History Creator / BrianWAldiss

* ArtisticLicenseBiology: ''Hothouse'' has giant insects, man-eating plants, people growing wings after being [[SpaceIsMagic mutated by space radiation]], the entire planet being covered by a single banyan tree, and ''[[GiantSpider giant plant-spider hybrids]] that use their webs to connect the Earth to the Moon''. The publisher even admitted that he knew it was ridiculously unrealistic, but still published it because it was awesome. Which turned out to be good move, because it ended up winning a UsefulNotes/HugoAward.

* DeathWorld: ''Hothouse'' (AKA ''The Lord Afternoon of Earth'') involves a distant future, where Earth has become tidally locked with the Sun (which has also expanded), so that one side constantly faces the scorching heat, while the other remains in perpetual darkness. The sun-facing side has become the titular hothouse, with giant plants constantly vying for supremacy and most of the animal kingdom dying off. Plants are now extremely dangerous to each other and the remaining animals (humans included). Humanity is facing extinction. Humans are now a fifth of normal size and live on the giant trees. They constantly have to be wary of the {{Man Eating Plant}}s, and the four remaining species of insects, which have become BigCreepyCrawlies. There are also Flymen, who periodically come and try to take human babies. It's revealed that they are [[spoiler:humans mutated by cosmic radiation and rendered sterile; that's why they capture babies]]. Not much is known about the Nightside, except that it is very cold and that there is a race of baboon-descended people called Sharp-furs living there. Oh, and [[spoiler:Earth is destroyed by giant solar flares at the end with life beaming itself to faraway stars]].

->''"Science fiction is no more written for scientists that ghost stories are written for ghosts."''

* ArtMajorBiology: ''Hothouse'' has giant insects, man-eating plants, people growing wings after being [[SpaceIsMagic mutated by space radiation]], the entire planet being covered by a single banyan tree, and ''[[GiantSpider giant plant-spider hybrids]] that use their webs to connect the Earth to the Moon''. The publisher even admitted that he knew it was ridiculously unrealistic, but still published it because it was awesome. Which turned out to be good move, because it ended up winning a UsefulNotes/HugoAward.

Brian W. Aldiss [[UsefulNotes/KnightFever OBE]] (18 August 1925 - 19 August 2017) was a British author, primarily of ScienceFiction, although he also wrote general fiction, and some non-fiction. His early works, from TheFifties, generally had a more literary bent than the typical SF of that era, and in the TheSixties, he joined the NewWaveScienceFiction movement, which promoted more experimental and literary forms of SF. His experimental novel, ''Barefoot in the Head'', is a fairly extreme example. He went on to write a wide variety of SF. His best-known work is probably the ''Literature/{{Helliconia}}'' series.

His short-story, "Super-Toys Last All Summer Long" was the basis for the movie ''Film/AIArtificialIntelligence''. He's also had a couple of other works adapted for film, including ''Frankenstein Unbound'', which was filmed by Creator/RogerCorman.

Brian W. Aldiss [[UsefulNotes/KnightFever OBE]] (18 August 1925 - 19 August 2017) is a British author, primarily of ScienceFiction, although he also wrote general fiction, and some non-fiction. His early works, from TheFifties, generally had a more literary bent than the typical SF of that era, and in the TheSixties, he joined the NewWaveScienceFiction movement, which promoted more experimental and literary forms of SF. His experimental novel, ''Barefoot in the Head'', is a fairly extreme example. He went on to write a wide variety of SF. His best-known work is probably the ''Literature/{{Helliconia}}'' series.

* ArtMajorBiology: ''Hothouse'' has giant insects, man-eating plants, people growing wings after being [[SpaceIsMagic mutated by space radiation]], the entire planet being covered by a single banyan tree, and ''[[GiantSpider giant plant-spider hybrids]] that use their webs to connect the Earth to the Moon''. The publisher even admitted that he knew it was ridiculously unrealistic, but still published it because it was awesome. Which turned out to be good move, because it ended up winning a Hugo award.

Brian W. Aldiss [[KnightFever OBE]] (18 August 1925 - 19 August 2017) is a British author, primarily of ScienceFiction, although he also wrote general fiction, and some non-fiction. His early works, from TheFifties, generally had a more literary bent than the typical SF of that era, and in the TheSixties, he joined the NewWaveScienceFiction movement, which promoted more experimental and literary forms of SF. His experimental novel, ''Barefoot in the Head'', is a fairly extreme example. He went on to write a wide variety of SF. His best-known work is probably the ''Literature/{{Helliconia}}'' series.

Brian W. Aldiss [[KnightFever OBE]] (18 August 1925 - 19 August 2017) is a British author, primarily of ScienceFiction, although he's also written general fiction, and some non-fiction. His early works, from TheFifties, generally had a more literary bent than the typical SF of that era, and in the TheSixties, he joined the NewWaveScienceFiction movement, which promoted more experimental and literary forms of SF. His experimental novel, ''Barefoot in the Head'', is a fairly extreme example. He went on to write a wide variety of SF. His best-known work is probably the ''Literature/{{Helliconia}}'' series.

Brian W. Aldiss [[KnightFever OBE]] (18 August 1925 - 21 August 2017) is a British author, primarily of ScienceFiction, although he's also written general fiction, and some non-fiction. His early works, from TheFifties, generally had a more literary bent than the typical SF of that era, and in the TheSixties, he joined the NewWaveScienceFiction movement, which promoted more experimental and literary forms of SF. His experimental novel, ''Barefoot in the Head'', is a fairly extreme example. He went on to write a wide variety of SF. His best-known work is probably the ''Literature/{{Helliconia}}'' series.

Brian W. Aldiss [[KnightFever OBE]] (born 18 August 1925) is a British author, primarily of ScienceFiction, although he's also written general fiction, and some non-fiction. His early works, from TheFifties, generally had a more literary bent than the typical SF of that era, and in the TheSixties, he joined the NewWaveScienceFiction movement, which promoted more experimental and literary forms of SF. His experimental novel, ''Barefoot in the Head'', is a fairly extreme example. He went on to write a wide variety of SF. His best-known work is probably the ''Literature/{{Helliconia}}'' series.

Brian W. Aldiss is a British author, primarily of ScienceFiction, although he's also written general fiction, and some non-fiction. His early works, from TheFifties, generally had a more literary bent than the typical SF of that era, and in the TheSixties, he joined the NewWaveScienceFiction movement, which promoted more experimental and literary forms of SF. His experimental novel, ''Barefoot in the Head'', is a fairly extreme example. He went on to write a wide variety of SF. His best-known work is probably the ''Literature/{{Helliconia}}'' series.

He was given a SFWAGrandMasterAward in 2000.

* GenerationShips: In ''Literature/NonStop'': A plague on a generation ship reduces the passengers to barbarism: they lose all idea of who they are or even what a spaceship ''is''. The bioengineered plants go into overdrive, turning the ship into a jungle, increasing the sense of obscuration and isolation. The reader's first clue as to what's going on is when the jungle turns out to have bulkheads.

* ''{{Literature/Non-Stop}}'' (1958, US title: ''Starship'')

* CityInABottle: ''Non-Stop'' is based on [[GenerationShips this concept]], but with some gleefully British plot twists.

* GenerationShips: In ''Non-Stop'': A plague on a generation ship reduces the passengers to barbarism: they lose all idea of who they are or even what a spaceship ''is''. The bioengineered plants go into overdrive, turning the ship into a jungle, increasing the sense of obscuration and isolation. The reader's first clue as to what's going on is when the jungle turns out to have bulkheads.

* GossipyHens: In ''Non-Stop'', Roy encounters a group of Gossipy Hens in Quarters. The fragmented bits of sniping he overhears are part of a breakthrough he has regarding the inward-turned and purposeless nature of his community and his need to go on his [[TheHerosJourney Hero's Journey]].

* ''Non-Stop'' (1958, US title: ''Starship'')

* "[[Literature/DangerousVisions The Night that All Hell Broke Out]]"

* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: ''Report on Probability A'' appears to be based almost exclusively on this trope, to the point of unreadability. The description in Wikipedia says: "The bulk of the book is the Report, describing in minute, obsessive and often repetitive detail, three characters G, S, and C as they secretly watch a house, each from a separate outbuilding with peripheral views of the house's windows, catching occasional glimpses of its occupant, Mrs Mary. As the Report is being read by a character called "Domoladossa'", he is secretly being observed from other universes, and these observers in their turn are being observed, all of them engaged in futile speculation about the exact nature of Probability A, and the exact meaning of the Victorian painting, The Hireling Shepherd (by Pre-Raphaelite William Holman Hunt..." (and so on).

* SdrawkcabName: In his illustrated poem "Pile", (subtitle "Petals from St. Klaed's Computer") the hero escapes from Pile and it's computer "St. Klaed" to find the alternate world of Elip run by St. Dealk.

* {{Redundancy}}: ''Report on Probability A'' appears to be based almost exclusively on this trope, to the point of unreadability. The description in Wikipedia says: "The bulk of the book is the Report, describing in minute, obsessive and often repetitive detail, three characters G, S, and C as they secretly watch a house, each from a separate outbuilding with peripheral views of the house's windows, catching occasional glimpses of its occupant, Mrs Mary. As the Report is being read by a character called "Domoladossa'", he is secretly being observed from other universes, and these observers in their turn are being observed, all of them engaged in futile speculation about the exact nature of Probability A, and the exact meaning of the Victorian painting, The Hireling Shepherd (by Pre-Raphaelite William Holman Hunt..." (and so on).

* DeathWorld: ''Hothouse'' (AKA ''The Lord Afternoon of Earth'') involves a distant future, where Earth has become tidally locked with the Sun (which has also expanded), so that one side constantly faces the scorching heat, while the other remains in perpetual darkness. The sun-facing side has become the titular hothouse, with giant plants constantly vying for supremacy and most of the animal kingdom dying off. Plants are now extremely dangerous to each other and the remaining animals (humans included). Humanity is facing extinction. Humans are now a fifth of normal size and live on the giant trees. They constantly have to be wary of the {{Man Eating Plant}}s, and the four remaining species of insects, which have become BigCreepyCraawlies. There are also Flymen, who periodically come and try to take human babies. It's revealed that they are [[spoiler:humans mutated by cosmic radiation and rendered sterile; that's why they capture babies]]. Not much is known about the Nightside, except that it is very cold and that there is a race of baboon-descended people called Sharp-furs living there. Oh, and [[spoiler:Earth is destroyed by giant solar flares at the end with life beaming itself to faraway stars]].

* "[[DangerousVisions The Night that All Hell Broke Out]]"

Brian W. Aldiss is a British author, primarily of ScienceFiction, although he's also written general fiction, and some non-fiction. His early works, from TheFifties, generally had a more literary bent than the typical SF of that era, and in the TheSixties, he joined the "NewWaveScienceFiction" movement, which promoted more experimental and literary forms of SF. His experimental novel, ''Barefoot in the Head'', is a fairly extreme example. He went on to write a wide variety of SF. His best-known work is probably the ''Literature/{{Helliconia}}'' series.

Brian W. Aldiss is a British author, primarily of ScienceFiction, although he's also written general fiction, and some non-fiction. His early works, from TheFifties, generally had a more literary bent than the typical SF of that era, and in the TheSixties, he joined the "New Wave" movement, which promoted more experimental and literary forms of SF. His experimental novel, ''Barefoot in the Head'', is a fairly extreme example. He went on to write a wide variety of SF. His best-known work is probably the ''Literature/{{Helliconia}}'' series.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: In a short-story based on Creator/WilliamShakespeare's ''Theatre/TheTempest'', Aldiss reveals that Miranda and Caliban were actually in love, and Prospero alone opposed the relationship.

His short-story, "Super-Toys Last All Summer Long" was the basis for the movie ''Film/AIArtificialIntelligence''. He's also had a couple of other works adapted for film, including ''Frankenstein Unbound'', which filmed by Creator/RogerCorman.