Martin H. Greenberg

Martin Harry Greenberg (March 1, 1941 – June 25, 2011)[2] was an American academic and speculative fiction anthologist. In all, he compiled 1,298 anthologies and commissioned over 8,200 original short stories.[3] He founded Tekno Books, a packager of more than 2000 published books.[1][4] As well, he was a co-founder of the Sci-Fi Channel.[1][3] Greenberg was also an expert in terrorism and the Middle East. He was a longtime friend, colleague and business partner of Isaac Asimov.

Martin H. Greenberg
BornMartin Harry Greenberg
(1941-03-01)March 1, 1941
South Miami Beach, Florida, USA
DiedJune 25, 2011(2011-06-25) (aged 70)
Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA
OccupationUniversity professor, editor, writer
NationalityAmerican
EducationPh.D., Political science, 1969
Period1974–2011 (as anthologist)
GenreSpeculative fiction anthologies
SubjectUrban and regional science; Middle East affairs, terrorism[1]

Biography

Greenberg was born to Max and Mae Greenberg in South Miami Beach, Florida. He received a bachelor's degree from the University of Miami, a doctorate in political science from the University of Connecticut in 1969, and taught at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay from 1975 until 1996.[1] Early in his career he was sometimes confused with Martin Greenberg, publisher of Gnome Press; they were not related. Isaac Asimov suggested that he call himself "Martin H. Greenberg" or "Martin Harry Greenberg" to distinguish him from the other Martin Greenberg "if he expected to deal fruitfully with the science-fiction world".[1][5]

Greenberg's first anthology (and first speculative fiction publication) was Political Science Fiction: An Introductory Reader (Prentice-Hall, 1974), edited with Patricia S. Warrick and intended for use as a teaching guide.[1][6] Warrick was a colleague at one of the UW two-year colleges, University of Wisconsin–Fox Valley, who recruited Greenberg to give one lecture on the future of politics. He learned that her course used one science fiction text; she learned of his interest and made a "career-changing comment".[1] Ten educational anthologies under the series name Through Science Fiction followed through 1978, mainly from Rand McNally.[6][lower-alpha 1] In the late 1970s Greenberg began partnering with Joseph D. Olander on more conventional science fiction anthologies. They also created the critical series Writers of the 21st Century (Taplinger, 1977 to 1983) and produced six of its seven volumes, each titled for its featured author.[4][7][lower-alpha 2]

Greenberg typically teamed up with another editor, splitting the duties of story selection, editing, copyright searches, and handling royalties to authors. Major partners include Isaac Asimov (127 anthologies, most notably The Great SF Stories series), Charles G. Waugh (193 anthologies), Jane Yolen, and Robert Silverberg. He and Mark Tier shared two Prometheus Special Awards in 2005 for jointly creating the anthologies Give Me Liberty and Visions of Liberty (Baen Books, 2004).[8] He also shared one Bram Stoker Award from the horror writers for the 1998 anthology Horrors! 365 Scary Stories.[8]

The Horror Writers Association gave Greenberg its highest honor in 2003, the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement recognizing superior work that "substantially influenced the horror genre".[8][9] He also received the Ellery Queen Award, which honors "outstanding people in the mystery-publishing industry", from the Mystery Writers of America in 1995[4][10] and one of three inaugural Solstice Awards in 2009, from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America for his lifetime contributions to their field.[8][11]

Greenberg died in Green Bay, Wisconsin on June 25, 2011 from complications of cancer. He was survived by two stepdaughters from his first wife, by his second wife, and by their daughter.[1] He is buried at the Cnesses Israel Hebrew Cemetery in Green Bay.[12]

Selected anthologies edited

Notes
  1. Following the Political Science Fiction reader Greenberg created ten Through Science Fiction anthologies. Two published by St. Martin's Press in 1974 were collaborations with Warrick and another editor: Anthropology Through Science Fiction with Carol Mason and Introductory Psychology Through Science Fiction with Harvey A. Katz.
     Six titles published by Rand McNally College Publishing Co from 1974 to 1976 were edited by Greenberg, Olander, Warrick, and another colleague: Sociology —; School and Society —; American Government —; Social Problems —; Run to Starlight, Sports —; and Marriage and the Family Through Science Fiction. Greenberg and Olander alone produced Criminal Justice — and International Relations— (McNally, 1977, 1978).
     ISFDB does not catalog this as a book series and for Greenberg catalogs the ten prefaces and introductions as "Essays".
  2. Greenberg and Olander collected critical essays on Clarke, Asimov, Heinlein, Le Guin, Bradbury, and Dick. Tim Underwood and Chuck Miller covered Vance in #6.

References
  1. Ian Randal Strock (June 27, 2011). "Anthologist Martin H(arry) Greenberg Dies". SFScope. Archived from the original on July 10, 2012. Retrieved 2011-06-28. Archived 2012-07-10.
  2. "RIP: Martin H. Greenberg 1941–2011". Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA). Retrieved 2013-04-27.
  3. "Martin H. Greenberg (1941–2011)", John Helfers, Chicon 7 program, 2012, p. 107.
  4. "Martin H. Greenberg (1941–2011)". Locus. Locus Publications. June 25, 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-26.
  5. Asimov, Isaac (1980). In Joy Still Felt, 1954–1978. Asimov's Autobiography. 2. New York, NY: Avon Books. pp. 758. ISBN 0-380-53025-2.
  6. Martin H. Greenberg at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database (ISFDB). Retrieved 2013-04-27. Select a title to see its linked publication history and general information. Select a particular edition (title) for more data at that level, such as a front cover image or linked contents.
  7. "Writers of the 21st Century – Series Bibliography". ISFDB. Retrieved 2013-04-27.
  8. "Greenberg, Martin H." Locus Index to SF Awards: Index of Literary Nominees. Locus Publications. Archived from the original on 2012-10-16. Retrieved 2013-04-27.
  9. "Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement" Archived 2013-05-09 at the Wayback Machine. Horror Writers Association. Retrieved 2013-04-28.
  10. "The Ellery Queen Award". Archived from the original on February 26, 2008. Retrieved 2013-04-28.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) (winners 1983 to 2006). Mystery Writers of America. Archived 2008-02-26. Retrieved 2013-04-28.
  11. Nebula Awards Ceremony 2009. Los Angeles, CA: SFWA. 2009. p. 13.
  12. https://web.archive.org/web/20110629144001/http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/greenbaypressgazette/obituary.aspx?n=martin-h-greenberg&pid=152196623

Further reading
  • I Have an Idea for a Book... (bibliography of Martin H. Greenberg), August 2012, ISBN 978-1-55246-644-5, published by The Battered Silicon Dispatch Box, with an introduction by John Helfers
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