Edmund Cooper
Edmund Cooper was an English science fiction writer born in 1926 in Marple, Cheshire. He attended Manchester Grammar School and earned a teaching certificate before serving as a radio officer in the British merchant navy during World War II. After the war, he explored various careers, including teaching and working as a civil servant, until he became a freelance writer in 1950. Cooper published his first novel under his own name, "Deadly Image," in 1958 and went on to create a diverse body of work, including notable titles such as "The Overman Culture" and "Five to Twelve," which explore complex social themes and speculative futures. He also wrote under several pseudonyms and contributed to the genre through novels about extraterrestrial colonization. Notably, his short story "The Brain Child" inspired the film "The Invisible Boy," although Cooper was critical of the adaptation. Cooper's literary contributions and unique perspectives on human experiences within science fiction earned him recognition, though his life was marred by struggles with alcohol-related illnesses, leading to his death in 1982. His philosophy on writing emphasized the dual goals of entertaining readers while examining profound personal themes.
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Edmund Cooper
Writer
- Born: April 30, 1926
- Birthplace: Marple, Cheshire, England
- Died: March 11, 1982
Biography
Science-fiction writer Edmund Cooper was born in Marple, Cheshire, England, in 1926, the son of Joseph and Harriet Cooper. He attended the Manchester Grammar School from 1937 to 1941, and he earned a teacher’s certificate from Didsbury Teacher’s Training College in 1948. During World War II, he served as a radio officer for the British merchant navy.
After the war, he worked in a warehouse, was a civil servant, and taught in several English schools until 1950, when he became a freelance writer. After a decade of freelance writing, he was a staff writer for three different companies from 1960 until 1966, when he turned to full-time writing. He also lectured in creative writing at Chichester College from 1975 to 1976.
Cooper initially wrote three novels under the pseudonyms George Kinley, Broderick Quain, and Martin Lester. His fourth novel, Deadly Image, was published under his own name in 1958. His short story “Second Chance” is about a man resurrected to answer for his sins on Judgment Day. His trial is held in a bank manager’s office before four judges who shall decide whether the man should be executed or given a second life. At this trial, the man is accused of being involved in a mass murder because he shot down an aircraft.
Cooper’s novel The Overman Culture was published in 1971. The book tells the story of a young boy who notices strange things in the world. Five to Twelve (1968) is about a future society where the women outnumber the men by five to twelve. In this world, the females are physically equal with males. The main character, a man, is a talented writer who cannot get anywhere because of the prevailing prejudice against men.
Under the pseudonym Richard Avery, Cooper wrote The Deathworms of Kratos (1975), the first novel in The Expendables series; the four novels in the series are about the colonization of extraterrestrial planets. The Invisible Boy, a movie produced in 1957, was based on Cooper’s short story “The Brain Child.” Cooper said it was “one of the worst science- fiction films of all time.”
Cooper died in 1982 of alcohol-related illnesses. One critic wrote that “Cooper quickly established himself as an urbane stylist whose sometimes almost intuitive grasp of science fiction’s key themes and images could distinguish his best fiction and almost redeem his lesser works.” Cooper described his work by saying “The basic duty of a professional fiction writer is to entertain his readers and perhaps give them food for thought. I believe that I have a duty to myself and that is to put up for public examination ideas, themes, and attitudes which have affected me deeply and personally. If I have succeeded in entertaining my readers while doing this, then I have succeeded in all I ever wish to achieve.”