Gene Wolfe

Gene Rodman Wolfe was born in New York in 1931. He served in the Korean War, studied mechanical engineering in Houston, and in 1972 became the editor-in-chief of "Plant Engineering" magazine. He published his first short story in 1965. By 1980, he had published numerous short stories in magazines and collections, demonstrating a deep knowledge of language and admirable mastery in its use. In 1973, he won his first Nebula Award with the short story "The Death of Doctor Island." He has been honored with many awards for his work, including the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement and the Edward E. Smith Memorial Award. His writings fall within the broader realm of speculative fiction, with influences from Borges, as well as from Proust, Chesterton, Kipling, Mark Twain, and Lewis Carroll. Skillfully using the idiom and terms of science fiction and combining them with myths from around the world, he manages to compose a successful, unique body of work.