Vernor Vinge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vernor Vinge
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Vinge in 2006
|
|
| Born | Vernor Steffen Vinge October 2, 1944 Waukesha, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Died | March 20, 2024 (aged 79) La Jolla, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Computer scientist |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | University of California, San Diego (PhD) |
| Period | 1966–2011 |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Notable works |
|
| Notable awards | Hugo Awards: Best Novel: 1993, 2000, 2007; Best Novella: 2003, 2005 Prometheus Awards: 1987, 2000, 2004, 2007, 2014 Special Award for Lifetime Achievement |
| Spouse | Joan D. Vinge (1972–1979, divorced) |
Vernor Steffen Vinge (born October 2, 1944 – died March 20, 2024) was an American science fiction author. He was also a professor who taught math and computer science at San Diego State University.
Vinge was well-known for popularizing the idea of the technological singularity. This is a future point where technology grows so fast that human life changes in ways we can't imagine. He was also one of the first writers to describe a fictional "cyberspace". This is a virtual world where people can interact.
He won several Hugo Awards, which are very important awards for science fiction. He won for his novels A Fire Upon the Deep (1992), A Deepness in the Sky (1999), and Rainbows End (2006). He also won for his shorter stories (novellas) Fast Times at Fairmont High (2002) and The Cookie Monster (2004).
Contents
His Life and Stories
Vernor Vinge started writing short stories in the 1960s. His first story, "Apartness", came out in 1965. His second story, "Bookworm, Run!", was published in 1966. This story explored how smart a person could become if their brain was connected directly to computers.
In 1969, he turned one of his short stories into his first novel, Grimm's World. Vinge earned his PhD in mathematics in 1971 from the University of California, San Diego. His second novel, The Witling, was published in 1976.
New Ideas in Science Fiction
Vinge became very famous in 1981 with his novella True Names. Many people believe this was the first story to fully describe the idea of cyberspace. This idea later became a big part of cyberpunk stories by other famous authors like William Gibson.
His next two novels were The Peace War (1984) and Marooned in Realtime (1986). These books explored a future society and a special technology. This technology could create strong, invisible barriers called 'bobbles'. These books showed how Vinge liked to explore new ideas in very creative ways. Both books were nominated for the Hugo Award.
Award-Winning Novels
Vinge won his first Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1993 for A Fire Upon the Deep. This book was very popular.
A Deepness in the Sky (1999) was a story that happened before A Fire Upon the Deep. It followed different groups of humans. They were fighting over who could use the technology of an alien culture. A Deepness in the Sky won the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2000.
His novellas, Fast Times at Fairmont High and The Cookie Monster, also won Hugo Awards in 2002 and 2004.
In 2006, Vinge's novel Rainbows End won the Hugo Award for Best Novel. This story was set in the same world as Fast Times at Fairmont High. In 2011, he released The Children of the Sky. This book continued the story of A Fire Upon the Deep.
Vinge stopped teaching at San Diego State University in 2000. He wanted to focus on writing full-time. He was also part of the committee that chose winners for the Free Software Foundation's award. In 2002, Vernor Vinge was a special guest at ConJosé, a big science fiction convention.
Family and Later Years
Vernor Vinge was married to Joan D. Vinge, who is also a science fiction author. They were married from 1972 to 1979.
Vernor Vinge passed away on March 20, 2024. He was 79 years old and lived in La Jolla, California. He had been living with Parkinson's disease.
See also
In Spanish: Vernor Vinge para niños
