Today’s author is yet another sci-fi fan turned sci-fi writer. But unlike many sci-fi writers he was also a harsh sci-fi critic. Damon Francis Knight was born September 19th, 1922 in Baker City, Oregon. A brave soul, Knight moved across the country to New York City when he was 17 to live in poverty in a number of shared apartments with science-fiction fans, writers and editors. He was a member of the Futurians along with CM Kornbluth, Frederic Pohl and others.

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His first real impact in the world of science fiction came from his first review, which appeared in a fanzine, when the original version of AE Van Vogt's “The World Of A” appeared in Astounding Science Fiction magazine in 1945. By the way “The World Of A” was the first hardcover science fiction novel published after World War II in 1948.

When Van Vogt revised his novel in 1970, he commented on Knight's review saying "I foresaw a brilliant writing career for the young man who had written so poetical an attack." Damon Knight is generally acknowledged to have been the first outstanding Science Fiction critic. He wrote around 17 novels and more than 100 short stories.

His work found its way to TV when the short story “To Serve Man” appeared on The Twilight Zone in 1962. It’s been said that it’s one of the best known and highly regarded episodes of the series. “To Serve Man” won a 50-yearRetro-Hugoin 2001 as the best short story of 1950.

From Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy in December 1952 turn with me to page 76 for The Beachcomber by Damon Knight...

The Beachcomber by Damon Knight. Damon Francis Knight, sci-fi fan, writer, award winner, critic and teacher died April 15th, 2002. He was 79.

Next week on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast Granting the need for money, a man will doany dangerous job that comes along; Borgmann was such a man; air lion diving off Uranus—the job! That’s next week onThe Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, with at least one lost vintage sci-fi short story in every episode.

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