A. Bertram Chandler
Agent
A. Bertram Chandler was born in Aldershot, England, on March 28, 1912, and grew up in the small town of Beccles in Suffolk. Education-wise, he attended Peddars Lane Council and later Sir John Leman Secondary School until, at the age of 16, he joined the Sun Shipping Company of London as an apprentice and went to sea. Four years later, he completed his Certificate of Competency as Second Mate of a Foreign Going Steamship and rejoined the Sun Shipping Company as Third Officer. Three years after that, he left the Sun Shipping Company to joined the Saw Shavill company as a Fourth Officer. In 1956, he emigrated from Britain to Australia, where he married his second wife and joined the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand as a Third Officer. He died in Sydney, Australia, on June 6, 1984.
His writing career began shortly after Pearl Harbor, when he met with the editor of Astounding Science Fiction, John Campbell, who encouraged Chandler to contribute stories to the magazine. He took Campbell at his word and submitted “This Means War,” which was Chandler’s first publication. He went on to writer 40 novels and over 200 pieces of short fiction. During the course of his career, he won 4 Ditmar Awards (formerly known as the Australian Science Fiction Achievement Award) for his short story The Bitter Pill (1971), and the novels False Fatherland (1969), The Bitter Pill (1975), The Big Black Mark (1976), as well as the Seiun Award, the Japanese equivalent of the Hugo Award, with his short story “Wet Paint” in 1976 for Best Foreign Language Short Story of the Year. His work can also be found under the pen names George Whitely, George Whitley, Andrew Dunstan, and S.H.M.
DAW Books was the original English language publisher for almost all of Chandler’s novels and collections, and Hayakawa in Japan published almost all of Chandler’s work, as well.
Learn more about Chandler on his official fan site, here.
Bibliography
- StandaloneFrontier of the DarkA. Bertram Chandler
- StandaloneKelly CountryA. Bertram Chandler
- StandaloneThe Bitter PillA. Bertram Chandler
- StandaloneThe Sea BeastsA. Bertram Chandler
- StandaloneThe Alternate MartiansA. Bertram Chandler
- StandaloneThe Coils of TimeA. Bertram Chandler
- StandaloneThe Deep Reaches of SpaceA. Bertram Chandler
- StandaloneGlory PlanetA. Bertram Chandler
- StandaloneThe Hamelin PlagueA. Bertram Chandler
- CollectionsUp to the Sky in ShipsA. Bertram Chandler
- The John Grimes SagaTo the Galactic Rim (#1)A. Bertram Chandler
- The John Grimes SagaFirst Command (#2)A. Bertram Chandler
- The John Grimes SagaGalactic Courier (#3)A. Bertram Chandler
- The John Grimes SagaRide the Star Winds (#4)A. Bertram Chandler
- The John Grimes SagaUpon a Sea of Stars (#5)A. Bertram Chandler
- The John Grimes SagaGateway to Never (#6)A. Bertram Chandler
- Empress Irene SeriesEmpress of Outer Space (#1)A. Bertram Chandler
- Empress Irene SeriesSpace Mercenaries (#2)A. Bertram Chandler
- Empress Irene SeriesNebula Alert (#3)A. Bertram Chandler
- Rim Worlds SeriesThe Rim of Space (#1)A. Bertram Chandler
- Rim Worlds SeriesWhen the Dream Dies (#2)A. Bertram Chandler
- Rim Worlds SeriesBring Back Yesterday (#3)A. Bertram Chandler
- Rim Worlds SeriesBeyond the Galactic Rim (#4)A. Bertram Chandler
- Rim Worlds SeriesThe Ship From Outside (#5)A. Bertram Chandler
- Rim Worlds SeriesCatch the Star Winds (#6)A. Bertram Chandler
Reviews
Standalone
The Bitter Pill
“It’s surprising to see Chandler at this stage of his career suddenly switch from space opera to ‘serious’ novels, but with THE BITTER PILL as his maiden work in the new mode, he’s off to an excellent start and I will look forward to future works.”ALGOL
Collections
The John Grimes Saga
To the Galactic Rim (#1)
“The planets are exotic and full of wonders, the problems are extremely unusual; and Grimes’ solutions are brilliantly outrageous. The Grimes books are filled with humor and some fine detail about the experience of space exploration […] In either print or e-book, this volume is a bargain not to be missed.”Analog
“Nothing very meaty […] but fun.”Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact
"straightforwardly enjoyable."
First Command (#2)
“True-blue Grimes fans should be satisfied […] eminently readable.”Galaxy Bookshelf
“As in many sf works, the character of the computer is best developed, but the humans hold their own throughout this diverting, often uproarious tale.”Library Journal
“THE FAR TRAVELER keeps up that established tradition for this reader.”The Madison Review of Books
Galactic Courier (#3)
“This is one series I won’t mind seeing more of.”Los Angeles Free Press
“Chandler’s blend of the comic and erotic with his adventure touches pleasant nerves. All in all, a fine selection.”Hunters Den
Ride the Star Winds (#4)
“For those who like accessible space operas filled with great characters, alien cultures, high adventure and a fun, witty hero, RIDE THE STAR WINDS will definitely satisfy!”
“There’s plenty of humor and loads of fun – and if some of the concepts seem a bit dated, that’s part of the charm […] If you haven’t had the chance to make the acquaintance of Commodore John Grimes, you owe it to yourself to do so.”Analog
Upon a Sea of Stars (#5)
“Mr. Chandler never ceases to amaze me […] The stories in this book are no exception. Despite how you might feel about these “dated” science fiction classics, one cannot argue with the entertainment factor.”
Gateway to Never (#6)
“Immediately we imbibe the pleasures of Chandler’s mythos and admire his deft strategies […] We get vivid characters—Grimes is a salty, irascible softie, old-fashioned but empathetic, with a code of honor, but not inflexible—a solid plot and a negligible but not nonexistent quota of speculative bits.”
“This book, like the previous volumes, is a must for anyone who likes space opera [...] as well as anyone who’s a fan of the old Ace and DAW SF paperbacks.”
“For all the action, it’s a […] good light read.”Publishers Weekly
“Chandler fills his stories with humor, adventure — cliff-hanging — treachery and even love.”Northwest Arkansas Times
“A pleasantly diverting tale spun by an old pro. Recommended.”Captain George’s Penny Dreadful
Empress Irene Series
Rim Worlds Series
Awards & Accolades
Standalone
The Bitter Pill
Australian Science Fiction Achievement Award: “Best Australian Science Fiction”