James Blish
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James Benjamin Blish () was an American
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 ...
writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art and creative writing such as novels, short stories, books, poetry, travelogues, p ...
. He is best known for his ''
Cities in Flight ''Cities in Flight'' is a four-volume series of science fiction novels and short stories by American writer James Blish, originally published between 1950 and 1962, which were first known collectively as the "Okie" novels. The series features ent ...
'' novels and his series of ''Star Trek'' novelizations written with his wife,
J. A. Lawrence Judith Ann Blish (née Lawrence; born December 14, 1934) is an American sketch artist and short fiction writer, known professionally as Judith L. Blish, Judy Blish, and J. A. Lawrence. From 1967 to 1978, she co-wrote a sequence of short story adap ...
. His novel ''
A Case of Conscience ''A Case of Conscience'' is a science fiction novel by American writer James Blish, first published in 1958. It is the story of a Jesuit who investigates an alien race that has no religion yet has a perfect, innate sense of morality, a situation ...
'' won the Hugo Award. He is credited with creating the term "
gas giant A gas giant is a giant planet composed mainly of hydrogen and helium. Gas giants are also called failed stars because they contain the same basic elements as a star. Jupiter and Saturn are the gas giants of the Solar System. The term "gas giant" ...
" to refer to large planetary bodies. Blish 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 ...
. His first published stories appeared in ''
Super Science Stories ''Super Science Stories'' was an American pulp science fiction magazine published by Popular Publications from 1940 to 1943, and again from 1949 to 1951. Popular launched it under their Fictioneers imprint, which they used for magazines, payin ...
'' and ''
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 i ...
''. Blish wrote
literary criticism Literary criticism (or literary studies) is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often influenced by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of literature's goals and methods. Th ...
of science fiction using the
pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...
William Atheling Jr. His other pen names included Donald Laverty, John MacDougal, and Arthur Lloyd Merlyn.


Life

Blish was born on May 23, 1921, at
East Orange, New Jersey East Orange is a City (New Jersey), city in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 69,612. The city was List of municipalities in ...
. While in high school, Blish self-published a
fanzine A fanzine (blend word, blend of ''fan (person), fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''-zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by fan (person), enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) ...
, called ''The Planeteer'', using a
hectograph The hectograph, gelatin duplicator or jellygraph is a printing process that involves transfer of an original, prepared with special inks, to a pan of gelatin or a gelatin pad pulled tight on a metal frame. While the original use of the technolo ...
. The fanzine ran for six issues. Blish attended meetings of the Futurian Science Fiction Society in New York City during this period. Futurian members
Damon Knight Damon Francis Knight (September 19, 1922 – April 15, 2002) was an American science fiction author, editor, and critic. He is the author of "To Serve Man", a 1950 short story adapted for ''The Twilight Zone''.Stanyard, ''Dimensions Behind th ...
and
Cyril M. Kornbluth Cyril M. Kornbluth (July 2, 1923 – March 21, 1958) was an American science fiction author and a member of the Futurians. He used a variety of pen-names, including Cecil Corwin, S. D. Gottesman, Edward J. Bellin, Kenneth Falconer, W ...
became close friends. However, Blish's relationships with other members were often bitter. A personal target was fellow member
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 ...
, with whom he would debate politics. Merril would frequently dismiss Blish's self-description of being a "paper fascist". She wrote in ''Better to Have Loved'' (2002), "Of course lishwas not fascist, antisemitic, or any of those terrible things, but every time he used the phrase, I saw red." Blish studied
microbiology Microbiology () is the scientific study of microorganisms, those being unicellular (single cell), multicellular (cell colony), or acellular (lacking cells). Microbiology encompasses numerous sub-disciplines including virology, bacteriology, prot ...
at
Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...
, graduating in 1942. He was drafted into Army service, and he served briefly as a
medical laboratory A medical laboratory or clinical laboratory is a laboratory where tests are conducted out on clinical specimens to obtain information about the health of a patient to aid in diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. Clinical Medical labor ...
technician A technician is a worker in a field of technology who is proficient in the relevant skill and technique, with a relatively practical understanding of the theoretical principles. Specialisation The term technician covers many different speciali ...
. The
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
discharged Discharge may refer to Expel or let go * Discharge, the act of firing a gun * Discharge, or termination of employment, the end of an employee's duration with an employer * Military discharge, the release of a member of the armed forces from serv ...
him for refusing orders to clean a
grease trap A grease trap (also known as grease interceptor, grease recovery device, grease capsule and grease converter) is a plumbing device (a type of trap) designed to intercept most greases and solids before they enter a wastewater disposal system. Co ...
in 1944. Following discharge, Blish entered
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 ...
as a masters student of
zoology Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the Animal, animal kingdom, including the anatomy, structure, embryology, evolution, Biological clas ...
. He did not complete the program, opting to write fiction full-time. In 1947, he married
Virginia Kidd Virginia Kidd (June 2, 1921 – January 11, 2003) was an American literary agent, writer and editor, who worked in particular in science fiction and related fields. She represented science fiction American authors such as Ursula K. Le Guin, R.A ...
, a fellow Futurian. They divorced in 1963. Blish then married artist
J. A. Lawrence Judith Ann Blish (née Lawrence; born December 14, 1934) is an American sketch artist and short fiction writer, known professionally as Judith L. Blish, Judy Blish, and J. A. Lawrence. From 1967 to 1978, she co-wrote a sequence of short story adap ...
in 1964, moving to England that same year. From 1962 to 1968, Blish worked for the
Tobacco Institute The Tobacco Institute, Inc. was a United States tobacco industry trade group, founded in 1958 by the American tobacco industry. It was dissolved in 1998 as part of the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement.The Tobacco Institute's headquarters were k ...
as a writer and critic. Much of his work for the institute went uncredited. Blish died on July 30, 1975 from complications related to
lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissue (biology), tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from tran ...
. He was buried in
Holywell Cemetery Holywell Cemetery is next to St Cross Church in Oxford, England. The cemetery is behind the church in St Cross Road, south of Holywell Manor on Manor Road and north of Longwall Street, in the parish of Holywell. History In the mid 19th cen ...
,
Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
. The
Bodleian Library The Bodleian Library () is the main research library of the University of Oxford, and is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. It derives its name from its founder, Sir Thomas Bodley. With over 13 million printed items, it is the second- ...
at Oxford is the custodian of Blish's papers. The library also has a complete catalog of Blish's published works.


Career

Throughout the 1940s, Blish published most of his stories in the few
pulp magazines Pulp magazines (also referred to as "the pulps") were inexpensive fiction magazines that were published from 1896 to the late 1950s. The term "pulp" derives from the cheap wood pulp paper on which the magazines were printed. In contrast, magazine ...
still in circulation. His first story was sold to fellow Futurian
Frederik Pohl Frederik George Pohl Jr. (; November 26, 1919 – September 2, 2013) was an American science-fiction writer, editor, and fan, with a career spanning nearly 75 years—from his first published work, the 1937 poem "Elegy to a Dead Satelli ...
for ''
Super Science Stories ''Super Science Stories'' was an American pulp science fiction magazine published by Popular Publications from 1940 to 1943, and again from 1949 to 1951. Popular launched it under their Fictioneers imprint, which they used for magazines, payin ...
'' (1940), called "Emergency Refueling". Other stories were published intermittently, but with little circulation. Blish's "Chaos, Co-Ordinated", co-written with Robert A. W. Lowndes, was sold to ''
Astounding Science Fiction ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' is an American science fiction magazine published under various titles since 1930. Originally titled ''Astounding Stories of Super-Science'', the first issue was dated January 1930, published by William C ...
'', appearing in the October 1946 issue, earning Blish national circulation for the first time.


Pantropy (1942–1956)

Blish was what Andrew Litpack called a "practical writer". He would revisit, revise, and often expand on previously written stories. An example is "Sunken Universe" published in ''
Super Science Stories ''Super Science Stories'' was an American pulp science fiction magazine published by Popular Publications from 1940 to 1943, and again from 1949 to 1951. Popular launched it under their Fictioneers imprint, which they used for magazines, payin ...
'' in 1942. The story reappeared in ''
Galaxy Science Fiction ''Galaxy Science Fiction'' was an American digest-size science fiction magazine, published in Boston from 1950 to 1980. It was founded by a French-Italian company, World Editions, which was looking to break into the American market. World Editi ...
'' as "Surface Tension", in an altered form in 1952. The premise emphasized Blish's understanding of microbiology, and featured microscopic humans engineered to live on a hostile planet's shallow pools of water. The story proved to be among Blish's more popular and was anthologized in the first volume of
Robert Silverberg Robert Silverberg (born January 15, 1935) is an American author and editor, best known for writing science fiction. He is a multiple winner of both Hugo and Nebula Awards, a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, and a Grand ...
'' The Science Fiction Hall of Fame''. It was also anthologized in ''
The Big Book of Science Fiction ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...
'' (2016), edited by
Ann Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...
and
Jeff VanderMeer Jeff VanderMeer (born July 7, 1968) is an American author, editor, and literary critic. Initially associated with the New Weird literary genre, VanderMeer crossed over into mainstream success with his bestselling Southern Reach Trilogy. The tr ...
. The world of microscopic humans continued in "The Thing in the Attic" in 1954, and "Watershed" the following year. The fourth entry, "A Time to Survive", was published by ''
The Magazine of 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 a ...
'' in 1957. The stories were collected, edited together, and published as the
fix-up A fix-up (or fixup) is a novel created from several short fiction stories that may or may not have been initially related or previously published. The stories may be edited for consistency, and sometimes new connecting material, such as a frame s ...
''The Seedling Stars'' (1956), by Gnome Press.
John Clute John Frederick Clute (born 12 September 1940) is a Canadian-born author and critic specializing in science fiction and fantasy literature who has lived in both England and the United States since 1969. He has been described as "an integral part o ...
said of all of Blish's "deeply felt work" explored "confronting the
Faustian Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust ( 1480–1540). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a pact with the Devil at a crossroa ...
(or Frankensteinian) man".


''Cities in Flight'' (1950–1958)

''
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 ...
'' asserts that it was not until the 1950s, and the Okie sequence of stories beginning their run, "did it become clear lishwould become a cience fictionwriter of unusual depth". The stories were loosely based on the
Okie An Okie is a person identified with the state of Oklahoma. This connection may be residential, ethnic, historical or cultural. For most Okies, several (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being Oklahoman. ...
migration following the
Dust Bowl The Dust Bowl was a period of severe dust storms that greatly damaged the ecology and agriculture of the American and Canadian prairies during the 1930s. The phenomenon was caused by a combination of both natural factors (severe drought) an ...
of the 1930s, and were influenced by
Oswald Spengler Oswald Arnold Gottfried Spengler (; 29 May 1880 – 8 May 1936) was a German historian and philosopher of history whose interests included mathematics, science, and art, as well as their relation to his organic theory of history. He is best known ...
's two-part '' Der Untergang des Abendlandes'' (''The Decline of the West'')''.'' The stories detail the life of the Okies, humans who migrate throughout space looking for work in vast city-ships, powered by spindizzies, a type of
anti-gravity Anti-gravity (also known as non-gravitational field) is a hypothetical phenomenon of creating a place or object that is free from the force of gravity. It does not refer to the lack of weight under gravity experienced in free fall or orbit, or t ...
engine. The premise and plot reflected Blish's feelings on the state of
western civilization Leonardo da Vinci's ''Vitruvian Man''. Based on the correlations of ideal Body proportions">human proportions with geometry described by the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius in Book III of his treatise ''De architectura''. image:Plato Pio-Cle ...
, and his personal politics. The first two stories, "Okie", and "Bindlestiff", were published in 1950, by ''Astounding''. "Sargasso of Lost Cities" appeared in ''Two Complete Science-Adventure Books'' in April 1953. "Earthman, Come Home" followed a few months later, published by ''Astounding''. In 1955, Blish collected the four stories together into an omnibus titled ''Earthman, Come Home'', published by Putnam. More stories followed: In 1956, ''They Shall Have Stars'', which edited together "Bridge" and "At Death’s End", and in 1958, Blish published ''The Triumph of Time''. Four years later, he published a new Okies novel, ''A Life for the Stars''. The Okies sequence was edited together and published as ''Cities In Flight'' (1970). Clute notes, "the brilliance of ''Cities in Flight'' does not lie in the assemblage of its parts, but in the momentum of the ideas embodied in it (albeit sometimes obscurely)."


''After Such Knowledge'' (1958–1971)

Blish continued to rework older stories, and did so for one of his best known works, ''
A Case of Conscience ''A Case of Conscience'' is a science fiction novel by American writer James Blish, first published in 1958. It is the story of a Jesuit who investigates an alien race that has no religion yet has a perfect, innate sense of morality, a situation ...
'' (1958). The novel originated as a novella, originally published in an issue of '' If'', in 1953. The story follows a Jesuit priest, Ramon Ruiz-Sanchez, who visits the planet Lithia as a technical member of an expedition. While on the planet they discover a race of bipedal reptilians that have perfected morality in what Ruiz-Sanchez says is "the absence of God", and theological complications ensue. The book is one of the first major works in the genre to explore religion and its implications. It was the first of a series including '' Doctor Mirabilis'' (1964) and the two-part story ''
Black Easter ''Black Easter'' is a fantasy novel by American writer James Blish, in which an arms dealer hires a black magician to unleash all the demons of Hell on Earth for a single day. It was first published in 1968. The sequel is '' The Day After Judgmen ...
'' (1968), and ''
The Day After Judgment ''The Day After Judgment'' is a 1970 fantasy novel by American writer James Blish. It is a sequel to the 1968 novel '' Black Easter'': they have been subsequently republished in 1990 as a single book called ''The Devil's Day''. Plot summary ''Bl ...
'' (1971). The latter two were collected as ''The Devil's Day'' (1980). An omnibus of all four entries in the series was published by Legend in 1991, titled ''After Such Knowledge''. ''A Case of Conscience'' won the 1959 Hugo Award for Best Novel, and was collected as part of Library of America’s omnibus ''American Science Fiction: Five Classic Novels 1956-1958''.


''Star Trek'' (1967–1977)

Bantam Books commissioned Blish to adapt episodes of ''
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 ...
''. The adapted short stories were generally based on draft scripts and contained different plot elements from the aired television episodes. The stories were collected into twelve volumes and published as a title series of the same name from 1967 to 1977. The adaptations were largely written by Blish; however, his declining health during this period proved problematic. His wife, J. A. Lawrence, wrote a number of installments. Her work remained uncredited until the final volume, ''Star Trek 12'', published in 1977, two years after Blish's death. The first original novel for adults based on the television series, ''
Spock Must Die! ''Spock Must Die!'' is an American science fiction novel written by James Blish, published February 1970 by Bantam Books. It was the first original novel based on the ''Star Trek'' television series intended for adult readers. It was preceded ...
'' (1970), was also written by Blish, and he planned to release more. According to Lawrence, two episodes featuring popular character Harry Mudd, "
I, Mudd "I, Mudd" is the eighth episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series ''Star Trek''. Written by Stephen Kandel (based on a story by Gene Roddenberry) and directed by Marc Daniels, it was first broadcast on Novem ...
" and "
Mudd's Women "Mudd's Women" is the sixth episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series ''Star Trek''. Written by Stephen Kandel, based on a story by Gene Roddenberry, and directed by Harvey Hart, it first aired on October 13, ...
", were held back by Blish for adaptation to be included in the follow-up to ''Spock Must Die!''. However, Blish died before a novel could be completed. Lawrence did eventually adapt the two episodes, as ''Mudd's Angels'' (1978), which included an original novella ''The Business, as Usual, During Altercations'' by Lawrence. In her introduction to ''Star Trek 12'', Lawrence states that Blish "did indeed write" adaptations of the two episodes. The introduction to ''Mudd's Angels'' acknowledges this, stating that Blish left the two stories in various stages of completion and they were finished by Lawrence; Blish does not receive author credit on the book. Blish credited his financial stability later in life to the ''Star Trek'' commission and the advance he received for ''Spock Must Die!''.


Literary criticism and legacy

Blish was among the first
literary critics Literary criticism (or literary studies) is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often influenced by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of literature's goals and methods. Th ...
of science fiction, and he judged works in the genre by the standards applied to "serious" literature. He took to task his fellow authors for deficiencies, such as bad grammar and a misunderstanding of scientific concepts, and the magazine editors, who accepted and published such material without editorial intervention. His critiques were published in "fanzines" in the 1950s under the pseudonym William Atheling Jr. The essays were collected in ''The Issue at Hand'' (1964) and ''More Issues at Hand'' (1970). Reviewing ''The Issue at Hand'',
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), John ...
said that Atheling had, along with
Damon Knight Damon Francis Knight (September 19, 1922 – April 15, 2002) was an American science fiction author, editor, and critic. He is the author of "To Serve Man", a 1950 short story adapted for ''The Twilight Zone''.Stanyard, ''Dimensions Behind th ...
, "transformed the reviewer's trade in this field". He described the persona of Atheling as "acidulous, assertive, categorical, conscientious and occasionally idiosyncratic". Blish was a fan of the works of
James Branch Cabell James Branch Cabell (; April 14, 1879  – May 5, 1958) was an American author of fantasy fiction and ''belles-lettres''. Cabell was well-regarded by his contemporaries, including H. L. Mencken, Edmund Wilson, and Sinclair Lewis. His works ...
, and for a time edited ''Kalki'', the journal of the Cabell Society. In his works of science fiction, Blish developed many ideas and terms which have influenced other writers and on occasion have been adopted more widely, such as
faster than light Faster-than-light (also FTL, superluminal or supercausal) travel and communication are the conjectural propagation of matter or information faster than the speed of light (). The special theory of relativity implies that only particles with zero ...
communication via the dirac communicator, introduced in the short story "Beep" (1954). The dirac is comparable to
Ursula K. Le Guin Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (; October 21, 1929 – January 22, 2018) was an American author best known for her works of speculative fiction, including science fiction works set in her Hainish universe, and the '' Earthsea'' fantasy series. She was ...
's
ansible An ansible is a category of fictional devices or technology capable of near-instantaneous or faster-than-light communication. It can send and receive messages to and from a corresponding device over any distance or obstacle whatsoever with no d ...
. Blish is also credited with coining the term
gas giant A gas giant is a giant planet composed mainly of hydrogen and helium. Gas giants are also called failed stars because they contain the same basic elements as a star. Jupiter and Saturn are the gas giants of the Solar System. The term "gas giant" ...
, first used in the story "Solar Plexus", collected in the anthology ''Beyond Human Ken'', edited by
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 ...
. The story was originally published in 1941, but did not contain the term. Blish reworked the story, changing the description of a large
magnetic field A magnetic field is a vector field that describes the magnetic influence on moving electric charges, electric currents, and magnetic materials. A moving charge in a magnetic field experiences a force perpendicular to its own velocity and to ...
to "a magnetic field of some strength nearby, one that didn't belong to the invisible ''gas giant'' revolving half a million miles away".


Honors, awards and recognition

The British
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 ...
inaugurated the James Blish Award for science fiction criticism in 1977, recognizing Brian W. Aldiss. The
Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame The Museum of Pop Culture or MoPOP is a nonprofit museum in Seattle, Washington, dedicated to contemporary popular culture. It was founded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in 2000 as the Experience Music Project. Since then MoPOP has organized ...
inducted him in 2002.


Awards and nominations

* 1959
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 ...
for Best Novel, for ''
A Case of Conscience ''A Case of Conscience'' is a science fiction novel by American writer James Blish, first published in 1958. It is the story of a Jesuit who investigates an alien race that has no religion yet has a perfect, innate sense of morality, a situation ...
.'' * 1965
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 ...
nomination for Best Novelette, for "The Shipwrecked Hotel", with Norman L. Knight. * 1968 Nebula Award nomination for Best Novel, for ''
Black Easter ''Black Easter'' is a fantasy novel by American writer James Blish, in which an arms dealer hires a black magician to unleash all the demons of Hell on Earth for a single day. It was first published in 1968. The sequel is '' The Day After Judgmen ...
''. * 1970 Hugo Award nomination for Best Novella, for ''We All Die Naked''. * 1970 Nebula Award nomination for Best Novella, for ''A Style in Treason''.


Posthumous Awards and nominations

* 2001
951 Year 951 ( CMLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * King Berengar II of Italy seizes Liguria, with help from the feudal lord Oberto I. He re ...
Retro-Hugo Award nomination for Best Novelette, for "Okie". * 2004
954 Year 954 ( CMLIV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Spring – A Hungarian army led by Bulcsú crosses the Rhine. He camps at Worms in th ...
Retro-Hugo Award for Best Novella, for ''A Case of Conscience''. * 2004
954 Year 954 ( CMLIV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Spring – A Hungarian army led by Bulcsú crosses the Rhine. He camps at Worms in th ...
Retro-Hugo Award for Best Novelette, for "Earthman, Come Home".


Guest of Honor

* 1960 Guest of Honor, 18th World Science Fiction Convention. * 1970 Guest of Honor, Scicon 70.


Bibliography

Blish's work was published by a variety of publishers in the United Kingdom and the United States, often with variations between editions, and with different titles. Blish also expanded and re-published his older work on numerous occasions. His works continued to be re-published after his death. Note: Very few of Blish's first editions were assigned ISBN numbers.


Short fiction and novellas (1935–1986)

Novels published in complete form, or serialized, in fiction magazines are included for completeness, and to avoid confusion. Novelette, Novella, Novel.


''The Planeteer'' (1935–36)

* "Neptunian Refuge" (November 1935) * "Mad Vision" (December 1935) * "Pursuit into Nowhere" (January 1936) * "Threat from Copernicus" (February 1936) * "Trail of the Comet" (March 1936) * "Bat-Shadow Shroud" (April 1936)


''Super Science Stories'' (1940)

* "Emergency Refueling" (March 1940) * "Bequest of the Angel" (May 1940) * "Sunken Universe" (May 1942),rewritten as "Surface Tension" (1952)


''Stirring Science Stories'' (1941)

* "Citadel of Thought" (February 1941) * "Callistan Cabal" (April 1941)


''Science Fiction Quarterly'' (1941)

* "Weapon Out of Time" (April 1941) * "When Anteros Came" (December 1941)


''Cosmic Stories'' (1941)

* "Phoenix Planet" (May 1941) * "The Real Thrill" (July 1941)


''Future'' (1941–1953)

* "The Topaz Gate" (August 1941) * "The Solar Comedy" (June 1942) * "The Air Whale" (August 1942) * "Struggle in the Womb" (May 1950) * "The Secret People" (November 1950) * "Elixir" (September 1951) * "Testament of Andros" (January 1953)


''Astonishing Stories'' (1941)

* "Solar Plexus" (September 1941)


''Super Science and Fantastic Stories'' (1944)

* "The Bounding Crown" (December 1944)


''Science*Fiction'' (1946)

* "Knell", as by Arthur Lloyd Merlyn (January 1946)


''Astounding Science Fiction'' (1946–1957)

* "Chaos, Co-Ordinated" as by John MacDougal, with Robert A. W. Lowndes (October 1946) * "Tiger Ride" with
Damon Knight Damon Francis Knight (September 19, 1922 – April 15, 2002) was an American science fiction author, editor, and critic. He is the author of "To Serve Man", a 1950 short story adapted for ''The Twilight Zone''.Stanyard, ''Dimensions Behind th ...
(October 1948) * "Okie" (April 1950) * "Bindlestiff" (December 1950) * "Bridge" (February 1952) * "Earthman, Come Home" (November 1953) * "At Death's End" (May 1954) * "One-Shot" (August 1955) * "Tomb Tapper" (July 1956) * ''
Get Out of My Sky "Get Out of My Sky" is a 1957 in literature, 1957 science fiction novella by American writer James Blish. It was first published by the magazine ''Astounding Science Fiction'' in January and February 1957. The story is about two planets, Home an ...
'' (January 1957),included in ''Get out of My Sky'' Panther ed. (1980)


''Startling Stories'' (1948)

* "Mistake Inside" (April 1948)


''Planet Stories'' (1948–1951)

* "Against the Stone Beasts" (August 1948) * "Blackout in Cygni" (July 1951)


''Thrilling Wonder Stories'' (1948–1950)

* "No Winter, No Summer" as by Donald Laverty, with Damon Knight (October 1948) * "The Weakness of RVOG" (February 1949),expanded as ''VOR'' (1958) * "The Box" (April 1949) * "The Homesteader" (June 1949) * ''Let the Finder Beware'' (December 1949) * "There Shall Be No Darkness" (April 1950),included in ''Get Out of My Sky'' Panther ed. (1980)


''Jungle Stories'' (1948)

* "Serpent's Fetish" (December 1948)


''Fantastic Story Quarterly'' (1950)

* "The Bore" (July 1950)


''Imagination'' (1951)

* "The Void Is My Coffin" (June 1951)


''Two Complete Science-Adventure Books'' (1951)

* ''The Warriors of Day'' (August 1951) * ''Sargasso of Lost Cities'' (April 1953)


''Other Worlds Science Stores'' (1952)

* "Nightride and Sunrise" with
Jerome Bixby Drexel Jerome Lewis Bixby (January 11, 1923 – April 28, 1998) was an American short-story writer and scriptwriter. He wrote the 1953 story " It's a Good Life", which was the basis of a 1961 episode of ''The Twilight Zone'' and was included ...
(June 1952)


''Galaxy Science Fiction'' (1952–1970)

* "Surface Tension" (August 1952),collected in ''The Seedling Stars'' (1957) * "Beep" (February 1954),expanded as ''
The Quincunx of Time ''The Quincunx of Time'' is a short science fiction novel by American writer James Blish. It is an extended version of a short story entitled "Beep", published by ''Galaxy Science Fiction'' magazine in 1954. The novel form was first published ...
'' (1973) * "The Writing of the Rat" (July 1956) * "The Genius Heap" (August 1956) * "On the Wall of the Lodge" with
Virginia Kidd Virginia Kidd (June 2, 1921 – January 11, 2003) was an American literary agent, writer and editor, who worked in particular in science fiction and related fields. She represented science fiction American authors such as Ursula K. Le Guin, R.A ...
(June 1962) * "The Shipwrecked Hotel" with Norman L. Knight, (August 1965),expanded as ''A Torrent of Faces'' (1967) * "The Piper of Dis" with Norman L. Knight, (August 1966),expanded as ''A Torrent of Faces'' (1967) * "Our Binary Brothers" (February 1969) * "The City That Was the World" (July 1969) * "A Style in Treason" (May 1970) * ''
The Day After Judgment ''The Day After Judgment'' is a 1970 fantasy novel by American writer James Blish. It is a sequel to the 1968 novel '' Black Easter'': they have been subsequently republished in 1990 as a single book called ''The Devil's Day''. Plot summary ''Bl ...
'' (September 1970),collected in ''The Devil's Day'' (1990) * "Darkside Crossing" (December 1970) * "The Glitch" (June 1974) * "The Art of the Sneeze" (November 1982)


''Dynamic Science Fiction'' (1953)

* "Turn of a Century" (March 1953) * '' The Duplicated Man'' with Robert A. W. Lowndes (August 1953)


''Worlds of If'' (1953–1968)

* ''A Case of Conscience'' (September 1953),expanded as ''
A Case of Conscience ''A Case of Conscience'' is a science fiction novel by American writer James Blish, first published in 1958. It is the story of a Jesuit who investigates an alien race that has no religion yet has a perfect, innate sense of morality, a situation ...
'' (1958) * "The Thing in the Attic" (July 1954),collected in ''The Seedling Stars'' (1957) * "Watershed" (May 1955),collected in ''The Seedling Stars'' (1957) * "To Pay the Piper" (February 1956) * ''Welcome to Mars'' (July 1966) * ''
Black Easter ''Black Easter'' is a fantasy novel by American writer James Blish, in which an arms dealer hires a black magician to unleash all the demons of Hell on Earth for a single day. It was first published in 1968. The sequel is '' The Day After Judgmen ...
'' (August 1967),collected in ''The Devil's Day'' (1990) * "Now That Man Is Gone" (November 1968)


''Star Science Fiction Stories'' (1953)

* "F.Y.I." (December 1953)


''The Magazine of Science Fiction and Fantasy'' (1953–1980)

* "First Strike" (June 1953) * "The Book of Your Life" (March 1955) * "With Malice to Come (3 vignettes)" (May 1955) * "A Time to Survive" (February 1956),collected in ''The Seedling Stars'' Signet ed. (1959) * "This Earth of Hours" (June 1959) * "The Masks" (November 1959) * "The Oath" (October 1960) * "Who's in Charge Here?" (May 1962) * "No Jokes on Mars" (October 1965) * ''Midsummer Century'' (November 1982)


''Fantastic Universe'' (1955)

* "Translation" (March 1955)


''Infinity Science Fiction'' (1955–1957)

* "King of the Hill" (November 1955) * "Sponge Dive" (June 1956) * "Detour to the Stars" (December 1956) * "Nor Iron Bars" (November 1957),expanded as ''Galactic Cluster'' (1959)


''Science Fiction Stories'' (1956)

* "A Work of Art" (July 1956)


''Science Fiction Adventures'' (1957)

* ''Two Worlds in Peril'' (February 1957)


''Amazing Stories'' (1960–61)

* ''… And All the Stars a Stage'' (June 1960) * "And Some Were Savages" (November 1960) * "A Dusk of Idols" (March 1961)


''Impulse'' (1966)

* "A Hero's Life" (March 1966)


''Analog'' (1967–68)

* "To Love Another" (April 1967),expanded as ''A Torrent of Faces'' (1967) * "Skysign" with Norman L. Knight, (May 1968)


''Penthouse'' (1972)

* "A Light to Fight by" (June 1972)


''Fantasy Book'' (1986)

* "The White Empire" (September 1986)


Anthologized short fiction (1952–2008)

* ''Beanstalk'', ''Future Tense'' (1952), ed. Kendell Foster Crossen. Greenberger.expanded in ''Titan's Daughter'' (1961). * "Common Time", ''Shadows of Tomorrow'' (August 1953), ed. Frederik Pohl. Permabooks #P236. * "A Matter of Energy", ''The Best from Fantasy and Science Fiction, Fifth Series'' (January 1956), ed. Anthony Boucher. Doubleday. * "Nor Iron Bars" (expanded), ''Galactic Cluster'' (October 1959), ed. James Blish. Signet #S1719. * "The Abattoir Effect", ''So Close to Home'' (February 27, 1961), ed. James Blish. Ballantine Books #465K. * "None So Blind", ''Anywhen'' (July 1970), ed. James Blish. Doubleday. * "How Beautiful With Banners", ''Orbit 1'' (1966), ed. Damon Knight. Whiting & Wheaton. * "We All Die Naked", ''Three for Tomorrow'' (August 1969), ed. uncredited. Meredith Press. * "More Light", ''Alchemy and Academe'' (November 1970), ed. Anne McCaffrey. Doubleday. * "Statistician's Day", ''Science Against Man'' (December 1970), ed. Anthony Cheetham. Avon #V2374. * "Getting Along", ''Again, Dangerous Visions'' (March 17, 1972), ed. Harlan Ellison. Doubleday. * "A True Bill: A Chancel Drama in One Act", ''Ten Tomorrows'' (September 1973), ed. Roger Elwood. Fawcett Gold Medal #M2820. * "The Price of a Drink", ''The Berserkers'' (January 1974), ed. Roger Elwood. Trident . * "Making Waves", ''Works of Art'' (January 30, 2008). NESFA Press .


Novels (1952–1990)

* ''Jack of Eagles'' (1952). Greenberg.,also published as ''ESPer'' (1952). Avon. * ''The Frozen Year'' (March 19, 1957). Ballantine Books #197,also published as ''Fallen Star'' (1957). Faber & Faber. * ''VOR'' (April 1958). Avon #T-238. * ''The Duplicated Man'' (1959). Avalon Books. * ''A Torrent of Faces'' (1967), with Norman L. Knight. Doubleday. * ''The Warriors of Day'' (1967). Lancer Books #73-580. * ''The Star Dwellers'' (1961). G. P. Putnam's Sons. * ''Titan's Daughter'' (March 1961). Berkley Medallion #G507. * ''The Night Shapes'' (October 1962). Ballantine Books #F647. * ''Mission to the Heart Stars'' (November 11, 1965). Faber & Faber. * ''Welcome to Mars'' (July 1966). G. P. Putnam's Sons. * ''The Vanished Jet'' (1968). Weybright and Talley. * ''… And All the Stars a Stage'' (July 1971). Doubleday. * ''Midsummer Century'' (May 1972). Doubleday,included in ''Midsummer Century'' Daw ed. (1974). * ''
The Quincunx of Time ''The Quincunx of Time'' is a short science fiction novel by American writer James Blish. It is an extended version of a short story entitled "Beep", published by ''Galaxy Science Fiction'' magazine in 1954. The novel form was first published ...
'' (October 1973). Dell #07244.


''

Cities in Flight ''Cities in Flight'' is a four-volume series of science fiction novels and short stories by American writer James Blish, originally published between 1950 and 1962, which were first known collectively as the "Okie" novels. The series features ent ...
'' series (1955–1962)

* ''Earthman, Come Home'' (1955). G. P. Putnam's Sons. * ''They Shall Have Stars'' (1956). Faber & Faber,also published as ''Year 2018!'' (1957). Avon Books. * ''The Triumph of Time'' (October 1958). Avon #T-279,also published as ''A Clash of Cymbals'' (1959). Faber & Faber. * ''A Life for the Stars'' (1962). G. P. Putnam's Sons.


''After Such Knowledge'' series (1958–1990)

* ''
A Case of Conscience ''A Case of Conscience'' is a science fiction novel by American writer James Blish, first published in 1958. It is the story of a Jesuit who investigates an alien race that has no religion yet has a perfect, innate sense of morality, a situation ...
'' (April 1958). Ballantine Books #256. * '' Doctor Mirabilis'' (1964). Faber & Faber #55198. * ''The Devil's Day'' (February 1990). Baen .


Collections (1957–2009)

* ''The Seedling Stars'' (1957). Gnome Press. * ''The Seedling Stars'' (February 1959). Signet #S1622. * ''Best Science Fiction Stories of James Blish'' (1965). Faber & Faber,also published as ''The Testament of Andros'' (August 1977). Arrow Books . * ''Midsummer Century'' (February 1974). Daw #UQ1094. * '' The Best of James Blish'' (August 1979). Ballantine/Del Rey * ''Get Out of My Sky'' (April 1980). Panther . * ''A Work of Art and Other Stories'' (July 1993). Severn House . * ''With All Love: Selected Poems'' (March 1995). Anamnesis Press . * ''A Dusk of Idols and Other Stories'' (May 1996). Severn House . * ''In This World, or Another'' (July 2, 2003). Five Star . * ''Works of Art'' (January 30, 2008). NESFA Press . * ''Flights of Eagles'' (October 20, 2009). NESFA Press .


Anthologies (1959–1970)

* ''Galactic Cluster'' (October 1959). Signet #S1719. * ''So Close to Home'' (February 27, 1961). Ballantine Books #465K. * ''New Dreams This Morning'' (October 1966). Ballantine Books #U233. * ''Anywhen'' (1970). Doubleday. * '' Nebula Award Stories 5'' (1970). Gollancz.


Nonfiction (1964–1987)

* ''The Issue at Hand'' (1964), as by William Atheling Jr. Advent Publishers. * ''More Issues at Hand'' (December 1970), as by William Atheling Jr. Advent Publishers . * ''The Tale That Wags the God'' (July 1987). Advent Publishers .


''

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 ...
'' (1967–1977)

* ''Star Trek'' (January 1967). Bantam Books #F3459. * ''Star Trek 2'' (February 1968). Bantam Books #F3439. * ''Star Trek 3'' (April 1969). Bantam Books #F4371. * ''
Spock Must Die! ''Spock Must Die!'' is an American science fiction novel written by James Blish, published February 1970 by Bantam Books. It was the first original novel based on the ''Star Trek'' television series intended for adult readers. It was preceded ...
'' (February 1970). Bantam Books #H5515. * ''Star Trek 4'' (July 1971). Bantam Books #S7009. * ''Star Trek 5'' (February 1972). Bantam Books #S7300. * ''Star Trek 6'' (April 1972). Bantam Books #S7364. * ''Star Trek 7'' (July 1972). Bantam Books #S7480. * ''Star Trek 8'' (November 1972). Bantam Books #SP7550. * ''Star Trek 9'' (August 1973). Bantam Books #SP7808. * ''Star Trek 10'' (February 1974). Bantam Books #SP8401. * ''Star Trek 11'' (April 1975). Bantam Books #Q8717,also published as ''The Day of the Dove'' (October 1985). Spectra . * ''Star Trek 12'' (November 1977), with
J. A. Lawrence Judith Ann Blish (née Lawrence; born December 14, 1934) is an American sketch artist and short fiction writer, known professionally as Judith L. Blish, Judy Blish, and J. A. Lawrence. From 1967 to 1978, she co-wrote a sequence of short story adap ...
. Bantam Books .


Omnibuses (1970–2013)

* ''Cities in Flight'' (February 1970). Avon #W187. * ''After Such Knowledge'' (July 1991). Legend ). * ''The Seedling Stars / Galactic Cluster'' (April 1983). Signet . * ''Black Easter / The Day After Judgement / The Seedling Stars'' (September 26, 2013) .


References


Further reading

* * "Special James Blish Issue" (April 1972) ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction''. . *


External links

* * * * * * * *
Audio
of Blish giving the Guest of Honor speech at Pittcon 1960
Audio
of Blish giving the Guest of Honour speech at
Eastercon Eastercon is the common name for the annual British national science fiction convention. The convention is organised by voluntary self-organising committees, rather than a permanent entity. Organisation Groups of fans (typically 5–8 in n ...
1970 {{DEFAULTSORT:Blish, James 1921 births 1975 deaths 20th-century American essayists 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American short story writers American cultural critics American fantasy writers American literary critics American male essayists American male novelists American male short story writers American science fiction writers American speculative fiction critics American speculative fiction writers Anthologists Burials at Holywell Cemetery Columbia University alumni Deaths from lung cancer in England Faster-than-light communication Futurians Hugo Award-winning writers Literacy and society theorists Literary theorists Novelists from New Jersey Science fiction critics Science fiction fans Science Fiction Hall of Fame inductees Star Trek fiction writers Rutgers University alumni Theorists on Western civilization United States Army personnel of World War II Writers about religion and science Writers from East Orange, New Jersey 20th-century pseudonymous writers