Andrew "Andy" Sawyer (born 1952) is a

librarian A librarian is a person who works professionally in a library providing access to information, and sometimes social or technical programming, or instruction on information literacy to users. The role of the librarian has changed much over time, ...

critic A critic is a person who communicates an assessment and an opinion of various forms of creative works such as art, literature, music, cinema, theater, fashion, architecture, and food. Critics may also take as their subject social or governmen ...

and

editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, orga ...

, as well as an active part of

science fiction fandom Science fiction fandom or SF fandom is a community or fandom of people interested in science fiction in contact with one another based upon that interest. SF fandom has a life of its own, but not much in the way of formal organization (although ...

(although he himself has not written much

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

). He was educated at the Duke of York's Royal Military School, Dover and the University of East Anglia. He is married (to Mary) with two daughters. Sawyer had a long career as the Librarian/Administrator of the

Science Fiction Foundation The Science Fiction Foundation is a Registered Charity established 1970 in England by George Hay and others. Its purpose is to "promote science fiction and bring together those who read, write, study, teach, research or archive science fiction i ...

Collection in the Special Collections Department in the Sydney Jones Library at the

University of Liverpool , mottoeng = These days of peace foster learning , established = 1881 – University College Liverpool1884 – affiliated to the federal Victoria Universityhttp://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/2004/4 University of Manchester Act 200 ...

, as well as Course Director of the University's M.A. in Science Fiction Studies program. He also serves as Reviews Editor for '' Foundation: The International Review of Science Fiction''. For his work and commitment to the science fiction community, the

Science Fiction Research Association The Science Fiction Research Association (SFRA), founded in 1970, is the oldest, non-profit professional organization committed to encouraging, facilitating, and rewarding the study of science fiction and fantasy literature, film, and other media. ...

awarded him their

Thomas D. Clareson Award for Distinguished Service The Thomas D. Clareson Award for Distinguished Service is presented by the Science Fiction Research Association for outstanding service activities. Particularly recognized are: promotion of SF teaching and study, editing, reviewing, editorial writ ...

in 2008. He has served as a judge for the Arthur C Clarke Award. As a critic and editor he writes especially on

and

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

, but also on other topics of popular

literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...

and

popular culture Popular culture (also called mass culture or pop culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as, popular art or mass art) and objects that are dominant or prevalent in a ...

. In addition to ''Speaking Science Fiction: Dialogues and Interpretations'', which he co-edited with David Seed (

Liverpool University Press Liverpool University Press (LUP), founded in 1899, is the third oldest university press in England after Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press. As the press of the University of Liverpool, it specialises in modern languages, li ...

, 2000), his publications include: * "The Mechanical Art" (short story) in the anthology ''Digital Dreams'' (1990) * "

M.R. James Montague Rhodes James (1 August 1862 – 12 June 1936) was an English author, medievalist scholar and provost of King's College, Cambridge (1905–1918), and of Eton College (1918–1936). He was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambrid ...

in China" * "'Backward, Turn Backward': Narratives of Reversed Time in Science Fiction" * "The Shadows out of Time: H. P. Lovecraftian Echoes in ''

Babylon 5 ''Babylon 5'' is an American space opera television series created by writer and producer J. Michael Straczynski, under the Babylonian Productions label, in association with Straczynski's Synthetic Worlds Ltd. and Warner Bros. Domestic Tel ...

''" * "Back with Bunter" ''(about Frank Richards)'' * "Re-assessing one of the earliest books about popular fiction: Q. D. Leavis’s famous tirade against bestsellers" * "Fairy-Tale Horror" ''(about V. C. Andrews)'' * "Far Seeing?" ''(about

Joan Grant Joan Marshall Grant Kelsey (London, 12 April 1907 – 3 February 1989) was an English writer of historical novels and a reincarnationist. Life Joan Marshall was born 12 April 1907, in London, daughter of John Frederick Marshall and Blanche Emil ...

)'' * "

John Wyndham John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris (; 10 July 1903 – 11 March 1969) was an English science fiction writer best known for his works published under the pen name John Wyndham, although he also used other combinations of his names ...

and the Fantastic" * "Magnolia Blossom and Whiplash" ''(about

Kyle Onstott Kyle Elihu Onstott (January 12, 1887 – June 3, 1966) was an American novelist, known for his best-selling novel '' Mandingo'' (1957), which deals with slavery on an Alabama plantation with the fictional name of Falconhurst in the 1830s. The boo ...

and

Lance Horner A lance is a spear designed to be used by a mounted warrior or cavalry soldier ( lancer). In ancient and medieval warfare, it evolved into the leading weapon in cavalry charges, and was unsuited for throwing or for repeated thrusting, unlike s ...

)''

External links

The Science Fiction Foundation

University of Liverpool M.A. in Science Fiction Studies program

The Science Fiction Hub
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sawyer, Andrew 1952 births Living people English librarians English literary critics British speculative fiction critics British speculative fiction editors Academics of the University of Liverpool Science fiction editors Science fiction critics Science fiction fans