Benford began attracting attention as a hard SF writer with his first novel, Deeper Than the Darkness (1970), revised as The Stars in Shroud (1978). His best-known work is Timescape (1980), winner of the Nebula and John W. Campbell Memorial Awards, which presented a hard physics approach to limited time travel. Many of Benford's novels are part of the Galactic Cluster series: In the Ocean of Night (1977), Across the Sea of Suns (1984), Great Sky River (1987), Tides of Light (1989), and Furious Gulf (1994), with another planned for 1995. Other Benford solo novels include the juvenile novel Jupiter Project (1975), Against Infinity (1983), an SF tribute to William Faulkner; and the thriller Artifact (1985).
Benford has collaborated with other well-known SF writers on several novels, including If the Stars Are Gods (with Gordon Eklund) (1977), Find the Changeling (with Gordon Eklund) (1980), Shiva Descending (with William Rotsler (1980), and Heart of the Comet (with David Brin) (1986). Benford also wrote an authorized sequel to Arthur C. Clarke's classic Against the Fall of Night. This sequel is called Beyond the Fall of Night (1990).
Recently, Benford has been branching out. He and Bruce Sterling write alternating science fact articles for The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, taking over after the death of regular columnist Isaac Asimov. Benford has also co-edited several theme anthologies with Martin H. Greenberg. These include Hitler Victorious (1986), Nuclear War (1988), What Might Have Been, Volume 1: Alternate Empires (1988), What Might Have Been,Volume 2: Alternate Heroes (1989) and What Might Have Been, Volume 3: Alternate Wars.
This bio was written by A. T. Campbell III.
(Last Updated 8/17/94)