Gary K. Wolfe (born Gary Kent Wolfe in 1946) is an American

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, organization, a ...

critic A critic is a person who communicates an assessment and an opinion of various forms of creative works such as Art criticism, art, Literary criticism, literature, Music journalism, music, Film criticism, cinema, Theater criticism, theater, Fas ...

and

biographer Biographers are authors who write an account of another person's life, while autobiographers are authors who write their own biography. Biographers Countries of working life: Ab=Arabia, AG=Ancient Greece, Al=Australia, Am=Armenian, AR=Ancient Rome ...

. He is an

emeritus ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". In some c ...

Professor of Humanities in

Roosevelt University Roosevelt University is a private university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1945, the university was named in honor of United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. The university enrolls arou ...

's Evelyn T. Stone College of Professional Studies.

Life

Wolfe was born on March 24, 1946, in Sedalia, Missouri. He moved to Carrollton, Missouri, at age 12, and to Springfield, at 14, where he finished high school. He began attending Southwest Missouri State College (now University), transferred to

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States. Two branch campuses are in the Kansas City metropolitan area on the Kansas side: the university's medical school and hospital ...

, where he earned a B.A. in English in 1968, and worked for his honors thesis under Professor

James Gunn James Francis Gunn Jr. (born August 5, 1966) is an American filmmaker. He began his career as a screenwriter in the mid-1990s, starting at Troma Entertainment with ''Tromeo and Juliet'' (1996). He then began working as a director, starting wi ...

. From there, he transferred to

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

, where Wolfe earned a Ph.D. in English, in 1971. He was married to Ellen "Dede" Weil, a teacher and

community service Community service is unpaid work performed by a person or group of people for the benefit and betterment of their community contributing to a noble cause. In many cases, people doing community service are compensated in other ways, such as gettin ...

activist, in 1996. They held another wedding celebration at the International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts (ICFA) in a pool-side party, attended by many of their friends and colleagues, in March, 1997. Wolfe and Weil were happily married until her death in 2000. Before her death they collaborated on a book about

Harlan Ellison Harlan Jay Ellison (May 27, 1934 – June 28, 2018) was an American writer, known for his prolific and influential work in New Wave science fiction, New Wave speculative fiction and for his outspoken, combative personality. His published wo ...

, and often attended the International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts, in Florida.

Writing career

Wolfe has written extensively about

and

fantasy literature Fantasy literature is literature set in an imaginary universe, often but not always without any locations, events, or people from the real world. Magic, the supernatural and magical creatures are common in many of these imaginary worlds. Fan ...

; he is recognized as one of the experts in the field. He has had a monthly review column in '' Locus'' since December, 1991 and has written for

Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment that provides Cosmetics, cosmetic treatments for people. Other variations of this type of business include hair salons, spas, day spas, ...

and other sites. He collaborates with editor Jonathan Strahan on ''The Coode Street Podcast'', a "discussion and digression on science fiction and fantasy" that was launched in May 2010, and is syndicated at Tor.com. In 2016, he taught the course ''How Great Science Fiction Works'' for

The Great Courses The Teaching Company, doing business as The Great Courses, formerly Wondrium, is a media production company which produces educational, video, and audio content in the form of courses, documentaries, and series under two content brands: The Grea ...

Honors

*1979 – Eaton Award from the Eaton Conference on Science Fiction for ''The Known and the Unknown: the Iconography of Science Fiction'' *1987 –

Pilgrim Award The Pilgrim Award is presented by the Science Fiction Research Association for Lifetime Achievement in the field of science fiction scholarship. It was created in 1970 and was named after J. O. Bailey’s pioneering book ''Pilgrims Through Space an ...

for Lifetime Achievement from the Science Fiction Research Association *1998 – Distinguished Scholarship Award from the International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts. *2005 – British Science Fiction Association Award for nonfiction for ''Soundings: Reviews 1992–1996'' He was nominated for the

Hugo Award for Best Related Work The Hugo Award for Best Related Work is one of the Hugo Awards given each year for primarily non-fiction works related to science fiction or fantasy, published or translated into English during the previous calendar year. The Hugo Awards have bee ...

in 2006 for the book ''Soundings, Reviews 1992–1996,'' and again in 2011, for the book ''Bearings: Reviews 1997–2001''. In addition, along with Jonathan Strahan, ''The Coode Street Podcast'' has been nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Fancast six times.

Bibliography

Books

* * '' David Lindsay'' ( Starmont House, 1979) – A study of the Scottish author who is remembered for his 1920 novel '' A Voyage to Arcturus''. * ''Critical Terms for Science Fiction and Fantasy: A Glossary and Guide to Scholarship'' (Greenwood Press, 1986) – described as a "landmark" work and "an indispensable guide to the sometimes peculiar terminology that has developed both in critical discourse and in popular discussions of fantasy and science fiction" by scholar David Sandner. * ''

: The Edge of Forever'' (with Ellen R. Weil, Ohio State University Press, 2002). * ''Soundings: Reviews 1992–1996'' (Beccon Publications, 2005). * ''Bearings: Reviews 1997–2001'' (Beccon Publications, 2010). * ''Evaporating Genres: Essays on Fantastic Literature and Sightings'' (2010) Wesleyan University Press, 978-0-8195-6937-0). * ''Sightings: Reviews 2002–2006'' (Beccon Publications, 2011). * '' American Science Fiction: Four Classic Novels 1953-1956'' (2012) Library of America – '' The Space Merchants'',

Frederik Pohl Frederik George Pohl Jr. (; November 26, 1919 – September 2, 2013) was an American list of science fiction authors, science-fiction writer, editor, and science fiction fandom, fan, with a career spanning nearly 75 years—from his first ...

and C. M. Kornbluth, ''

More Than Human ''More Than Human'' is a 1953 science fiction fix-up novel by American writer Theodore Sturgeon. It is a revision and expansion of his 1952 novella '' Baby Is Three'', which is bracketed by two additional parts written for the novel, "The F ...

'',

Theodore Sturgeon Theodore Sturgeon (; born Edward Hamilton Waldo, February 26, 1918 – May 8, 1985) was an American author of primarily fantasy fiction, fantasy, science fiction, and Horror fiction, horror, as well as a critic. He wrote approximately 400 ...

, '' The Long Tomorrow'',

Leigh Brackett Leigh Douglass Brackett (December 7, 1915 – March 24, 1978) was an American author and screenwriter. Nicknamed "the Queen of space opera, Space Opera", she was one of the most prominent female writers during the Golden Age of Science Fiction. ...

, '' The Shrinking Man'',

Richard Matheson Richard Burton Matheson (February 20, 1926 – June 23, 2013) was an American author and screenwriter, primarily in the fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres. He is best known as the author of '' I Am Legend'', a 1954 science ficti ...

. * '' American Science Fiction: Five Classic Novels 1956-1958'' (2012) Library of America – ''

Double Star In observational astronomy, a double star or visual double is a pair of stars that appear close to each other as viewed from Earth, especially with the aid of optical telescopes. This occurs because the pair either forms a binary star (i.e. a ...

'', Robert A. Heinlein, ''

The Stars My Destination ''The Stars My Destination'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Alfred Bester. Its first publication was in book form in June 1956 in the United Kingdom, where it was titled ''Tiger! Tiger!'', named after William Blake's 1794 poem ...

'' by

Alfred Bester Alfred Bester (December 18, 1913 – September 30, 1987) was an American science fiction author, TV and radio screenwriter, magazine Editing, editor and scriptwriter for comics. He is best remembered for his science fiction, including ''Th ...

, '' A Case of Conscience'' by

James Blish James Benjamin “Jimmy” Blish () was an American science fiction and fantasy writer. He is best known for his ''Cities in Flight'' novels and his series of ''Star Trek'' novelizations written with his wife, J. A. Lawrence. His novel ''A Case ...

, '' Who?'' by

Algis Budrys Algirdas Jonas "Algis" Budrys (January 9, 1931 – June 9, 2008) was a Lithuanian-American science fiction author, copy editing, editor and critic. He was also known under the pen names Frank Mason, Alger Rome in collaboration with Jerome ...

, '' The Big Time'' by

Fritz Leiber Fritz Reuter Leiber Jr. ( ; December 24, 1910 – September 5, 1992) was an American writer of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. Along with Robert E. Howard and Michael Moorcock, Leiber is one of the fathers of sword and sorcery. Life ...

Book reviews

References

External links

* * *
Wolfe, Gary K.
entry in ''

The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction ''The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction'' (''SFE'') is an English language reference work on science fiction, first published in 1979. It has won the Hugo Award, Hugo, Locus Award, Locus and BSFA Award, British SF Awards. Two print editions appea ...

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Wolfe, Gary K. 1946 births Living people American speculative fiction editors Science fiction academics American science fiction critics World Fantasy Award–winning writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers