I’ve got a blog post in the Guardian on
the science in science fiction.
I wasn’t trying to be comprehensive, but even so, a lot of the SF authors (including all but one of the women!) got cut in the final edit. Here’s who else I mentioned who didn’t make it into the on-line version:
Examples of other SF authors with science degrees: Julie Czerneda, biology; Greg Egan, mathematics; Ken MacLeod, zoology; Vonda McIntyre, biology; Linda Nagata, zoology; Larry Niven, mathematics; Jerry Pournelle, PhD Political Science; Hannu Rajaniemi, PhD mathematical physics; Justina Robson, philosophy and linguistics; Cordwainer Smith, PhD Political Science; Peter Watts, PhD biology; Liz Williams, PhD philosophy of science.
Examples of SF authors who are/were full time academic researchers: Gregory Benford, astrophysics; Jack Cohen, reproductive biology; John Cramer, particle physics; Joanna Russ, English; Carl Sagan, astrophysicist; Joan Slonczewski, genetics; Kari Sperring, Celtic history; Ian Stewart, mathematics; Vernor Vinge, mathematics.
Examples of SF authors who gave up the day job: Isaac Asimov, chemist; Arthur C. Clarke, engineer; Robert Forward, physicist; Paul McAuley, botanist; Alastair Reynolds, European Space Agency; Rudy Rucker, mathematician.
Examples of SF authors with arts and humanities backgrounds: Ursula K. Le Guin studied French literature; Jane Lindskold has a PhD in English Literature; Richard Morgan studied history; Spider Robinson has a degree in English; Neal Stephenson studied geography; Roger Zelazny studied English.
Examples of authors with great blogs are: Diane Duane, Paul McAuley, John Scalzi, Charles Stross, Jo Walton, Peter Watts.
Examples of SF author duos include: Eando Binder (one name; two people); brothers Arkady and Boris Strugatsky; spouses Sharon Lee and Steve Miller; Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle; Fred Pohl and C.M. Kornbluth. John Wyndham’s collaboration with Lucas Parkes on The Outward Urge is not an example however, the clue being in the author’s full name: John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris.
Material gets cut, so for the people who turned up in the comments asking why I didn’t mention X, Y, or Z: I was edited, folks!
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