Damon Francis Knight (September 19, 1922 – April 15, 2002) was an American

science fiction author This is a list of noted science-fiction authors (in alphabetical order): A *Dafydd ab Hugh (born 1960) *Alexander Abasheli (1884–1954) *Edwin Abbott Abbott (1838–1926) *Kōbō Abe (1924–1993) * Robert Abernathy (1924–1990) *Dan Abn ...

, editor, and critic. He is the author of "

To Serve Man "To Serve Man" is a science fiction short story by American writer Damon Knight. It first appeared in the November 1950 issue of ''Galaxy Science Fiction'' and has been reprinted a number of times, including in ''Frontiers in Space'' (1955), '' ...

", a 1950 short story

adapted In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process of natural selection that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a state reached by the po ...

for ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, sup ...

''.Stanyard, ''Dimensions Behind the Twilight Zone'', p. 51. He was married to fellow writer

Kate Wilhelm Kate Wilhelm (June 8, 1928 – March 8, 2018) was an American author. She wrote novels and stories in the science fiction, mystery, and suspense genres, including the Hugo Award–winning ''Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang''. Wilhelm established ...

Biography

Knight was born in

Baker City, Oregon Baker City is a city in and the county seat of Baker County, Oregon, United States. It was named after Edward D. Baker, the only U.S. Senator ever killed in military combat. The population was 10,099 at the time of the 2020 census. History Pl ...

in 1922, and grew up in

Hood River, Oregon The city of Hood River is the seat of Hood River County, Oregon, United States. It is a port on the Columbia River, and is named for the nearby Hood River. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 8,313. It is the only city in Oregon whe ...

. He entered science-fiction fandom at the age of eleven and published two issues of a fanzine titled ''Snide''. Knight's first professional sale was a cartoon drawing to a science-fiction magazine, ''

Amazing Stories ''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearances ...

''.Knight, "Knight Piece," Brian W. Aldiss & Harry Harrison, ''Hell's Cartographers'', Orbit Books, 1976, p. 105. His first story, "The Itching Hour", appeared in the Summer 1940 number of ''

Futuria Fantasia ''Futuria Fantasia'' was an American science fiction fanzine created by Ray Bradbury in 1938, when he was 18 years old. Though only four issues of the fanzine were published, its list of contributors included Hannes Bok, Forrest J. Ackerman, Henr ...

'', edited and published by

Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury (; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of modes, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery fictio ...

. "Resilience" followed in the February 1941 number of ''Stirring Science Stories'', edited by

Donald A. Wollheim Donald Allen Wollheim (October 1, 1914 – November 2, 1990) was an American science fiction editor, publisher, writer, and fan. As an author, he published under his own name as well as under pseudonyms, including David Grinnell, Martin Pearso ...

. An editorial error made the latter story's ending incomprehensible;Pohl, ''SFWA Grand Masters Volume Three'', p. 202. it was reprinted in a 1978 magazine in four pages with a two-page introduction by Knight. At the time of his first story sale he was living in New York and was a member of the

Futurians The Futurians were a group of science fiction (SF) fans, many of whom became editors and writers as well. The Futurians were based in New York City and were a major force in the development of science fiction writing and science fiction fandom i ...

. One of his short stories describes paranormal disruption of a science fiction fan group and contains cameo appearances of various Futurians and others under thinly-disguised names; for instance, non-Futurian SF writer

H. Beam Piper Henry Beam Piper (March 23, 1904 – ) was an American science fiction writer. He wrote many short stories and several novels. He is best known for his extensive Terro-Human Future History series of stories and a shorter series of "Paratime" alt ...

is identified as "H. Dreyne Fifer". Knight's forte was the

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest ...

; he is widely acknowledged as having been a master of the genre. To the general public he is best known as the author of "

", a 1950 short story

for ''

''. It won a 50-year

Retro-Hugo 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 ...

in 2001 as the best short story of 1950. Knight was also a science fiction critic, a career which began when he wrote in 1945 that

A. E. van Vogt Alfred Elton van Vogt ( ; April 26, 1912 – January 26, 2000) was a Canadian-born American science fiction author. His fragmented, bizarre narrative style influenced later science fiction writers, notably Philip K. Dick. He was one of the ...

"is not a giant as often maintained. He's only a pygmy who has learned to operate an overgrown typewriter." He ceased reviewing when ''

Fantasy & Science Fiction ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'' (usually referred to as ''F&SF'') is a U.S. fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House, a subsidiary of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Press. Editors Anthony Boucher ...

'' refused to publish his review of

Judith Merril Judith Josephine Grossman (January 21, 1923 – September 12, 1997), who took the pen-name Judith Merril around 1945, was an American and then Canadian science fiction writer, editor and political activist, and one of the first women to be wid ...

's novel ''

The Tomorrow People ''The Tomorrow People'' is a British children's science fiction television series created by Roger Price. Produced by Thames Television for the ITV Network, the series first ran from 30 April 1973 to 19 February 1979. The theme music was ...

''. These reviews were later collected in ''

In Search of Wonder ''In Search of Wonder: Essays on Modern Science Fiction'' is a collection of critical essays by American writer Damon Knight. Most of the material in the original version of the book was originally published between 1952 and 1955 in various scienc ...

''.

Algis Budrys Algirdas Jonas "Algis" Budrys (January 9, 1931 – June 9, 2008) was a Lithuanian-American science fiction author, editor, and critic. He was also known under the pen names Frank Mason, Alger Rome (in collaboration with Jerome Bixby), Jo ...

wrote that Knight and "William Atheling Jr." (

James Blish James Benjamin Blish () was an American science fiction and fantasy writer. He is best known for his '' Cities in Flight'' novels and his series of ''Star Trek'' novelizations written with his wife, J. A. Lawrence. His novel '' A Case of Conscie ...

) had "transformed the reviewer's trade in the field", in Knight's case "without the guidance of his own prior example". The term "

idiot plot In literary criticism, an idiot plot is one which is "kept in motion solely by virtue of the fact that everybody involved is an idiot", and where the story would quickly end, or possibly not even happen, if this were not the case. It is a narrativ ...

", a story that only functions because almost everyone in it is an idiot, became well known through Knight's frequent use of it in his reviews, though he believed the term was probably invented by Blish.Gary K. Wolfe, "Coming to Terms", in Gunn & Candelaria, ''Speculations on Speculation'', p. 18. Knight's only non-Retro-Hugo Award was for "Best Reviewer" in 1956. Knight was the founder of the

Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, doing business as Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association, commonly known as SFWA ( or ) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization of professional science fiction and fantasy writers. Whil ...

(SFWA), cofounder of the

National Fantasy Fan Federation The National Fantasy Fan Federation (N3F or NFFF) is one of the world's oldest science fiction fandom organizations. The organization was founded in April 1941 when all science fiction, horror, and fantasy literature was lumped into one category ca ...

, cofounder of the

Milford Writer's Workshop The Milford Writer's Workshop, or more properly Milford Writers' Conference, is an annual science fiction writer's event founded by Damon Knight, among others, in the mid-1950s, in Milford, Pennsylvania. It was so named because Knight, Judith Merr ...

, and cofounder of the

Clarion Writers Workshop Clarion is a six-week workshop for aspiring science fiction and fantasy writers. Originally an outgrowth of Damon Knight's and Kate Wilhelm's Milford Writers' Conference, held at their home in Milford, Pennsylvania, United States, it was founded ...

. The SFWA officers and past presidents named Knight its 13th Grand Master in 1994 (presented 1995). After his death, the associated award was renamed the

Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award The Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award is a lifetime honor presented annually by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) to no more than one living writer of fantasy or science fiction. It was inaugurated in 1975 when Rob ...

in his honor. The Science Fiction Hall of Fame inducted him in 2003. Until his death, Knight lived in

Eugene, Oregon Eugene ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, near the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast. As of the 2020 United States Census, Eu ...

, with his second wife, author

. His papers are held in the University of Oregon Special Collections and University Archive.

Selected works

Novels

* '' Hell's Pavement'' (1955) * ''

A for Anything ''A for Anything'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Damon Knight. The author postulates the discovery, in the near future, of the "Gismo", a device that can duplicate anything—even another Gismo. Since all material objects have be ...

'' (1961) (original version titled ''The People Maker'', 1959) * '' Masters of Evolution'' (1959) * '' The Sun Saboteurs'' (1961) * '' Beyond the Barrier'' (1964) * '' Mind Switch'' (1965) * ''

Double Meaning A double entendre (plural double entendres) is a figure of speech or a particular way of wording that is devised to have a double meaning, of which one is typically obvious, whereas the other often conveys a message that would be too socially ...

'' (1965) * '' The Earth Quarter'' (1970) * ''World without Children'' (1970) * ''The World and Thorinn'' (1980) * ''

The Man in the Tree ''The Man in the Tree'' is a novel by Damon Knight published in 1984. Plot summary ''The Man in the Tree'' is a novel in which a giant has the ability to twist probability worlds, allowing him to duplicate anything by taking a copy of something fr ...

'' (1984) * '' CV'' (1985) * '' The Observers'' (1988) * ''A Reasonable World'' (1991) * ''God's Nose'' (1991) * ''Why Do Birds'' (1992) * ''Humpty Dumpty: An Oval'' (1996)

Short stories and other writings

*
The Third Little Green Man
(1948) *
PS's Feature Flash
(1948) * "

Not with a Bang ''Not with a Bang'' was a short-lived British television sitcom produced by LWT for ITV in 1990. It ran for seven episodes, each 30 minutes long. The show was a dark science fiction comedy, focusing on the end of the human race on Earth. The ...

" (1949) * "

" (1950) *
Ask Me Anything
(1951) *
Don't Live in the Past
(1951) *
Cabin Boy
(1951) *
Catch that Martian
(1952) * "The Analogues" (1952) * "Beachcomber" (1952) * "Ticket to Anywhere" (1952) * "Anachron" (1953) * "Babel II" (1953) *
Four in One
(1953) * " Special Delivery" (1953) *
Natural State
(1954) * "Rule Golden" (1954) * "

The Country of the Kind "The Country of the Kind" is a science fiction short story by American writer Damon Knight. It was first published in the February 1956 issue of ''The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction'' and has been reprinted several times, including in '' ...

" (1955) * "

Dulcie and Decorum "Dulcie and Decorum" is a science fiction short story by American writer Damon Knight. It first appeared in the March 1955 issue of ''Galaxy Science Fiction''. In 1969 it was reprinted by Gollancz in the collection ''Off Centre''. The title is ...

" (1955) * " You're Another" (1955) *
This way to the Regress
(1956) * "

Extempore ''Ex tempore'' (Latin for "out of the moment“) is a legal term that means 'at the time'. A judge who hands down a decision in a case soon or straight after hearing it is delivering a decision ''ex tempore''. Another way a judge may deliver a de ...

" (1956) * " The Last Word" (1956) * "Stranger Station" (1956) * "Dio" (1957) * "The Dying Man" (1957) *
An Eye for a What?
(1957) * " The Enemy" (1958) * " Be My Guest" (1958) * "Eripmav" (1958) * " Idiot Stick" (1958) * "

Thing of Beauty ''Thing of Beauty'' is a double album by the alternative rock band Volcano Suns. It was released in 1989 on SST Records. The album was the group's first to feature David Kleiler, Jr. as primary guitarist, with previous guitarist Chuck Hahn hav ...

" (1958) *
To Be Continued
(1959) * "The Handler" (1960) * " Time Enough" (1960) *
Auto-Da-Fe
(1961) * ''A Century of Science Fiction'' (1962) (editor) *
The Visitor at the Zoo
(1963) *
The Big Pat Boom
(1963) *
An Ancient Madness
(1964) * ''God's Nose'' (1964) * ''Maid to Measure'' (1964) * " Shall the Dust Praise Thee?" (1967) * "

Masks A mask is an object normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance, or entertainment and often they have been employed for rituals and rights. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practi ...

'" (1968) *
The Star Below
(1968) * ''I See You'' (1976) * ''Forever'' (1981) * ''O'' (1983) * ''Point of View'' (1985) (Illustrated by

Chris Van Allsburg Chris Van Allsburg (born June 18, 1949) is an American illustrator and writer of children's books. He has won two Caldecott Medals for U.S. picture book illustration, for ''Jumanji'' (1981) and ''The Polar Express'' (1985), both of which he a ...

) * ''Strangers on Paradise'' (1986) * ''Not a Creature'' (1993) * ''Fortyday'' (1994) * ''Life Edit'' (1996) * "Double Meaning" * "In the Beginning"

Literary criticism and analysis

* ''

'' (1956) (collected reviews and critical pieces) * ''Creating Short Fiction'' (1981) (advice on writing short stories) * ''Turning Points'' (editor/contributor: critical anthology) * ''

Orbit In celestial mechanics, an orbit is the curved trajectory of an object such as the trajectory of a planet around a star, or of a natural satellite around a planet, or of an artificial satellite around an object or position in space such as a p ...

'' (editor) * ''The Futurians'' (1977, memoir/history)

Short story collections

* '' Far Out'' (1961) (contains "

") * '' In Deep'' (1963) (contains "

") * ''

Off Center ''Off Centre'' is an American sitcom that aired on The WB network from October 14, 2001, to October 31, 2002. Created by Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz, and Danny Zuker, the series was heavily promoted as "from the guys who brought you '' American Pie' ...

'' (1965) (contains " Be My Guest") * '' Turning On'' (1966)

Notes

References

Sources

* * * *

External links

Damon Knight – Official Website
* * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Knight, Damon 1922 births 2002 deaths American science fiction writers American speculative fiction critics American speculative fiction editors Futurians Hugo Award-winning writers Writers from Eugene, Oregon SFWA Grand Masters Science fiction critics Science fiction editors Science fiction fans Science Fiction Hall of Fame inductees 20th-century American novelists Novelists from Oregon American male novelists American male short story writers People from Hood River, Oregon 20th-century American short story writers 20th-century American male writers American male non-fiction writers