John Stewart Williamson (April 29, 1908 – November 10, 2006), who wrote as Jack Williamson, was an American

science fiction writer 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 Abne ...

, often called the "Dean of Science Fiction". He is also credited with one of the first uses of the term ''

genetic engineering Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification or genetic manipulation, is the modification and manipulation of an organism's genes using technology. It is a set of technologies used to change the genetic makeup of cells, including t ...

''. Early in his career he sometimes used the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

s Will Stewart and Nils O. Sonderlund.

Early life

Williamson was born April 29, 1908 in Bisbee,

Arizona Territory The Territory of Arizona (also known as Arizona Territory) was a territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863, until February 14, 1912, when the remaining extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of ...

. According to his own account, the first three years of his life were spent on a ranch at the top of the Sierra Madre Mountains on the headwaters of the Yaqui River in Sonora, Mexico. He spent much of the rest of his early childhood in western Texas. In search of better pastures, his family migrated to rural

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

in a horse-drawn

covered wagon The covered wagon or prairie wagon, historically also referred to as an ambulance or prairie schooner, was a vehicle usually made out of wood and canvas that was used for transportation, prominently in 19th-century America. With roots in the he ...

in 1915.Williamson, Jack. ''Wonder's Child: My Life in Science Fiction'' (Benbella Books, 2005) The farming was difficult there and the family turned to ranching, which they continue to this day near

Pep Pep is energy or high spirits; it may refer to: * Pep band, an ensemble of instrumentalists * Pep, the dog in ''Putt-Putt'' (series) * Neilson Dairy confectionery brand * Pep, New Mexico * Pep, Texas * Pep Cereal, by Kellogg * Pep Comics, by MLJ ...

. He served in the

U.S. Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

as a

weather forecaster A meteorologist is a scientist who studies and works in the field of meteorology aiming to understand or predict Earth's atmospheric phenomena including the weather. Those who study meteorological phenomena are meteorologists in research, while t ...

Writing career

As a child Williamson enjoyed storytelling to his brother and two sisters. As a young man, he discovered the 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 i ...

'', established in 1926 by

Hugo Gernsback Hugo Gernsback (; born Hugo Gernsbacher, August 16, 1884 – August 19, 1967) was a Luxembourgish–American editor and magazine publisher, whose publications including the first science fiction magazine. His contributions to the genre as publ ...

, after answering an ad for one free issue. He strove to write his own fiction and sold his first story to Gernsback at age 20: "The Metal Man" was published in the December 1928 issue of ''Amazing''. During the next year Gernsback published three more of his stories in the new

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 ...

''Science Wonder Stories'' and ''

Air Wonder Stories ''Wonder Stories'' was an early American science fiction magazine which was published under several titles from 1929 to 1955. It was founded by Hugo Gernsback in 1929 after he had lost control of his first science fiction magazine, ''Amazing Sto ...

'', and separately published "The Girl from Mars" by

Miles J. Breuer Miles John Breuer (January 3, 1889 – October 14, 1945) was an American physician and science fiction writer of Czech origin. Although he had published elsewhere since the early 20th century, he is considered the part of the first generation of ...

and Williamson as ''Science Fiction Series #1''. His work during this early period was heavily influenced by

A. Merritt Abraham Grace Merritt (January 20, 1884 – August 21, 1943) – known by his byline, A. Merritt – was an American Sunday magazine editor and a writer of fantastic fiction. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame inducted him in 1999, ...

Moskowitz, Sam Sam Moskowitz (June 30, 1920 – April 15, 1997) was an American writer, critic, and historian of science fiction. Biography As a child, Moskowitz greatly enjoyed reading science fiction pulp magazines. As a teenager, he organized a branch of ...

. "Jack Williamson: Four-Way Pioneer". ''Amazing Stories'', October 1964. author of ''

The Metal Monster ''The Metal Monster'' is a fantasy novel by American writer Abraham Merritt. It was first serialized in ''Argosy All-Story Weekly'' in 1920 and features the return of Dr. Goodwin who first appeared in ''The Moon Pool''.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 ...

described "The Metal Man" as "a story full of memorable images". Early on, Williamson became impressed by the works of

and struck up a correspondence with him. A doctor who wrote science fiction in his spare time, Breuer had a strong talent and turned Williamson away from dreamlike fantasies towards more rigorous plotting and stronger narrative. Under Breuer's tutelage, Williamson would send outlines and drafts for review. Their first work together was the novel ''Birth of a New Republic'' in which

Moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...

colonies were undergoing something like

the American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

—a theme later taken up by many other SF writers, particularly in

Robert A. Heinlein Robert Anson Heinlein (; July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was an American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was among the first to emphasize scientific accu ...

's ''

The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress ''The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress'' is a 1966 science fiction novel by American writer Robert A. Heinlein about a lunar colony's revolt against absentee rule from Earth. The novel illustrates and discusses w:libertarian, libertarian ideals. It is r ...

''. Wracked by emotional storms and believing many of his physical ailments to be psychosomatic, Williamson underwent psychiatric evaluation in 1933 at the

Menninger Clinic The Menninger Foundation was founded in 1919 by the Menninger family in Topeka, Kansas. The Menninger Foundation, known locally as Menninger's, consists of a clinic, a sanatorium, and a school of psychiatry, all of which bear the Menninger name. ...

Topeka Topeka ( ; Kansa: ; iow, Dópikˀe, script=Latn or ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the seat of Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, in northeast Kansas, in the Central Un ...

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

, in which he began to learn to resolve the conflict between his reason and his emotion. From this period, his stories take on a grittier, more realistic tone. By the 1930s he was an established genre author, and the teenaged

Isaac Asimov yi, יצחק אזימאװ , birth_date = , birth_place = Petrovichi, Russian SFSR , spouse = , relatives = , children = 2 , death_date = , death_place = Manhattan, New York City, U.S. , nationality = Russian (1920–1922)Soviet (192 ...

was thrilled to receive a postcard from Williamson, whom he had idolized, which congratulated him on his first published story and offered "welcome to the ranks". Williamson remained a regular contributor to the

pulp magazine 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 ...

s but did not achieve financial success as a writer until many years later. An unfavorable review of one of his books, which compared his writing to that of a

comic strip A comic strip is a sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions. Traditionally, throughout the 20th and into the 21st ...

, brought Williamson to the attention of ''The New York Sunday News'', which needed a science fiction writer for a new comic strip. Williamson wrote the strip ''

Beyond Mars ''Beyond Mars'' was a science fiction comic strip written by Jack Williamson and drawn by Lee Elias. The Sunday strip ran in the '' New York Daily News'' from February 17, 1952, to March 13, 1955, initially as a full tabloid page and, near the ...

'' (1952–55), loosely based on his novel ''

Seetee Ship The ''Seetee'' series is a science fiction series by American writer Jack Williamson (writing under the pseudonym "Will Stewart.") It consists of several books and stories set in the late 22nd century, amid space-dwelling Asteroid Belt miners who ...

'', until the paper dropped all comics. Beginning 1954 and continuing into the 1990s, Williamson and

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 ...

wrote more than a dozen science fiction novels together, including the series Jim Eden, Starchild, and Cuckoo. Williamson continued to write as a nonagenarian and won both the

Hugo Hugo or HUGO may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Hugo'' (film), a 2011 film directed by Martin Scorsese * Hugo Award, a science fiction and fantasy award named after Hugo Gernsback * Hugo (franchise), a children's media franchise based on ...

and

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 ...

s during the last decade of his life, by far the oldest writer to win those awards. In his later years, he would also criticize attempts to write "serious" science fiction:

Academic career

Williamson received his

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

and

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

degrees in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

in the 1950s from

Eastern New Mexico University Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU or Eastern) is a public university with a main campus in Portales, New Mexico, and two associate degree-granting branches, one at Ruidoso and one at Roswell. ENMU is New Mexico's largest regional comprehensi ...

(ENMU) in Portales (near the Texas panhandle), joining the faculty of that university in 1960. He remained affiliated with the school for the rest of his life. In the late 1990s, he established a permanent trust to fund the publication of ''El Portal'', ENMU's journal of literature and art. In the 1980s, he made a sizable donation of books and original manuscripts to ENMU's library, which resulted in the formation of a Special Collections department; the library now is home to the Jack Williamson Science Fiction Library, which ENMU's website describes as "one of the top science fiction collections in the world". In addition, Williamson hosted the ''Jack Williamson Lectureship Series'', an annual lectureship where Guests of Honor and other noted authors give lectures, read from their works, and participate in lively panel discussions on a variety of topics. The lectureship is still celebrated at ENMU each year. The Jack Williamson Liberal Arts building houses the Languages & Literature, Mathematical Sciences, History, Religion & Social Sciences, and Psychology & Political Science Departments of the university, as well as the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean's Office. Williamson completed his

PhD PHD or PhD may refer to: * Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification Entertainment * '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series * ''Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic * Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group ** Ph.D. (Ph.D. albu ...

in English literature at the

University of Colorado The University of Colorado (CU) is a system of public universities in Colorado. It consists of four institutions: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, University of Colorado Denver, and the University of Co ...

Boulder In geology, a boulder (or rarely bowlder) is a rock fragment with size greater than in diameter. Smaller pieces are called cobbles and pebbles. While a boulder may be small enough to move or roll manually, others are extremely massive. In c ...

, focused on H.G. Wells' earlier works, demonstrating that Wells was not the naive optimist that many believed him to be. In the field of science, Jack Williamson coined the word

terraforming Terraforming or terraformation ("Earth-shaping") is the hypothetical process of deliberately modifying the atmosphere, temperature, surface topography or ecology of a planet, moon, or other body to be similar to the environment of Earth to make ...

in a science-fiction story published in 1942 in ''

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 ...

''.

Later years

The

Science Fiction 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. While ...

named Williamson its second Grand Master of Science Fiction after Robert Heinlein, presented 1976. After having been let go from ENMU during the university's financial crisis in 1977, Williamson spent some time concentrating on his writing, but after being named Professor Emeritus by ENMU, he was coaxed back to co-teach two evening classes, "Creative Writing" and "Fantasy and Science Fiction" (he pioneered the latter at ENMU during his full-time professorship days). Williamson continued to co-teach these two classes into the 21st century. After he made a large donation of original manuscripts and rare books from his personal collection to the ENMU library, a special collections area was created to house these and it was named the "Jack Williamson Special Collection". In 1994 Williamson received a

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 ...

for Lifetime Achievement. 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 Williamson in 1996, its inaugural class of two deceased and two living persons. The

Horror Writers Association The Horror Writers Association (HWA) is a worldwide non-profit organization of professional writers and publishing professionals dedicated to promoting the interests of Horror and Dark fantasy writers. Overview HWA was formed in 1985 with t ...

conferred its

Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement The Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement annually recognizes one to three living artists for "superior achievement in an entire career" which has "substantially influenced the horror genre". It is conferred by the Horror Writers Association, ...

in 1998 and the

World Horror Convention The World Horror Convention was an annual professional gathering of the World Horror Society and other interested parties that ran annually for 26 years, from 1991 through 2016, before being discontinued. Site selection The annual World Horror ...

elected him Grand Master in 2004. In November 2006, Williamson died at his home in

Portales, New Mexico Portales is a city in and the county seat of Roosevelt County, New Mexico, United States. Its population was 12,280 at the 2010 census. Portales is located near the larger city of Clovis, and Cannon Air Force Base, a major contributor to the e ...

at age 98. Despite his age, he had made an appearance at the Spring 2006 ''Jack Williamson Lectureship'' and published a 320-page novel, ''The Stonehenge Gate'', in 2005. Minor planet 5516 Jawilliamson is named in his honor.

Legion of Space series

While attending a

Great Books A classic is a book accepted as being exemplary or particularly noteworthy. What makes a book "classic" is a concern that has occurred to various authors ranging from Italo Calvino to Mark Twain and the related questions of "Why Read the Cl ...

course, Williamson learned that

Henryk Sienkiewicz Henryk Adam Aleksander Pius Sienkiewicz ( , ; 5 May 1846 – 15 November 1916), also known by the pseudonym Litwos (), was a Polish writer, novelist, journalist and Nobel Prize laureate. He is best remembered for his historical novels, especi ...

had created one of his works by taking ''

The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' (french: Les Trois Mousquetaires, links=no, ) is a French historical adventure novel written in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is in the swashbuckler genre, which has heroic, chivalrous swordsmen who fight f ...

'' of

Alexandre Dumas Alexandre Dumas (, ; ; born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie (), 24 July 1802 – 5 December 1870), also known as Alexandre Dumas père (where '' '' is French for 'father', to distinguish him from his son Alexandre Dumas fils), was a French writer ...

and pairing them with

John Falstaff Sir John Falstaff is a fictional character who appears in three plays by William Shakespeare and is eulogised in a fourth. His significance as a fully developed character is primarily formed in the plays ''Henry IV, Part 1'' and ''Henry IV, Par ...

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

. Williamson took this idea into science fiction with ''The Legion of Space''. Desperate for money, he searched for a quick source of income. While most pulps of the time were slow to pay, the recently restarted ''Astounding'' was an exception. However, they did not accept novels, so Williamson submitted three short stories and a novelette. Learning that they were also accepting novels for serialization, he sent in '' The Legion of Space'', which was published as an

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically categ ...

in six parts. It quickly became a genre favorite, and was quickly collected into a

hardcover A hardcover, hard cover, or hardback (also known as hardbound, and sometimes as case-bound) book is one bound with rigid protective covers (typically of binder's board or heavy paperboard covered with buckram or other cloth, heavy paper, or occa ...

. The story takes place in an era when humans have colonized the

Solar System The Solar SystemCapitalization of the name varies. The International Astronomical Union, the authoritative body regarding astronomical nomenclature, specifies capitalizing the names of all individual astronomical objects but uses mixed "Solar S ...

but dare not go farther, as the first extra-solar expedition to

Barnard's Star Barnard's Star is a red dwarf about six light-years from Earth in the constellation of Ophiuchus. It is the fourth-nearest-known individual star to the Sun after the three components of the Alpha Centauri system, and the closest star in the ...

failed and the survivors came back as babbling, grotesque, diseased madmen. They spoke of a gigantic planet, populated by ferocious animals and the single city left of the evil "Medusae". The Medusae bear a vague resemblance to jellyfish, but are actually elephant-sized, four-eyed, flying beings with hundreds of tentacles. The Medusae cannot speak and communicate with one another via a microwave code. The Falstaff character is named Giles Habibula. He was once a criminal, and can open any lock ever made. In his youth he was called Giles The Ghost. Jay Kalam (Commander of The Legion) and Hal Samdu are the names of the other two warriors. In this story, these warriors of the 30th Century battle the Medusae, the alien race from the lone planet of Barnard's Star. The Legion itself is the military and police force of the Solar System after the overthrow of an empire called the Purple Hall that once ruled all humans. In this novel, renegade Purple pretenders ally themselves with the Medusae as a means to regain their empire. But the Medusae, who are totally unlike humans in all ways, turn on the Purples, seeking to destroy all humans and move to the Solar System, as their own world, far older than Earth, is finally spiraling back into Barnard's Star. One of the Purples, John Ulnar, supports the Legion from the start, and he is the fourth great warrior. His enemy is the Purple pretender Eric Ulnar, who sought the Medusae out in the first place, seeking to become the next Emperor of The Sun. The Medusae conquered the Moon, set up their bases there, and went on to attempt conquest of the Solar System. The Medusae had for eons used a reddish, artificial

greenhouse gas A greenhouse gas (GHG or GhG) is a gas that Absorption (electromagnetic radiation), absorbs and Emission (electromagnetic radiation), emits radiant energy within the thermal infrared range, causing the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse ...

to keep their dying world from freezing. The Medusae learned from the first human expedition to their world that the gas rots human flesh, and the Medusae use it as a potent chemical weapon, attempting ecological destruction by means of projectiles fired from the Moon. Their vast spaceships also have very effective plasma weapons, very similar to those the

Romulan The Romulans () are an extraterrestrial race in the American science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. They first appeared in the series ''Star Trek'' (1966–1969). They have appeared in most subsequent ''Star Trek'' releases, including '' The A ...

s had in a Star Trek episode called ''

Balance of Terror The phrase "balance of terror" is usually, but not invariably,Rich Miller, Simon Kennedy'G-20 Plans to End 'Financial Balance of Terror' After Summit,'Bloomberg 27 February 2009. used in reference to the nuclear arms race between the United State ...

''. The Legion works also featured a force field called AKKA which can erase from the Universe any matter, of any size, anywhere, even a star or a planet. AKKA was a weapon of mass destruction and the secret of it was entrusted to a series of

women A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or Adolescence, adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female hum ...

. AKKA was used in the past to overthrow the Purple tyranny. It was also used to wipe out most of the Medusae, though they had tried to steal the secret. When they were wiped out, the

where they had established their base was erased out of existence. At the end of the story, John Ulnar falls in love with the keeper of AKKA, Aladoree Anthar, and marries her. Aladoree Anthar is described as a young woman with lustrous brown hair and gray eyes, beautiful as a

goddess A goddess is a female deity. In many known cultures, goddesses are often linked with literal or metaphorical pregnancy or imagined feminine roles associated with how women and girls are perceived or expected to behave. This includes themes of s ...

. Williamson next wrote ''

The Cometeers ''The Cometeers'' is a collection of two science fiction novels by the American writer Jack Williamson. It was first published by Fantasy Press in 1950 in an edition of 3,162 copies. The novels were originally serialized in the magazine ''Astoun ...

'' which takes place twenty years after ''The Legion of Space'' in which the same characters battle another alien race, this one of different origin. In this second tale, they fight

who are an alien race of energy beings controlling a "comet" which is really a giant force field containing a swarm of planets populated by their slaves. The

slave Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

races are of flesh and blood, but none are remotely similar to humans. The Cometeers cannot be destroyed by AKKA, as they are incorporeal from the Universe's point of view and exist for the most part in an alternate reality. The ruling Cometeers feed on their slaves and literally absorb their souls, leaving disgusting, dying hulks in their wake. It is said that they do so, as they were once fleshly entities themselves of various species. Hence, the ruling Cometeers keep other intelligent beings as slaves and "cattle". They fear AKKA, though, as it can erase all their possessions. They are defeated by the skills of Giles Habibula. Giles broke into a secret chamber guarded by complex locks and force fields that the incorporeal Cometeers could not penetrate. In it the ruler of the Cometeers had kept its own weapon of mass destruction, one that would cause the Cometeers to disintegrate. The ruling Cometeer kept this weapon to enforce its rule over the others of its kind. Once the Cometeers were destroyed, their slaves were ordered by the Legion to take the comet and leave the Solar System, and never return. Another novel, ''

One Against the Legion ''The Cometeers'' is a collection of two science fiction novels by the American writer Jack Williamson. It was first published by Fantasy Press in 1950 in an edition of 3,162 copies. The novels were originally serialized in the magazine ''Astoun ...

'', tells of a Purple pretender who sets up a robotic base on a world over seventy light years from Earth, and tries to conquer the Solar System via matter transporter technology he has stolen. In this story

robot A robot is a machine—especially one programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the control may be embedded within. Robots may be c ...

s are outlawed, as they are in ''

Dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...

''. The story also features Jay Kalam, lobbying to allow the New Cometeers to leave the Solar System in peace, as many people were demanding that AKKA be used to obliterate the departing swarm of planets once and for all. In 1983, Williamson published a final Legion novel, ''The Queen of the Legion''. Giles Habibula reappears in this final novel, which is set after the disbanding of the Legion.

Works

Series

;

Legion of Space Series The Legion of Space is a space opera science fiction series by American writer Jack Williamson. The story takes place in an era when humans have colonized the Solar System but dare not go farther, as the first extra-solar expedition to Barnard's S ...

# '' The Legion of Space'' (1947; six-part serial in ''

Astounding ''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 Cl ...

'', 1934) # ''

'' (1950; four-part serial in ''

'', 1936, plus ''One Against the Legion'', three-part serial in ''

'', 1939) # ''One Against the Legion'' (1967; three-part serial in ''

'', 1939, plus "Nowhere Near") #* ''Three from the Legion'' (1980; omnibus of three novels plus "Nowhere Near") # ''The Queen of the Legion'' (1983) ;

Humanoids Series A humanoid is any being whose body structure resembles that of a human (e.g. bipedal). Humanoid may also refer to: * hominid, family of apes that includes eight extant species * Humanoid robot, non-fictional robots Arts, entertainment, and medi ...

# "

With Folded Hands "With Folded Hands ..." is a 1947 science fiction novelette by American writer Jack Williamson. Willamson's influence for this story was the aftermath of World War II and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and his concern that "some o ...

" (1947; in ''

'') # ''

The Humanoids "With Folded Hands ..." is a 1947 science fiction novelette by American writer Jack Williamson. Willamson's influence for this story was the aftermath of World War II and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and his concern that "some o ...

'' (1949; three-part serial as "...And Searching Mind" in ''

'', 1949) # ''The Humanoid Touch'' (1980) #* ''The Humanoids / With Folded Hands'' (1996; omnibus) ; Seetee series An editor suggested that Williamson combine the ideas of contraterrene matter (

antimatter In modern physics, antimatter is defined as matter composed of the antiparticles (or "partners") of the corresponding particles in "ordinary" matter. Antimatter occurs in natural processes like cosmic ray collisions and some types of radioac ...

) and

asteroid mining Asteroid mining is the hypothetical exploitation of materials from asteroids and other minor planets, including near-Earth objects. Notable asteroid mining challenges include the high cost of spaceflight, unreliable identification of asteroids ...

, which inspired the Seetee (C-T) series of short stories written as Will Stewart. * "

Collision Orbit The ''Seetee'' series is a science fiction series by American writer Jack Williamson (writing under the pseudonym "Will Stewart.") It consists of several books and stories set in the late 22nd century, amid space-dwelling Asteroid Belt miners who ...

" (short story, as by Will Stewart; from ''

'', 1942) * ''Seetee Shock'' (1949; as by Will Stewart; from ''

'', 1949) * ''

'' (1951; as by Will Stewart; from previously published stories 1942–3) ** ''Seetee Ship/Seetee Shock'' (1971, omnibus volume of both). ;

Undersea Trilogy ''The Undersea Trilogy'' is a series of three science fiction novels by American writers Frederik Pohl and Jack Williamson. The novels were first published by Gnome Press beginning in 1954. The novels were collected in a single omnibus volume pu ...

(with Frederik Pohl) # '' Undersea Quest'' (1954) # '' Undersea Fleet'' (1956) # '' Undersea City'' (1958) # ''

The Undersea Trilogy ''The Undersea Trilogy'' is a series of three science fiction novels by American writers Frederik Pohl and Jack Williamson. The novels were first published by Gnome Press beginning in 1954. The novels were collected in a single omnibus volume pu ...

'' (1992; omnibus) ;

Saga of Cuckoo The ''Saga of Cuckoo'' is a series of science fiction novels by American writers Frederik Pohl and Jack Williamson. It consists of two novels, ''Farthest Star'' and ''Wall Around a Star''. The books feature an interstellar teleporter that lea ...

(with Frederik Pohl) # '' Farthest Star'' (1975) # '' Wall Around A Star'' (1983) ;

Starchild Trilogy The Starchild Trilogy is a series of three science fiction novels written by Frederik Pohl and Jack Williamson. In the future depicted in this series, mankind is ruled by a brutal totalitarian government known as the ''Plan of Man'', enforced by ...

(with Frederik Pohl) # ''The Reefs of Space'' (1964) # ''Starchild'' (1965) # ''Rogue Star'' (1969) # ''The Starchild Trilogy'' (1977; omnibus)

Novels

* ''The Girl from Mars'' (1930, with

) * ''The Green Girl'' (1930) * ''Golden Blood'' (1933) * ''Xandulu'' (1934) * ''The Blue Spot'' (1935) * ''Islands of the Sun'' (1935) * ''Reign of Wizardry'' (1940) (loosely based on the story of

Theseus Theseus (, ; grc-gre, Θησεύς ) was the mythical king and founder-hero of Athens. The myths surrounding Theseus his journeys, exploits, and friends have provided material for fiction throughout the ages. Theseus is sometimes describe ...

from Greek mythology) * ''

Darker Than You Think ''Darker Than You Think'' is a science fantasy novel by American writer Jack Williamson. Originally a novelette, it was expanded into novel length and published by Fantasy Press in 1948. The short version was published in ''Unknown'' in 1940. It ...

'' (1948) * '' Dragon's Island '' (1951; also known as ''The Not-Men'') * ''

Star Bridge ''Star Bridge'' is a science fiction novel by American authors Jack Williamson and James E. Gunn. It was published in 1955 by Gnome Press in an edition of 5,000 copies, of which 900 copies were never bound. It was also issued in paperback by Ac ...

'' (1955, with

James E. Gunn James Edwin Gunn (July 12, 1923 – December 23, 2020) was an American science fiction writer, editor, scholar, and anthologist. His work as an editor of anthologies includes the six-volume '' Road to Science Fiction'' series. He won the Hugo ...

) * ''The Dome Around America'' (1955; also known as ''Gateway to Paradise'') * ''The Trial of Terra'' (1962; from four previously published stories, 1951–1962) * ''Bright New Universe'' (1967) * ''Trapped in Space'' (1968) * ''The Moon Children'' (1972) * ''The Power of Blackness'' (1975) * ''Brother to Demons, Brother to Gods'' (1979; from five previously published stories, 1977–78) * ''Manseed'' (1982) * ''

Lifeburst ''Lifeburst'' is a novel by Jack Williamson John Stewart Williamson (April 29, 1908 – November 10, 2006), who wrote as Jack Williamson, was an American science fiction writer, often called the "Dean of Science Fiction". He is also credited ...

'' (1984) * ''Firechild'' (1986) * ''Land's End'' (1988, with

) * ''Mazeway'' (1990) * ''The Singers of Time'' (1991, with

) * ''Beachhead'' (1992) * ''Demon Moon'' (1994) * ''The Black Sun'' (1997) * ''The Fortress of Utopia'' (1998; originally in ''

Startling Stories ''Startling Stories'' was an American pulp science fiction magazine, published from 1939 to 1955 by publisher Ned Pines' Standard Magazines. It was initially edited by Mort Weisinger, who was also the editor of ''Thrilling Wonder Stories'', S ...

'', 1939) * ''The Silicon Dagger'' (1999) * ''The Stone from a Green Star'' (1999; originally in

, 1931) * ''Terraforming Earth'' (2001; Co-winner of 2002

John W. Campbell Memorial Award The John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel, or Campbell Memorial Award, is an annual award presented by the Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of Kansas to the author of the best science fiction no ...

) * ''The Stonehenge Gate'' (2005)

Collections

* ''The Legion of Time, and After World's End'' (1952) * ''The Pandora Effect'' (1969) * ''People Machines'' (1971) * ''The Early Williamson'', 1975 * '' The Best of Jack Williamson'' (1978) * ''The Alien Intelligence'' (1980) * ''Millions de Soleils'' (1988) * ''Into the Eighth Decade'' (1990) * ''The Prince of Space/The Girl from Mars'' (1998; ''TGFM'' written with Miles J. Breuer) * ''The Collected Stories of Jack Williamson, Volume One, The Metal Man and Others'' (1999) * ''The Collected Stories of Jack Williamson, Volume Two, Wolves of Darkness'' (1999) * ''The Blue Spot, and Entropy Reversed (Released Entropy)'' (2000; both from ''Astounding'', 1937) * ''The Collected Stories of Jack Williamson, Volume Three, Wizard's Isle'' (2000) * ''Dragon's Island and other stories'' (2002; novel and two shorts) * ''The Collected Stories of Jack Williamson, Volume Four, Spider Island'' (2002) * ''Seventy-Five: The Diamond Anniversary of a Science Fiction Pioneer'', Stephen Haffner & Richard A. Hauptmann, eds. (2004) * ''The Collected Stories of Jack Williamson, Volume Five, The Crucible of Power'' (2006) * ''In Memory of Wonder's Child'' Stephen Haffner, ed. (2007) * ''The Worlds of Jack Williamson: A Centennial Tribute (1908–2008)'', Stephen Haffner, ed. (2008) * ''The Collected Stories of Jack Williamson, Volume Six, Gateway to Paradise'' (2008) * ''With Folded Hands… And Searching Mind, The Collected Stories of Jack Williamson, Volume Seven'' (2010) * ''At the Human Limit, The Collected Stories of Jack Williamson, Volume Eight'' (2011)

Short stories

* ''The Metal Man'' (1928) * ''The Cosmic Express'' (1930) * ''The Meteor Girl'' (1931) * ''The Lake of Light'' (1931) * ''The Doom from Planet 4'' (1931) * ''The Moon Era'' (1931, 1932); also published as separate novelette * ''The Pygmy Planet'' (1932; Cover feature in Astounding Stories February 1932) * ''Salvage in Space'' (1933) Cover Story * ''Born of the Sun'' (1934) * ''Star Bright'' (1939) * ''The Angel From Hell'' (1939; in '' Marvel Tales'', writing as Nils O. Sonderlund) * ''Hindsight'' (1940) * ''

'' (1942; writing as Will Stewart; into ''Seetee Ship'') * ''Minus Sign'' (1942; writing as Will Stewart; into ''Seetee Ship'') * ''Opposites—React!'' (1943; writing as Will Stewart; into ''Seetee Ship'') * ''With Folded Hands...'' (1947, Awarded Prometheus Hall of Fame in 2018) * ''The Man from Outside'' (1951) * ''Beans'' (1958) *
A Planet for Plundering
' (1962) * ''The Masked World'' (1963) * ''Jamboree'' (1969) * ''The Highest Dive'' (1976) * ''The Humanoid Universe'' (1980) * ''The Firefly Tree'' (1997) * ''The Pet Rocks Mystery'' (1998) * ''Eden Star'' (2000) * ''The Ultimate Earth'' (2000; awarded the Hugo for Best Novella in 2001)

Other

* Will Acedeme Kill Science Fiction, '' Asimov's Choice Comets & Computers'' (Dale Books, 1978, )

Autobiography

* ''Wonder's Child: My Life in Science Fiction.'' Bluejay Books, New York, 1984. (Hardcover) * ''Wonder's Child: My Life in Science Fiction.'' Benbella Books, Dallas, 2005. (Paperback, updated with new photographs and epilogue)

Bibliography

* ''The Works of Jack Williamson: An Annotated Bibliography and Guide'', Richard A. Hauptmann (NESFA Press, 1997)

References

Science Fiction Weekly Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Launc ...

'' (no date, first archived October 2002)
Interview
by literary critic

Larry McCaffery Lawrence F. McCaffery Jr. (born May 13, 1946) is an American literary critic, editor, and retired professor of English and comparative literature at San Diego State University. His work and teaching focuses on postmodern literature, contemporary ...

, ''

Science Fiction Studies ''Science Fiction Studies'' (''SFS'') is an academic journal founded in 1973 by R. D. Mullen. The journal is published three times per year at DePauw University. As the name implies, the journal publishes articles and book reviews on science fic ...

'' #54 18:2 (July 1991), with scholarly introduction (archived October 2013)
Obituary
at

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. While ...

(archived November 2006)
Obituary
in ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was fo ...

'', November 15, 2006 * *
Video of Williamson being interviewed in 1992

Audio

*
NPR audio broadcast on Jack Williamson

''Dimension X'': "With Folded Hands"
* Jack Williamson was interviewed by The Science Fiction Radio Show in the early 1980s {{DEFAULTSORT:Williamson, Jack 1908 births 2006 deaths 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American short story writers 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American novelists 21st-century American short story writers American academics of English literature American male novelists American male short story writers American science fiction writers Analog Science Fiction and Fact people Eastern New Mexico University alumni Eastern New Mexico University faculty Hugo Award-winning writers Nebula Award winners People from Bisbee, Arizona People from Portales, New Mexico SFWA Grand Masters Science Fiction Hall of Fame inductees Science fiction academics Science fiction critics United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II University of Colorado alumni World Fantasy Award-winning writers Writers from New Mexico