M. John Harrison

M. John Harrison
Harrison in 2017
Harrison in 2017
BornMichael John Harrison
(1945-07-26) 26 July 1945 (age 79)
Rugby, Warwickshire, England
OccupationWriter
Period1966–present
GenreScience fiction, fantasy, horror, literary fiction, autofiction
Notable awards1989 Boardman Tasker Prize
2002 J. Tiptree Jr. Award
2007 Arthur C. Clarke Award
2007 Philip K. Dick Award
2016 Honorary doctorate, University of Warwick
2020 Goldsmiths Prize
Website
ambientehotel.wordpress.com

Michael John Harrison (born 26 July 1945), known for publication purposes primarily as M. John Harrison, is an English author and literary critic.[1] His work includes the Viriconium sequence of novels and short stories (1971–1984), Climbers (1989), and the Kefahuchi Tract trilogy, which consists of Light (2002), Nova Swing (2006) and Empty Space (2012).

He is widely considered one of the major stylists of modern fantasy and science fiction, and a "genre contrarian".[2] Robert Macfarlane has said: "Harrison is best known as one of the restless fathers of modern SF, but to my mind he is among the most brilliant novelists writing today, with regard to whom the question of genre is an irrelevance."[3] The Times Literary Supplement described him as "a singular stylist" and the Literary Review called him "a witty and truly imaginative writer".[4]

  1. ^ Kelley, George. "Harrison, M(ichael) John" in Jay P. Pederson (.ed) St. James guide to science fiction writers. New York: St. James Press., 1996. ISBN 9781558621794 (pp. 422-3).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference lea was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Macfarlane, Robert (20 July 2012). "Robert Macfarlane: rereading Climbers by M. John Harrison". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
  4. ^ Quoted in 'M. John Harrison News, Interzone 13 (Autumn 1985).