Van Ikin (born 25 November 1951) is an academic and science fiction writer and editor. A professor in English at the

University of Western Australia The University of Western Australia (UWA) is a public research university in the Australian state of Western Australia. The university's main campus is in Perth, the state capital, with a secondary campus in Albany, Western Australia, Albany an ...

, he retired from teaching in 2015 and is now a senior honorary research fellow. He has acted as supervisor for several Australian writers completing their post-graduate degrees and doctorates — including science fiction and fantasy writers

Terry Dowling Terence William (Terry) Dowling (born 21 March 1947), is an Australian writer and journalist. He writes primarily speculative fiction though he considers himself an "imagier" – one who imagines, a term which liberates his writing from the cons ...

Stephen Dedman Stephen Dedman (born 1959) is an Australian author of dark fantasy and science fiction stories and novels. Biography Dedman's short stories have appeared in ''Year's Best Fantasy and Horror'', '' Year's Best SF'', and ''The Best Australian Sc ...

, and

Dave Luckett Dave Luckett (born 1951) is an Australian children's writer born in Stanmore, New South Wales. He has written three non-fiction books about cricket and medieval weapons and armour. He has also written three series of fantasy books as well as a nu ...

— and received the university's Excellence in Teaching Award for Postgraduate Research Supervision in 2000. Ikin is probably best known for his editorship of the long-running critical journal ''

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 has reviewed science fiction and fantasy for ''The

Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper i ...

'' since 1984

Critical works

*''Strange Constellations: A History of Australian Science Fiction'' (with

Russell Blackford Russell Blackford (born 1954) is an Australian writer, philosopher, and literary critic. Early life and education Blackford was born in Sydney, and grew up in the city of Lake Macquarie, near Newcastle, New South Wales. After graduating with ...

Sean McMullen Sean Christopher McMullen (born 21 December 1948 in Sale, Victoria) is an Australian science fiction and fantasy author. Biography McMullen is one of Australia's leading science-fiction and fantasy authors and has written over 70 stories and 1 ...

) Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1998. * ''Warriors of the Tao: The Best of Science Fiction: A Review of Speculative Literature'' (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 ...

) (Borgo Press, 2011). * ''Xeno Fiction: More Best of '' Science Fiction: A Review of Speculative Literature'' (with

(Wildside/Borgo, 2013) * ''Fantastika at the Edge of Reality: Yet More Best of '' Science Fiction: A Review of Speculative Literature'' (with

(Wildside, 2014) * ''Other Spacetimes: Interviews with Speculative Fiction Writers '' — with

(Wildside, 2015)

Magazines edited

*''Enigma'' (

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...

SF Association, 1972–79) *''

'' (Issues 1-50, 1977–2019)

Anthologies edited

*''Australian Science Fiction'' (University of Queensland Press, 1981; reprint, Academy Editions, US, 1984). *''Glass Reptile Breakout'' (Centre for Studies in Aust Literature, University of WA, 1990) * ''Mortal Fire: Best Australian SF'' (with

) (Hodder/Coronet, 1993).

Awards

Australian Science Fiction Foundation Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Au ...

Chandler Award The Chandler Award is presented by the Australian Science Fiction Foundation for "Outstanding Achievement in Australian Science Fiction". It is named in recognition of the contribution that science fiction writer A. Bertram Chandler made to Aus ...

for his contribution to Australian science fiction (1992).

References

* Paul Collins (ed). ''The MUP Encyclopedia of Australian Science Fiction and Fantasy'' Melbourne, Vic: Melbourne University Press, 1998, p. 94.

External links

*
Van Ikin's Home page
' * 1951 births Living people University of Western Australia faculty Australian literary critics Australian science fiction writers Australian speculative fiction critics Australian speculative fiction editors Science fiction editors Australian people of Malaysian descent {{australia-writer-stub