Cordwainer Smith

Cordwainer Smith
Smith, c. early 1960s
Smith, c. early 1960s
BornPaul Myron Anthony Linebarger
(1913-07-11)July 11, 1913
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
DiedAugust 6, 1966(1966-08-06) (aged 53)
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Occupation
  • Writer
  • professor
  • military officer
EducationPhD in political science
Alma materJohns Hopkins University
Period1937–1965
GenreScience fiction
SubjectEast Asia political science, psychological warfare
Notable works"Scanners Live in Vain"
Psychological Warfare
SpouseMargaret Snow
Genevieve Collins
ChildrenSeveral
RelativesSun Yat-sen (godfather)
Smith's first professionally published science fiction story, "Scanners Live in Vain", originally appeared in Fantasy Book in 1950
Smith's novelette The Ballad of Lost C'Mell was the cover story on the October 1962 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction. Artwork by Virgil Finlay.
Smith's novelette "Drunkboat" took the cover of the October 1963 issue of Amazing Stories. Art by Lloyd Birmingham.

Paul Myron Anthony Linebarger (July 11, 1913 – August 6, 1966), better known by his pen-name Cordwainer Smith, was an American author known for his science fiction works. Linebarger was a US Army officer, a noted East Asia scholar, and an expert in psychological warfare. Although his career as a writer was shortened by his death at the age of 53, he is considered one of science fiction's more talented and influential authors.[1]

  1. ^ Gary K. Wolfe and Carol T. Williams, "The Majesty of Kindness: The Dialectic of Cordwainer Smith", Voices for the Future: Essays on Major Science Fiction Writers, Volume 3, Thomas D. Clareson editor, Popular Press, 1983, pages 53–72.