Clifford D. Simak
Clifford Donald Simak (
August 3,
1904 -
April 25,
1988) was a leading American
science-fiction writer. He won three
Hugo and one
Nebula awards, as well as being named the third
Grand Master by the
SFWA in
1977.
Clifford Donald Simak was born in
Millville, Wisconsin, son of John Lewis and Margaret (Wiseman) Simak. He married Agnes Kuchenberg on April 13,
1929 and they had two children, Scott and Shelley. Simak attended the
University of Wisconsin and later worked at various
newspapers in the
Midwest. He began a lifelong association with
Minneapolis Star and Tribune (
Minneapolis, Minnesota) in
1939, which continued until his retirement in
1976. He became
Minneapolis Star 's news editor in
1949 and coordinator of
Minneapolis Tribune's
Science Reading Series in 1961. He died in Minneapolis.
Simak started writing for science fiction
pulp magazines in
1931, but dropped out of the field by
1933. The only science-fiction piece that he published between
1933 and
1937 was
The Creator (
1935), a notable story with
religious implications, a rarity in
genre science fiction at the time.
Once
John W. Campbell began redefining the field in late
1937, Simak returned to science fiction and was a regular contributor to
Astounding Stories throughout the
Golden Age of Science Fiction (
1938-
1950). His first publications like
Cosmic Engineers (
1939) were in the traditions of the earlier
superscience sub-genre perfected by
E. E. "Doc" Smith, but he soon developed his own style, which is usually described as gentle and
pastoral. A typical Simak
alien is much more likely to be seen sitting on a porch in rural Wisconsin drinking beer with the protagonist than
invading Earth. During this period, Simak also published a number of war and
western stories in pulp magazines.
From the standpoint of literary value, his probably best and most significant novel is
City (1952) which, together with Sturgeon's
More than Human (1953) and Pohl and Kornbluth's
The Space Merchants (1953), formed a very strong, pivotal group of novels, a sudden and huge turning point (for SF genre) from kitsch to true literary achievement.
Simak continued to produce award-nominated novels throughout the
1950s and
1960s. The quality of his longer pieces somewhat declined in the
1970s as his health deteriorated, although his short fiction was still well regarded. Aided by a friend, he continued writing and publishing science fiction and, later, fantasy, into his 80s.
Also see transmogs.Simak's stories often repeat a few basic ideas and themes. First and foremost, of course, is a setting in rural Wisconsin. A crusty individualistic backwoodsman character literally comes with the territory, the best example being Hiram Taine, the protagonist of
The Big Front Yard. Hiram's dog "Towser" is another Simak trademark.
Another idea often found in the stories is the idea that there is no past time for a time traveller to go to. Instead our world moves along in a stream of time, and to move to a different place in time is to move to another world altogether. Thus in
City our Earth is overrun by ants, but the intelligent dogs and the remaining humans escape to other worlds in the time stream. In
Ring Around the Sun the persecuted paranormals escape to other Earths which, if they could all be seen at once, would be at different stages of their orbit around the sun, hence the title. In
Time is the Simplest Thing a paranormal escapes a mob by moving back in time, only to find that the past is a place where there are no living things and inanimate objects are barely substantial.
Novels
The Creator (first magazine publication
1935, first book publication
1946)
Cosmic Engineers (first magazine publication
1939, first book publication
1950)
Empire (
1951) (
Galaxy novel #7)
Time and Again (
1951) [paperback title
First He Died]
City (
fixup 1952, "Epilog" added in the
1976 edition, but omitted in some subsequent
Science Fiction Book Club reprints)
Ring Around the Sun (
1954)
Time is the Simplest Thing (
1961)
The Trouble With Tycho (
1961)
They Walked Like Men (
1962)
Way Station (
1963)
All Flesh Is Grass (
1965)
Why Call them Back From Heaven? (
1967)
The Werewolf Principle (
1967)
The Goblin Reservation (
1968)
Out of Their Minds (
1970)
Destiny Doll (
1971)
A Choice of Gods (
1972)
Cemetery World (
1973)
Our Children's Children (
1974)
Enchanted Pilgrimage (
1975)
Shakespeare's Planet (
1976)
A Heritage of Stars (
1977)
The Fellowship of the Talisman (
1978)
Mastodonia (
1978) [UK title
Catface]
The Visitors (
1980)
Project Pope (
1981)
Where the Evil Dwells (
1982)
Special Deliverance (
1982)
Highway of Eternity (
1986) [alternate title
Highway to Eternity]Collections
Strangers in the Universe (
1956) (contents revised in
1957 and
1958)
The Worlds of Clifford Simak (
1960)
Aliens for Neighbours (
1961) (UK reprint of
The Worlds of Clifford Simak)
All the Traps of Earth and Other Stories (
1962) (contents revised in
1963)
Other Worlds of Clifford Simak (
1962) (abridgement of
The Worlds of Clifford Simak (
1961)
The Night of the Puudly (
1964) (UK reprint of
All the Traps of Earth and Other Stories)
Worlds Without End (
1964)
Best Science Fiction Stories of Clifford Simak (
1967)
So Bright the Vision (
1968)
The Best of Clifford D. Simak (
1975)
Skirmish: The Great Short Fiction of Clifford D. Simak (
1977)
Brother And Other Stories (
1986)
The Marathon Photograph and Other Stories (
1986)
Off-Planet (
1989)
The Autumn Land and Other Stories (
1990)
Immigrant and Other Stories (
1991)
The Creator and Other Stories (
1993)
Over the River and Through the Woods: The Best Short Fiction of Clifford D. Simak (
1996)
The Civilisation Game and Other Stories (
1997)
Non-fiction
The Solar System: Our New Front Yard (
1962)
Trilobite, Dinosaur, and Man: The Earth's Story (
1965)
Wonder and Glory: The Story of the Universe (
1969)
Prehistoric Man: The Story of Man's Rise to Civilization (
1971)
Books edited by Clifford D. Simak
From Atoms to Infinity: Readings in Modern Science (
1965)
The March of Science (
1971)
Nebula Award Stories #6 (
1971)
The Best of Astounding (
1978)
*
International Fantasy Award for best fiction book (
1953) for
City*
Hugo award for best novelette (
1959) for
The Big Front Yard*
Hugo award for best novel (
1964) for
Way Station*
Minnesota Academy of Science Award for distinguished service to science
1967*
First Fandom Hall of Fame award 1973*
Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award 1976*
Jupiter award for best novel (
1978) for
A Heritage of Stars*
Hugo award for best short story (
1981) for
Grotto of the Dancing Deer*
Nebula award for best short story (
1981) for
Grotto of the Dancing Deer*
Locus Award for best short story (
1981) for
Grotto of the Dancing Deer*
Analog Analytical Laboratory award for best short story (1981) for
Grotto of the Dancing Deer*
Bram Stoker Lifetime Achievement award 1988*
Muriel R. Becker Clifford D. Simak, a primary and secondary bibliography (
1980)
*
Mark Owings The Electric Bibliograph 1: Clifford D. Simak (19??)
*
Phil Stephensen-Payne Clifford D. Simak: A Working Bibliography (
1991, ISBN 1-871133-28-9)
*
Robert J. Ewald Clifford Simak Reader's Guide to Contemporary Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors Vol. 59 (19??)
*
The Auk House*
Clifford Simak Fan Site*
The Way Station: A Resource for Readers and Collectors of Clifford D. Simak*
Clifford D. Simak*
Short Stories of Clifford D. Simak (listings)
*
Clifford Donald Simak Papers*
Contemporary Authors. New Revision Series. Detroit, Gale Research Co.
*
Sam Moskowitz Seekers of Tomorrow (
1967) (one chapter covers Simak)
