On This Day: Harry Harrison

On this day eighty-nine years ago, one Henry Maxwell Dempsey was born. Wait. What?

Would it make more sense if we told you that soon after young Henry was born, his father changed their family name to ‘Harrison’? And that ‘Henry’ would become better known (much better known!) as ‘Harry’? Thought so.

One of the true greats of science fiction was born on this day in 1925. A list of his achievements would take almost a book in itself, but suffice it to say that few authors have a greatest hits to rival Harry Harrison’s: Deathworld, Bill, the Galactic Hero, the Eden series, Make Room! Make Room! (filmed as Soylent Green) and, of course, James Bolivar ‘Slippery Jim’ diGriz – better known to the galaxy at large as The Stainless Steel Rat.

The man himself may be gone, but we still have his wonderful books, and you can find many of them at his SF Gateway Author page.