Harry Harrison

Harry HarrisonHarry Harrison (born Henry Maxwell Dempsey, March 12, 1925) is an American science fiction author best known for his character the Stainless Steel Rat and the novel Make Room! Make Room! (1966), the basis for the film Soylent Green (1973).

Harrison was born in Stamford, Connecticut, but has lived in many parts of the world including Mexico, England, Ireland, Denmark and Italy. He is an advocate of Esperanto (the language often appears in his novels, particularly in his Stainless Steel Rat and Deathworld series) and was formerly the honorary president of the Esperanto Association of Ireland, as well as holding memberships in other Esperanto organizations, such as the Esperanto League for North America, of which he is an honorary member, and the Universala Esperanto-Asocio (World Esperanto Association), of whose Honorary Patrons' Committee he is a member. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII as a gunsight mechanic and gunnery instructor. He currently lives in Southern England.

Before becoming an editor, Harrison started in the science fiction field as an illustrator, notably with EC Comics' two science fiction comic books, Weird Fantasy and Weird Science. A large number of his early short stories were first published under house pseudonyms such as 'Wade Kaempfert'. Harrison also wrote for syndicated comic strips, creating the 'Rick Random' character. Harrison is now much better known for his writing, particularly his humorous and satirical science fiction, such as the Stainless Steel Rat series and the novel Bill, the Galactic Hero (which satirises Robert A. Heinlein's Starship Troopers).

During the 1950s and 60s he was the main writer of the Flash Gordon newspaper strip. One of his Flash Gordon scripts was serialized in Comics Revue magazine. Harrison drew sketches to help the artist be more scientifically accurate, which the artist largely ignored.

Not all of Harry Harrison's writing is comic, though. He has written many stories on serious themes, of which by far the best known is the classic novel about overpopulation and consumption of the world's resources Make Room! Make Room! which was used as a basis for the science fiction film Soylent Green (though the film changed the plot and theme).

Harrison for a time was closely identified with Brian Aldiss and the pair collaborated on a series of anthology projects. Harrison and Aldiss did much in the 1970s to raise the standards of criticism in the field.

Harry Harrison is a writer of fairly liberal worldview. Harrison's work often hinges around the contrast between the thinking man and the man of force, although the "Thinking Man" often needs ultimately to employ force himself.

Selected Bibliography

Series

  • Bill, the Galactic Hero
    • Bill, the Galactic Hero (1965)
    • Bill, the Galactic Hero on the Planet of Robot Slaves (1989)
    • The Planet of the Robot Slaves (1989)
    • Bill, the Galactic Hero on the Planet of Bottled Brains (1990) with Robert Sheckley
    • Bill, the Galactic Hero on the Planet of the Zombie Vampires (1991) with Jack C. Haldeman II
    • Bill, the Galactic Hero on the Planet of Tasteless Pleasures (1991) with David Bischoff
    • Bill, the Galactic Hero on the Planet of Ten Thousand Bars (1991) with David Bischoff
      • Variant Title: Bill, the Galactic Hero on the Planet of the Hippies from Hell (1992) (1991)
    • The Final Incoherent Adventure (1992) with David Harris
  • Deathworld
    • The Deathworld Trilogy (1975)
      • Variant Title: Deathworld Omnibus (1999)
    • 1 Deathworld (1960)
      • Magazine/Anthology Appearances:
      • Deathworld (Part 1 of 3) (1960)
      • Deathworld (Part 2 of 3) (1960)
      • Deathworld (Part 3 of 3) (1960)
    • 2 Deathworld 2 (1963)
    • 3 Deathworld 3 (1968)
  • Eden
    • 1 West of Eden (1984)
    • 2 Winter in Eden (1986)
    • 3 Return to Eden (1988)
  • Stars and Stripes
    • 1 Stars and Stripes Forever (1998)
    • 2 Stars and Stripes in Peril (2001)
    • 3 Stars and Stripes Triumphant (2002)
  • The Hammer and the Cross
    • 1 The Hammer and the Cross (1993) with Tom Shippey [as by Harry Harrison and John Holm ]
    • 2 One King's Way (1995) with Tom Shippey [as by Harry Harrison and John Holm ]
    • 3 King and Emperor (1996) with Tom Shippey [as by Harry Harrison and John Holm ]

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