Mark Irwin Clifton was an American science fiction author who made a brief but highly significant impact on the literary genre during the mid-twentieth century. Born on October 24, 1906, Clifton's professional writing career began relatively late in his life, yet he quickly achieved major critical recognition within the science fiction community.\n\nClifton officially entered the publishing world in May 1952 with the release of his debut short story, "What Have I Done?". The work was highly acclaimed and became widely anthologized, establishing his reputation as a compelling new voice in speculative fiction. Over the course of his writing career, Clifton's contributions to the field were recognized with one of its most prestigious honors when he became the co-winner of the second Hugo Award for best novel. His active career was cut short by his death on October 25, 1963, just one day after his fifty-seventh birthday, leaving behind a respected legacy in American science fiction.
