Difference between revisions of "Christopher Priest"

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(1943 --)
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(July 14, 1943 -- February 2, 2024)
  
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Christopher McKenzie Priest was born in Cheadle, Cheshire, England; and educated at Warehouseman and Clerks' Orphan Schools, Manchester.  He has been married three times: 1) Christine Merchant; 2) novelist [[Lisa Tuttle]] (1981-1987); 3) [[Leigh Kennedy]] (1988-2011, two children).
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'''Christopher McKenzie Priest''' was born in Cheadle, Cheshire, England; and educated at Warehouseman and Clerks' Orphan Schools, Manchester.  He has been married four times: 1) Christine Merchant; 2) novelist [[Lisa Tuttle]] (1981-1987); 3) [[Leigh Kennedy]] (1988-2011, two children); [[Nina Allan]] (2023-).
  
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Priest finished his formal schooling at age sixteen.  He worked as an accountant and audit clerk, and then was employed at a greeting card company and mail order book publisher, before beginning his writing career.  He became a full-time writer in 1968, publishing under several pseudonyms, including '''John Luther Novak''' and '''Colin Wedgelock'''. The comics writer [[Jim Owsley]] has caused much confusion by changing his name to Christopher J. Priest, being apparently unware that this was the name of an established sf author.
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Priest finished his formal schooling at age sixteen.  He worked as an accountant and audit clerk, and then was employed at a greeting card company and mail order book publisher, before beginning his writing career.  He became a full-time writer in 1968, publishing under several pseudonyms, including '''John Luther Novak''' and '''Colin Wedgelock'''. The comics writer [[Jim Owsley]] has caused much confusion by changing his name to [[Christopher James Priest]], being apparently unware that this was the name of an established sf author.
  
 
During the 1980s Priest owned and ran a computer software company, Ansible Information, in partnership with ''[[Ansible]]'''s [[Dave Langford]].
 
During the 1980s Priest owned and ran a computer software company, Ansible Information, in partnership with ''[[Ansible]]'''s [[Dave Langford]].
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First publication: "The Run" in ''Impulse'' (May, 1966); First [[SF]] novel: ''Indoctrinaire'' (Faber, 1970); First Collection: ''Transplantationen'' (in German, 1972) [appearing in English as ''Real-Time World'' in 1974].
 
First publication: "The Run" in ''Impulse'' (May, 1966); First [[SF]] novel: ''Indoctrinaire'' (Faber, 1970); First Collection: ''Transplantationen'' (in German, 1972) [appearing in English as ''Real-Time World'' in 1974].
  
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He published the [[fanzines]] ''[[Con (fanzine|Con]]'', ''[[Unsurprising Stories]]'', ''[[Thud-F]]'', and ''[[Deadloss]]'' and edited one issue of ''[[Tangent]]'' for the [[BSFA]].
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He published the [[fanzines]] ''[[Con (Priest)|Con]]'', ''[[Unsurprising Stories]]'', ''[[Yawl-B]]'', ''[[Thud-F]]'', and ''[[Deadloss]]'' and edited one issue of ''[[Tangent]]'' for the [[BSFA]]. He was a member and founder of [[FEAPA]] and a member of [[Acnestis]].
  
 
''The Space Machine: A Scientific Romance'' (1976) is a recursive SF novel.  Other novels include ''Fugue for a Darkening Island'' (1972) (''Darkening Island'' in the U.S.), ''A Dream of Wessex'' (1977) (''The Perfect Lover'' in the U.S.), ''The Glamour'' (1984) [a psychological [[fantasy]] about invisibility], and ''The Quiet Woman'' (1990) [a weird novel about a woman writer living in rural England].  More recent novels include ''The Islanders'' (2011) and ''The Adjacent'' (2013).
 
''The Space Machine: A Scientific Romance'' (1976) is a recursive SF novel.  Other novels include ''Fugue for a Darkening Island'' (1972) (''Darkening Island'' in the U.S.), ''A Dream of Wessex'' (1977) (''The Perfect Lover'' in the U.S.), ''The Glamour'' (1984) [a psychological [[fantasy]] about invisibility], and ''The Quiet Woman'' (1990) [a weird novel about a woman writer living in rural England].  More recent novels include ''The Islanders'' (2011) and ''The Adjacent'' (2013).
  
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From the early 1980s his novels have edged more and more toward mainstream literature.  Nevertheless, in addition to his genre writing ("the mature point of view of the [[New Wave]]") he also edited the original [[SF]] anthologies ''Anticipations'' (1978), and [with co-editor [[Robert P. Holdstock]]] ''Stars of Albion'' (1979); and, from 1974-1977, he served as associate editor of the British academic journal ''Foundation: The Review of Science Fiction''.  
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From the early 1980s his novels have edged more and more toward mainstream literature.  Nevertheless, in addition to his genre writing ("the mature point of view of the [[New Wave]]") he also edited the original [[SF]] anthologies ''Anticipations'' (1978), and [with co-editor [[Robert Holdstock]]] ''Stars of Albion'' (1979); and, from 1974-1977, he served as associate editor of the British academic journal ''Foundation: The Review of Science Fiction''.  
  
 
He has published several popular nonfiction works: ''Your Book of Film-Making'' (1974) [a children's book], ''Seize the Moment: The Autobiography of Britain's First Astronaut'' (1993) [with Helen Sharman], ''Running Tall'' (1994) [with British Olympian Sally Gunnell], and ''[[The Book on the Edge of Forever]]'' (1994) [the story behind [[Harlan Ellison]]'s still-to-be-published ''[[Last Dangerous Visions]]'', with contributions from [[Brian Aldiss]], [[Michael Bishop]], [[Barry Malzberg]], [[Bob Shaw]], and others].
 
He has published several popular nonfiction works: ''Your Book of Film-Making'' (1974) [a children's book], ''Seize the Moment: The Autobiography of Britain's First Astronaut'' (1993) [with Helen Sharman], ''Running Tall'' (1994) [with British Olympian Sally Gunnell], and ''[[The Book on the Edge of Forever]]'' (1994) [the story behind [[Harlan Ellison]]'s still-to-be-published ''[[Last Dangerous Visions]]'', with contributions from [[Brian Aldiss]], [[Michael Bishop]], [[Barry Malzberg]], [[Bob Shaw]], and others].
 
Two additional collections of his short fiction are ''An Infinite Summer'' (1979) and ''The Dream Archipelago'' (1999). In 1999 Priest published ''eXistenZ'', a novelization of the screenplay of the motion picture of the same name, and his novel ''The Prestige'' was made into a film.  His award-winning alternate history novel, ''The Separation'', was published in 2002; and two recent omnibus editions collect four of his early novels.  
 
Two additional collections of his short fiction are ''An Infinite Summer'' (1979) and ''The Dream Archipelago'' (1999). In 1999 Priest published ''eXistenZ'', a novelization of the screenplay of the motion picture of the same name, and his novel ''The Prestige'' was made into a film.  His award-winning alternate history novel, ''The Separation'', was published in 2002; and two recent omnibus editions collect four of his early novels.  
  
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He was an editor of ''[[Foundation]]'' from 1974 to 1977, and lectured on [[SF]] and writing at The University of London and at Deakin University in Australia.  [[Ursula Le Guin]] has called him "a versatile, autonomous writer from whom we can expect nothing expectable."  An interview with Priest, conducted by [[Nick Gevers]], was published in the September 2002 issue (#183) of ''[[Interzone]]''.  A more recent interview appeared in the June 2006 issue of ''[[Locus]]'' ("An Unreliable Narrator").  Priest quote on SF:  "I grew up reading science fiction, and within three months of discovering it, I knew I wanted to write science fiction."  
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He was an editor of ''[[Foundation]]'' from 1974 to 1977, and lectured on [[SF]] and writing at The University of London and at Deakin University in Australia.  [[Ursula Le Guin]] has called him "a versatile, autonomous writer from whom we can expect nothing expectable."  An interview with Priest, conducted by Nick Gevers, was published in the September 2002 issue (#183) of ''[[Interzone]]''.  A more recent interview appeared in the June 2006 issue of ''[[Locus]]'' ("An Unreliable Narrator").  Priest quote on SF:  "I grew up reading science fiction, and within three months of discovering it, I knew I wanted to write science fiction."  
  
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Manuscript/Book Collection: Rare Books & Special Collections, University of Sydney Library, Sydney, NSW, Australia.  Reference:  ''Christopher Priest'' by Nicholas Ruddick (1989) [[Starmont]] Reader's Guide 50].
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Manuscript/Book Collection: Rare Books & Special Collections, University of Sydney Library, Sydney, NSW, Australia.  Reference:  ''Christopher Priest'' by Nicholas Ruddick (1989) Starmont Reader's Guide 50].
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* {{SFE |name=priest_christopher}}
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* {{link | website=https://news.ansible.uk/a202-cp.html | text=Concourse GoH speech}}
  
 
{{fanzines}}
 
{{fanzines}}
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* ''[[Con (Fanzine)|Con]]'' [1964-65]
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* ''[[Con (Priest)|Con]]'' [1964-65]
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* ''[[Unsurprising Stories]]'' [early-2000s]
 
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* ''[[Thud-F]]'' [1966]
 
 
* ''[[Deadloss]]'' [1978-87]
 
* ''[[Deadloss]]'' [1978-87]
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* ''[[Pax Ortygia]]'' [1980, for [[FEAPA]]]
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* ''[[SF Writer's Bulletin]]'' [1967-69] (some issues)
 
* ''[[Tangent]]'' [1965] (one issue for the [[BSFA]])
 
* ''[[Tangent]]'' [1965] (one issue for the [[BSFA]])
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* ''[[Thud-F]]'' [1966]
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* ''[[Unsurprising Stories]]'' [early-2000s]
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* ''[[Yawl-B]]'' [1965]
  
 
{{recognition}}
 
{{recognition}}
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* 1997 -- [[Microcon 17]]
 
* 1997 -- [[Microcon 17]]
 
* 1998 -- [[BSFA Award]] (Novel) for ''The Extremes''
 
* 1998 -- [[BSFA Award]] (Novel) for ''The Extremes''
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* 2000 -- [[Novacon 30]], [[Beneluxcon 24]]
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* 2000 -- [[Novacon 30]], [[Beneluxcon 24]] ([[Special Guest]])
 
* 2001 -- [[Picocon 18]], [[Prix Utopiales |Prix Utopia]]
 
* 2001 -- [[Picocon 18]], [[Prix Utopiales |Prix Utopia]]
 
* 2002 -- [[BSFA Award]] (Novel) for ''The Separation''
 
* 2002 -- [[BSFA Award]] (Novel) for ''The Separation''
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* 2016 -- [[Boréal 2016]]
 
* 2016 -- [[Boréal 2016]]
 
* 2017 -- [[Fantasticon]]
 
* 2017 -- [[Fantasticon]]
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* 2020 -- [[Novacon 50]]
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* 2021 -- [[Novacon 50]]
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* 2023 -- [[HAL-CON_(Japan)_2023]], [[Satellite 8]]
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{{person | website=http://www.christopher-priest.co.uk/}}
 
  
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{{person | website=https://www.christopher-priest.co.uk/ | born=1943 |died=2024}}
 
[[Category:fan]]
 
[[Category:fan]]
 
[[Category:pro]]
 
[[Category:pro]]
 
[[Category:UK]]
 
[[Category:UK]]

Latest revision as of 14:14, 4 September 2024

(July 14, 1943 -- February 2, 2024)

Christopher McKenzie Priest was born in Cheadle, Cheshire, England; and educated at Warehouseman and Clerks' Orphan Schools, Manchester. He has been married four times: 1) Christine Merchant; 2) novelist Lisa Tuttle (1981-1987); 3) Leigh Kennedy (1988-2011, two children); Nina Allan (2023-).

Priest finished his formal schooling at age sixteen. He worked as an accountant and audit clerk, and then was employed at a greeting card company and mail order book publisher, before beginning his writing career. He became a full-time writer in 1968, publishing under several pseudonyms, including John Luther Novak and Colin Wedgelock. The comics writer Jim Owsley has caused much confusion by changing his name to Christopher James Priest, being apparently unware that this was the name of an established sf author.

During the 1980s Priest owned and ran a computer software company, Ansible Information, in partnership with Ansible's Dave Langford.

He was GoH at Interaction, the 2005 Worldcon.

First publication: "The Run" in Impulse (May, 1966); First SF novel: Indoctrinaire (Faber, 1970); First Collection: Transplantationen (in German, 1972) [appearing in English as Real-Time World in 1974].

He published the fanzines Con, Unsurprising Stories, Yawl-B, Thud-F, and Deadloss and edited one issue of Tangent for the BSFA. He was a member and founder of FEAPA and a member of Acnestis.

The Space Machine: A Scientific Romance (1976) is a recursive SF novel. Other novels include Fugue for a Darkening Island (1972) (Darkening Island in the U.S.), A Dream of Wessex (1977) (The Perfect Lover in the U.S.), The Glamour (1984) [a psychological fantasy about invisibility], and The Quiet Woman (1990) [a weird novel about a woman writer living in rural England]. More recent novels include The Islanders (2011) and The Adjacent (2013).

From the early 1980s his novels have edged more and more toward mainstream literature. Nevertheless, in addition to his genre writing ("the mature point of view of the New Wave") he also edited the original SF anthologies Anticipations (1978), and [with co-editor Robert Holdstock] Stars of Albion (1979); and, from 1974-1977, he served as associate editor of the British academic journal Foundation: The Review of Science Fiction.

He has published several popular nonfiction works: Your Book of Film-Making (1974) [a children's book], Seize the Moment: The Autobiography of Britain's First Astronaut (1993) [with Helen Sharman], Running Tall (1994) [with British Olympian Sally Gunnell], and The Book on the Edge of Forever (1994) [the story behind Harlan Ellison's still-to-be-published Last Dangerous Visions, with contributions from Brian Aldiss, Michael Bishop, Barry Malzberg, Bob Shaw, and others]. Two additional collections of his short fiction are An Infinite Summer (1979) and The Dream Archipelago (1999). In 1999 Priest published eXistenZ, a novelization of the screenplay of the motion picture of the same name, and his novel The Prestige was made into a film. His award-winning alternate history novel, The Separation, was published in 2002; and two recent omnibus editions collect four of his early novels.

He was an editor of Foundation from 1974 to 1977, and lectured on SF and writing at The University of London and at Deakin University in Australia. Ursula Le Guin has called him "a versatile, autonomous writer from whom we can expect nothing expectable." An interview with Priest, conducted by Nick Gevers, was published in the September 2002 issue (#183) of Interzone. A more recent interview appeared in the June 2006 issue of Locus ("An Unreliable Narrator"). Priest quote on SF: "I grew up reading science fiction, and within three months of discovering it, I knew I wanted to write science fiction."

Manuscript/Book Collection: Rare Books & Special Collections, University of Sydney Library, Sydney, NSW, Australia. Reference: Christopher Priest by Nicholas Ruddick (1989) Starmont Reader's Guide 50].

Fanzines and Apazines:

Awards, Honors and GoHships:

Person Website 1943—2024
This is a biography page. Please extend it by adding more information about the person, such as fanzines and apazines published, awards, clubs, conventions worked on, GoHships, impact on fandom, external links, anecdotes, etc. See Standards for People and The Naming of Names.

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