George Turner
George Reginald Turner was an Australian author born on October 8, 1916, in Melbourne, with part Aboriginal heritage. He spent his early childhood in Kalgoorlie, a gold mining town, where his passion for literature, particularly science fiction, was sparked by his father's readings. After a varied career that included military service during World War II and various jobs in employment and textiles, Turner began publishing novels in his forties, gaining recognition for his literary works, including the award-winning Treelake series. He later became a prominent science fiction critic and author, contributing to notable periodicals and establishing himself as a significant voice in the genre. His works often explored moral and social issues, such as environmental concerns and political corruption. Turner's first science fiction novel, "Beloved Son," was published in 1978, followed by several other acclaimed novels and awards. He also wrote an autobiography detailing his experiences in science fiction. Turner passed away on June 8, 1997, and in his honor, the George Turner Prize was established in 1998 to recognize outstanding contributions to Australian science fiction and fantasy literature.
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George Turner
- Born: October 8, 1916
- Birthplace: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Died: June 8, 1997
- Place of death: Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
Biography
George Reginald Turner was born of part Aboriginal heritage on October 8, 1916, in Melbourne, Australia, but spent the first six years of his life in the gold mining town of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. He became interested in science fiction at an early age, thanks to his father’s constant reading and rereading of Alice in Wonderland to his son. When financial times became difficult, Turner’s father deserted the family, and they returned to Melbourne, where Turner’s fondness for science fiction was enhanced through reading the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne, and through the regular purchase of the periodical Amazing Stories. Turner was educated at the Choir School of St. Paul’s Cathedral and later at an Australian State School.
After graduation, Turner worked at a variety of jobs until World War II broke out in 1939, when he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Forces. He served until 1945, seeing active duty in the Middle East, Africa and New Guinea. Following the war, Turner worked for the Commonwealth Employment Service in Melbourne (1945-1949) and Wangaratta (1949-1950). He was later employed as a textile technician at Buck Mills (1951-1964), as a senior employment officer at Volkswagen Ltd. (1964-1967), and for many years after 1970 as a beer transfer agent at Carlton and United Breweries in Melbourne.
Though he had begun writing as a child, Turner published nothing until he had passed his fortieth birthday, when his first novel, a war story, Young Man of Talent (also known as Scobie), appeared. Turner published several additional literary mainstream novels during the 1960’s. Most notable was the Treelake series (A Stranger and Afraid, The Cupboard Under the Stairs, A Waste of Shame, and The Lame Dog Man), which dealt with the people of Wangaratta and their environment. The Cupboard Under the Stairs won the Miles Franklin Award, and The Lame Dog Man won a Commonwealth Literary Fund Award.
In the late 1960’s, Turner revived his lifelong love for science fiction, becoming Australia’s leading sci-fi critic with articles in Astounding Science Fiction, Science Fiction Commentary, and other periodicals. In 1970, he became regular fiction reviewer for the Melbourne Age. He also contributed articles and short stories to such publications as Aphelion, Overland, and Science Fiction.
Turner’s first of nine science-fiction novels, Beloved Son, appeared in 1978, and won the Ditmar Award. The initial entry in his Ethical Culture series (which included Vaneglory and Yesterday’s Men, another Ditmar Award-winner), the loose trilogy established Turner’s ability to extrapolate the near future from the present. Turner’s fiction typically concerned itself with moral and social issues—greenhouse effects, overpopulation, the biosphere’s destruction, genetic engineering, political corruption, and poverty—and how ordinary people react to such crises.
In 1984, Turner wrote an autobiography, In the Heart or In the Head, detailing his life in science fiction. He followed with several additional novels—notably The Sea and Summer (also known as Drowning Towers)—that won the Commonwealth Literary Prize for the Southeast Asian Region and the Arthur C. Clarke Prize, and was nominated for a Nebula Award—Brain Child, The Destiny Makers, and Genetic Soldier. A short-story collection, A Pursuit of Miracles, appeared in 1990.
Slowed by a stroke in 1993, George Reginald Turner died in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, on June 8, 1997. The George Turner Prize for the best Australian science-fiction or fantasy novel was established in 1998.