Hal Clement

Hal Clement (1922–2003), pen name of science teacher Harry Stubbs, was the model of the hard-SF writer, constructing alien worlds and creatures with rigorous scientific logic and inviting readers to solve the puzzles alongside him. Mission of Gravity, set on the high-gravity disc-world of Mesklin, is his classic. A chemistry and astronomy teacher for decades, he was named an SFWA Grand Master; his careful, humane world-building influenced generations of scientifically-minded writers.