Phillifent, John T
Entry updated 12 September 2022. Tagged: Author.
(1916-1976) UK electrical engineer and author of much sf and works in other genres; though he claimed to reserve his best material for publication under his own name; he was, however, probably better known under his pseudonym John Rackham, the name he used for most of his work. [Phillifent and Rackham titles are separated in the Checklist below]. He began writing sf with the Space Puppet series for Pearson's Tit-Bits Science-Fiction Library as Rackham: Space Puppet (1954 chap), Jupiter Equilateral (1954 chap), The Master Weed (1954 chap) and Alien Virus (1955 chap). He produced also a fantasy series, the Chappie Jones stories, for Science Fantasy, beginning with "The Veil of Isis" (June 1961 Science Fantasy); these stories were assembled as The Touch of Evil (coll of linked stories 1963) as by Rackham. Watch on Peter (1964) as by Rackham, a Young Adult tale involving its young protagonist with the Invention of a hovercar, did not lead to a career in that genre. In the mid-1960s his career picked up some steam with a flow of Rackham Space Operas for Ace Books, beginning with We, the Venusians (1965 dos) and Danger from Vega (1966 dos), and continuing with others of the same unambitiously readable nature. Under his own name, Phillifent produced in the 1970s some sf novels of real competence, including Hierarchies (October-November 1971 Analog; 1973 dos) and King of Argent (1973), an entertaining adventure set on an agreeably strange planet. Through his writing career, he remained a reliable producer of the second-rank but convention-savvy fiction demanded by an entertainment genre hungry for copy. [JC]
John Thomas Phillifent
born Durham, County Durham: 10 November 1916
died London: 15 December 1976
works
as John T Phillifent
series
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
- The Mad Scientist Affair (New York: Ace Books, 1966) [tie to The Man from U.N.C.L.E.: The Man from U.N.C.L.E.: #5 US; # 8 UK: pb/]
- The Corfu Affair (New York: Ace Books, 1967) [tie to The Man from U.N.C.L.E.: The Man from U.N.C.L.E.: #20 US; # 13 UK: pb/]
- The Power Cube Affair (New York: Ace Books, 1968) [tie to The Man from U.N.C.L.E.: The Man from U.N.C.L.E.: #19 US; # 15 UK: pb/]
Interstellar Security
- Genius Unlimited (New York: DAW Books, 1972) [Interstellar Security: pb/Jack Gaughan]
- Hierarchies (New York: Ace Books, 1973) [dos: first appeared October-November 1971 Analog: Interstellar Security: pb/Kelly Freas]
individual titles
- Life with Lancelot (New York: Ace Books, 1973) [dos: first version appeared July 1961 If as "The Stainless-Steel Knight" as by John Rackham: pb/Ed Valigursky]
- King of Argent (New York: DAW Books, 1973) [pb/Kelly Freas]
as John Rackham
series
Space Puppet
Series for Tit-Bits Science-Fiction Library.
- Space Puppet (London: C A Pearson, 1954) [chap: in the publisher's Tit-Bits Science-Fiction Library series: Space Puppet: pb/Ron Turner]
- Jupiter Equilateral (London: C A Pearson, 1954) [chap: in the publisher's Tit-Bits Science-Fiction Library series: Space Puppet: pb/Ron Turner]
- The Master Weed (London: C A Pearson, 1954) [chap: in the publisher's Tit-Bits Science-Fiction Library series: Space Puppet: pb/Ron Turner]
- Alien Virus (London: C A Pearson, 1955) [chap: in the publisher's Tit-Bits Science-Fiction Library series: Space Puppet: pb/Ron Turner]
individual titles
- The Touch of Evil (London: Brown, Watson/Digit Books, 1963) [coll of linked stories: pb/R A Osborne]
- Watch on Peter (London: Jonathan Cape, 1964) [hb/Gareth Floyd]
- We, the Venusians (New York: Ace Books, 1965) [dos: pb/Jack Gaughan]
- Danger from Vega (New York: Ace Books, 1966) [dos: pb/Jack Gaughan]
- The Beasts of Kohl (New York: Ace Books, 1966) [dos: pb/Jack Gaughan]
- Time to Live (New York: Ace Books, 1966) [dos: pb/Jack Gaughan]
- The Double Invaders (New York: Ace Books, 1967) [dos: pb/Ermoyan]
- Alien Sea (New York: Ace Books, 1968) [dos: pb/George Ziel]
- The Proxima Project (New York: Ace Books, 1968) [dos: pb/John Schoenherr]
- Ipomoea (New York: Ace Books, 1969) [dos: pb/Kelly Freas]
- Treasure of Tau Ceti (New York: Ace Books, 1969) [dos: pb/Kelly Freas]
- The Anything Tree (New York: Ace Books, 1970) [dos: pb/John Schoenherr]
- Flower of Doradil (New York: Ace Books, 1970) [dos: pb/Kelly Freas]
- Beyond Capella (New York: Ace Books, 1971) [dos: pb/Kelly Freas]
- Dark Planet (New York: Ace Books, 1971) [dos: pb/Jack Gaughan]
- Earthstrings (New York: Ace Books, 1972) [dos: pb/Kelly Freas]
- Beanstalk (New York: DAW Books, 1973) [pb/Kelly Freas]
links
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