McNelly, Willis E
Entry updated 12 September 2022. Tagged: Author, Critic, Editor.
(1920-2003) US academic, sf critic and editor long based at California State University at Fullerton, where he gave what were among the earlier sf classes in the USA. His anthologies include the Mars-themed Mars, We Love You (anth 1971; vt The Book of Mars 1976) edited with Jane Hipolito, Above the Human Landscape: A Social Science Fiction Anthology (anth 1972) edited with Leon E Stover and Science Fiction Novellas (anth 1975) edited with Harry Harrison; the last title had a companion work, Science Fiction Novellas: Teacher's Guide (1975) by McNelly alone. He edited a collection of brief essays about the increasing interest of the academic world in sf (see SF in the Classroom), Science Fiction: The Academic Awakening (anth 1974 chap). McNelly's strangest work is certainly The Dune Encyclopedia (anth 1984); it purports to have been published about 5000 years after the birth of Paul Atreides, protagonist of Frank Herbert's Dune (fixup 1965), and presents data about the history and Ecology of the planet Arrakis (Dune). [PN]
Dr Willis Everett McNelly
born 16 December 1920
died Fullerton, California: 7 April 2003
works as editor
- Mars, We Love You (New York: Doubleday, 1971) with Jane Hipolito [anth: Mars: hb/Carl Berkowitz]
- The Book of Mars (London: Orbit, 1976) with Jane Hipolito [anth: vt of the above: Mars: pb/Patrick Woodroffe]
- Above the Human Landscape: A Social Science Fiction Anthology (Pacific Palisades, California: Goodyear Publishing, 1972) with Leon E Stover [anth: hb/B Buerge]
- Science Fiction Novellas (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1975) with Harry Harrison [anth: hb/Jack Gaughan]
- Science Fiction Novellas: Teacher's Guide (publisher not traced: 1975) [nonfiction: binding unknown/]
- Science Fiction: The Academic Awakening (Shreveport, Louisiana: College English Association, 1974) [nonfiction: anth: chap: pb/]
- The Dune Encyclopedia (New York: Berkley Books, 1984) [nonfiction: anth: hb/]
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