Howard Waldrop facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Howard Waldrop
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Howard Waldrop at ConQuesT 38 (2007), Kansas City, MO
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| Born | September 15, 1946 Houston, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died | January 14, 2024 (aged 77) Austin, Texas, U.S. |
| Occupation | Fiction writer |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Notable works | "The Ugly Chickens", "Night of the Cooters" |
| Notable awards | Nebula Award (1980) World Fantasy Award (1981) |
Howard Waldrop was an American writer famous for his science fiction short stories. He was born on September 15, 1946, and passed away on January 14, 2024. He won a special award called the World Fantasy Award for his lifetime of great writing in 2021.
Contents
About Howard Waldrop
His Early Life and Hobbies
Howard Waldrop was born in Houston, Mississippi. However, he spent most of his life living in Texas. For a few years, he lived in Washington state, but he later moved back to Austin.
When he was a kid, Howard loved comic books. He even wrote letters to George R.R. Martin, who later became the famous author of Game of Thrones. They shared their love for comics! Howard also really enjoyed fly fishing, which is a way of catching fish using a special type of lure.
Writing Workshops and Teaching
Howard was part of several writing groups. These groups helped writers share their work and get feedback. He was a member of the Turkey City Writer's Workshop. He also went to the Rio Hondo Writing Workshop. Howard even taught at the Clarion Workshop, helping new writers learn the craft.
Howard Waldrop passed away in Austin, Texas, on January 14, 2024, at the age of 77.
Howard Waldrop's Career
Attending Science Fiction Conventions
Howard Waldrop was a regular at ArmadilloCon. This is a science fiction convention held every year in Austin, Texas. He was the "Toastmaster" (a host) at the very first ArmadilloCon in 1979. He was also the Toastmaster again in 2007. In 1983, he was a special "Guest of Honor" at ArmadilloCon 5.
He was also a Guest of Honor at other big events. These included the World Fantasy Convention in 1995 and Readercon in 2003. In 2019, he was the Professional Writer Guest of Honor at Loscon 46 in Los Angeles.
Writing Reviews
In 2004, Howard started writing movie reviews. He wrote these reviews with Lawrence Person for a website called Locus Online.
His Unique Writing Style
Howard Waldrop's stories are very special. He often mixed different ideas together in his writing.
- Alternative History: He would imagine what might have happened if history had gone differently.
- American Pop Culture: He used ideas from popular movies, music, and other parts of American life.
- The American South: Many of his stories were set in the Southern United States.
- Old Movies: He loved old films and sometimes included characters or ideas from them.
- Classical Mythology: He sometimes used stories and characters from ancient myths.
- Rock 'n' Roll Music: Music was another fun element he added to his tales.
Examples of His Stories
His stories could be quite clever and sometimes a bit mysterious. For example:
- "Night of the Cooters" is a story that reimagines H. G. Wells' famous book The War of the Worlds. But in Howard's version, the Martian invasion happens in a small Texas town. It's told from the point of view of the local sheriff.
- "Heirs of the Perisphere" is about old Disney robot characters waking up far in the future.
- "Fin de Cyclé" tells the story of the Dreyfus affair (a famous event in French history) from the perspective of people who love bicycles!
Howard Waldrop's books can sometimes be hard to find in stores. However, many of his stories have been collected into special "omnibus" editions. These books bring several of his works together.
Awards and Recognition
Many of Howard's stories were nominated for important awards. His story "The Ugly Chickens" is one of his most famous works. It's about the extinction of the dodo bird. This story won a Nebula Award in 1980. It also won a World Fantasy Award in 1981. In 2021, he received the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement, which honored all his amazing contributions to writing.
