Algis Budrys

Born Algirdas Jonas Budrys in 1931, he was a Lithuanian-American science fiction writer, editor, and critic. He was born in Königsberg, East Prussia, and came to the United States as a child with his family, whose diplomatic background shaped much of his early life.

He became known for intelligent, psychologically driven science fiction and for classic novels including Who?, Rogue Moon, Hard Landing, and Michaelmas. Alongside his fiction, he built a strong reputation as a reviewer, teacher, and editor, and in the 1990s he was publisher and editor of Tomorrow Speculative Fiction.

Budrys remained an admired figure in the field for decades because he could write with both clarity and bite, whether he was telling a story or judging one. He died in 2008, leaving behind work that still stands out for its craft, seriousness, and curiosity about what makes people human.