<span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span>

Hal Clement was the penname of Harry Clement Stubbs (May 30, 1922 – October 29, 2003), who was employed as a high school science teacher during much of a writing career which spanned six decades. From the outset Clement's name was closely associated with hard science fiction, and he was also known for his ability to create alien races that were biologically consistent with the environments in which they lived. His aliens were always people rather than simply plot elements, with their own individual personalities as well as distinct racial traits. Although never a prolific writer, Clement enjoyed an enviable reputation, and his best novel, Mission of Gravity (1954), is one of the most important and durable examples of hard SF.

Clement began writing fiction in the early 1940s but only turned to novels after 1950 with the publication of Needle (aka From Outer Space). Although marketed for a general audience, Needle feels as though it was intended for young adults. The teenaged protagonist discovers that a benevolent alien is inhabiting his body, enlisting his aid in tracking down another and less friendly individual of its kind who has come to Earth to escape punishment. An entertaining detective story follows, though the sequel, Through the Eye of the Needle (1978) was less successful. Mission of Gravity had a much more profound impact. The setting is the planet Mesklin which is subject to gravity so far in excess of our own that no human could hope to venture there. When a satellite crashes on Mesklin, its essential recovery requires the assistance of a native, who is the chief protagonist in the story. The sequel, Star Light (1971), continued these adventures.

Clement examined alien cultures in several other novels, the best of which is Cycle of Fire (1954), although Close to Critical (1964), Still River (1987), and The Nitrogen Fix (1980) also have memorable elements. In the last of these, it is the Earth's environment which has been altered and humanity which has been forced to adapt. Although his remaining book-length works are relatively minor, they remain quite readable, as have most of his occasional short stories. "Technical Error" (1943), "Raindrop" (1965), and "Mistaken for Granted" (1974) are particularly good.

Clement was a long time member of NESFA (New England Science Fiction Organization) and NESFA Press has reissued omnibus editions of his short stories and many of his novels in three hardcover volumes.