'First write a gripping yarn'

“My first duty to write a grippingyarn. Second is to convey credible characters who make you feel what they feel.Only third comes the idea.” – David Brin

 

Born in California on Oct. 6, 1950Brin is an astro-physicist who turned his talents to writing and became anaward-winning author of science fiction. He has received the Hugo, Locus,Campbell and Nebula Awards – basically a “clean sweep” of all the top awards inhis genre.

His Campbell Award winning novel The Postman was adapted as afeature film that starred Kevin Costner.  His nonfiction book TheTransparent Society won both the Freedom of Speech Award (from theAmerican Library Association) and the McGannon CommunicationAward.   

 

Many of Brin's works focus on theimpact on human society of technology humankind develops for itself, mostnoticeably in his novels The Practice Effect, Glory Season and KilnPeople.   During the past fewyears he has been writing what he calls “The High Horizon” series – Colony Highin 2021 and Castaways of New Mojave (with Jeff Carlson) in 2023.   

Brin helped establish the Arthur C. ClarkeCenter for Human Imagination (UCSD), serves on the advisory board of NASA’sInnovative and Advanced Concepts group, and frequently does “futuristic”consulting for businesses and industry and said he’s glad he’s a scientistfirst.

 

“There's no doubt,” he said, “thatscientific training helps many authors to write better science fiction.”