Clifford Donald Simak (1904 – 1988) was an American science fiction writer. He won three Hugo Awards and one Nebula Award. The Science Fiction Writers of America made him its third SFWA Grand Master, and the Horror Writers Association made him one of three inaugural winners of the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Simak became interested in science fiction after reading the works of H. G. Wells as a child. His first contribution to the literature was “The World of the Red Sun”, published by Hugo Gernsback in the December 1931 issue of Wonder Stories. Simak continued to produce award-nominated novels throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Aided by a friend, he continued writing and publishing science fiction and, later, fantasy, into his 80s. He believed that science fiction not rooted in scientific fact was responsible for the failure of the genre to be taken seriously, and stated his aim was to make the genre a part of what he called “realistic fiction.”
From 1950 to 1986 Clifford Simak wrote more than 30 novels, plus four non-fiction works with Way Station winning the 1964 Hugo Award. More than 100 of his short stories were published from 1931 to 1981 in the science fiction, western, and war genres with “The Big Front Yard” winning the 1959 Hugo Award for Best Novelette and “Grotto of the Dancing Deer” winning the Hugo and Nebula Awards for Best Short Story in 1981.
The Science Fiction Writers of America made Clifford D. Simak its third SFWA Grand Master in 1977, after Robert Heinlein and Jack Williamson. In 1987 the Horror Writers Association named him one of three inaugural winners of the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement, with Fritz Leiber and Frank Belknap Long. Asteroid 228883 Cliffsimak, discovered by French amateur astronomer Bernard Christophe in 2003, was named in his memory. The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 30 March 2010 (M.P.C. 69496)
Clifford D. Simak – First Edition Identification Guide
Note: This list only includes works published prior to 1977.
| Year | Title | Publisher | First edition/printing identification points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | ALIENS FOR NEIGHBOURS | London: Faber and Faber, [1961] | Boards. First published in mcmlxi on © page. Abridged reprint. Collects nine of the twelve stories originally appearing in THE WORLDS OF CLIFFORD SIMAK. |
| 1965 | ALL FLESH IS GRASS | Garden City: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1965 | First edition so stated on © page. |
| 1962 | ALL THE TRAPS OF EARTH | Garden City: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1962 | First edition so stated on © page. Five of these nine stories were reprinted under the title THE NIGHT OF THE PUUDLY. ALSO:[New York]: A Macfadden Book, [1963]. Wrappers. A Macfadden Book ... 1963 on © page. Macfadden Books 50-165 (50¢). Abridged reprint. Collects six of the nine stories. [London]: A Four Square Book, [1964]. Wrappers. First Four Square edition 1964 on © page. Foursquare 993 (2'6). Abridged reprint. Collects four of the nine stories. |
| 1975 | THE BEST OF CLIFFORD D. SIMAK | London: Sidgwick & Jackson, [1975] | Boards. First published in Great Britain in 1975 on © page. |
| 1967 | BEST SCIENCE FICTION STORIES OF CLIFFORD SIMAK | London: Faber and Faber, [1967] | First published in mcmlxvii on © page. |
| 1973 | CEMETERY WORLD | New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, [1973] | Boards. No statement of printing on © page. |
| 1972 | A CHOICE OF GODS | New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, [1972] | Boards. No statement of printing on © page. |
| 1952 | CITY | [New York]: Gnome Press, [1952] | Boards. First edition so stated on © page. |
| 1950 | COSMIC ENGINEERS | New York: Gnome Press, Publishers, [1950] | Two bindings, probable priority as listed:
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| 1946 | THE CREATOR | [Los Angeles]: A Crawford Publication, [1946] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. |
| 1971 | DESTINY DOLL | New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, [1971] | No statement of printing on © page. |
| 1951 | EMPIRE | New York: World Editions, Inc., [1951] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Galaxy Science Fiction Novel No. 7 (35¢). Note: Original version of EMPIRE was written by John W. Campbell Jr. as a teenager. Unable to find a publisher for it, he turned it over to Simak and asked that he rewrite it for Astounding. According to Simak, "EMPIRE was essentially a rewrite of John's plot. I may have taken a few of the ideas and action, but I didn't use any of his words. And I certainly tried to humanize his characters" (quote via Muriel Becker). Simak's version was rejected by Campbell and ultimately appeared as a Galaxy Novel. |
| 1975 | ENCHANTED PILGRIM AGE | New York: Published by Berkley Publishing Corp., [1975] | No statement of printing on © page. |
| 1953 | FIRST HE DIED | [New York]; A Dell Book, [1953] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Dell Book 680 (250). Reissue of TIME AND AGAIN. |
| 1965 | THE GOBLIN RESERVATION | New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, [196S] | No statement of printing on © page. |
| 1977 | A HERITAGE OF STARS | New York: Published by Berkley Publishing Corp., [1977] | No statement of printing on © page. Note: Bound uncorrected galley proofs were issued with the title PLACE OF GOING TO THE STARS. |
| 1964 | THE NIGHT OF THE PUUDLY | [London]: A Four Square Book, [1964] | Wrappers. First Four Square Edition 1964 on © page. Four Square Science Fiction 1040 (3'6). Abridged reprint. Collects five stories from ALL THE TRAPS OF EARTH with lead story "Good Night, Mr. James" retitled "The Night of the Pudly." ALSO: London, New York, Sydney and Toronto: White Lion Publishers Limited, [1975], Boards. White Lion Edition 1975 on © page. First hardcover edition of this collection. |
| 1962 | OTHER WORLDS OF CLIFFORD SIMAK | New York: Avon Book Division, [1962] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. An Avon Book G-l 124 (50¢). Reprints six stories from THE WORLDS OF CLIFFORD SIMAK. |
| 1974 | OUR CHILDREN'S CHILDREN | New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, [1974] | No statement of printing on © page. |
| 1970 | OUT OF THEIR MINDS | New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, [1970] | No statement of printing on © page. |
| 1953 | RING AROUND THE SUN | New York: Simon and Schuster, 1953 | Boards. First printing so stated on © page. |
| 1976 | SHAKESPEARE'S PLANET | New York: Published by Berkley Publishing Corp., [1976} | No statement of printing on © page. |
| 1977 | SKIRMISH | New York: Published byG.P. Putnam's Sons, [1977] | Boards with cloth shelf back. No statement of printing on © page. |
| 1968 | SO BRIGHT THE VISION | New York: Ace Books, Inc., [1968] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Ace Double H-95 (60¢). Bound with THE MAN WHO SAW TOMORROW by Jeff Sutton. |
| 1962 | THEY WALKED LIKE MEN | Garden City: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1962 | First edition so stated on © page. |
| 1951 | TIME AND AGAIN | New York: Simon and Schuster, 1951 | Boards with cloth shelf back. No statement of printing on © page. Reissued as FIRST HE DIED. |
| 1961 | TIME IS THE SIMPLEST THING | Garden City: Doubleday & Company, Inc.. 1961 | First edition so stated on © page. |
| 1961 | THE TROUBLE WITH TYCHO | New York: Ace Books, Inc., [1961] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Ace Double Novel Books D-517 (35¢). Bound with BRING BACK YESTERDAY by A. Bertram Chandler. |
| 1963 | WAY STATION | Garden City: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1963 | First edition so stated on © page. |
| 1967 | THE WEREWOLF PRINCIPLE | New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, [1967] | No statement of printing on © page. |
| 1967 | WHY CALL THEM BACK FROM HEAVEN | Garden City: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1967 | First edition so stated on © page. |
| 1960 | THE WORLDS OF CLIFFORD SIMAK | New York: Simon and Schuster, 1960 | Boards. First printing so stated on © page. ALSO: New York: Avon Book Division, [1961]. Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Avon G-1096 (50¢). Abridged reprint. Collects six of the twelve stories. |
| 1964 | WORLDS WITHOUT END | New York: Belmont Books, [1964] | Wrappers. A Belmont Book-April 1964 on © page. Belmont L92-584 (50¢). Note: Second printing bears no statement of printing on © page and book number is changed to B50-791. ALSO: London: Herbert Jenkins, [1965]. Boards. First published in Great Britain ... 1965 on © page. First hardcover edition. |
Clifford D. Simak – First Printing Dust Jacket Identification Points
Gallery of First state Dust Jackets of works. Only includes the first appearance in book form. Either the UK or US edition and does not include later printings.
Reference:
- Wikipedia
- L. W. Currey, Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors: A Bibliography of First Printings of Their Fiction and Selected Nonfiction.
