George Turner (writer) facts for kids

George Reginald Turner (born October 8, 1916 – died June 8, 1997) was an Australian author and critic. He became famous for his exciting science fiction novels. He started writing sci-fi in 1978, when he was in his early sixties. But even before that, he was a successful writer of other types of books. He even won a special award called the Miles Franklin Award.

Life and Career of George Turner

George Turner was born in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. He went to school in Melbourne. During the Second World War, he served in the Australian army.

After the war, he worked in many different jobs. He was an employment officer and a technician in the textile industry. He also reviewed science fiction books for a newspaper called The Age.

Early Writing Success

Before writing science fiction, George Turner was already a well-known author. He wrote many books between 1959 and 1967. During this time, he published five novels.

Two of his early books won important awards. The Cupboard Under the Stairs (1962) won the Miles Franklin Award. This is Australia's top literary honor. His book The Lame Dog Man (1967) also won a special fellowship.

Becoming a Science Fiction Critic

In the 1970s, George Turner became known for his reviews of science fiction. He wrote for magazines like Australian Science Fiction Review. He also wrote for SF Commentary, a fan magazine.

In 1977, he put together a collection of stories called The View from the Edge. These stories were written by people in a workshop he ran. He worked with other science fiction authors like Vonda McIntyre.

First Science Fiction Novels

After a long break from writing full books, he published Beloved Son in 1978. This was his very first science fiction novel. He went on to publish six more science fiction novels before he passed away.

Exploring George Turner's Science Fiction

George Turner's science fiction stories often explored big ideas. He looked at how things might change in the future. He also focused on moral and social issues in his books.

His novels, like The Sea and Summer and Genetic Soldier, showed a serious view of global warming. The Sea and Summer even won an important award. Many of his stories also felt very "Australian." They sometimes included references to the Aboriginal peoples of his country.

The Ethical Culture Series

His first science fiction novel, Beloved Son (1978), was followed by two related books. These were Vaneglory (1981) and Yesterday's Men (1983). Together, they formed what is called the Ethical Culture series.

These books were set in the same future world. This future faced big problems like a nuclear holocaust. It also dealt with issues from bad experiments with genetically modified food. And there were epidemics caused by new viruses.

Vaneglory introduced a very memorable group: the Children of Time. They were a secret society of mutant humans. They were almost immortal and had advanced mental skills. But unlike other fictional characters with such powers, they didn't control human destiny. They sometimes got involved in politics, but they didn't care much about humanity.

Award-Winning Novels

His next novel, The Sea and Summer (1987), was his most successful. It was also published in the United States as Drowning Towers. This book was nominated for the Nebula Award. It won the Arthur C. Clarke Award in 1988.

This novel was based on a short story called "The Fittest." It was a work of "science fiction realism." It imagined a future Melbourne dealing with climate change. There was also high unemployment due to too much automation. The money system had collapsed, and society was split. Elite communities lived separately from poor people. Turner ended the novel by asking readers to think seriously about these social and environmental issues.

Later Works and Themes

His next two novels were thrillers set in the near future. These were Brainchild (1991) and The Destiny Makers (1993). Brainchild followed a journalist investigating a genetic experiment. This experiment created humans with super intelligence.

Genetic Soldier (1994) shared the same timeline as The Destiny Makers. In this story, a starship crew returns to Earth. They find that Earth's people have changed. They now live in a way that is better for the environment. The returning crew feels out of place in this new society.

George Turner was chosen as a special guest for Aussiecon Three. This was a big science fiction convention in Melbourne in 1999. Sadly, he passed away before the event. In 2013, his book The Sea and Summer became the first Australian novel to be added to the famous SF Masterworks list.

Awards and Recognition

• Miles Franklin Award for The Cupboard Under the Stairs, 1962 (joint winner)
• Australian Science Fiction Achievement Award for Beloved Son, 1979
• Arthur C Clarke Award for The Sea and Summer, 1988
• Commonwealth Writers' Prize South-East Asia and South Pacific Region, Best Book Award, for The Sea and Summer, 1988