Berry, Bryan
Entry updated 14 August 2023. Tagged: Author.
(1930-1966) UK author who began to publish stories of sf interest with "Monster from Space" for the UK comic Merry-Go-Round #14 in 1947, and who was thought of as a rising star of UK sf, but who died young. Along with such writers as John Russell Fearn, E C Tubb and Kenneth Bulmer, he contributed many Pulp magazine-style sf novels to obscure paperback houses, beginning with Return to Earth (1951), and most notably with the Venus/Kennet Alternate History trilogy – comprising Resurgent Dust (1953) as by Rolf Garner, The Immortals (1953) as by Rolf Garner and The Indestructible (1954) as by Rolf Garner – which portrays in bold Planetary Romance strokes mankind's fate on Venus after the destruction of life on Earth: the man who eventually eliminates tyranny becomes Lord Kennet of Gryllaar. Berry was closely associated with Authentic Science Fiction and also with Two Complete Science-Adventure Books, both of which published some of his novel-length fiction. "Aftermath" (August 1952 Authentic) became Mission to Marakee (Summer 1953 Two Complete Science-Adventure Books; 2021 dos); since in Authentic the story occupied the space allotted to fiction for an entire issue, it might better be listed as Aftermath (1952). His work in general was various, and exuberantly routine: And the Stars Remain (1952) confronts men and Martians with a superior force; Born in Captivity (1952; vt "World Held Captive" Spring 1954 Two Complete Science-Adventure Books) presents a rigid post-World War Three society; The Venom-Seekers (1953) is a Time Travel adventure. [JC]
Roderick Bryan Berry
born Ealing, Middlesex: 26 January 1930
died London: 1966 [1955 is usually given but is incorrect]
works
series
Venus/Kennet
- Resurgent Dust (London: Panther Books/Hamilton and Co, 1953) as by Rolf Garner [Venus/Kennet: hb/John Richards]
- The Immortals (London: Panther, 1952) as by Rolf Garner [Venus/Kennet: hb/John Richards]
- The Indestructible (London: Panther, 1952) as by Rolf Garner [Venus/Kennet: hb/John Richards]
individual titles
- Return to Earth (London: Hamilton and Co, 1951) [pb/George Ratcliffe]
- Aftermath (London: Authentic Science Fiction, 1952) [entire issue of journal: pb/Gordon C Davies]
- Mission to Marakee (Medford, Oregon: Armchair Fiction, 2021) [dos: vt of the above: first appeared under this title Summer 1953 Two Complete Science-Adventure Books: pb/]
- And the Stars Remain (London: Panther, 1952) [pb/Gordon C Davies]
- Dread Visitor (London: Panther, 1952) [pb/Gordon C Davies]
- Born in Captivity (London: Hamilton and Co, 1952) [pb/George Ratcliffe]
- The Venom-Seekers (London: Panther, 1953) [pb/George Ratcliffe]
- From What Far Star? (London: Panther, 1953) [hb/Gordon C Davies]
links
previous versions of this entry