ALDISS, BRIAN W.

born Aug. 18, 1925, East Dereham, Norfolk, Eng. in full Brian Wilson Aldiss prolific English author of science fiction short stories and novels that display great range in style and approach. Aldiss served with the British Army (194347) and then was a bookseller until 1956. His first novel, The Brightfount Diaries (1955), was followed by the science fiction novel Non-Stop in 1958. Aldiss went on to write more than 40 science fiction novels and short-story collections. He showed great versatility in his explorations of the genre's classic themes and premises, while also maintaining an interest in human character. Many collections of his stories are available, including Best Science Fiction Stories of Brian W. Aldiss (1965) and A Brian Aldiss Omnibus (1969 and 1971). Outstanding individual volumes of his stories include The Canopy of Time (1959), Hothouse (1962), Starswarm (1964), and The Saliva Tree (1966). Aldiss was also an influential editor of numerous anthologies of science fiction. In addition, he wrote criticism, essays, travelogues, and autobiographical novels. His later fiction includes Moreau's Other Island (1980) and the three novels of his ambitious Helliconia Trilogy (198285), which chronicles life and human civilization on a planet where each season lasts for centuries.