James Henry Schmitz (October 15, 1911—April 18, 1981) was an American writer born in Hamburg, Germany of American parents. Aside from two years at business school in Chicago, Schmitz lived in Germany until 1938, leaving before World War II broke out in Europe in 1939.
During World War II, Schmitz served as an aerial photographer in the Pacific for the United States Army Air Corps. After the war, he and his brother-in-law managed a business which manufactured trailers until they ended the business in 1949.
Schmitz is best known as a writer of so-called "space opera", and for strong female characters (such as Telzey Amberdon and Trigger Argee) that didn't conform to the damsel in distress stereotype typical of science fiction during the time he was writing. His first published story was Greenface, published in August 1943 in Unknown.
Most of his works are part of the "Hub" series, though his best known novel is The Witches of Karres, concerning juvenile "witches" with genuine psi-powers and their escape from slavery. Karres was nominated for a Hugo Award. During recent years, his novels and short stories have been republished by Baen Books, edited and with notes by Eric Flint.
Schmitz died of congestive lung failure in 1981 after a five-week stay in the hospital in Los Angeles. He was survived by his wife, Betty Mae Chapman Schmitz.
Listed by title, with chronological publishing list.
Agent of Vega
Includes: Agent of Vega; The Illusionists; The Truth About Cushgar; The Second Night of Summer
Hardcover, 1960, Gnome Press, listed on cover as "James A. Schmitz"
Paperback, June 1962, Permabook
Paperback, June 1964, Mayflower
Paperback, 1973, Tempo Books/Grosset & Dunlap
Paperback, 1982, Ace Books
Agent of Vega & Other Stories
Includes: Agent of Vega; The Illusionists; The Second Night of Summer; The Truth About Cushgar; The Custodians; Gone Fishing; The Beacon to Elsewhere; The End of the Line; Watch the Sky; Greenface; Rogue Psi.
Paperback, November 2001, Baen Books
The Best of James H. Schmitz
Includes: Grandpa; Lion Loose...; Just Curious; The Second Night of Summer; Novice; Balanced Ecology; The Custodians; Sour Note on Palayata; Goblin Night.
Hardcover, 1991, NESFA Press
Eternal Frontier
Includes: The Big Terrarium; Summer Guests; Captives of the Thieve-Star; Caretaker; One Step Ahead; Left Hand, Right Hand; The Ties of Earth; Spacemaster; The Altruist; Oneness; We Don't Want Any Trouble; Just Curious; Would You?; These Are the Arts; Clean Slate; Crime Buff; Ham Sandwich; Where the Time Went; An Incident on Route 12; Swift Completion; Faddist; The Eternal Frontiers.
Paperback, September 2002, Baen Books
The Hub: Dangerous Territory
Includes: The Searcher; Grandpa; Balanced Ecology; A Nice Day for Screaming; The Winds of Time; The Machmen; The Other Likeness; Attitudes; Trouble Tide; The Demon Breed.
Paperback, 2001, Baen Books
The Lion Game
Includes: Goblin Night; Sleep No More; The Lion Game.
Paperback, 1973, DAW Books
Hardcover, 1976, Sidgwick & Jackson
Paperback, 1979, Hamlyn
Paperback, 1982, Ace Books
A Nice Day for Screaming and Other Tales of the Hub
Includes: Balanced Ecology; A Nice Day for Screaming; The Tangled Web; The Machmen; The Other Likeness; The Winds of Time.
Hardcover, 1965, Chilton
A Pride of Monsters
Includes: Lion Loose; The Searcher; The Winds of Time; The Pork Chop Tree; Greenface.
Hardcover, 1970, MacMillan
Paperback, 1973, Collier
Telzey Amberdon
Includes: Novice; Undercurrents; Poltergeist; Goblin Night; Sleep No More; The Lion Game; Blood of Nalakia; The Star Hyacinths.
Paperback, April 2000, Baen Books
The Telzey Toy
Includes: The Telzey Toy; Resident Witch; Compulsion; Company Planet.
Paperback, 1973, DAW Books
Hardcover, 1976, Sidgwick & Jackson
Hardcover, 1978, Sidgwick & Jackson, in a 3-in-1 collection titled Special 24
Paperback, 1982, Ace Books
Paperback, 1983, Hamlyn
T'nT: Telzey & Trigger
Includes: Company Planet; Resident Witch; Compulsion (includes The Pork Chop Tree as prolog); Glory Day; Child of the Gods; Ti's Toys; Symbiotes.
Paperback, July 2000, Baen Books
Trigger & Friends
Includes: Lion Loose; Harvest Time; Forget It; Aura of Immortality; Legacy; A Sour Note on Palayata.
