10 Facts About Algis Budrys

Algirdas Jonas "Algis" Budrys was a Lithuanian-American science fiction author, editor and critic.

Algis Budrys was known under the pen names Frank Mason, Alger Rome in collaboration with Jerome Bixby, John A Sentry, William Scarff and Paul Janvier.

In 1936, when Budrys was five years old, Jonas was appointed as the consul general in New York City.

Algis Budrys was educated at the University of Miami and later at Columbia University in New York City.

Algis Budrys taught himself English at the age of six by reading Robinson Crusoe.

From Flash Gordon comic strips, Budrys read H G Wells's The Time Machine; Astounding Science Fiction caused him at the age of 11 to want to become a science fiction writer.

Algis Budrys's first published science fiction story was "The High Purpose", which appeared in Astounding in 1952.

In 1952, Algis Budrys worked as editor and manager for such science fiction publishers as Gnome Press and Galaxy Science Fiction.

Algis Budrys worked as a publicist; in a famous publicity stunt, he erected a giant pickle on the proposed site of the Chicago Picasso during the time the newly arriving sculpture was embroiled in controversy.

Algis Budrys last resided in Evanston, Illinois, where he died from metastatic malignant melanoma on June 9,2008, at age 77.