Harry Clement Stubbs, who writes under the name Hal Clement, will be named 1998 Grand Master at the Nebula Awards™ banquet this May 1st in Pittsburgh.

The highly-coveted Grand Master award represents the pinnacle of peer recognition in the genres of science fiction and fantasy. It is awarded by SFWA in recognition of a lifetime of achievement in science fiction or fantasy writing.

Hal Clement published his first story, "Proof," in 1942, in Astounding Science Fiction, then the premier magazine of the field. His best-known novel, Mission of Gravity, is one of the seminal works of `hard' -- rigorous -- science fiction; it deals with a mission to a vital component from a space probe that has crashed on Mesklin, a fast-rotating, massive planet where the effective gravity varies from three times that of Earth's at the equator to 700gs at the poles. It typifies Clement's imaginative creation of scientifically plausible but weird worlds, a recurring theme of his work. A clean, spare writer with an ability to dramatize complex scientific ideas in a compelling way, invariably leaves the reader with the sense that the universe is a and wonderful place -- and the laws that govern its behavior equally fascinating and wonderful. Consequently, his work has and inspired a whole generation of scientists and engineers as well as a whole generation of writers.

Harry Stubbs, born in 1922, taught high school science for many years; in addition to his science fiction, he writes science articles under his name, and paints astronomical scenes under the name George Richard. He is a resident of Milton, Massachusetts.

SFWA's President, Dr. Paul Levinson, said "We're extremely pleased to extend this honor to a man who more than any other author of the golden age was responsible for putting the hard science in science fiction, whose exploration of the implications of chemistry and planetary continue to fascinate readers today."

Mr. Stubbs was inducted in the Science FIction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 1997. In 1995 he received a retro-Hugo award for his short story "Uncommon Sense" (ASF, 1945).

The Grand Master award will be presented to Mr. Stubbs at this year's Nebula Awards™ Ceremony (to be held May 1st in Pittsburgh). At the same ceremony, SFWA will present Nebula Awards™ for the best science fiction or fantasy novel, novella, novelette, and short story of the year; the winners are selected by vote of the active writer members of the organization.

SFWA is an organization of nearly 1400 science fiction and fantasy writers, editors, and allied professionals. Founded in 1965 by DamonKnight, the organization's primary goals are to promote the interests of science fiction and fantasy writers and encourage public interest in the genres.

Previous Grand Masters include Robert A. Heinlein (1974), Jack Williamson (1975), Clifford D. Simak (1976), L. Sprague de Camp (1978), Fritz Leiber (1981), Andre Norton (1983), Arthur C. Clarke (1985), Isaac Asimov (1986), Alfred Bester (1987), Ray Bradbury (1988), Lester del Rey (1990), Frederik Pohl (1992), Damon Knight (1994), A. E. van Vogt (1995), Jack Vance (1996), and Poul Anderson (1997).