Julian May

Julian May was an acclaimed American author, born on July 10, 1931, in Chicago, Illinois. She was the eldest of four children and was known as Judy May in her childhood, a name she would later use as one of her pen names. Raised in Elmwood Park, Illinois, May was drawn to science fiction at a young age and began publishing a fanzine called "Interim Newsletter" in her late teens. This early involvement in the science fiction community led to her selling her first story, "Dune Roller," to John W. Campbell's Astounding Science Fiction in 1950. The story was published the following year under the name J. C. May, accompanied by her own illustrations.

May's talent for writing was further recognized when she chaired the tenth World Science Fiction Convention in 1952, held in her hometown of Chicago. Her contributions to the genre were honored in 2015 when she was inducted into First Fandom's Hall of Fame at the 73rd World Science Fiction Convention. In addition to her work in science fiction, May also authored fantasy, horror, science, and children's books under various pseudonyms, including Ian Thorne and Lee N. Falconer.

In 1953, May married Thaddeus “Ted” Ditky, an early anthologist of science fiction stories. The couple met at a science fiction convention in 1951 and had three children together, with the youngest born in 1958. May's writing career spanned various genres, and she is best known for her series such as the Saga of Pliocene Exile and the Galactic Milieu series. She moved away from science fiction for a period to write children's, YA, and non-fiction books before returning to the genre that first captured her imagination.