Walter M. Miller Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Walter M. Miller Jr.
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| Born | Walter Michael Miller Jr. January 23, 1923 New Smyrna Beach, Florida, US |
| Died | January 9, 1996 (aged 72) Daytona Beach, Florida, US |
| Occupation |
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| Language | English |
| Period | 1951–1996 |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Notable works | A Canticle for Leibowitz (1959) |
| Notable awards | Hugo Award (1955 · 1961) |
| Spouse |
Anna Louise Becker
(m. 1945; died 1995) |
Walter Michael Miller Jr. (born January 23, 1923 – died January 9, 1996) was an American writer. He was famous for his science fiction stories. His most well-known book was A Canticle for Leibowitz (published in 1959). This book won a big award called the Hugo Award in 1961 for being the best novel. Before this book, he mostly wrote short stories.
Contents
Walter Miller's Early Life
Walter Miller Jr. was born on January 23, 1923. His hometown was New Smyrna Beach, Florida. He studied at the University of Tennessee and the University of Texas. After his studies, he worked as an engineer.
Miller's Time in World War II
During World War II, Walter Miller served in the Army Air Forces. He was a radioman and a tail gunner. He flew over fifty bombing missions. These missions were over Italy.
One difficult experience for him was the bombing of the Benedictine Abbey at Monte Cassino. This event deeply affected him. A fellow writer, Joe Haldeman, said that Miller had "post-traumatic stress disorder" for many years. This means he had very difficult memories from the war.
Life After the War
After the war, Miller became a Catholic. In 1945, he married Anna Louise Becker. They had four children together. For a short time in 1953, he lived with another science fiction writer, Judith Merril.
Walter Miller's Writing Career
Between 1951 and 1957, Miller wrote many short science fiction stories. He published over three dozen of them. In 1955, he won a Hugo Award for his story "The Darfsteller". He also wrote scripts for a TV show called Captain Video in 1953.
The Famous Novel: A Canticle for Leibowitz
In the late 1950s, Miller created a novel from three shorter stories. These stories were published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. The novel was named A Canticle for Leibowitz. It came out in 1959.
This book is a post-apocalyptic story. This means it takes place after a huge disaster. The story is about a character becoming a saint. Many people think it's a masterpiece in its type of writing. It won the 1961 Hugo Award for Best Novel.
After the Novel's Success
After A Canticle for Leibowitz became very popular, Miller stopped publishing new works. However, some collections of his older stories were released. These came out in the 1960s and 1970s. His famous novel was also made into a radio show. WHA Radio and NPR created a version in 1981.
Later Years and Passing
In his later years, Walter Miller became very private. He avoided contact with almost everyone. This included his own family members. He never even met his literary agent, Don Congdon.
Another science fiction writer, Terry Bisson, said that Miller struggled with deep sadness. He had almost finished a very long book. This book was a sequel to Canticle. Sadly, Walter Miller passed away on January 9, 1996. This was shortly after his wife also passed away.
The sequel to his famous book was called Saint Leibowitz and the Wild Horse Woman. Terry Bisson finished it for him. It was published in 1997.
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In Spanish: Walter M. Miller, Jr. para niños
See also
In Spanish: Walter M. Miller, Jr. para niños
