KU News Release

Best of James Gunn: KU English professor, science fiction master to read his work

James Gunn

LAWRENCE — James Gunn, a world-renowned science fiction author and educator at the University of Kansas, will read from his work in a program titled “The Best of James Gunn.”

The reading will be at 4 p.m. Friday, April 11, in the Spencer Museum of Art auditorium and will be followed with a reception in the museum’s central court. Both events are free, open to the public and sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Department of English.

Gunn, professor emeritus of English and director of the Center for the Study of Science Fiction at KU, is being honored by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences with a 2008 Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award. The reading and reception precede an awards banquet, also Friday evening at the Kansas Union.

Gunn’s career includes publishing 28 books and more than 100 stories as well as editing 12 more books. Gunn’s work includes “The Immortals,” “Future Imperfect,” “Kampus,” “The Listeners,” “Alternative Worlds: the Illustrated History of Science Fiction,” “The New Encyclopedia of Science Fiction” and “Inside Science Fiction.” Carl Sagan lauded Gunn’s novel “The Listeners” as one of the finest first-contact novels ever written.

In 2007, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America named Gunn a Damon Knight Memorial Master, a title bestowed upon a living author for a lifetime’s achievement in science fiction and/or fantasy. Gunn’s work has been dramatized on radio and television and reprinted in Australia, Europe, South America and Asia.

Other awards recognizing Gunn’s work and leadership in science fiction writing include a special award from the 1976 World Science Fiction Convention for Alternate Worlds, a Science Fiction Achievement Award (Hugo) at the 1983 World Science Fiction Convention and the Eaton Award in 1992 for lifetime achievement. He also received the 1976 Pilgrim Award for lifetime achievement from the Science Fiction Research Association.

In addition to teaching English, Gunn was an editor of paperback reprints, managing editor of KU’s alumni publications and director of public relations at KU. He has received KU’s Byron Caldwell Smith Award in recognition of literary achievement and the Edward Grier Award for excellence in teaching. He won national awards for his work as an editor and as public relations director. He also was a Mellon fellow in 1981 and 1984.

Following three years in the U.S. Navy during World War II, Gunn, a native of Kansas City, Mo., received a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1947 and a master’s degree in English in 1951, both from KU.

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