David Geddes Hartwell (July 10, 1941 – January 20, 2016) was an American critic, publisher, and editor of thousands of

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 ...

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 ...

novels. He was best known for work with Signet, Pocket, and

Tor Books Tor Books is the primary imprint of Tor Publishing Group (previously Tom Doherty Associates), a publishing company based in New York City. It primarily publishes science fiction and fantasy titles, and is the largest publisher of Chinese scien ...

publishers. He was also noted as an award-winning editor of anthologies. ''

The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction ''The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction'' (SFE) is an English language reference work on science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and f ...

'' describes him as "perhaps the single most influential book editor of the past forty years in the American cience fictionpublishing world".

Early years

Hartwell was born in

Salem, Massachusetts Salem ( ) is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, located on the North Shore of Greater Boston. Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists. Salem would become one of the most significant seaports tr ...

, and attended

Williams College Williams College is a Private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams, a col ...

, where he graduated with a BA in 1963. He continued his studies at

Colgate University Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York. The college was founded in 1819 as the Baptist Education Society of the State of New York and operated under that name until 1823, when it was renamed Hamilton Theologi ...

for an MA in 1965, and at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

where he graduated with a Ph.D. in comparative medieval literature in 1973. By 1965 Hartwell was already working as editor and publisher of ''The Little Magazine'' (1965–1988), a small press literary magazine.

Career

Hartwell started out as a book review editor for the

rock music Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States an ...

magazine '' Crawdaddy!'', founded by Paul Williams in 1966, and published through the 1970s. In 1968, Hartwell, along with Williams,

Chester Anderson Chester Valentine John Anderson (August 11, 1932 – April 11, 1991) was an American novelist, poet, and editor in the underground press. Biography Raised in Florida, he attended the University of Miami from 1952 to 1956, before becoming a ...

, and Joel Hack, co-founded

Entwhistle Books Entwhistle Books was a small book publisher active from about 1968 to 2000. It was founded by Paul Williams, Chester Anderson, David G. Hartwell, and Joel Hack.Philip K. Dick Philip Kindred Dick (December 16, 1928March 2, 1982), often referred to by his initials PKD, was an American science fiction writer. He wrote 44 novels and about 121 short stories, most of which appeared in science fiction magazines during his l ...

, and others, and nonfiction by Williams. Hartwell worked for

Signet Signet may refer to: *Signet, Kenya, A subsidiary of the Kenyan Broadcasting Corporation (KBC), specifically set up to broadcast and distribute the DTT signals * Signet ring, a ring with a seal set into it, typically by leaving an impression in sea ...

(1971–1973), Berkley Putnam (1973–1978) and

Pocket Books Pocket Books is a division of Simon & Schuster that primarily publishes paperback books. History Pocket Books produced the first mass-market, pocket-sized paperback books in the United States in early 1939 and revolutionized the publishing in ...

, where he founded the Timescape imprint (1980–1985) and created the Pocket Books

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...

publishing line. From 1984 until his death he worked for

, where he spearheaded Tor's Canadian publishing initiative at CAN-CON in

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

, and was also influential in bringing many Australian writers to the US market. Since 1995, his title at Tor/ Forge Books was "Senior Editor". Hartwell also ran his own small press, Dragon Press, which was founded in 1973 as a partnership, and published at least three early books of science fiction criticism by

Samuel R. Delany Samuel R. "Chip" Delany (, ) (born April 1, 1942), is an American author and literary critic. His work includes fiction (especially science fiction), memoir, criticism, and essays (on science fiction, literature, sexuality, and society). His ...

— ''The Jewel-Hinged Jaw'' (1977), ''Starboard Wine'' (1978), and ''The American Shore'' (1977), before they were taken over by

Berkley Books Berkley Books is an imprint of the Penguin Group. History Berkley Books began as an independent company in 1955. It was founded as "Chic News Company" by Charles Byrne and Frederick Klein, who had worked for Avon; they quickly renamed it Berk ...

and eventually by Wesleyan University Press. In 1988, via Dragon Press (with Hartwell now as sole proprietor), he established ''

The New York Review of Science Fiction ''The New York Review of Science Fiction'' is a monthly literary magazine of science fiction that was established in 1988. It includes works of science fiction criticism, essays, and in-depth critical reviews of new works of fiction and scholarship ...

'', where he served as reviews editor. In 1977, Hartwell edited the short-lived ''Cosmos Science Fiction and Fantasy'' magazine for the newly-formed Baronet publishing. ''Cosmos'' is remembered as "a fine magazine, providing a good range of quality fiction" in an attractive package, but poor sales for the rest of the publisher's magazine line forced its cancellation after only four issues. ''

'' (3rd ed.) described it as "a sophisticated mixture of sf and fantasy in an elegant format which included full-colour interior illustration". Hartwell chaired the board of directors of the World Fantasy Convention and, with

Gordon Van Gelder Gordon Van Gelder (born 1966) is an American science fiction editor. From 1997 until 2014, Van Gelder was editor and later publisher of ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'', for which he has twice won the Hugo Award for Best Editor Shor ...

, was the administrator of the

Philip K. Dick Award The Philip K. Dick Award is an American science fiction award given annually at Norwescon and sponsored by the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society and (since 2005) the Philip K. Dick Trust. Named after science fiction writer Philip K. Dick, ...

. Hartwell edited numerous anthologies, and published a number of critical essays on science fiction and fantasy.

Awards and other achievements

Hartwell edited two annual anthologies: ''

Year's Best SF ''Year's Best SF'' was a science fiction anthology series edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer. Hartwell started the series in 1996, and co-edited it with Cramer from 2002 until the final volume in 2013. It was published by HarperCollin ...

'', started in 1996 and co-edited with

Kathryn Cramer Kathryn Elizabeth Cramer (born April 16, 1962) is an American science fiction writer, editor, and literary critic. Early years Kathryn Cramer is the daughter of physicist John G. Cramer. She grew up in Seattle and graduated from Columbia Univ ...

since 2002, and ''Year's Best Fantasy'', co-edited with Cramer from 2001 through 2010. Both anthologies have consistently placed in the top 10 of the Locus annual reader poll in the category of Best Anthology. In 1988, he won the

World Fantasy Award The World Fantasy Awards are a set of awards given each year for the best fantasy literature, fantasy fiction published during the previous calendar year. Organized and overseen by the World Fantasy Convention, the awards are given each year a ...

in the category Best Anthology for ''The Dark Descent''. Hartwell was nominated for the

Hugo Award The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention and chosen by its members. The Hugo is widely considered the premier a ...

forty-one times, nineteen in the category of Best Professional Editor and Best Editor Long Form, winning in 2006, 2008 and 2009, and twenty-two times as editor/publisher of ''The New York Review of Science Fiction''. He has also placed in the top ten in the '' Locus'' poll for best editor for twenty-seven consecutive years, every year from the award category's inception to the present day.Science Fiction Awards Database
/ref> He edited the best-novel

Nebula Award The Nebula Awards annually recognize the best works of science fiction or fantasy published in the United States. The awards are organized and awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), a nonprofit association of profe ...

-winners '' Timescape'' by

Gregory Benford Gregory Benford (born January 30, 1941) is an American science fiction author and astrophysicist who is professor emeritus at the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of California, Irvine. He is a contributing editor of ''Reason ...

(published 1980), ''

The Claw of the Conciliator ''The Claw of the Conciliator'' is a science fantasy novel by American writer Gene Wolfe, first released in 1981. It is the second volume in the four-volume series ''The Book of the New Sun''. Plot introduction The book continues the story of ...

'' by Gene Wolfe (published 1981), and ''

No Enemy But Time ''No Enemy But Time'' is a 1982 science fiction novel by Michael Bishop. It won the 1982 Nebula Award for Best Novel, and was also nominated for the 1983 John W. Campbell Memorial Award. It was included in David Pringle's book '' Science Fictio ...

'' by Michael Bishop (published 1982), the best-novel Hugo Award-winner '' Hominids'' by Robert J. Sawyer (published 2002), and the

-winning novels ''

The Shadow of the Torturer ''The Shadow of the Torturer'' is a fantasy novel by American writer Gene Wolfe, published by Simon & Schuster in May 1980. It is the first of four volumes in ''The Book of the New Sun'' which Wolfe had completed in draft before ''The Shadow of ...

'' by Gene Wolfe (1981) and ''

The Dragon Waiting ''The Dragon Waiting: A Masque of History'' is a 1983 fantasy novel by John M. Ford. It won the 1984 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel. Plot summary The novel is a fantasy alternate history combining vampires, the Medicis, and the convoluted ...

'' by

John M. Ford John Milo "Mike" Ford (April 10, 1957 – September 25, 2006) was an American science fiction and fantasy writer, game designer, and poet. A contributor to several online discussions, Ford composed poems, often improvised, in both complicated ...

(1984). Hartwell was a Guest of Honor at the

67th World Science Fiction Convention The 67th World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon), also known as Anticipation, was held on 6–10 August 2009 at the Palais des congrès de Montréal in Montréal, Québec, Canada. The organising committee was co-chaired by René Walling and ...

in Montreal in 2009. He was posthumously awarded the World Fantasy Life Achievement Award in October 2016.

Personal life

Hartwell was known for flamboyant fashion choices. In 1969 he married Patricia Lee Wolcott. They had two children, but divorced in 1992. He married

in 1997, and they had two children. Hartwell lived in Westport, New York at the time of his death, and had previously lived in

Pleasantville, New York Pleasantville is a village in the town of Mount Pleasant, in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located 30 miles north of Manhattan. The village population was 7,019 at the 2010 census. Pleasantville is home to the secondary camp ...

Death

On January 19, 2016, Hartwell fell down a flight of stairs at his home, and was hospitalized in

Plattsburgh, New York Plattsburgh ( moh, Tsi ietsénhtha) is a city in, and the seat of, Clinton County, New York, United States, situated on the north-western shore of Lake Champlain. The population was 19,841 at the 2020 census. The population of the surrounding ...

with severe head trauma.Til Death Did Us Part
by Kathryn Cramer, January 21, 2016, Kathryn Cramer.com. Cramer said that the fall caused a "massive brain bleed", and that he was not expected to recover. He died the following day at the age of 74.

Works

Books as writer

* ''Age of Wonders: Exploring the World of Science Fiction'' (Walker & Co., 1985; ), 205 pp.; paperback edition 1985, McGraw-Hill, 224 pp., Revised/expanded edition published by Tor, 1996, 319 pp., .

Magazines edited

*''The Little Magazine'' (1965-1988), a small press literary magazine *''Cosmos Magazine'' (1977), Baronet publishing. *''

'' (1988–2016) with Kathryn Cramer and Ariel Haméon and Kevin J. Maroney and Arthur D. Hlavaty and Matthew Appleton and others

Standalone anthologies

*''The Battle of the Monsters and Other Stories'' (1976) with

L. W. Currey Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the ...

*'' The World Treasury of Science Fiction'' (1988) *''Masterpieces of Fantasy and Enchantment'' (1988) with Kathryn Cramer *''Masterpieces of Fantasy and Wonder'' (1989) with Kathryn Cramer *''Spirits of Christmas'' (1989) with Kathryn Cramer *''Christmas Stars'' (1993) *''Christmas Forever'' (1993) *''Christmas Magic'' (1994) *''Northern Stars: The Anthology of Canadian Science Fiction'' (1994) with Glenn Grant *''The Screaming Skull and Other Great American Ghost Stories'' (1994) *'' The Ascent of Wonder: The Evolution of Hard SF''THE ASCENT OF WONDER, edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer
(1994) with Kathryn Cramer *''Visions of Wonder'' (1996) with

Milton T. Wolf Milton may refer to: Names * Milton (surname), a surname (and list of people with that surname) ** John Milton (1608–1674), English poet * Milton (given name) ** Milton Friedman (1912–2006), Nobel laureate in Economics, author of '' Free ...

*''The Science Fiction Century'' (1997) *''Bodies of the Dead and Other Great American Ghost Stories'' (1997) *''Northern Suns'' (1999) with Glenn Grant *''Centaurus: The Best of Australian Science Fiction'' (1999) with

Damien Broderick Damien Francis Broderick (born 22 April 1944) is an Australian science fiction and popular science writer and editor of some 74 books. His science fiction novel ''The Dreaming Dragons'' (1980) introduced the trope of the generation time machine ...

*''The Hard SF Renaissance'' (2002) with Kathryn Cramer *''The Science Fiction Century, Volume One'' (2006) *'' The Space Opera Renaissance'' (2006) with Kathryn Cramer (

) *'' The Sword & Sorcery Anthology'' (2012) with Jacob Weisman ( Tachyon Publications) *''Twenty-First Century Science Fiction'' (2013) with

Patrick Nielsen Hayden Patrick James Nielsen Hayden (born Patrick James Hayden January 2, 1959), is an American science fiction editor, fan, fanzine publisher, essayist, reviewer, anthologist, teacher and blogger. He is a World Fantasy Award and Hugo Award winner (wi ...

(Tor Books)

Anthology series

*The Dark Descent **''The Dark Descent'' (1987). Republished in three volumes as: **''The Colour of Evil'' (1990) **''The Medusa in the Shield'' (1990) **''A Fabulous Formless Darkness'' (1992) *

**''

'' (1996) **''

Year's Best SF 2 ''Year's Best SF 2'' is a science fiction anthology edited by David G. Hartwell that was published in 1997. It is the second in the Year's Best SF series. Contents The book itself, as well as each of the stories, has a short introduction by the ...

'' (1997) **''

Year's Best SF 3 ''Year's Best SF 3'' is a science fiction anthology, edited by David G. Hartwell, that was published in 1998. It is the third in the Year's Best SF series. Contents The book itself, as well as each of the stories, has a short introduction by the ...

'' (1998) **'' Year's Best SF 4'' (1999) **'' Year's Best SF 5'' (2000) **''

Year's Best SF 6 ''Year's Best SF 6'' is a science fiction anthology edited by David G. Hartwell that was published in 2001. It is the sixth in the Year's Best SF series. Contents The book itself, as well as each of the stories, has a short introduction by the e ...

'' (2001) **'' Year's Best SF 7'' (2002) with Kathryn Cramer **''

Year's Best SF 8 ''Year's Best SF 8'' is a science fiction anthology edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer that was published in 2003. It is the eighth in the Year's Best SF series. Contents The book itself, as well as each of the stories, has a short ...

'' (2003) with Kathryn Cramer **''

Year's Best SF 9 ''Year's Best SF 9'' is a science fiction anthology edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer that was published in 2004. It is the ninth in the Year's Best SF series. Contents The book itself, as well as each of the stories, has a short in ...

'' (2004) with Kathryn Cramer **''

Year's Best SF 10 ''Year's Best SF 10'' is a science fiction anthology edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer that was published in 2005. It is the tenth in the Year's Best SF series. Contents The book itself, as well as each of the stories, has a short ...

'' (2005) with Kathryn Cramer **'' Year's Best SF 11'' (2006) with Kathryn Cramer **''

Year's Best SF 12 ''Year's Best SF 12'' is a science fiction anthology edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer that was published in 2007. It is the twelfth in the Year's Best SF series. Contents The book itself, as well as each of the stories, has a short ...

'' (2007) with Kathryn Cramer **''

Year's Best SF 13 ''Year's Best SF 13'' is a science fiction anthology edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer that was published in 2008. It is the thirteenth in the Year's Best SF series. Contents The book itself, as well as each of the stories, has a sh ...

'' (2008) with Kathryn Cramer **''

Year's Best SF 14 ''Year's Best SF 14'' is a science fiction anthology edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer that was published in 2009. It is the fourteenth in the Year's Best SF series. Contents The book itself, as well as each of the stories, has a s ...

'' (2009) with Kathryn Cramer **''

Year's Best SF 15 ''Year's Best SF 15'' is a science fiction anthology edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer that was published in June 2010. It is the fifteenth in the Year's Best SF series. Contents The book itself, as well as each of the stories, has ...

'' (2010) with Kathryn Cramer **'' Year's Best SF 16'' (2011) with Kathryn Cramer **''Year's Best SF 17'' (2012) with Kathryn Cramer **''Year's Best SF 18'' (2013) *Foundations of Fear **''Foundations of Fear'' (1992). Republished in three volumes as: **''Shadows of Fear'' (1994) **''Worlds of Fear'' (1994) **''Visions of Fear'' (1994) *Year's Best Fantasy **''Year's Best Fantasy'' (2001) with Kathryn Cramer **''Year's Best Fantasy 2'' (2002) with Kathryn Cramer **''Year's Best Fantasy 3'' (2003) with Kathryn Cramer **''Year's Best Fantasy 4'' (2004) with Kathryn Cramer **''Year's Best Fantasy 5'' (2005) with Kathryn Cramer **''Year's Best Fantasy 6'' (2006) with Kathryn Cramer ( Tachyon Publications) **''Year's Best Fantasy 7'' (2007) with Kathryn Cramer ( Tachyon Publications) **''Year's Best Fantasy 8'' (2008) with Kathryn Cramer ( Tachyon Publications)

References

External links

Excerpt from the LOCUS Online Interview with David Hartwell
2004.
Interview with David G. Hartwell
SpaceWesterns.com, 2007

by Michael Swanwick, 2009 * *
The New York Review of Science Fiction
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hartwell, David G. 1941 births 2016 deaths 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American writers 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American writers Accidental deaths from falls Accidental deaths in New York (state) American book editors American speculative fiction critics American speculative fiction editors American speculative fiction publishers (people) Colgate University alumni Columbia Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni Hugo Award-winning editors People from Pleasantville, New York People from Westport, New York People from Wilmington, Massachusetts Science fiction critics Science fiction editors Science fiction fans Williams College alumni World Fantasy Award winners Writers from Massachusetts Writers from Salem, Massachusetts