What two-time Prometheus winner wrote his first novel simply to win an office bet?

By Michael Grossberg

Would you change your life and career just to win an office bet?

Most people wouldn’t, but one adventurous, forward-thinking man did in the 1970s in Great Britain.

If not for that office bet, we might never have enjoyed the many sf novels conceived by one of the best “hard-science-fiction” writers in the field.

Even worse for liberty lovers and LFS members, we might not have benefited from the life and unlikely bestselling career of this man, a true maverick

Who was it?

Here’s a clue: Once he began writing science fiction, this native Englishman ended up writing 26 novels. Thirteen of them received Prometheus nominations for Best Novel – more than almost any other author.* Seven became Best Novel finalists and two won Prometheus Awards.

Can you guess now? (All his Best Novel nominees, finalists and winners are listed in reverse-chronological order on the LFS website on its Prometheus Awards page. Check it out.)

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