Science Fiction Author, Educator. He was a writer in the Golden Age of science fiction during the 1940s through the 1960s, publishing two novels and more than 200 stories. He was known for his satirical style and biting social commentary. His most famous short stories were "Child's Play" (1947), about a person discovering a "Build-a-Man" kit from the future, and "Brooklyn Project", a political satire about a time-travel experiment gone awry. He also published the novels "A Lamp for Medusa" (1968) and "Of Men and Monsters" (1968). Tenn was born Philip Klass in London, England, and raised in Brooklyn, New York from age two. Prior to beginning his writing career, he served as a US Army combat engineer during World War II. Though without a formal degree, he was hired as an instructor at Penn State in 1966 and stayed for 23 years, retiring in 1989 as Professor Emeritus. He was one of the first scholars to teach science fiction as literature at the university level. Among his students at Penn State were David Morrell, whose "First Blood" introduced the character Rambo, technology writer Steven Levy, and crime writer Ray Ring. Concentrating on his academic work, he published little after joining Penn State, though the short story "On Venus, Have We Got a Rabbi" (1974) is notable, which asks the question if a truly unusual alien life form can be a Jew. Tenn was named SFWA Author Emeritus in 1999, and was Guest of Honor at the 2004 Worldcon. He died of congestive heart failure at his home near Pittsburgh.
Science Fiction Author, Educator. He was a writer in the Golden Age of science fiction during the 1940s through the 1960s, publishing two novels and more than 200 stories. He was known for his satirical style and biting social commentary. His most famous short stories were "Child's Play" (1947), about a person discovering a "Build-a-Man" kit from the future, and "Brooklyn Project", a political satire about a time-travel experiment gone awry. He also published the novels "A Lamp for Medusa" (1968) and "Of Men and Monsters" (1968). Tenn was born Philip Klass in London, England, and raised in Brooklyn, New York from age two. Prior to beginning his writing career, he served as a US Army combat engineer during World War II. Though without a formal degree, he was hired as an instructor at Penn State in 1966 and stayed for 23 years, retiring in 1989 as Professor Emeritus. He was one of the first scholars to teach science fiction as literature at the university level. Among his students at Penn State were David Morrell, whose "First Blood" introduced the character Rambo, technology writer Steven Levy, and crime writer Ray Ring. Concentrating on his academic work, he published little after joining Penn State, though the short story "On Venus, Have We Got a Rabbi" (1974) is notable, which asks the question if a truly unusual alien life form can be a Jew. Tenn was named SFWA Author Emeritus in 1999, and was Guest of Honor at the 2004 Worldcon. He died of congestive heart failure at his home near Pittsburgh.
Bio by: Kenneth Gilbert
Advertisement
