Charles L. Harness
Encyclopedia
Charles Leonard Harness was an American science fiction
writer. He was born in Colorado City, Texas
and grew up just outside it, then later in Fort Worth. He earned degrees in chemistry
and law
, and worked as a patent
attorney
in Connecticut
and Washington, DC from 1947 to 1981. Several of Harness' works draw on his background as a lawyer.
, time travel
, and a hero undergoing a quasi-transcendental
experience.
Harness' most famous single novel was his first, Flight into Yesterday, which was published first as a novella
in the May 1949 issue of Startling Stories
and was later republished as The Paradox Men in 1953. The "science-fiction classic" is both "a tale dominated by space-opera
extravagances" and "a severely articulate narrative analysis of the implications of Arnold J. Toynbee
's A Study of History
." Boucher
and McComas
described it as "fine swashbuckling adventure ... so infinitely intricate that you may never quite understand what it's about." P. Schuyler Miller
described it as "action-entertainment, fast-paced enough that you don't stop to bother with inconsistencies or improbabilities."
In his introduction in the 1967 Four Square paperback
reprint of the novel, Brian Aldiss
terms it a major example of the "Widescreen Baroque" style in science fiction, and John Clute
terms it "the kind of tale which transforms traditional space opera into an arena where a vast array of characters can act their hearts out, where anything can be said with a wink or dead seriously, and any kind of story be told." In Trillion Year Spree, Aldiss and Wingrove
report the novel "plays high, wide, and handsome with space and time, buzzes around the solar system like a demented hornet, [and] is witty, profound, and trivial all in one breath." The Paradox Men features the concept of force fields which protect people against high-velocity weapons like guns but not against knives or swords, an idea later used in Frank Herbert
's Dune
(1965).
In 1953, Harness also published his most famous single story, "The Rose", which first appeared in the British magazine Authentic Science Fiction
, then as the main novella in a UK mass-market paperback collection. The story did not appear in the United States until 1969.
Among Harness' best known stories are "The Rose", "An Ornament to his Profession", "The Alchemist" and "Stalemate in Time". His story "The New Reality" has been called "SF's best Adam & Eve story" by Brian Stableford
. His novel Redworld is one of the very few science fiction novels in which all characters are aliens.
Harness's ideas influenced numerous writers and he continued to publish until 2001, being nominated for multiple Hugo
and Nebula
awards. In 2004 he was named Author Emeritus
by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
.
Harness died in 2005, at the age of 89, in North Newton, Kansas
.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
writer. He was born in Colorado City, Texas
Colorado City, Texas
Colorado City is a city in and the county seat of Mitchell County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,281 at the 2000 census....
and grew up just outside it, then later in Fort Worth. He earned degrees in chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
and law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
, and worked as a patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
and Washington, DC from 1947 to 1981. Several of Harness' works draw on his background as a lawyer.
Writing career
Harness' first story, "Time Trap" (1948), is unusual for a first story in that it shows many of his recurring themes, among them artArt
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
, time travel
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
, and a hero undergoing a quasi-transcendental
Transcendence (philosophy)
In philosophy, the adjective transcendental and the noun transcendence convey the basic ground concept from the word's literal meaning , of climbing or going beyond, albeit with varying connotations in its different historical and cultural stages...
experience.
Harness' most famous single novel was his first, Flight into Yesterday, which was published first as a novella
Novella
A novella is a written, fictional, prose narrative usually longer than a novelette but shorter than a novel. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards for science fiction define the novella as having a word count between 17,500 and 40,000...
in the May 1949 issue of Startling Stories
Startling Stories
Startling Stories was an American pulp science fiction magazine, published from 1939 to 1955 by Standard Magazines. It was initially edited by Mort Weisinger, who was also the editor of Thrilling Wonder Stories, Standard's other science fiction title. Startling ran a lead novel in every issue;...
and was later republished as The Paradox Men in 1953. The "science-fiction classic" is both "a tale dominated by space-opera
Space opera
Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes romantic, often melodramatic adventure, set mainly or entirely in outer space, generally involving conflict between opponents possessing advanced technologies and abilities. The term has no relation to music and it is analogous to "soap...
extravagances" and "a severely articulate narrative analysis of the implications of Arnold J. Toynbee
Arnold J. Toynbee
Arnold Joseph Toynbee CH was a British historian whose twelve-volume analysis of the rise and fall of civilizations, A Study of History, 1934–1961, was a synthesis of world history, a metahistory based on universal rhythms of rise, flowering and decline, which examined history from a global...
's A Study of History
A Study of History
A Study of History is the 12-volume magnum opus of British historian Arnold J. Toynbee, finished in 1961, in which the author traces the development and decay of all of the major world civilizations in the historical record...
." Boucher
Anthony Boucher
Anthony Boucher was an American science fiction editor and author of mystery novels and short stories. He was particularly influential as an editor. Between 1942 and 1947 he acted as reviewer of mostly mystery fiction for the San Francisco Chronicle...
and McComas
J. Francis McComas
Jesse Francis McComas was an American science fiction editor. McComas wrote several stories on his own in the 1950s using both his own name and the pseudonym Webb Marlowe....
described it as "fine swashbuckling adventure ... so infinitely intricate that you may never quite understand what it's about." P. Schuyler Miller
P. Schuyler Miller
Peter Schuyler Miller was an American science fiction writer and critic.-Life:Miller was raised in New York's Mohawk Valley, which led to a life-long interest in the Iroquois Indians. He pursued this as an amateur archaeologist and a member of the New York State Archaeological Association.He...
described it as "action-entertainment, fast-paced enough that you don't stop to bother with inconsistencies or improbabilities."
In his introduction in the 1967 Four Square paperback
Paperback
Paperback, softback or softcover describe and refer to a book by the nature of its binding. The covers of such books are usually made of paper or paperboard, and are usually held together with glue rather than stitches or staples...
reprint of the novel, Brian Aldiss
Brian Aldiss
Brian Wilson Aldiss, OBE is an English author of both general fiction and science fiction. His byline reads either Brian W. Aldiss or simply Brian Aldiss. Greatly influenced by science fiction pioneer H. G. Wells, Aldiss is a vice-president of the international H. G. Wells Society...
terms it a major example of the "Widescreen Baroque" style in science fiction, and John Clute
John Clute
John Frederick Clute is a Canadian born author and critic who has lived in Britain since 1969. He has been described as "an integral part of science fiction's history."...
terms it "the kind of tale which transforms traditional space opera into an arena where a vast array of characters can act their hearts out, where anything can be said with a wink or dead seriously, and any kind of story be told." In Trillion Year Spree, Aldiss and Wingrove
David Wingrove
David Wingrove is a British science fiction writer. He is well-known as the author of the Chung Kuo novels . He is also the co-author of the three Myst novels....
report the novel "plays high, wide, and handsome with space and time, buzzes around the solar system like a demented hornet, [and] is witty, profound, and trivial all in one breath." The Paradox Men features the concept of force fields which protect people against high-velocity weapons like guns but not against knives or swords, an idea later used in Frank Herbert
Frank Herbert
Franklin Patrick Herbert, Jr. was a critically acclaimed and commercially successful American science fiction author. Although a short story author, he is best known for his novels, most notably Dune and its five sequels...
's Dune
Dune (novel)
Dune is a science fiction novel written by Frank Herbert, published in 1965. It won the Hugo Award in 1966, and the inaugural Nebula Award for Best Novel...
(1965).
In 1953, Harness also published his most famous single story, "The Rose", which first appeared in the British magazine Authentic Science Fiction
Authentic Science Fiction
Authentic Science Fiction was a British science fiction magazine published in the 1950s that ran for 85 issues under three editors: Gordon Landsborough, H.J. Campbell, and E.C. Tubb...
, then as the main novella in a UK mass-market paperback collection. The story did not appear in the United States until 1969.
Among Harness' best known stories are "The Rose", "An Ornament to his Profession", "The Alchemist" and "Stalemate in Time". His story "The New Reality" has been called "SF's best Adam & Eve story" by Brian Stableford
Brian Stableford
Brian Michael Stableford is a British science fiction writer who has published more than 70 novels. His earlier books were published as by Brian M. Stableford, but more recent ones have dropped the middle initial and appeared under the name Brian Stableford...
. His novel Redworld is one of the very few science fiction novels in which all characters are aliens.
Harness's ideas influenced numerous writers and he continued to publish until 2001, being nominated for multiple Hugo
Hugo Award
The Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...
and Nebula
Nebula Award
The Nebula Award is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America , for the best science fiction/fantasy fiction published in the United States during the previous year...
awards. In 2004 he was named Author Emeritus
Author Emeritus
Author Emeritus award is an honorary title bestowed by Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc. It was created "as a way to recognize and appreciate senior writers in the genres of science fiction and fantasy who have made significant contributions to our field but who are no longer...
by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, or SFWA is a nonprofit association of professional science fiction and fantasy writers. It was founded in 1965 by Damon Knight under the name Science Fiction Writers of America, Inc. and it retains the acronym SFWA after a very brief use of the SFFWA...
.
Harness died in 2005, at the age of 89, in North Newton, Kansas
North Newton, Kansas
North Newton is a city in Harvey County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,759. The city of Newton is located next to the city, but it not part of North Newton. North Newton is home of Bethel College, which has approximately 500 students.-Geography:North...
.
Awards
- "The Rose", novella nominated for the Retro-Hugo Award in 2004
- "The Alchemist", novella nominated for the Hugo and Nebula awards for 1966
- "An Ornament to His Profession", novelette nominated for the Hugo and Nebula awards for 1966
- "Probable Cause", novella nominated for the Nebula award for 1969
- "Summer Solstice", novella nominated for the Hugo award in 1985
Novels
- Flight into Yesterday (1953)(reprinted as The Paradox Men in 1955)
- The Ring of Ritornel (1968)
- Wolfhead (1978)
- The Catalyst (1980)
- Firebird (1981)
- The Venetian Court (1982)
- Redworld (1986)
- Krono (1988)
- Lurid Dreams (1990)
- Lunar Justice (1991)
- Drunkard's Endgame (1999) (in Rings, an omnibus edition of four novels by Harness from NESFA PressNESFA PressNESFA Press is the publishing arm of the New England Science Fiction Association, Inc. The NESFA Press primarily produces three types of books:...
ISBN 1-886778-16-7) - Cybele, With Bluebonnets (2002)
Collections
- The Rose (1966)
- An Ornament to His Profession (1998) (NESFA PressNESFA PressNESFA Press is the publishing arm of the New England Science Fiction Association, Inc. The NESFA Press primarily produces three types of books:...
reprint collection, ISBN 1-886778-09-4)