Strelnikov
4th Level Red Feather
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Harry Clement Stubbs, who under the pen name of Hal Clement wrote science fiction for sixty years, died in his sleep at his Milton, Massachusetts home on October 29th, 2003, at age 81.
Clement was an exemplar of the hard science fiction writer, always basing his stories in thorough and rigorous science. He held three science degrees, a bachelor's in astronomy from Harvard and masters' in education and chemistry. He was a high-school science teacher for forty years, most of that time at Milton Academy in his home town.
His first short story, "Proof", which appeared in Astounding in 1942, is widely considered the first successful melding of SF with the mystery genre. After a stint in the Army Air Force in World War II, he published his first novel, Needle, as a serial in Astounding in 1949. A second military stint intervened before he produced his most famous and enduring work, Mission of Gravity. His portrayal of Mesklin, a vast and fast-spinning planet with gravity varying hugely from poles to bulging equator, from the viewpoint of a native adventurer trekking across its surface was a tour de force of hard science.
Clement's other work included two more Mesklin novels, Close to Critical and Star Light, as well as Iceworld, Cycle of Fire, The Nitrogen Fix, Still River, and Half Life, along with some short story collections. His most recent novel, Noise, was published earlier this year by Tor, and he was reportedly working on further things at the time of his death. His enduring legacy will be his portrayal of his favorite character: the Universe, at once wondrous and comprehensible.
Clement was also a familiar and beloved figure at SF conventions, enlivening any panel with sharp observations, self-effacing humor, and remarkable anecdotes.
Harry Clement Stubbs is survived by his wife of over fifty years, Mary, and his children George & Richard Stubbs and Christine Heusel.
Strelnikov
Clement was an exemplar of the hard science fiction writer, always basing his stories in thorough and rigorous science. He held three science degrees, a bachelor's in astronomy from Harvard and masters' in education and chemistry. He was a high-school science teacher for forty years, most of that time at Milton Academy in his home town.
His first short story, "Proof", which appeared in Astounding in 1942, is widely considered the first successful melding of SF with the mystery genre. After a stint in the Army Air Force in World War II, he published his first novel, Needle, as a serial in Astounding in 1949. A second military stint intervened before he produced his most famous and enduring work, Mission of Gravity. His portrayal of Mesklin, a vast and fast-spinning planet with gravity varying hugely from poles to bulging equator, from the viewpoint of a native adventurer trekking across its surface was a tour de force of hard science.
Clement's other work included two more Mesklin novels, Close to Critical and Star Light, as well as Iceworld, Cycle of Fire, The Nitrogen Fix, Still River, and Half Life, along with some short story collections. His most recent novel, Noise, was published earlier this year by Tor, and he was reportedly working on further things at the time of his death. His enduring legacy will be his portrayal of his favorite character: the Universe, at once wondrous and comprehensible.
Clement was also a familiar and beloved figure at SF conventions, enlivening any panel with sharp observations, self-effacing humor, and remarkable anecdotes.
Harry Clement Stubbs is survived by his wife of over fifty years, Mary, and his children George & Richard Stubbs and Christine Heusel.
Strelnikov
