'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

 

Born in California on Oct. 6, 1950 Brin is an astro-physicist who turned his talents to writing and became 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.   During the past few years he has been writing what he calls “The High Horizon” series – Colony High in 2021 and Castaways of New Mojave (with Jeff Carlson) in 2023.   

Brin helped establish the Arthur C. Clarke Center for Human Imagination (UCSD), serves on the advisory board of NASA’s Innovative and Advanced Concepts group, and frequently does “futuristic” consulting for businesses and industry and said he’s glad he’s a scientist first.

 

“There's no doubt,” he said, “that scientific training helps many authors to write better science fiction.”