All of us at Tachyon are saddened by the news of the legendary Brian Aldiss’ death on his 92nd birthday.

Photo: John Lawrence

Science Fiction Grandmaster Aldiss over 100 books include the science-fiction masterpieces HOTHOUSE, GREYBEARD, FRANKENSTEIN UNBOUND, THE MALACIA TAPESTRY, FINCHES OF MARS, and the Helliconia Trilogy. The short story “Super-Toys Last All Summer Long” served as the basis for the Stanley Kubrick-developed Steven Spielberg film A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.

His many short stories and essays have been collected in SPACE, TIME AND NATHANIEL, THE BOOK OF BRIAN ALDISS, SCIENCE FICTION BLUES, PROGRAMME BOOK, SUPERTOYS LAST ALL SUMMER LONG AND OTHER STORIES OF FUTURE TIME, CULTURAL BREAKS, THE INVENTION OF HAPPINESS, THE BRIAN ALDISS COLLECTION: THE COMPLETE SHORT STORIES, and more. 

Aldiss receiving a special award at World Fantasy 2013

Among his several works of nonfiction are the pioneering book of science fiction criticism BILLION YEAR SPREE (revised as TRILLION YEAR SPREE [with David Wingrove]), … AND THE LURID GLARE OF THE COMET, THE DETACHED RETINA: ASPECTS OF SF AND FANTASY, and AN EXILE ON PLANET EARTH: ARTICLES AND REFLECTIONS. As an anthologist Aldiss produced numerous influential collections such as PENGUIN SCIENCE FICTION, YEARS BEST SCIENCE FICTION (with Harry Harrison, Volumes 1-6), SPACE OPERA, and A SCIENCE FICTION OMNIBUS. His prodigious output includes eight volumes of poetry. 

John Brunner, Brian Aldiss, Carol & Fred Pohl, and Walter Ernsting at LonCon II, the 1965 World Science Fiction Convention

Aldiss’ works have garnered him a myriad of awards and accoladed, including the Hugo, Nebula, Campbell, Locus, British Science Fiction, Ditmar, and Eaton awards. In 2005, he was awarded the title of Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to literature. The electronic pop duo Echoes In Rows released a song entitled “Brian Aldiss” in 2010.

Our thoughts are with his loved ones.