A. E. van Vogt

Alfred Elton van Vogt (April 26, 1912 - January 26, 2000) was a renowned Canadian-born science fiction author who achieved a degree of immortality as one of the most prolific, yet complex, writers from the mid-20th century 'Golden Age' of his genre.

Recognition

In 1946, van Vogt and his first wife, Edna Mayne Hull, were co-Guests of Honor at the fourth World Science Fiction Convention,

Related Topics:
1946 - Edna Mayne Hull - World Science Fiction Convention

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In 1980, van Vogt received a 'Casper Award' (precursor to the Canadian Aurora Awards) for Lifetime Achievement. In 1995 he was awarded the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award. In 1996, van Vogt was recognized on three occasions: the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) designated him a 'Grand Master', the World Science Fiction Convention presented him with a Special Award for six decades of golden age science fiction, and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame included him among its initial four inductees.

Related Topics:
1980 - Canadian Aurora Awards - 1995 - Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award - 1996 - Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America - Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame

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Critical praise

Noted sci-fi author Philip K. Dick has said van Vogt's stories spurred his interest in science fiction, with their strange sense of the unexplained, that something more was going on than the protagonists realized.

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"Van Vogt knew precisely what he was doing in all areas of his fiction writing. There's hardly a wasted word in his stories...His plots are marvels of interlocking pieces, often ending in real surprises and shocks, genuine paradigm shifts, which are among the hardest conceptions to depict. And the intellectual material of his fictions, the conceits and tossed-off observations on culture and human and alien behavior, reflect a probing mind...Each tale contains a new angle, a unique slant, that makes it stand out." Paul Di Filippo

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