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| David G. Hartwell at BEA 2015 (photo: Andrew I. Porter) | |
Longtime Tor editor David G. Hartwell died on Wednesday. He was 74 and had been injured in a fall, according to Locus Online.
In 1971, Hartwell became a consulting SF editor for Signet. He joined Berkley in 1973, rising to editor-in-chief of science fiction. He moved to Pocket Books in 1978, where he launched the Timescape imprint, which he ran until 1983. He began working as a consulting editor for Tor Books in 1983 and became a full-time senior editor at Tor in 1995. Hartwell edited thousands of SF books and edited or co-edited more than 40 anthologies.
Tom Doherty, president and publisher of Tor Books, commented: "David Hartwell was a brilliant editor. I met David in the early '70s when he was working for Berkeley and got to know him better as he was creating Timescape. I've worked with him closely for the last 33 years at Tor Books. In all that time, no editor was more influential in the shaping of science fiction and fantasy than he.
"He was a founder of the New York Review of Science Fiction, where he still served as reviews editor, a founder and chairman of the board of directors of the World Fantasy Convention, an administrator of the Philip K. Dick Award. A three-time winner of the Hugo Award for Best Professional Editor Long Form, David later withdrew his name from contention to give younger editors an opportunity to shine.
"Characterized so well by John Updike in the New Yorker as a 'loving expert,' his list has been a solid rock in the foundation of Tor. In addition to bringing a vast selection of books to the field, he always found time to mentor younger editors as they learned the trade. David's Year's Best anthologies consistently placed high in the Locus reader polls. David's legacy leaves an indelible mark on the literature and the culture of science fiction and fantasy--as an editor, a mentor, and a fan. He shaped our concepts, our tastes, and in some ways our expectations of these immense and beloved genres.
"Fascinating to talk to on any aspect of science fiction, his perspective so fundamental to the building of our company, David was a very special man, and he was my friend. I and so many in the community will miss him."