- Born
- Died
- Birth nameDamon Francis Knight
- Damon Knight was a force of nature in the field of science fiction. He moved to New York City when he was 17 to live with science-fiction fans, writers and editors. He started the Science Fiction Writers of America. With his wife Kate Wilhelm, he influenced generations of writers at writers workshops. He also wrote many works of fiction, including a clever little story called "To Serve Man", which later appeared as To Serve Man (1962), one of the best-known and highly-regarded episodes of that series.
- IMDb mini biography by: Laurie D. T. Mann lm@dpsinfo.com (qv's & corrections by A. Nonymous) - One of the world's most prolific science fiction writers and editors, Mr. Knight was also an outspoken critic and teacher of creative writing. His short stories and novels, as well as his works of non- fiction on the writing process itself, are well respected and he is universally admired in his field. He is the founder of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association and also launched the Milford Writers Conference. He has conducted numerous other workshops for writers in the U.S.A..
- IMDb mini biography by: jimoctober10@hotmail.com
- SpousesKate Wilhelm(February 23, 1962 - April 15, 2002) (his death, 1 child)Helen del Rey(? - 1962) (divorced)Gertrud Werndl (divorced)
- His best-known short story, "To Serve Man", was written during his disastrous first marriage, on a day when his wife was out with another man.
- In 1976, Owlswick Press, Philadelphia, published a book titled "To Serve Man: A Cookbook for People" by "Karl Würf" (ISBN 0 913896 05 5, LCCN 76-004348). It contains 71 recipes, all using people, including Mannerschnitzel, Chile con Hombre, Arabian Tomato & Infidel Soup and Hungarian Ghoulash [sic]. The recipe for Blood Sausage is hilarious. It is dedicated to Knight, "for the name, the title and the kind permission to use both". Adding to the joke is the fact that the Library of Congress classifies it, not as a satire, parody or literary work, but as a cookbook (call number TX652.W83), in the company of 5,306 other culinary works. This means that the cataloging librarian either didn't have a clue or else had a sense of humor.
- Family members say Knight was especially proud of "To Serve Man". For Christmas 2001 he had the original story printed on linen paper, encased it in a plastic spine and gave signed and numbered copies to 17 family members.
- Even though he won the 1956 Hugo Award for "Best Book Reviewer," and even though he is one of the most highly regarded of science fiction writers, his fiction never won a Hugo or Nebula Award. The closest he came was receiving the award of Grand Master as presented by the Science Fiction Writers of America, and a Retro Hugo Award (presented in 2001) for Best Short Story of 1951, for "To Serve Man" - the Hugo Award was not created until 1953.
- Prolific science fiction writer and editor
- It occurs to me, now and then, that maybe a critic ought not to write about any author until the latter is dead; but I'm afraid some of you bastards will outlive me.
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