Martin H. Greenberg


Martin Harry Greenberg was an American academic and anthologist in many genres, including mysteries and horror, but especially in speculative fiction. In all, he compiled 1,298 anthologies and commissioned over 8,200 original short stories. He founded Tekno Books, a packager of more than 2000 published books. He was also a co-founder of the Sci-Fi Channel. Greenberg was also an expert in terrorism and the Middle East. He was a longtime friend, colleague and business partner of Isaac Asimov.

Biography

Greenberg was born to Max and Mae Greenberg in South Miami Beach, Florida. He received a bachelor's degree from the University of Miami, a doctorate in political science from the University of Connecticut in 1969, and taught at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay from 1975 until 1996. Early in his career he was sometimes confused with Martin Greenberg, publisher of Gnome Press; they were not related. Isaac Asimov suggested that he call himself "Martin H. Greenberg" or "Martin Harry Greenberg" to distinguish him from the other Martin Greenberg "if he expected to deal fruitfully with the science-fiction world".
Greenberg's first anthology was Political Science Fiction: An Introductory Reader, edited with Patricia S. Warrick and intended for use as a teaching guide. Warrick was a colleague at one of the UW two-year colleges, University of Wisconsin–Fox Valley, who recruited Greenberg to give one lecture on the future of politics. He learned that her course used one science fiction text; she learned of his interest and made a "career-changing comment". Ten educational anthologies under the series name Through Science Fiction followed through 1978, mainly from Rand McNally. In the late 1970s Greenberg began partnering with Joseph D. Olander on more conventional science fiction anthologies. They also created the critical series Writers of the 21st Century and produced six of its seven volumes, each titled for its featured author.
Greenberg typically teamed up with another editor, splitting the duties of story selection, editing, copyright searches, and handling royalties to authors. Major partners include Isaac Asimov, Charles G. Waugh, Jane Yolen, and Robert Silverberg. He and Mark Tier shared two Prometheus Special Awards in 2005 for jointly creating the anthologies Give Me Liberty and Visions of Liberty. He also shared one Bram Stoker Award from the horror writers for the 1998 anthology Horrors! 365 Scary Stories.
The Horror Writers Association gave Greenberg its highest honor in 2003, the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement recognizing superior work that "substantially influenced the horror genre". He also received the Ellery Queen Award, which honors "outstanding people in the mystery-publishing industry", from the Mystery Writers of America in 1995 and one of three inaugural Solstice Awards in 2009, from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America for his lifetime contributions to their field. He is the only person to be awarded Lifetime Achievement Awards from all three of these groups.
Greenberg died in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on June 25, 2011, from complications of cancer. He was survived by two stepdaughters from his first wife, by his second wife, and by their daughter. He is buried at the Cnesses Israel Hebrew Cemetery in Green Bay.

Selected anthologies edited

Political Science Fiction, eds. Greenberg and Patricia S. WarrickThrough Science Fiction, series of ten guides for teachers edited by Greenberg and collaboratorsDawn of Time The Science Fictional Solar System Space Mail Science Fiction A to Z Space Mail, Volume II TV: 2000 The Fantasy Hall of Fame Intergalactic Empires Wizards The Science Fictional Olympics Young Extraterrestrials Supermen Witches Amazing Stories: 60 Years of the Best Science Fiction Cosmic Knights Giants Spells Alternative Histories Comets Magical Wishes Mythical Beasties Tin Stars Devils Neanderthals Robert Adams' Book of Alternate Worlds Space Shuttles Atlantis Ghosts The Mammoth Book of Classic Science Fiction Monsters Werewolves The Best Japanese Science Fiction Stories Curses Foundation's Friends The Further Adventures of Batman The Mammoth Book of Golden Age Science Fiction Robots Catfantastic: Nine Lives and Fifteen Tales Dick Tracy: The Secret Files The Further Adventures of The Joker Invasions The Mammoth Book of Vintage Science Fiction Alternate Wars Faeries The Mammoth Book of New World Science Fiction Nightmares on Elm Street: Freddy Krueger's Seven Sweetest Dreams Catfantastic II Alternate Americas The Further Adventures of Batman Volume 2 Featuring the Penguin The Mammoth Book of Fantastic Science Fiction Xanadu The Further Adventures of Batman Volume 3 Featuring Catwoman The Further Adventures of Wonder Woman The Further Adventures of Superman The Mammoth Book of Modern Science Fiction Predators Xanadu 2 Xanadu 3 Catfantastic III Celebrity Vampires Dark Love Vampire Detectives Dinosaurs UFOs: The Greatest Stories Catfantastic IV Adventures of the Batman Legends of the Batman Robert Bloch's Psychos Tales of the Batman Holmes for the Holidays Mob Magic Alternate Generals Catfantastic V My Favorite Fantasy Story Murder Most Feline Past Imperfect Robert Silverberg Presents the Great SF Stories: 1964 Once Upon a Galaxy Further Adventures of Xena: Warrior Princess The Repentant Sirius: The Dog Star The Best Time Travel Stories of the 20th Century Heroes in Training Full Moon City Steampunk'd Courts of the Fey Human for a Day