11 Facts About Tom Godwin

Tom Godwin was an American science fiction author active throughout the 1950s into the 1970s.

Tom Godwin is best known for his short story, "The Cold Equations".

Tom Godwin had a rough childhood that was marked by much loss and suffering.

Tom Godwin withdrew from school after the third grade, but he went on to teach himself multiple other subjects to expand his knowledge and be able to write better stories.

Tom Godwin had a spinal disorder known as kyphosis, which results in a curvature of the spine, making him appear hunchbacked.

Tom Godwin spent a few months in the Army before he was discharged due to his spinal condition worsening.

Tom Godwin went on to base two of the main characters in his second novel, The Space Barbarians, after them.

Tom Godwin worked for the forest service in Washington state for a short period of time.

Tom Godwin's wife died from a heart attack in the early 1970s.

Tom Godwin died in a Las Vegas hospital in the summer of 1980.

Tom Godwin did not have any identification on him so his body was held at a funeral home until a friend of his who was a physician assistant learned of his death and contacted his daughter, Diane.