Michael Butterworth
Michael Butterworth is a British author born in 1924, recognized for his contributions to the science fiction and fantasy genres. He emerged as a prominent figure in the British "new wave" movement during the late 1960s and early 1970s, with his works featured in various small magazines and anthologies, notably including *New Worlds*. In addition to writing, Butterworth edited several small press magazines such as *Concentrate*, *Corridor*, and *Woodworks*. In 1976, he transitioned to writing fantasy to support his family, coauthoring *The Time of the Hawklords* with Michael Moorcock, followed by its sequel, *Queens of Deliria*. That same year, he co-founded the U.K. imprint Savoy Books with David Britton, where they published anthologies like *The Savoy Book* and *Savoy Dreams*. Butterworth also gained recognition for his novelizations of the second season of the television series *Space: 1999*, producing books rapidly to align with the show’s episodes and often creating character details for uncast roles. His multifaceted career illustrates a dynamic engagement with both speculative fiction and the evolving landscape of British literature.
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Michael Butterworth
Fiction Writer
- Born: January 10, 1924
- Birthplace: England
- Died: October 1, 1986
Biography
British author Michael Butterworth was born in 1924. He got his start writing short fiction in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, and was considered one of the “new wave” authors in British science fiction. Butterworth’s fiction appeared in a variety of small magazines and anthologies, including New Worlds. He also edited several small press magazines: Concentrate, Corridor, and Woodworks.
Butterworth switched to writing fantasy in 1976 to support his growing family. He cowrote The Time of the Hawklords with Michael Morcock in 1976. A second book in the series, Queens of Deliria, followed in 1977. In 1976, Butterworth also cofounded the U.K. imprint “Savoy Books” in 1976 with David Britton. The pair edited and published two anthologies; The Savoy Book in 1978, and Savoy Dreams in 1984.
Butterworth was also known for his novelizations for year two of the Space 1999 television series. At one point, the books were being written at a pace of one every three weeks, to coincide with the episodes of the television series. Four scripts were combined to make a single novel, and Butterworth frequently had to fill in the character details for roles that hadn’t been cast.