Avram Davidson
Avram Davidson was an American writer born on April 23, 1923, in Yonkers, New York. He was known for his contributions to speculative fiction, particularly science fiction, fantasy, and mystery genres. Davidson's early education included studies at New York University and Yeshiva University, though he did not obtain a formal degree. Throughout his life, he maintained a strict Orthodox Jewish lifestyle before later converting to the Japanese religion Tenrikyo. His diverse experiences included serving as a medic in World War II and the first Israeli-Arab War, influencing his storytelling.
Davidson began his writing career with the publication of his first story in 1954, showcasing his unique ability to weave vernacular speech into fantastical narratives. Notable works include "And All the Seas with Oysters," which won the Hugo Award in 1958, and "The Affair at Lahore Cantonment," which earned him an Edgar Award. Despite his literary accomplishments, including editing The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction and writing a series of fantasy novels about the poet Vergil, Davidson faced challenges in achieving financial success. He passed away in 1993 in Bremerton, Washington, leaving behind a legacy that remains celebrated by fellow writers for his distinctive voice and intellectual depth.
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Avram Davidson
Writer
- Born: April 23, 1923
- Birthplace: Yonkers, New York
- Died: May 8, 1993
- Place of death: Bremerton, Washington
Biography
Avram James Davidson was born in Yonkers, New York, on April 23, 1923, to Harry Davidson and Lillian (Adler) Davidson. His early education was provided by the Yonkers public schools. He later attended New York University before the war, studying anthropology, and Yeshiva University and other institutions afterwards; although he never received a degree, he was enormously erudite. For most of his life, he was a stringently Orthodox Jew, keeping Kosher and wearing a beard while in the Marines; friends tell of the extraordinary lengths he underwent to observe the Sabbath. Late in life he converted to a form of the Japanese religion Shinto called Tenrikyo.
During World War II, Davidson served as a medic in the Pacific Theater; finding himself in Palestine in 1948, he served as a medic in the first Israeli-Arab War. Upon his return to America, he published in 1954 his first science fiction story, “My Boyfriend’s Name is Jello,” which exhibited all the hallmarks of the best of Davidson’s fiction: an unerring talent for hearing and reproducing vernacular speech of any kind; a lightly worn but unmistakable learning; and the fantastic element introduced almost off-handedly, yet as an inextricable part of the fabric of the story’s world.
Davidson wrote science fiction stories, fantasies, and mystery stories at this period; one of them, “The Necessity of His Condition,” (1957) won the Queen’s Award given by Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine. Davidson’s skill at mysteries led to his later ghostwriting Ellery Queen mystery novels, as did other science fiction authors like Jack Vance and Theodore Sturgeon. One of Davidson’s novels, And on the Eighth Day (1964), has been described as among “Queen’s” finest. Another mystery, “The Affair at Lahore Cantonment,” won the 1961 Edgar Award.
Davidson’s most famous science fiction story, “And All the Seas with Oysters,” also belongs to this period. Its droll yet highly logical premise about the explanation for the paucity of safety pins and the proliferation of coat hangers makes it instantly unforgettable: It won the Hugo Award in 1958. In 1962, Davidson married Grania Kaiman. Although the marriage did not last long, producing one son, Ethan, they remained friends, later collaborating on several works.
In the early 1960’s, Davidson edited The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, and he also began living in various countries outside the United States: first Mexico, and then British Honduras. He wrote science fiction paperback adventure novels for money during this period, but his real enthusiasm was reserved for a series of fantasy novels and stories, some centering on the legendary figure of the Roman poet Vergil as a white magician, including The Phoenix and the Mirror (1969). While these novels and stories led to Davidson’s being awarded the World Fantasy Award three times, they did not provide him with financial success. His relationship with publishers and agents were often strained, and near the end of his life he had to live in a veterans’ home, which precluded his publishing anything. He died in Bremerton, Washington, in 1993, forgotten by the mass of fantasy readers who preferred a less learned style, and beloved by his writing colleagues, who cherished his prickly independence, subtle wit, and unique voice.