The Cosmic Codex
The Cosmic Codex
An illustrious career in science fiction publishing
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An illustrious career in science fiction publishing

Tom Doherty wins the 2024 Robert A. Heinlein Award
“The man who sold us the future” by Brian S. Pauls, 2024; Digital illustration created using Midjourney
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My latest novelette, “Long Night On the Endless City,” appears in Boundary Shock Quarterly 26: Tomorrow’s Crimes:
On the vast ring habitat Ouroboros, Jel and her synthetic companion Marcus search for Arja, the third member of their triad. This quest leads them to a cryptic technology cult with questionable motives. When they suffer a vicious attack, Marcus and Jel join forces with one of Ouroboros’most renowned computer and robotics experts to get to the bottom of the mystery.
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Book Cover
A reluctant thief. A caring robot. A death that changes everything.
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QUINN wants nothing more than to live a normal life after being rescued from the New Realm station. But when he and his eccentric friend Hana encounter Cass, he finds himself dragged into countless daring schemes.
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Neuracode: Part I is the first half of the prequel to Project Juniper, a thrilling YA/NA cyberpunk series written by Eris Goode.

Like millions of other science fiction readers, and thousands of science fiction writers, I found my view of the sf genre profoundly affected by Robert A. Heinlein. Throughout junior high and high school, the compelling characters and convincing science in his juveniles defined well-written, believable science fiction for me.

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First the idea, then the reality of space travel inspired Heinlein’s writing. Unlike much of his work for adults, many of the juveniles were set within the Solar System. It didn’t matter they were already 30 years old when I read them. Heinlein described a future in which I wanted to live, and made it seem possible.

In 2003, the Heinlein Society created the Robert A. Heinlein Award “[f]or outstanding published works in science fiction and technical writings to inspire the human exploration of space.” The Baltimore Science Fiction Society presents the award each year.

Tom Doherty, founder of Tor Books, is the winner of the 2024 Robert A. Heinlein Award, “…in recognition of Mr. Doherty’s work in bringing the inspiring books of hundreds of authors writing about our future in Space [sic] to public awareness.”

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Doherty was born in Hartford, Connecticut in 1935. He majored in chemical engineering and philosophy at Hartford’s Trinity College. Following service in the Army, Doherty entered the publishing field as a sales representative. He worked for a number of publishers, including Pocket Books and Simon & Schuster.

In 1980, Doherty founded Tom Doherty Associates Inc. and began to publish using the imprint “Tor Books.” With Jim Baen and Dick Gallen, he spun off Baen Books in 1983. Finding Tor’s growth constrained, Doherty sold the company to a subsidiary of Macmillan in 1987.

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Today, Tor is a major publisher of science fiction and fantasy, claiming the status of “…the world’s premier publisher of novella-length…” works in these genres.

The Baltimore Science Fiction Society will formally present Doherty with this year’s Robert A. Heinlein Award at Balticon 58 on Friday, May 24.

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