British novelist Brian W. Aldiss is "one of the most important SF writers of the 20th century and a noted mainstream novelist and literary critic as well," according to a contributor to Publishers Weekly reviewing Aldiss's novel White Mars; or, The Mind Set Free: A 21st-Century Utopia. Often called the heir to H. G. Wells, Aldiss is a prolific author who has published criticism, essays, travelogues, short stories, and traditional novels. However, he remains best known for his works of science fiction, such as the "Helliconia" trilogy, The Long Afternoon of Earth (released in England as Hothouse), and Greybeard. Since the appearance of his first science-fiction novel, Non-Stop, in 1958, Aldiss has garnered virtually every major award in the field, including a Hugo award for Hothouse, a Nebula award for The Saliva Tree, a John Campbell Memorial award for Helliconia Spring, and a James Blish award for excellence in...