Philip Jose Farmer; broke ground in science fiction

PHILIP JOSÉ FARMER

LOS ANGELES - Philip José Farmer was working for a steel and wire company in Peoria, Ill., and writing part time in 1952 when he stirred up the science fiction world with his first published sci-fi tale, a controversial novella that appeared in the magazine Startling Stories.

"The Lovers," a story in which a male earthling has a sexual relationship with an alien female, broke the taboo against depicting sex in the genre. (The attractive alien was a parasitic form of life that mimics humans.)

As Mr. Farmer later said in an interview for the online magazine The Zone, "Science fiction never had any sexual relationships in it. I felt that that was a part of life and so should be a part of SF."

Mr. Farmer, who won science fiction's prestigious Hugo Award as most promising new talent in 1953 and whose later works included the "World of Tiers," "Riverworld," and the "Dayworld" series of novels, died at home in Peoria on Feb. 25, said his wife, Bette. He was 91.

Once described by writer Harlan Ellison as "a storyteller extraordinaire" and "an intrepid explorer of astonishing places," Mr. Farmer was the prolific author of more than 75 books and scores of short stories during his half-century career.

His books have been translated into more than 20 languages and have been published in more than 40 countries. He received two other Hugo Awards: in 1968 for best novella, "Riders of the Purple Wage"; and in 1972 for best novel, "To Your Scattered Bodies Go."

In 2001, he was awarded the title Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America for lifetime achievement. "He is one of the major American science fiction writers ever," said Gary Wolfe, professor of humanities at Roosevelt University in Chicago and author of several books on science fiction.

"What he did in terms of influence was to draw on all aspects of literature and put all kinds of different genres together in the same work," Wolfe said. " 'Riders of the Purple Wage' is a very Joycean story full of puns and wordplay, and the same kinds of puns and wordplay might show up in his adventure stories. That part of his influence - just drawing on different genres - is very much alive today, especially with young writers. At the time he was writing, people either wrote science fiction or they would write historical fiction or they would write fantasy. He mixed everything up, tore down all the barriers."

Born in North Terre Haute, Ind., Mr. Farmer moved to Peoria with his family four years later.

He began reading science fiction at age 9, and spent time in college before joining the Army Air Forces. He was in preflight school when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and, according to his website, was discharged after washing out of flight training. He then returned to Peoria and went to work for Keystone Steel & Wire Co., where he remained for nearly 12 years.

Mr. Farmer, who graduated from Bradley University in 1950 with a bachelor's degree in English literature, continued to write fiction while working as a technical writer around the country from the mid-'50s to 1969, when he began writing science fiction full time. He moved back to Peoria a year later.

In addition to his wife of nearly 68 years, he leaves a daughter, Kristan Josephsohn; a son, Philip; a sister, Joan; five grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.