Editing Poul Anderson (section)

== Biography ==

Poul Anderson was born on November 25, 1926, in [[Bristol, Pennsylvania]] to [[Danes|Danish]] parents.<ref>{{cite news |last=Barrett |first=David V. |date=2001-08-06 |title=Poul Anderson: Prolific Writer of Science Fiction's Golden Age |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2001/aug/06/guardianobituaries |work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=2024-02-19}}</ref> Soon after his birth, his father, Anton Anderson, relocated the family to Texas, where they lived for more than ten years. After Anton Anderson's death, his widow took the children to [[Denmark]]. The family returned to the United States after the beginning of [[World War II]], settling eventually on a Minnesota farm.

While he was an undergraduate student at the [[University of Minnesota]], Anderson's first stories were published by editor [[John W. Campbell]] in the magazine ''[[Astounding Science Fiction]]'': "Tomorrow's Children" by Anderson and F. N. Waldrop in March 1947 and a sequel, "Chain of Logic" by Anderson alone, in July.{{efn|Anderson continued his first two stories more than a decade later. He added a novella and an epilogue, constituting the collection of four pieces (termed a novel), ''Twilight World: A Science Fiction Novel of Tomorrow's Children'' ([[Dodd, Mead]]). Waldrop was not credited.<ref name=isfdb />}} He earned his BA in physics with honors but became a freelance writer after he graduated in 1948. His third story was printed in the December ''Astounding''.<ref name=isfdb />

Anderson married [[Karen Anderson (writer)|Karen Kruse]] in 1953 and relocated with her to the San Francisco Bay area.<ref name="Martin 2001 v907">{{cite web | last=Martin | first=Douglas | title=Poul Anderson, Science Fiction Novelist, Dies at 74 | website=The New York Times | date=August 3, 2001 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/03/books/poul-anderson-science-fiction-novelist-dies-at-74.html | access-date=January 31, 2024}}</ref> Their daughter Astrid (later married to science fiction author [[Greg Bear]]<ref name="Holland 2022 x734">{{cite web | last=Holland | first=Steve | title=Greg Bear obituary | website=the Guardian | date=December 29, 2022 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/dec/29/greg-bear-obituary | access-date=January 31, 2024}}</ref>) was born in 1954{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}. They made their home in [[Orinda, California]].<ref name="Washington Post 2001 k556">{{cite web | title=Writer Poul Anderson, 74, Dies | website=Washington Post | date=August 3, 2001 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2001/08/03/writer-poul-anderson-74-dies/ef257faf-0685-4bd9-b6bd-389b861fe2f8/ | access-date=January 31, 2024}}</ref> Over the years Poul gave many readings at [[The Other Change of Hobbit]] bookstore in [[Berkeley, California|Berkeley]]; his widow later donated his typewriter and desk to the store.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}

In 1954, he published the fantasy novel ''[[The Broken Sword]]'', one of his best-known works.

In 1965, [[Algis Budrys]] said that Anderson "has for some time been science fiction's best storyteller".<ref name="budrys196502">{{Cite magazine |last=Budrys |first=Algis |date=February 1965 |title=Galaxy Bookshelf |url=https://archive.org/stream/Galaxy_v23n03_1965-02#page/n153/mode/2up |magazine=Galaxy Science Fiction |pages=153–159}}</ref> He was a founding member of the [[Society for Creative Anachronism]] (SCA) in 1966 and of the [[Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America]] (SAGA), also during the mid-1960s. The latter was a group of [[Heroic fantasy]] authors organized by [[Lin Carter]], originally eight in number, with entry by credentials as a fantasy writer alone.<!-- source is our article --> Anderson was the sixth President of the [[Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America]], taking office in 1972.

[[Robert A. Heinlein]] dedicated his 1985 novel ''[[The Cat Who Walks Through Walls]]'' to Anderson and eight of the other members of the [[Citizens' Advisory Council on National Space Policy]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Heinlein, Robert A |title=The Cat Who Walks Through Walls |publisher=New England Library |year=1986 |isbn=0-450-39315-1}}</ref><ref>[http://www.nitrosyncretic.com/rah/dedications.html Heinlein's Dedications Page Jane Davitt & Tim Morgan]. Retrieved August 20, 2008.</ref>

The [[Science Fiction Writers of America]] made Anderson its 16th [[SFWA Grand Master]] in 1998.<ref name=SFWA /> In 2000's fifth class, he was inducted into the [[EMP Museum#Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame|Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame]] as one of two deceased and two living writers.<ref name=sfhof-old />

He died of [[prostate cancer]] on July 31, 2001, after a month in the hospital. A few of his novels were first published posthumously.