Directory (1 to 43)

#1 (1974): Robert A. Heinlein (July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988)

#2 (1975): Jack Williamson (April 29, 1908 – November 10, 2006)

#3 (1976): Clifford D. Simak (August 3, 1904 – April 25, 1988)

#4 (2015): L. Sprague de Camp (November 27, 1907 – November 6, 2000)

#5 (1981): Fritz Leiber (December 24, 1910 – September 5, 1992)

#6 (1984): Andre Norton (February 17, 1912 – March 17, 2005)

#7 (1985): Arthur C. Clarke (December 16, 1917 – March 19, 2008)

#8 (1986): Isaac Asimov (January 2, 1920 – April 6, 1992)

#9 (1987): Alfred Bester (December 18, 1913 – September 30, 1987)

#10 (1988): Ray Bradbury (August 22, 1920 – June 5, 2012)

#11 (1990): Lester del Rey (June 2, 1915 – May 10, 1993)

#12 (1992): Frederik Pohl (November 26, 1919 – September 2, 2013)

#13 (1994): Damon Knight (September 19, 1922 – April 15, 2002)

#14 (1995): A. E. van Vogt (April 26, 1912 – January 26, 2000)

#15 (1996): Jack Vance (August 28, 1916 – May 26, 2013)

#16 (1997): Poul Anderson (November 25, 1926 – July 31, 2001)

#17 (1998): Hal Clement (May 30, 1922 – October 29, 2003)

#18 (1999): Brian W. Aldiss (August 18, 1925 – August 19, 2017)

#19 (2000): Philip José Farmer (January 26, 1918 – February 25, 2009)

#20 (2002): Ursula K. Le Guin (October 21, 1929 – January 22, 2018)

#21 (2003): Robert Silverberg (January 15, 1935 – Present)

#22 (2004): Anne McCaffrey (April 1, 1926 – November 21, 2011)

#23 (2005): Harlan Ellison (May 27, 1934 – June 28, 2018)

#24 (2006): James Gunn (July 12, 1923 – December 23, 2020)

#25 (2007): Michael Moorcock (December 18, 1939 – Present)

#26 (2008): Harry Harrison (March 12, 1925 – August 15, 2012)

#27 (2009): Joe Haldeman (June 9, 1943 – Present)

#28 (2011): Connie Willis (December 31, 1945 – Present)

#29 (2014): Gene Wolfe (May 7, 1931 – April 14, 2019)

#30 (2013): Samuel R. Delany (April 1, 1942 – Present)

#31 (2014): Larry Niven (April 30, 1938 – Present)

#32 (2015): C. J. Cherryh (September 1, 1942 – Present)

#33 (2016): Jane Yolen (February 11, 1939 – June 11, 2026)

#34 (2017): Peter S. Beagle (April 20, 1939 – Present)

#35 (2018): William Gibson (March 17, 1948 – Present)

#36 (2019): Lois McMaster Bujold (November 2, 1949 – Present)

#37 (2020): Nalo Hopkinson (December 20, 1960 – Present)

#38 (2021): Mercedes Lackey (June 24, 1950 – Present)

#39 (2022): Robin McKinley (November 16, 1952 – Present)

#40 (2023): Susan Cooper (May 23, 1935 – Present)

#41 (2024): Nicola Griffith (September 30, 1960 – Present)

#42 (2025): N. K. Jemisin (September 19, 1972 – Present)

#43 (2026): Nancy Kress (January 20, 1948 – Present)

Damon Knight Memorial Grand Masters

Alfred Bester

Conferred in 1987 as the 9th Grand Master (Award Ceremony in 1988)

Official Announcement

Alfred Bester (December 18, 1913 – September 30, 1987) was an American science fiction author, TV and radio scriptwriter, magazine editor and scripter for comic strips and comic books. Though successful in all these fields, he is best remembered for his science fiction, including The Demolished Man, winner of the inaugural Hugo Award in 1953.

Alfred Bester (December 18, 1913 – September 30, 1987) was an American science fiction author, TV and radio scriptwriter, magazine editor and scripter for comic strips and comic books. Though successful in all these fields, he is best remembered for his science fiction, including The Demolished Man, winner of the inaugural Hugo Award in 1953.

Science fiction author Harry Harrison wrote, "Alfred Bester was one of the handful of writers who invented modern science fiction."

Shortly before his death, the Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA) named Bester its ninth Grand Master, presented posthumously in 1988. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame inducted him in 2001. The Science Fiction Writers of America made Bester its 9th SFWA Grand Master in 1988 (announced before his 1987 death) and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame inducted him in 2001, its sixth class of two deceased and two living writers. Beside winning the inaugural Hugo Award he was one of the runners-up for several annual literary awards.

Directory (1 to 43)

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