Hugo Award
1回登壇
-
第1回（1953年） Winner
Alfred Bester
アルフレッド・ベスター
Arufureddo Besutā
プロフィール
- 性別
- 男性
- 生誕
- 1913-12-18 （Middletown, New York, U.S.）
- 死没
- 1987-09-30 （Doylestown, Pennsylvania, U.S.） 73歳
- 国籍
- United States
- 言語
- English
- 居住地歴
- New York City (long-term residence) → Italy and England (lived there for several years in mid-1950s) → Ottsville, Pennsylvania (later years)
経歴
- 職業
- Writer, Editor, Screenwriter (TV & radio), Comic-book writer, Magazine editor
- 活動期間
- 1939年〜1981年
- 所属
- Hydra Club (New York science fiction writers group)
- 所属団体
- Associated with Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA)
- 影響を受けた人物
- James Joyce and avant-garde literature (self-cited influence), H. L. Gold (editor and friend), John W. Campbell (editor)
- 影響を与えた人物
- Later science fiction writers including early cyberpunk authors, Television and media creators (e.g., naming/telepathy treatment in Babylon 5)
- ノミネート
- "Star Light, Star Bright" — 1954 (retro Hugo nominee), "The Men Who Murdered Mohammed" — 1959 (Hugo nominee), "The Pi Man" — 1960 (Hugo nominee), "The Four-Hour Fugue" — 1975 (Hugo nominee), "The Computer Connection (Extro)" — 1975 (Hugo/Nebula nominee)
学歴
| 学校 | 学部 | 学科 | 学位 | 期間 | 国 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Pennsylvania | — | — | — | 1930s | United States |
| Columbia Law School (did not complete) | — | — | — | 1930s（中退） | United States |
University of Pennsylvania
期間:
1930s
国:
United States
Participated in football and fencing while at university
Columbia Law School (did not complete)
期間:
1930s（中退）
国:
United States
Left law school and turned to writing
受賞歴
| 年 | 賞名 | 対象作品 | 部門 | 主催 | 結果 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | Hugo Award (Best Novel) | The Demolished Man | — | World Science Fiction Society / Worldcon | winner |
| 1988 | SFWA Grand Master (Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master) | — | — | Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA) | posthumous honor |
| 2001 | Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame (induction) | — | — | Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame / Museum of Pop Culture (associated) | inducted |
Hugo Award (Best Novel)
1953
対象作品:
The Demolished Man
主催:
World Science Fiction Society / Worldcon
結果:
winner
SFWA Grand Master (Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master)
1988
主催:
Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA)
結果:
posthumous honor
Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame (induction)
2001
主催:
Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame / Museum of Pop Culture (associated)
結果:
inducted
受賞・候補エディション
作品
代表作
The Demolished Man
1953年 Science fiction / Police proceduralA novel set in a future where telepathy is common; a murder and its investigation in a society without deceit. Winner of the inaugural 1953 Hugo Award for Best Novel.
TelepathyCapitalism and social hierarchyMemory and identity
映像化・舞台化
- [Television drama (adaptation/segment)]
The Stars My Destination
1956年 Science fiction (adventure / revenge)A revenge-driven space-opera with proto-cyberpunk elements; regarded later as a precursor to cyberpunk.
RevengeSelf-transformationViolence and civilization
The Computer Connection (also published as Extro)
1975年 Science fictionA science-fiction novel about computers and longevity. Finalist for Hugo and Nebula Awards in 1975.
Technology and immortalityIdentity
Golem100
1980年 Science fictionOne of his late works; treats social and psychological issues through science-fictional means.
MadnessEthics of science
Who He? (also published as The Rat Race)
1953年 Mainstream novel (contemporary, about TV industry)A contemporary novel about a TV variety-show writer who wakes after an alcoholic blackout to find someone is trying to destroy his life. Film rights were optioned though no film was made.
Fame and self-destructionDark side of the media industry
全著作
- The Demolished Man — 1953
- Who He? (The Rat Race) — 1953
- The Stars My Destination — 1956
- Starburst (short story collection) — 1958
- The Computer Connection (Extro) — 1975
- Golem100 — 1980
- The Deceivers — 1981
- Tender Loving Rage — 1991 (posthumous)
- Psychoshop — 1998 (completed by Roger Zelazny; posthumous)
翻案
- Murder and the Android (televised on NBC Sunday Showcase, 1959)
作風・主題
- 文体
- Experimental and exuberant proseFast pacing with strong psychological characterizationVivid, magazine-ready short-story style
- 頻出モチーフ
- Telepathy and mind-readingRevenge and transformationCapitalism and stratified societiesMemory and identity
健康
-
Failing eyesight (progressed in later years)1970年代中頃からSignificantly hampered writing ability and reduced publishing output
-
Broken hip (from a fall) and complications1987年（死去前）Died from complications related to the fall and broken hip
評価・遺産
Alfred Bester, a prominent 1950s science-fiction writer, influenced modern SF through experimental prose and intense psychological narratives. Winner of the inaugural Hugo for The Demolished Man, he was later honored as an SFWA Grand Master and inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame. His proto-cyberpunk works continue to influence subsequent generations.
記念館・博物館
- Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame (associated) Seattle, U.S. (associated with the Museum of Pop Culture)
関連学会
- Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA)
大衆文化への影響
- Babylon 5 features a character named Alfred Bester, named after him
- Referenced in media like Firefly where minor character names draw from SF writers (including Bester)
引用
-
"Alfred Bester was one of the handful of writers who invented modern science fiction."
出典: Harry Harrison (introduction) (1996年)
豆知識
- Credited with creating the comic-book villain Solomon Grundy (work for DC Comics).
- Associated with an early form of the Green Lantern oath ("In brightest day, In blackest night...").
- Eyesight failed in later years; produced no new published work after 1981.
- Left his literary estate to his friend and bartender Joe Suder.