John Thomas Phillifent (November 10, 1916 – December 15, 1976) was an English electrical engineer and author of science fiction and fantasy. He wrote as John T. Phillifent and under the pen name John Rackham. Most of his work was published as by Rackham, the main exceptions being three novels related to The Man from U.N.C.L.E. series, his short stories published in the magazine Analog, and a number of late novels. Most of his novels were issued together with the works of other authors as Ace Doubles.
American author Frederik Pohl credits Phillifent with a comprehensive definition of science fiction that he dubs "Rackham's Law". According to Pohl, Phillifent's opinion of "the diagnostic cut ... between science fiction and all other forms of writing" was that science fiction "was unique in that it was invariably written by 'the science-fiction method' analogous to the 'scientific method' which ... underpins all science." Pohl's own description of "the science-fiction method" (which Phillifent himself never troubled to define) is that "it consists in looking at the world around us, dissecting it into its component parts, throwing some of those parts away and replacing them with invented new ones - and then reassembling that new world and describing what might happen in it. And I think that every SF writer who ever lived has used precisely that method."[1]
Life with Lancelot (1973) expanded from "The Stainless-Steel Knight" (1961, as Rackham)
Other short storiesedit
"Drog" (1958) (as John Rackham)
"One-Eye" (1958) (as John Rackham)
"Cadet" (1959) (as John Rackham)
"Curse Strings" (1959) (as John Rackham)
"If You Wish" (1959) (as John Rackham)
"Nulook" (1959) (as John Rackham)
"Idea Man" (1960) (as John Rackham)
"Point" (1961)
"The Stainless-Steel Knight" (1961) (as John Rackham) expanded to Life with Lancelot (1973, as Phillifent)
"The Trouble with Honey" (1961) (as John Rackham)
"Ethical Quotient" (1962)
"Fire and Ice" (1962) (as John Rackham)
"Dr. Jeckers and Mr. Hyde" (1963) (as John Rackham)
"The Last Salamander" (1963) (as John Rackham)
"What You Don't Know" (1963) (as John Rackham)
"With Clean Hands" (1963) (as John Rackham)
"Flying Fish" (1964)
"God Killer" (1964) (as John Rackham)
"Hell-Planet" (1964) (as John Rackham)
"Room with a Skew" (1964) (as John Rackham)
"Advantage" (1965) (as John Rackham)
"Bring Back a Life" (1965) (as John Rackham)
"Finnegan's Knack" (1965)
"A Way with Animals" (1965) (as John Rackham)
"Computer's Mate" (1966) (as John Rackham)
"The God-Birds of Glentallach" (1966) (as John Rackham)
"Poseidon Project" (1966) (as John Rackham)
"Aim For the Heel" (1967)
"Catharsis" (1968) (as John Rackham)
"The Divided House" (1968) (as John Rackham)
"Incorrigible" (1968)
"The Rites of Man" (1968)
"All Fall Down" (1969)
"The Fine Print" (1971)
"Stoop to Conquer" (1971) (as John Rackham)
"Wise Child" (1973) (as John Rackham)
"Owe Me" (1974)
"The Halted Village" (1975) (as John Rackham)
"Heal Thyself" (1975) (as John Rackham)
Nonfictionedit
"That Moon Plaque (Men on the Moon)" (1969)
Referencesedit
^Pohl, Frederik. "Forum: Two-Way Look at the Literature of Change - Frederik Pohl Considers Some Ways in Which Science and Science Fiction Overlap." New Scientist, May 22, 1993.
john, phillifent, john, thomas, phillifent, november, 1916, december, 1976, english, electrical, engineer, author, science, fiction, fantasy, wrote, under, name, john, rackham, most, work, published, rackham, main, exceptions, being, three, novels, related, fr. John Thomas Phillifent November 10 1916 December 15 1976 was an English electrical engineer and author of science fiction and fantasy He wrote as John T Phillifent and under the pen name John Rackham Most of his work was published as by Rackham the main exceptions being three novels related to The Man from U N C L E series his short stories published in the magazine Analog and a number of late novels Most of his novels were issued together with the works of other authors as Ace Doubles John T PhillifentBorn 1916 11 10 November 10 1916Durham EnglandDiedDecember 15 1976 1976 12 15 aged 60 London EnglandOccupationAuthorNationalityBritishGenreScience fiction Contents 1 Rackham s Law 2 Bibliography 2 1 The Man From U N C L E 2 2 Space Puppet series 2 3 Chappie Jones series 2 4 Other novels 2 5 Other short stories 2 6 Nonfiction 3 References 4 General referencesRackham s Law editAmerican author Frederik Pohl credits Phillifent with a comprehensive definition of science fiction that he dubs Rackham s Law According to Pohl Phillifent s opinion of the diagnostic cut between science fiction and all other forms of writing was that science fiction was unique in that it was invariably written by the science fiction method analogous to the scientific method which underpins all science Pohl s own description of the science fiction method which Phillifent himself never troubled to define is that it consists in looking at the world around us dissecting it into its component parts throwing some of those parts away and replacing them with invented new ones and then reassembling that new world and describing what might happen in it And I think that every SF writer who ever lived has used precisely that method 1 Bibliography editThe Man From U N C L E edit The Mad Scientist Affair 1966 The Corfu Affair 1967 The Power Cube Affair 1968 Space Puppet series edit Space Puppet 1954 as John Rackham Jupiter Equilateral 1954 as John Rackham The Master Weed 1954 as John Rackham Alien Virus 1955 as John Rackham Chappie Jones series edit The Black Cat s Paw 1960 as John Rackham Ankh 1961 as John Rackham The Veil of Isis 1961 as John Rackham The Touch of Evil 1963 collection as John Rackham Other novels edit Watch on Peter 1964 as John Rackham We the Venusians 1965 as John Rackham Danger From Vega 1966 as John Rackham The Beasts of Kohl 1966 as John Rackham Time To Live 1966 as John Rackham The Double Invaders 1967 as John Rackham Alien Sea 1968 as John Rackham The Proxima Project 1968 as John Rackham Ipomoea 1969 as John Rackham Treasure of Tau Ceti 1969 as John Rackham The Anything Tree 1970 as John Rackham Flower of Doradil 1970 as John Rackham Beyond Capella 1971 as John Rackham Dark Planet 1971 as John Rackham Earthstrings 1972 as John Rackham Genius Unlimited 1972 Beanstalk 1973 as John Rackham Hierarchies 1973 King of Argent 1973 Life with Lancelot 1973 expanded from The Stainless Steel Knight 1961 as Rackham Other short stories edit Drog 1958 as John Rackham One Eye 1958 as John Rackham Cadet 1959 as John Rackham Curse Strings 1959 as John Rackham If You Wish 1959 as John Rackham Nulook 1959 as John Rackham Idea Man 1960 as John Rackham Point 1961 The Stainless Steel Knight 1961 as John Rackham expanded to Life with Lancelot 1973 as Phillifent The Trouble with Honey 1961 as John Rackham Ethical Quotient 1962 Fire and Ice 1962 as John Rackham Dr Jeckers and Mr Hyde 1963 as John Rackham The Last Salamander 1963 as John Rackham What You Don t Know 1963 as John Rackham With Clean Hands 1963 as John Rackham Flying Fish 1964 God Killer 1964 as John Rackham Hell Planet 1964 as John Rackham Room with a Skew 1964 as John Rackham Advantage 1965 as John Rackham Bring Back a Life 1965 as John Rackham Finnegan s Knack 1965 A Way with Animals 1965 as John Rackham Computer s Mate 1966 as John Rackham The God Birds of Glentallach 1966 as John Rackham Poseidon Project 1966 as John Rackham Aim For the Heel 1967 Catharsis 1968 as John Rackham The Divided House 1968 as John Rackham Incorrigible 1968 The Rites of Man 1968 All Fall Down 1969 The Fine Print 1971 Stoop to Conquer 1971 as John Rackham Wise Child 1973 as John Rackham Owe Me 1974 The Halted Village 1975 as John Rackham Heal Thyself 1975 as John Rackham Nonfiction edit That Moon Plaque Men on the Moon 1969 References edit Pohl Frederik Forum Two Way Look at the Literature of Change Frederik Pohl Considers Some Ways in Which Science and Science Fiction Overlap New Scientist May 22 1993 General references editJohn T Phillifent at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title John T Phillifent amp oldid 1084402891, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
