Edmund Cooper (April 30, 1926 - March 11, 1982) was a poet and prolific writer of speculative fiction, and other genres including children books, essays and one detective novel, published under his own name and several pen names.
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Biography
Born in Marple, near Stockport, Cheshire, Cooper left school at 15, worked as a labourer, then civil servant, and later in 1944 joined the Merchant Navy[1]. After World War II, he trained as a teacher and began to publish short stories. His first novel, Deadly Image (later republished as The Uncertain Midnight) was completed in 1957 and published in 1958.[1] A 1956 short story, Brain Child, was adapted as the movie The Invisible Boy (1957).[1] In 1969 The Uncertain Midnight was adapted for Swiss television, in French.[1] At the height of his popularity, in the 1970s, he began to review science fiction for the Sunday Times and continued to do so until his death in 1982.[1]
Work and criticism
An atheist and individualist, Cooper's science fiction often depicts unconventional heroes facing unfamiliar and remote environments. The colonisation of extra-terrestrial planets is a common theme and is the basis of the Expendables series, published under the name Richard Avery. The Expendables is notable both for the diversity of its cast of characters and for the frank nature of their conversations and attitudes on racial and sexual topics. Cooper's depiction of women often proved controversial. Several of his books depicted future worlds dominated by women, often to the detriment of all. Cooper has been quoted as disparaging women's mental capacity: "let them have totally equal competition ... they'll see that they can't make it.[2]
Publications
Novels
Note that the given ISBNs and dates are mostly not verified and that book search engines sometimes return incorrect information.
- 1958 The Uncertain Midnight (aka Deadly Image) Ballantine edition no known ISBN; unverified edition ISBN 0-7066-0771-6; Coronet edition 1982 ISBN 0-340-15132-3[3]
- 1959 Seed of Light, Ballantine edition ISBN B00005XV5L; Coronet edition 1977, ISBN 0-340-21990-4, second printing 1979[4]
- 1960 Wish Goes to Slumber Land[5]
- 1964 Transit, Faber & Faber no known ISBN; unverified edition ISBN 0-571-05724-1; Coronet edition 1973, ISBN 0-340-16464-6, second printing 1974[6]
- 1966 All Fools' Day, ISBN 0-340-00182-8[7]
- 1967 A Far Sunset, Hodder edition no known ISBN; Coronet edition 1973, ISBN 0-340-04364-4[8]
- 1968 Five to Twelve, Hodder edition no known ISBN; Coronet edition 1974 ISBN 0-340-10904-1[9]
- 1969 Seahorse in the Sky, ISBN 0-340-12975-1
- 1969 The Last Continent, ISBN 0-340-15091-2
- 1970 Son of Kronk, ISBN 0-340-12577-2
- 1971 The Overman Culture, ISBN 0-425-03155-1
- 1971 Kronk, ISBN 0-340-16217-1
- 1972 Who Needs Men?, (aka Gender Genocide), ISBN 0-340-18614-3
- 1973 The Cloud Walker, ISBN 0-340-19478-2
- 1973 The Tenth Planet, ISBN 0-340-20512-1
- 1974 Prisoner of Fire, ISBN 0-340-17016-6
- 1974 The Slaves of Heaven, ISBN 0-340-22337-5
- 1978 Merry Christmas, Ms Minerva!, ISBN 0-7091-7001-7
As Martin Lester
- 1954, Black Phoenix
As George Kinley
- 1954 Ferry Rocket
As Broderick Quain
- 1954 They Shall Not Die
As Richard Avery
The Expendables Series:
- 1975 The Deathworms of Kratos, ISBN 0-340-19472-3
- 1975 The Rings of Tantalus, ISBN 0-340-19889-3
- 1975 The War Games of Zelos, ISBN 0-340-19875-3
- 1976 The Venom of Argus, ISBN 0-340-19918-0
Short stories (collections)
- 1956 Voices in the Dark
- 1958 Tomorrow's Gift
- 1963 Tomorrow Came
- 1964 The Square Root of Tomorrow, ISBN 0-7091-1122-3
- 1968 The News from Elsewhere, ISBN B0000CO5KF
- 1971 Unborn Tomorrow, ISBN 0-7091-1917-8
- 1971 Double Phoenix (with Roger Lancelyn Green), ISBN 0-345-02420-6
- 1972 Jupiter Laughs and Other Stories, ISBN 0-340-26462-4
- 1980 World of Difference, ISBN 0-7091-8686-X
Work adapted for the screen
- 1957 Invisible Boy[10] from The Brain Child 1956[11]
- 1969 The Uncertain Midnight (French)
- 1978 Death Watch as "OBN in Arrivo", part of series: I Raconti di Fantascienza da Blassetti (Italy)"[11]
References
- ^ a b c d e Edmund Cooper's Biography, by Joe Smith
- ^ "We Must Love One Another or Die; an interview with Edmund Cooper by James Goddard page 3
- ^ The Uncertain Midnight publication history at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- ^ Seed of Light publication history at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- ^ Wish Goes to Slumberland - Picture Book 1960 children's book, info from Carnie Pollock
- ^ Transit publication history at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- ^ All Fools' Day publication history at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- ^ http://www.bondle.co.uk/edmund_cooper/a_far_sunset.html
- ^ Five to Twelve publication history at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- ^ The Invisible Boy at the Internet Movie Database, written with Cyril Hume, directed by Herman Hoffman
- ^ a b Edmund Cooper bibliography by Jonathan S Farley page 4, Short Stories "Brain Child, The : The Saturday Evening Post (as 'The Invisible Boy'); 23 June 1956"; page 11, Filmography "Invisible Boy, The : Brain Child, The: Herman Hoffman; USA; 1957", "O .B.N. in arrivo : Death Watch: part of series ' Racconti di fantascienza di Blasetti, I':Alessandro Blasetti; Italy; 1978"
