WRITER

James E. Gunn

1923 - 2020

Photo of James E. Gunn

Icon of person James E. Gunn

James Edwin Gunn (July 12, 1923 – December 23, 2020) was an American science fiction writer, editor, scholar, and anthologist. His work as an editor of anthologies includes the six-volume Road to Science Fiction series. He won the Hugo Award for "Best Related Work" in 1983 and he won or was nominated for several other awards for his non-fiction works in the field of science fiction studies. Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of James E. Gunn has received more than 51,225 page views. His biography is available in 21 different languages on Wikipedia. James E. Gunn is the 5,728th most popular writer (down from 4,577th in 2019), the 8,800th most popular biography from United States (down from 6,533rd in 2019) and the 678th most popular American Writer.

Memorability Metrics

  • 51k

    Page Views (PV)

  • 45.18

    Historical Popularity Index (HPI)

  • 21

    Languages Editions (L)

  • 3.08

    Effective Languages (L*)

  • 3.38

    Coefficient of Variation (CV)

Notable Works

The joy makers
Science fiction
The three parts of James Gunn's fix-up novel The Joy Makers (1961) were originally published in magazine form in 1955 as 'Name Your Pleasure,' 'The Naked Sky', and 'The Unhappy Man.' I have not read the originals so I'm unsure of how much was added or subtracted or completely re-conceptualized. Largely a satire -- Gunn pushes his point to the logical, and terrifying extreme -- each part is a further chronological progression of a society whose chief aim is to make people happy. It is hard not to read Part I as a satirical take on some aspects of Scientology, a movement that was gaining force in the early 1950s.
1961
The Road to Science Fiction
1982
The listeners
Life on other planets, Fiction, Science Fiction
After fifty-one long years of patient waiting, the message has finally arrived. They have dedicated their lives to trying to decipher the eerie silence that resounds from space and now there is finally a sound after decades of quiet. In the beginning there is a hail of celebration, the Project has finally produced results, but then the questions begin. What does the message mean? Could it be 'we come in peace' or 'get ready for world domination'? The message's intended meaning baffles Earth. Only one man has the power to make that decision and it could mean intergalactic warfare if he makes the wrong choice. Director MacDonald holds the fate of Earth, the universe and the project dedicated to answering the questions that have plagued humanity for centuries in his hands. Will he make the correct choice?
1972
Star Bridge
fiction in English, science fiction, Non-Classifiable
The Masters of Eron were the mightiest beings in the universe. Their science enabled them to control an inter-galactic empire — and enslave entire worlds to feed their decadent pleasure drives. But Horn refused to submit, roaming the frontier planets as a hired adventurer. He was just another space-bum, until someone offered him a fortune for a special job. All Horn had to do was assassinate the golden-skinned god who held the key to Eron's inhuman power — the ancient secret they called Star Bridge.
1977
This fortress world
Fiction, Fiction in English, Science Fiction & Fantasy
William Dane is a man with a nasty, but valuable secret, one that all the cutthroats in the galaxy are itching to get their hands on. Dane must perfect the art of concealing himself from the crazed factions yearning for the power that this secret can give them or die at the hands of the most brutal men alive. He's a man on the run from the entire galaxy, but one day that won't be the case. One day in the deadly game of cat and mouse, he will become the deadlier, feline opponent. But until then, he must keep a close guard or the key to ruling the universe could fall into the wrong hands. This classic science fiction masterpiece satisfies readers every desire for adventure and intrigue.
1955
Kampus
Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Universités et collèges
The college of the future has one solitary purpose: endless battle. Political organizations urge ruthless combat with an invisible opponent and each student is challenged to be more extreme than the rest. One man found his fame from kidnapping and killing a professor. Instantly he is immersed into the world of grease-guns and grenades, where the anarchy is suspiciously formulated. The professors have forgotten their pursuit of knowledge, midnight groping at the point has turned into isolated sex with keyboards and the only goal is to completely in deadly political games. By becoming a shining example of academic excellence, Tom Gavin has tapped into the secrets inside the private chambers of the university. He finds it is either play the game or die beneath the latest revolutionary fire.
1977

Among WRITERS

Among writers, James E. Gunn ranks 5,728 out of 7,302. Before him are Regīna Ezera, Sydney, Lady Morgan, Dmitri Prigov, Lőrinc Szabó, Pauline Baynes, and Kito Lorenc. After him are David Mitchell, Alan Ayckbourn, Katri Vala, José Manuel Caballero, Jack McDevitt, and Fazıl Hüsnü Dağlarca.

Most Popular Writers in Wikipedia

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1923, James E. Gunn ranks 396. Before him are Jorge Daponte, John Holt, Cyril M. Kornbluth, Walter Jens, Wim van der Voort, and Lee Yuan-tsu. After him are Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Helen Murray Free, Paavo Lonkila, Ruth Williams Khama, Avram Davidson, and Robert Sabatier. Among people deceased in 2020, James E. Gunn ranks 563. Before him are Amadou Gon Coulibaly, Wolfgang Hofmann, Anthony Soter Fernandez, Toke Talagi, Li Wenliang, and Veli Lehtelä. After him are Giovanni Battista Rabino, Jon E. Ahlquist, Pedro Nájera, Camilla Wicks, Harold Budd, and Claude Barthélemy.

Others Born in 1923

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Others Deceased in 2020

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In United States

Among people born in United States, James E. Gunn ranks 8,800 out of 20,380. Before him are Charles Reisner (1887), Brian Benben (1956), Sean Michaels (1958), Melville Shavelson (1917), Harold Solomon (1952), and Daniel von Bargen (1950). After him are Elizabeth Reaser (1975), Margaret Truman (1924), Florence Price (1887), Jack McDevitt (1935), Edwin Foster Coddington (1870), and Austin Butler (1991).

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Among WRITERS In United States

Among writers born in United States, James E. Gunn ranks 678. Before him are John Holt (1923), Earl Derr Biggers (1884), Cyril M. Kornbluth (1923), Dee Brown (1908), Henry Ward Beecher (1813), and Robert Christgau (1942). After him are Jack McDevitt (1935), Robert Bly (1926), Ann Rule (1931), Gardner Dozois (1947), Diana Der Hovanessian (1934), and Daniel Pearl (1963).

American born Writers

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