'First Write a Gripping Yarn'

 

“My first duty to write a gripping yarn. Second is to convey credible characters who make you feel what they feel. Only third comes the idea.” – David Brin

Brin, born in California on this date in 1950, began working in physics before turning his talents to writing and becoming an award-winning author of science fiction. He has received the Hugo, Locus, Campbell and Nebula Awards – basically a “clean sweep” of all the top awards in his genre.

His Campbell Award winning novel The Postman was adapted as a feature film that starred Kevin Costner.  His nonfiction book The Transparent Society won both the Freedom of Speech Award (from the American Library Association) and the McGannon Communication Award.   Many of Brin's works focus on the impact on human society of technology humankind develops for itself, most noticeably in his novels The Practice Effect, Glory Season and Kiln People. 

 

Brin helped establish the Arthur C. Clarke Center for Human Imagination (UCSD) and serves on the advisory board of NASA’s Innovative and Advanced Concepts group.

And, he's glad he's a scientist first.  “There's no doubt that scientific training helps many authors to write better science fiction," he said.   "And yet, several of the very best were English majors who could not parse a differential equation to save their lives.”  

 

 

Share Writer’s A Moment with friends

Writersmoment.blogspot.com/