Peter Nicholls (writer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Peter Nicholls
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Nicholls on a 2014 Worldcon panel discussing The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction
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| Born | Peter Douglas Nicholls 8 March 1939 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Died | 6 March 2018 (aged 78) Melbourne, Victoria |
| Occupation | Literary scholar, critic, writer |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Science fiction |
Peter Douglas Nicholls (born March 8, 1939 – died March 6, 2018) was a smart Australian writer and expert. He was best known for creating and helping to edit The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. This huge book is like a guide to everything about science fiction. He worked on it with John Clute.
Contents
Early Life and Work
Peter Nicholls was born in Melbourne, Australia. From 1968 to 1988, he lived outside of Australia. He spent time in the USA and then in the UK.
He started his career as a university teacher at the University of Melbourne. In 1968, he went to the USA to study filmmaking. He also wrote scripts for TV shows. Peter Nicholls began making big contributions to the world of science fiction in 1971. He became the first leader of the Science Fiction Foundation in the UK. He also edited their magazine, Foundation: The Review of Science Fiction, from 1974 to 1978.
The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction
In 1979, Peter Nicholls edited the first version of The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. In the USA, it was called The Science Fiction Encyclopedia. John Clute was an associate editor for this project.
Most of the 730,000 words in the book were written by Nicholls, Clute, and two other editors. This amazing book won the 1980 Hugo Award. This award is a big honor in the science fiction world.
A much bigger and updated version of the Encyclopedia came out in 1993. Nicholls and Clute worked on it together again. This new version also won a Hugo Award in 1994. Later, a digital version was released on CD-ROM. The third edition came out online in 2011. Nicholls worked on this one with Clute and David Langford.
Other Books and Awards
Peter Nicholls wrote many other important books. Some of these include:
- Science Fiction At Large (1976) – This book was a collection of essays he edited.
- The Science in Science Fiction (1983) – He wrote this with David Langford and Brian Stableford.
- Fantastic Cinema (1984) – This book was about amazing movies.
He received several awards for his work and knowledge. These include the Pilgrim Award in 1980 and the Eaton Award in 1995. He also won a Peter McNamara Award in 2006. From 1974, he reviewed movies and books on BBC Radio. He also worked as an editor for a publishing company.
Peter Nicholls faced some health challenges starting in 2000. These challenges gradually limited his activities. A movie about his interest in science fiction, called The What-If Man, was finished in 2004.
Personal Life
Peter Nicholls had five children. His daughter, Sophie Cunningham, is also a writer and editor. He lived in Melbourne with his wife, Clare Coney. He passed away in Melbourne on March 6, 2018, at the age of 78.
