(1932- ) UK writer, until 1965 a teacher and lecturer, subsequently freelance, who began publishing sf with "The Pioneer" for New Worlds in February 1962, soon after editing a juvenile anthology, Tales of Science Fiction (anth 1964). His first novel, Sundog (1965), is one of his better books, in which – though restricted by incomprehensible and uncomprehending Aliens to the solar system and by itself to a rigidly policed Dystopia, – mankind transcends its limitations. The trigger factor is the simple-seeming Spaceship pilot Dod, who slowly discovers himself to be a rather more formidable Scientist who was subjected to "blocking" (> Memory Edit) when his researches frightened the regime.
There followed a projected five-book sequence involving an ancient Galactic Federation, its relics, Time Travel, and rebirth: Timepiece (1968), Timepivot (1970) and Timepit (1971). A second series, The Probability Man (1972) and Planet Probability (1973), follows the exploits of Frame-Director Spingarn in his heterodox construction of reality-spaces (frames) for the delectation (and voluntary destruction) of billions of bored citizens. Singletons include Night of the Robots (April 1965 Science Fantasy #71 as "The Excursion"; exp rev 1972; vt The Regiments of Night 1972), in which assorted visitors to a Ruined Earth inadvertently waken an ancient AI-controlled military installation. Though he sometimes aspires to the more metaphysical side of the sf tropes he utilizes, Ball's style tends to reduce these implications to routine action-adventure plots, competently executed. [JC/DRL]
see also: Fermi Paradox; Lie Detectors.
Brian Neville Ball
born Cheshire: 19 June 1932
died
works
series
Galactic Federation
- Timepiece
(London: Dennis Dobson, 1968) [Galactic Federation: hb/Richard {WEAVER}] - Timepivot (New York: Ballantine Books, 1970) [cover art recycled from Kingsley Amis's Colonel Sun (1968): Galactic Federation: pb/Tom Adams]
- Timepit (London: Dennis Dobson, 1971) [Galactic Federation: hb/]
Probability
Jackson
SPACE: 1999
Witchfinder
individual titles
- Sundog (London: Dennis Dobson, 1965) [hb/]
- Lesson for the Damned (London: New English Library, 1971) [pb/]
- Devil's Peak (London: New English Library, 1972) [pb/]
- Night of the Robots (London: Sidgwick and Jackson, 1972) [exp rev of "The Excursion" in Science Fantasy #71, April 1965: hb/]
- Singularity Station (New York: DAW Books, 1973) [pb/Chris Foss]
- The Venomous Serpent (London: New English Library, 1974) [pb/]
- Princess Priscilla (London: Abelard-Schuman, 1975) [chap: hb/Lisa James]
- The Witch in our Attic (London: British Broadcasting Corporation, 1979) [chap: hb/Jill Murphy]
- Dennis and the Flying Saucer (London: Heinemann, 1980) [chap: hb/]
- The Starbuggy: A Space Adventure (London: Heinemann, 1983) [hb/Ian Newsham]
- The Doomship of Drax (London: Heinemann, 1985) [hb/Susan Hunter]
- Truant from Space (London: Antelope Books, 1985) [chap: hb/]
- Stone Age Magic (London: Antelope Books, 1988) [chap: hb/]
- The Quest for Queenie (London: Macdonald, 1988) [chap: hb/Scoular Anderson]
works as editor
links
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