Ball, Brian N
Entry updated 13 January 2025. Tagged: Author.

(1932-2020) UK author, 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, tinged with Space Opera, 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" (see Memory Edit) when his quasi-metaphysical researches into consciousness and Identity frightened the regime.
There followed three volumes of a projected five-book sequence involving an ancient Galactic Federation (see Forerunners), 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 aspired to the more metaphysical side of the sf tropes he utilizes, Ball's style tended to reduce these implications to routine action-adventure plots, competently executed. [JC/DRL]
see also: Fermi Paradox; Lie Detectors; Scientific Hoax.
Brian Neville Ball
born Cheshire: 19 June 1932
died Doncaster, South Yorkshire: 23 July 2020
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
- The Probability Man (New York: DAW Books, 1972) [Probability: pb/Kelly Freas]
- Planet Probability (New York: DAW Books, 1973) [Probability: pb/Kelly Freas]
Jackson
- Jackson's House (London: Antelope Books, 1975) [chap: Jackson: hb/Carolyn Harrison]
- Jackson's Friend (London: Antelope Books, 1976) [chap: Jackson: hb/]
- Jackson's Holiday (London: Antelope Books, 1977) [chap: Jackson: hb/Carolyn Harrison]
- Jackson and the Magpies (London: Antelope Books, 1978) [chap: Jackson: hb/]
SPACE: 1999
- The Space Guardians (London: Dennis Dobson, 1975) [tie: Space: 1999: hb/]
- Survival (place not given: Powys Media, 2005) [tie: Space: 1999: pb/]
Witchfinder
- Witchfinder: The Mark of the Beast (St Albans, Hertfordshire: Mayflower, 1976) [Witchfinder: pb/]
- Witchfinder: The Evil at Montaine (St Albans, Hertfordshire: Mayflower, 1977) [Witchfinder: pb/]
individual titles
- Sundog (London: Dennis Dobson, 1965) [hb/William Belcher]
- 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/]
- The Regiments of Night (New York: DAW Books, 1972) [vt of above: pb/Kelly Freas]
- Singularity Station (New York: DAW Books, 1973) [pb/Chris Foss]
- The Venomous Serpent (London: New English Library, 1974) [pb/]
- The Night Creature (New York: Fawcett Gold Medal, 1974) [vt of above: 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
- Tales of Science Fiction (London: Hamish Hamilton, 1964) [anth: hb/]
links
previous versions of this entry