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{{Short description|American science fiction author (1947–2002)}}
{{Infobox writer <!-- for more information see [[:Template:Infobox writer/doc]] -->
| name        = George Alec Effinger
| image       = 
| caption     = 
| pseudonym   = O. Niemand, Susan Doenim
| birth_date  = {{birth date|1947|1|10|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [[Cleveland, Ohio]]
| death_date  = {{death date and age|2002|4|27|1947|1|10}}
| death_place = [[New Orleans, Louisiana]]
| occupation  = Novelist, short story writer
| genre       = [[science fiction]], [[cyberpunk]]
| movement    = 
| notableworks = ''[[When Gravity Fails]]''
| influences  = 
| influenced  = 
| website     = 
}}

'''George Alec Effinger''' (January 10, 1947 &ndash; April 27, 2002) was an American [[list of science fiction authors|science fiction author]], born in [[Cleveland]], [[Ohio]].

==Writing career==
Effinger was born in [[Cleveland]], [[Ohio]], on January 10, 1947.<ref name=carlsonobit>{{cite news|last=Carlson|first=Michael|title=Obituary: George Alec Effinger|work=The Guardian|date=May 21, 2002|accessdate=January 10, 2024|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2002/may/21/guardianobituaries.booksobituaries}}</ref> His father was a [[United States Navy]] veteran and his mother was a [[Prostitution|prostitute]]; he grew up very poor.<ref name=cle19n>{{cite web|last=Simpson|first=Doug|title=Science Fiction Writer, Cleveland Native, Dies At 55|work=Cleveland 19 News|date=April 29, 2002|accessdate=January 10, 2024|url=https://www.cleveland19.com/story/762132/science-fiction-writer-cleveland-native-dies-at-55/}}</ref>

He attended Yale University on a scholarship,<ref name=cle19n /> but failed [[organic chemistry]] and dropped out of the pre-med program. He moved to New York City and began writing. His first wife, Diana, sometimes babysat for [[Damon Knight]] and [[Kate Wilhelm]], a married couple who were both [[science fiction]] writers. He joined the [[Clarion Workshop|Clarion Writers' Workshop]] which they sponsored.<ref name=carlsonobit />

Effinger's first three stories were published in the first Clarion anthology in 1971.<ref name=carlsonobit /> The first was "The Eight-Thirty to Nine Slot" in ''[[Fantastic (magazine)|Fantastic]]'' in 1971. During his early period, he also published under a variety of [[pseudonym]]s.

His first novel, ''What Entropy Means to Me'' (1972), was nominated for the [[Nebula Award for Best Novel|Nebula Award]]. He achieved his greatest success with the trilogy of [[Marîd Audran]] novels set in the [[Middle East]] in the 22nd century, with cybernetic implants and modules allowing individuals to change their personalities or bodies. The novels are in fact set in a thinly veiled version of the [[French Quarter]] of [[New Orleans]]. The three published Audran novels were ''[[When Gravity Fails]]'' (1987), ''[[A Fire in the Sun]]'' (1989), and ''[[The Exile Kiss]]'' (1991); Effinger also contributed to the computer game ''[[Circuit's Edge]]'' (1990), based on ''When Gravity Fails''. He began a fourth Budayeen novel, ''Word of Night'', but completed only the first two chapters. Those two chapters were reprinted in the anthology  ''[[Budayeen Nights]]'' (2003) which has all of Effinger's short material from the Marîd Audran setting.

His novelette "[[Schrödinger's Kitten]]" (1988) received both the [[Hugo Award for Best Novelette|Hugo]] and the [[Nebula Award for Best Novelette|Nebula Award]], as well as the Japanese [[Seiun Award]]. A collection of his stories was published posthumously in 2005, entitled ''George Alec Effinger Live! From Planet Earth''; includes the complete stories Effinger wrote under the pseudonym "O. Niemand" and many of Effinger's best-known stories. Each O. Niemand story is a pastiche in the voice of a different major American writer ([[Flannery O'Connor]], [[Damon Runyon]], [[Mark Twain]], etc.), all set on the asteroid city of Springfield. "Niemand" is from the German word for "nobody", and the initial O was intended by Effinger as a visual pun for Zero, and possibly also as a reference to the author O. Henry.

Effinger also wrote a series of Maureen (Muffy) Birnbaum parodies, which placed a [[preppy]] into a variety of science fictional, fantasy, and horror scenarios.

He made brief forays into writing [[comic books]] in the early 1970s, mostly in [[Marvel Comics]]' science fiction, fantasy, and horror titles; and again in the late 1980s, including the first issue of a series of his own creation entitled ''Neil and Buzz in Space & Time'', about two fictional astronauts who travel to the edge of the universe to find it contains nothing but an ocean planet with a replica of a small New Jersey town on its only island. The first issue was the only issue, and the story ended on a cliffhanger. It was released by [[Fantagraphics]].<ref>Comic Book Database, [http://comicbookdb.com/issue.php?ID=160266  entry on ''Neil and Buzz...''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929052801/http://comicbookdb.com/issue.php?ID=160266 |date=2011-09-29 }}. accessed July 29th, 2010</ref>  He also wrote a story based in the [[Zork]] universe.

==Personal life==
Effinger was known to close friends as "Piglet", a nickname from his youth which he later came to dislike.<ref>[http://www.locusmag.com/2002/News/News04Log2.html "Briefs and Links: Deaths: George Alec Effinger" ''Locus Online'' News Log April 28, 2002]</ref>

Throughout his life Effinger suffered health problems. These caused enormous medical bills he could not pay, resulting in [[bankruptcy]]. Because [[Louisiana]] law descends from the [[Napoleonic Code]] rather than [[English Common Law]], the possibility existed that copyrights to Effinger's works and characters might revert to his creditors, in this case the hospital. However, no representative of the hospital appeared at the bankruptcy hearing, and Effinger retained the rights to his intellectual property.<ref>[George Alec Effinger, ''Live! From Planet Earth'', introduction to story "My Old Man".]</ref>

Effinger suffered about 70 % hearing loss from childhood infections, but was helped by hearing aids for his last 10&nbsp;years. He did not drive most of his life, and only got a driver's license around age 39 for check-cashing identification.

Effinger met his first wife Diana in the 1960s. He was married from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s to artist Beverly K. Effinger, and from 1998 to 2000 to fellow science fiction author [[Barbara Hambly]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/effinger_george_alec|title=Authors : Effinger, George Alec : SFE : Science Fiction Encyclopedia|website=www.sf-encyclopedia.com|access-date=22 April 2018}}</ref> He died in [[New Orleans, Louisiana]] in 2002.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/02/arts/george-effinger-55-who-laced-science-fiction-with-dark-humor.html?src=pm&gwh=7A1DC7367AB0386C56C25328DFFD973E  George Effinger, 55, Who Laced Science Fiction With Dark Humor]  New York Times May 2, 2002</ref>

==Works==
{{div col}}
'''Novels (non-series)'''
* ''What Entropy Means to Me'' (1972)
* ''Relatives'' (1973)
* ''Nightmare Blue'' (1975) (with [[Gardner Dozois]])
* ''Felicia'' (1976)
* ''Those Gentle Voices: A Promethean Romance of the Spaceways'' (1976)
* ''Death in Florence'' (1978) (aka ''Utopia 3'')
* ''Heroics'' (1979)
* ''The Wolves of Memory'' (1981)
* ''Shadow Money'' (1988)
* ''The Red Tape War'' (1990) (with [[Mike Resnick]] and [[Jack L. Chalker]])
* ''The Zork Chronicles'' (1990)
* ''Look Away'' (1990) (novella)
* ''Schrödinger's Kitten'' (1992)
* ''Trinity: Hope Sacrifice Unity''
* ''The League of Dragons: A Castle Falkenstein Novel'' (1998)

'''Nick of Time series'''
* ''The Nick of Time'' (1985)
* ''The Bird of Time'' (1986)

'''Marîd Audran series'''
* ''[[When Gravity Fails]]'' (1987)
* ''[[A Fire in the Sun]]'' (1989)
* ''[[The Exile Kiss]]'' (1991)
** ''The Audran Sequence'' (omnibus)
* ''[[Budayeen Nights]]'' (short stories, 2003)

'''[[Planet of the Apes (TV series)|Planet of the Apes]] Television series adaptations'''
* ''Man the Fugitive''  (1974)
* ''Escape to Tomorrow'' (1975)
* ''Journey Into Terror '' (1975)
* ''Lord of the Apes'' (1976)

'''Collections'''
* ''Mixed Feelings'' (1974)
* ''Irrational Numbers'' (1976)
* ''Dirty Tricks'' (1978)
* ''Idle Pleasures'' (1983) (science fiction sports stories)
* ''Author's Choice Monthly Issue 1: The Old Funny Stuff'' (1989)
* ''[[Maureen Birnbaum, Barbarian Swordsperson]]'' (1993)
* ''George Alec Effinger Live! From Planet Earth'' (2005)
** stories selected and introduced by friends, fellow writers and editors
* ''A Thousand Deaths'' (2007)
** the novel ''The Wolves of Memory'' plus 7 additional Sandor Courane stories (6 uncollected)

'''Short stories'''
* "The First Step," (as John K. Diomede) ''[[List of comics magazines published by Magazine Management in the 1970s|Haunt of Horror]]'' (digest) #1 (Marvel, June 1973)
* "The Jewel in the Ash," (as John K. Diomede) ''[[List of comics magazines published by Magazine Management in the 1970s|Haunt of Horror]]'' (digest) #2 (Marvel, August 1973)
* "Heartstop," ''[[List of comics magazines published by Magazine Management in the 1970s|Haunt of Horror]]'' (magazine) #1 (Marvel, May 1974)
* "And Us, Too, I Guess" (novella) (collected in ''[[Chains of the Sea]]'', published 1974)
* "Prince Pat" (1992) (collected in [[Mike Resnick]]'s alternate history anthology ''[[Alternate Kennedys]]'') 
* "Albert Schweitzer and the Treasures of Atlantis" (1993) (collected in Mike Resnick's alternate history anthology ''[[Alternate Warriors]]'')
* "Shootout at Gower Gulch" (1994) (collected in Mike Resnick's alternate history anthology ''[[Alternate Outlaws]]'') 
* "[[Mars: The Home Front]]" (1996)
* "[[The Last Full Measure (short story)|The Last Full Measure]]"

''' Comics '''
* "Wasteland—on a Weirdling World" (featuring [[Gullivar Jones]], Warrior of Mars), ''[[Creatures on the Loose]]'' #18 (Marvel, July 1972)
* "The Long Road to Nowhere" (featuring Gullivar Jones), ''Creatures on the Loose'' #19 (Marvel, September 1972)
* "Moon of Madness, Moon of Fear!", ''[[Chamber of Chills]]'' #1 (Marvel, November 1972)
* "What Price Victory?" (featuring Gullivar Jones), ''Creatures on the Loose'' #20 (Marvel, November 1972)
* "More Than Blood!", ''[[Journey into Mystery]]'' #2 (Marvel, December 1972)
* "Two Worlds to Win!" (featuring Gullivar Jones), ''Creatures on the Loose'' #21 (Marvel, January 1973)
* "All the Shapes of Fear!", ''Chamber of Chills'' #3 (Marvel, March 1973)
* "Thongor! Warrior of Lost Lemuria!" (featuring [[Thongor]]! Warrior of Lost Lemuria!), ''Creatures on the Loose'' #22 (Marvel, March 1973)
* "Where Broods the Demon!" (featuring Thongor), ''Creatures on the Loose'' #23 (Marvel, May 1973)
* "Red Swords, Black Wings!" (featuring Thongor), ''Creatures on the Loose'' #24 (Marvel, July 1973)
* "The Wizard of Lemuria!" (featuring Thongor), ''Creatures on the Loose'' #25 (Marvel, September 1973)
* "The Mouse Alone!" (featuring the Young [[Gray Mouser]]), ''Sword of Sorcery'' #5 (DC Comics, Nov.-Dec. 1973)
* "All the World Wars at Once!", ''[[Fantastic Four]]'' #161 (Marvel, August 1975) (credit is only for the title of the issue)
* "Neil & Buzz in Space and Time" #1 (Fantagraphics, April 1989)
{{div col end}}

''<u>Note:</u>'' The titles of the first two books of the '''Marîd Audran series''' are both taken from [[Bob Dylan]] lyrics. "When Gravity Fails" is from the song "[[Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues]]" and "A Fire in the Sun" from "[[It's All Over Now, Baby Blue]]".  Permission was denied to use a Dylan quote for the third book's title, so Effinger chose a public domain quote from [[Shakespeare]].

==References==
;Notes
{{Reflist}}

;Sources
*{{cite news |work=The New York Times |title=George Effinger, 55, Who Laced Science Fiction With Dark Humor |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/02/arts/george-effinger-55-who-laced-science-fiction-with-dark-humor.html |date=May 2, 2002 |access-date=April 1, 2010}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20091009032721/http://www.sfwa.org/archive/news/effinger.htm Effinger on Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America site]
* [http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/authors/George_Alec_Effinger.htm List of his publications on FantasticFiction.co.uk]
* [http://tom.jackson.googlepages.com/home Tribute page that includes FAQ]
* {{isfdb name|id=George_Alec_Effinger|name=George Alec Effinger}}
{{Hugo Award Best Novelette}}
{{Nebula Award Best Novelette}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Effinger, George Alec}}
[[Category:1947 births]]
[[Category:2002 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American novelists]]
[[Category:American male novelists]]
[[Category:American science fiction writers]]
[[Category:Hugo Award–winning writers]]
[[Category:Nebula Award winners]]
[[Category:Writers from Cleveland]]
[[Category:Novelists from Ohio]]
[[Category:20th-century American male writers]]