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame as one of two deceased and two living writers.

He died of prostate cancer on July 31, 2001, after a month in the hospital. A few of his novels were first published posthumously.

Awards, honors and nominations

File:Planet stories 195101.jpg.]]

File:Galaxy 195104.jpg.]]

Gandalf Grand Master of Fantasy (1978)
Hugo Award (seven wins)
John W. Campbell Memorial Award (2000){{cite web |url=http://www.worldswithoutend.com/books_year_index.asp?Year=2000 |title=Science Fiction & Fantasy Books by Award: 2000 Award Winners & Nominees |work=Worlds Without End |access-date=2009-03-28}}
Inkpot Award (1986){{cite web| url = https://www.comic-con.org/awards/inkpot| title = Inkpot Award| date = December 6, 2012}}
Locus Award (41 nominations; one win, 1972){{cite web |url=http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/LocusNomList.html#109 |title=Anderson, Poul |work=The Locus Index to SF Awards: Locus Award Nominees List |publisher=Locus Publications |access-date=2009-08-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120514220412/http://locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/LocusNomList.html |archive-date=2012-05-14 }}
Mythopoeic Fantasy Award (one win (1975)){{cite web |url=http://www.mythsoc.org/awards/awards-winners.htm |title=Mythopoeic Society Award Winners |publisher=Mythopoeic Society }}
Nebula Award (three wins)
Pegasus Award (best adaptation, with Anne Passovoy) (1998)
Prometheus Award (five wins including the Hall of Fame award as well as Special Prometheus Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2001){{cite web |url=https://www.worldswithoutend.com/books_prometheus_index.asp |title=Science Fiction & Fantasy Books by Award: Complete Prometheus Award novel listing |work=Worlds Without End |access-date=2024-02-13}}
SFWA Grand Master (1997)
Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame (2000)
Asteroid 7758 Poulanderson, discovered by Eleanor Helin at Palomar in 1990, was named in his honor. The official {{MoMP|7758|naming citation}} was published by the Minor Planet Center on September 2, 2001, a month after his death ({{small|M.P.C. 43381}}).

Bibliography

Explanatory notes

References

{{reflist|30em|refs=

{{ISFDB name |3}} (ISFDB). Retrieved April 22, 2013.

[http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/NomLit3.html#109 "Anderson, Poul"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016200524/http://locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/NomLit3.html |date=October 16, 2012 }}.

The Locus Index to SF Awards: Index of Literary Nominees. Locus Publications. Retrieved March 22, 2013.

[http://www.sfwa.org/nebula-awards/nebula-weekend/events-program/grandmaster/ "Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110701114233/http://www.sfwa.org/nebula-awards/nebula-weekend/events-program/grandmaster/ |date=July 1, 2011 }}. Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA). Retrieved March 22, 2013.

[http://www.midamericon.org/halloffame/ "Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130521070009/http://www.midamericon.org/halloffame/ |date=May 21, 2013 }}. Mid American Science Fiction and Fantasy Conventions, Inc. Retrieved March 22, 2013. This was the official website of the hall of fame to 2004.

{{cite web

|title = 7758 Poulanderson (1990 KT)

|work = Minor Planet Center

|url = https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=7758

|access-date = November 21, 2019}}

{{cite web

|title = MPC/MPO/MPS Archive

|work = Minor Planet Center

|url = https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/ECS/MPCArchive/MPCArchive_TBL.html

|access-date = November 21, 2019}}

}}

Sources

{{cite book |author=Miesel, Sandra |title=Against Time's Arrow: The High Crusade of Poul Anderson |publisher=Borgo Press |year=1978 |isbn=0-89370-124-6 |author-link=Sandra Miesel}}
{{cite book |last=Tuck |first=Donald H. |author-link=Donald H. Tuck |title=The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy |location=Chicago |publisher=Advent |pages=8–10 |year=1974 |isbn=0-911682-20-1}}

External links

[http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/a/poul-anderson/ Bio, bibliography and book covers] at FantasticFiction
[https://web.archive.org/web/20050912025742/http://www.sfwa.org/news/panderson.htm Obituary and tributes] from the SFWA
[http://poulandersonappreciation.blogspot.com/ Poul Anderson Appreciation], by Dr. Paul Shackley
[https://web.archive.org/web/20060317035846/http://www.dpsinfo.com/williamtenn/poulanderson.html Poul Anderson], an essay by William Tenn
[http://www.sca.org/ The Society for Creative Anachronism], of which Poul Anderson was a founding member
[http://www.fantasyliterature.net/andersonpoul.html The King of Ys review at FantasyLiterature.net] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080917122551/http://www.fantasyliterature.net/andersonpoul.html |date=September 17, 2008 }}
{{Sfhof |920 |Poul Anderson}}
{{LCAuth|n79044004|Poul Anderson|135}}
{{ISFDB name|3}}
{{IBList|type=author|id=594|name=Poul Anderson}}

; By Poul Anderson

{{StandardEbooks|Standard Ebooks URL=https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/poul-anderson}}
{{Gutenberg author |id=25203 | name=Poul Anderson}}
{{Internet Archive author |sname=Poul Anderson |sopt=t}}
{{Librivox author |id=149}}
{{OL author}}
[http://www.sfwa.org/2005/01/on-thud-and-blunder/ On Thud and Blunder], an essay by Anderson on fantasy fiction, from the SFWA
[https://www.freesfonline.net/authors/Poul_Anderson.html Poul Anderson's online fiction] at Free Speculative Fiction Online
[http://www.sfwa.org/hidden-pages/estates-contact-information/ SFWA directory of literary estates]