The Futurians

The Futurians by Damon Knight was published in 1977 by John Day, New York.

In this "tell all" book Knight wrote of the Futurian Society of New York, begun in 1938 (as the Futurian Science Literary Society), which Knight joined in 1941 as a teenager. The club broke up in 1945 when Donald A. Wollheim, one of the founders, sued seven of the members for libel.

In addition to Wollheim and Knight, The Futurians had as members Isaac Asimov, Elsie Balter, Doris Baumgardt (Leslie Perri), James Blish, Robert W. Lowndes, John B. Michel (Hugh Raymond), Frederik Pohl, Richard Wilson, Cyril Kornbluth, Judith Merril, Harry Dockweiler (Dirk Wylie), David A. Kyle, Virginia Kidd, Larry T. Shaw, Jack Robins (Jack Rubinson), and several others, all of whom would go on to make contributions to SF.

Knight estimated that "ten novelists, a publisher, two literary agents, four anthologists, and five editors" (with some overlapping of roles) came out of this group of Futurians. In addition, seven marriages and five divorces took place within the group.

The Futurians were probably the most influential club in the history of fandom.

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Publication

1977

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