Hal Clement is the nom de plume under which Harry Clement Stubbs wrote science fiction. Born in Massachusetts in 1922, he graduated from Harvard with a BSc. in astronomy, and later added degrees in chemistry and education. A former B-24 pilot who saw active service during the Second World War, he worked for most of his life as a high-school science teacher. He made his reputation as an SF writer with the work that appeared in ASTOUNDING, where his best-known novel, MISSION OF GRAVITY, first appeared in serialised form in 1953.
The best account of alien life on another planet A popular and long-lived work ... an impressive feat of world-building ... a touching adventure story ... written with hearty conviction - SCIENCE FICTION: THE 100 BEST NOVELS One of the best-loved novels in SF ... intriguingly plausible - THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SCIENCE FICTION Remains a great favourite