You are painting a word picture (or a series of them-the frames in a movie). “Writing a science fiction story is fun, not work. He was named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction Writers of America in 1998 and became a WotF judge in 2001. He is best known for his novels Mission of Gravity, Iceworld and Needle.Ī lifelong science fiction enthusiast, Clement was a proud member of First Fandom. He was a multiengine pilot in World War II, by which time he was already publishing stories in Astounding Science Fiction with his own brand of “hard” SF: a combination of gripping story with meticulously worked-out scientific extrapolation of a totally alien environment. Clarke.Hal Clement (1922–2003) was born Harry Clement Stubbs in 1922 and earned degrees in astronomy, chemistry and education. “Hal Clement has thus suffered a serious financial loss -a guarantee of almost the original price of the story, and royalties that could very possibly make it much more-through having his interests ‘protected.’ “It is dubious protection that can cancel a sale for an author and yet often involve a demand for a substantial part of the payment…We regret being unable to offer this fine book…but we do have an original novel, “Prelude to Space” by Arthur C.

A fraction of the book first appeared in another magazine, and since it is that publisher’s policy to retain reprint rights, it has been refused us, despite the wishes of the author and the publishers of the clothbound edition.

“Also as a consequence, apparently, “Needle” by Hal Clement will not be the current Galaxy Science Fiction Novel, though announced last month. “Because of our higher rates and refusal to cut in on earnings that are not ethically a magazine publisher’s, Galaxy is, as a natural consequence, getting the finest science fiction stories.

Gold’s editorial in the February 1951 issue of Galaxy, he touts that Galaxy only buys first magazine rights and does not buy any other rights, giving the author the opportunity to make more money off a story, stating “We demand not a single cent of the payment for the resale of any Galaxy story!” He then goes on to attack – without naming names – Street & Smith, the publisher of Astounding: “…Galaxy does not use fictitious excuses to deprive writers of this income, such as regarding them as business infants who must be protected against their inclination to give their work away for nothing-while demanding a share of resale price.

Needle by Hal Clement