# Jack Williamson 1908-2006

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-williamson-1908-2006/380057>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [November 11, 2006, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-williamson-1908-2006/380057 "2006-11-11T23:41:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2006, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-williamson-1908-2006/380057/1 "2006-11-11T23:41:13Z")

</div>

Science fiction grandmaster Jack Williamson died on Friday at the age of 98.

Williamson’s first SF story, “The Metal Men,” appeard in 1928. He won a Hugo Award in 2001, the oldest ever to win. He is the author of one of the most frightening science fiction stories ever, “With Folded Hands,” (later expanded into a series of novels. His last novel, **The Stonehenge Gate** was published last year.

It was a truly remarkable career, writing from the beginning of the pulp SF era into the 21st century.

He lived most of his life in New Mexico, arriving there by covered wagon and seeing the expansion of the Internet and computers in every car.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2006, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-williamson-1908-2006/380057/2 "2006-11-12T01:07:54Z")

</div>

RIP. He was a great writer.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2006, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-williamson-1908-2006/380057/3 "2006-11-12T02:24:41Z")

</div>

The only Williamson I’ve read is Darker Than You Think, a fantasy (horror?) novel about shape shifters. He went in a different direction from writers who mourn the loss of a person’s “humanity” when they’re changed by something supernatural. He didn’t see it as an affliction but as another way of being. Or that’s how I read it anyway.

I made a note to read more of his stuff but haven’t gotten around to it yet.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2006, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-williamson-1908-2006/380057/4 "2006-11-12T07:24:16Z")

</div>

As a fan of his since first hearing a rebroadcast of an old time radio adaptation of _With Folded Hands_, then finding old paperback copies of **The Humanoids** and **The Legion of Space** novels, I am saddened to learn this news.

Sir Rhosis

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2006, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-williamson-1908-2006/380057/5 "2006-11-12T07:32:04Z")

</div>

The obit from his hometown paper:

[http://www.pntonline.com/engine.pl?station=portales&template=storyfull.html&id=9214](http://www.pntonline.com/engine.pl?station=portales&template=storyfull.html&id=9214)

Sir Rhosis