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John Wood CampbellAmerican science fiction writer
Date of Birth: 08.06.1910
Country:  USA |
Content:
Biography of John Wood Campbell
Early Life and CareerJohn Wood Campbell, an American science fiction writer and editor, was born in Newark, New Jersey. He began writing science fiction while studying at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Duke University. Campbell received a physics degree in 1932 and was already one of the most well-known science fiction authors of his time. He made his debut in January 1930 with the story "When the Atoms Failed" in "Amazing Stories". By June, he had published the novella "Piracy Preferred" and in the fall, a short novel titled "The Black Star Passes". These works and his subsequent ones were highly praised.
Writing Career and Editorship
By 1934, Campbell started feeling dissatisfied with the simplicity of the techniques and themes in science fiction at the time. Under the pseudonym Don A. Stuart, he published several stories in "Astounding" that offered breakthroughs in new stylistic and thematic spheres, such as "Twilight", "The Machine", "Night", and "The Invaders". Campbell's writing career reached a peak with the publication of his novella "Who Goes There?" (1938), which is still considered one of the best science fiction thrillers and has been adapted into two films.
In September 1937, Campbell was offered the position of editor at "Astounding" after F. Orlin Tremaine stepped down. Campbell immediately accepted the role and began implementing his long-planned reform of science fiction. During this period, he discovered authors such as Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, Theodore Sturgeon, Alfred Bester, Lester del Rey, as well as attracting established authors like Henry Kuttner, C.L. Moore, L. Sprague de Camp, Clifford D. Simak, and Jack Williamson to contribute to the magazine. Campbell's efforts made "Astounding" undoubtedly the best science fiction magazine of the 1940s. He also went on to create the fantasy magazine "Unknown" (1939-1943).
In the early 1950s, Campbell's leadership was challenged by the emergence of new science fiction magazines that focused more on literary aspects rather than conceptual ones, such as "Galaxy", "Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction", and "If". Nevertheless, until his death in 1971, Campbell remained one of the most influential figures in American and global science fiction.
Legacy and Awards
In honor of John Campbell, two awards were named after him - the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel and the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. He received the 1968 Skylark Award for his contributions to the development of science fiction. In 1971, his stories "Who Goes There?" and "Twilight" were voted by the readers of "Analog" as the best short science fiction works published before 1940.
Posthumously, Campbell was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 1996. He also received the Retro Hugo Award for Best Editor in 1945, 1950, and 1967.
