John Brunner

Easton Press John Brunner books

Stand on Zanaibar - Masterpieces of Science Fiction - 1987
A Maze of Stars - Signed First Edition of Science Fiction - 1991

 

Who is John Brunner?

John Brunner, born on September 24, 1934, in Preston Crowmarsh, Oxfordshire, England, was a prolific and influential science fiction writer. He spent much of his life exploring the possibilities and implications of science and technology through his imaginative and thought-provoking works. Brunner's writing often delved into social and political issues, earning him a reputation as a writer who used the speculative genre to comment on the contemporary world. Brunner's early life was marked by a fascination with literature and science fiction. He attended Cheltenham Grammar School and then Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, where he studied modern languages. However, his passion for writing soon led him to pursue a career as a professional author.

In the early 1960s, Brunner gained recognition for his science fiction novels, particularly with works like Stand on Zanzibar (1968), which won the Hugo Award for Best Novel. This novel, in particular, is celebrated for its innovative narrative structure and its exploration of overpopulation, societal issues, and the impact of technology on human life. Brunner's body of work is extensive, encompassing a wide range of themes and styles within the science fiction genre. His other notable works include The Sheep Look Up (1972), addressing environmental issues, and The Jagged Orbit (1969), a commentary on race and social unrest.

Apart from his novels, Brunner was also known for his short stories and essays. His ability to extrapolate future trends and speculate on the consequences of scientific advancements set him apart as a visionary in the genre. However, despite his success, Brunner faced financial challenges, and he lived in various countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, and France. John Brunner passed away on August 25, 1995, in Glasgow, Scotland, leaving behind a significant legacy in science fiction literature. His works continue to be studied and appreciated for their imaginative storytelling, social commentary, and their enduring relevance to contemporary issues. Brunner's impact on the science fiction genre remains influential, and his exploration of the intersection between technology and society continues to resonate with readers and scholars alike.

 

Stand on Zanaibar

Genetic engineering is routine, corporations have usurped democracy, technology governs human relationship, and mass-marketed psychosomatic drugs keep billions docile. The systems of the United States are universal in reach and out of control. Every citizen is its victim. . . and its creator

Norman Niblock House is a rising executive at General Technics, one of a few all-powerful corporations. His work is leading General Technics to the forefront of global domination, both in the marketplace and politically it's about to take over a country in Africa. Donald Hogan is his roommate, a seemingly sheepish bookworm. But Hogan is a spy, and he's about to discover a breakthrough in genetic engineering that will change the world...and kill him.  
 
These two men's lives weave through one of science fiction's most praised novels. Written in a way that echoes John Dos Passos' U.S.A. Trilogy, Stand on Zanzibar is a cross-section of a world overpopulated by the billions. Where society is squeezed into hive-living madness by god-like mega computers, mass-marketed psychedelic drugs, and mundane uses of genetic engineering. Though written in 1968, it speaks of 2010, and is frighteningly prescient and intensely powerful.

A Maze of Stars

Human beings born and raised on the more than six hundred thousand stars in the vast Arm of Stars grow up unaware that they were put there by the Ship, the greatest feat of technology ever achieved.

The ship's millennia-long mission was to preserve humanity. But humanity was becoming more alien, and the ship impossibly more human...