1954 in science fiction
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The year 1954 was marked, in science fiction, by the following events.
Births
- Iain M. Banks (d. 2013)
- Marek Baraniecki
- Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff
- Paul Di Filippo
- Colin Greenland
- Marek Huberath
- Kazuo Ishiguro
- Michael P. Kube-McDowell
- Shariann Lewitt
- James D. Macdonald
- Ken MacLeod
- Victor Milán (d. 2018)
- John J. Miller (d. 2022)
- Katsuhiro Otomo
- Melanie Rawn
- Joel Rosenberg (d. 2011)
- Richard Paul Russo
- Bruce Sterling
- Marc Stiegler
- J. Michael Straczynski
- Mark W. Tiedemann
- James Van Pelt
- Lawrence Watt-Evans
- David Wingrove
Deaths
- Alexander Abasheli (b. 1884)
- Alpheus Hyatt Verrill (b. 1871)
Literary releases
- Donald Tuck publishes Handbook of Science Fiction and Fantasy, which is still used as a reference resource for scholars of science fiction.[1]
Serialized novels
- Martians, Go Home by Fredric Brown, Astounding Science Fiction (September), published in book form is 1955.
- Question and Answer, Astounding Science Fiction (June–July), later reprinted in 1956 as part of Ace Double D-199 under the title Planet of No Return, and again as a stand-alone Ace novel in February 1978 under the original title.
- They'd Rather Be Right by Mark Clifton and Frank Riley, Astounding Science Fiction (August–November), published in book form in 1957.
First editions
- Brain Wave by Poul Anderson, Earth's inhabitants become super-intelligent when the planet leaves a restrictive energy field.
- The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov, a detective and a robot partner solve a murder in a futuristic city.
- The Forgotten Planet by Murray Leinster, survivors adapt to a planet overrun by giant insects and plants.
- G.O.G. 666 by John Taine, Russian genetics experiments result in a being that is half ape, half brain.
- I Am Legend by Richard Matheson, the last human battles vampires in a post-apocalyptic world.
- A Mirror for Observers by Edgar Pangborn, follows a child prodigy protected by a Martian guardian from rival factions influencing human civilization.
- Mission of Gravity by Hal Clement, a human and an alien collaborate on a high-gravity planet to recover a lost probe.
- Operation: Outer Space by Murray Leinster, the first interstellar flight is financed by making it into a television show.
- Search the Sky by Frederik Pohl and Cyril M. Kornbluth, a secret ship explores and reconnects declining interstellar colonies to prevent societal decay.
- The Stars Are Ours! by Andre Norton, survivors of an oppressive regime escape Earth to settle on a new planet.
- Starship Through Space by Lee Correy, tells the story of the building of the first starship and of its flight to Alpha Centauri.
- Three Thousand Years by Thomas Calvert McClary, scientists attempt to build a utopia after the earth has been placed in suspended animation for 3,000 years.
Short stories
- "The Cold Equations" by Tom Godwin, Astounding Science Fiction (August).
- "The Father-thing" by Philip K. Dick, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction (December).
- "Fondly Fahrenheit" by Alfred Bester, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction (August).
- "No More Stars" by Charles Satterfield, Beyond Fantasy Fiction (July).
Juveniles
- Return to the Lost Planet by Angus MacVicar, second novel of six in the Lost Planet series.
- The Secret of Saturn's Rings by Donald A. Wollheim, a high school graduate joins his father on a mission to Saturn to prove a corporate cover-up.
- The Star Beast by Robert A. Heinlein (juvenile), a boy discovers his pet is an alien royalty, leading to interstellar diplomacy.
Children's books
- Mel Oliver and Space Rover on Mars by William Morrison, the adventures of a boy and his sapient dog as they join an interplanetary circus on a voyage to Mars.
- The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet by Eleanor Cameron, children travel to a hidden planet and help its inhabitants solve a crisis.
Movies
Awards
The Hugo Awards were not held this year.