Berserkers are interstellar killing machines, massive AI-controlled Spaceships programmed to eliminate all forms of life from the universe they sometimes manifest in smaller Robot form. Later volumes, beginning with The Berserker Wars (coll 1981), which repeats some stories from the 1967 collection, and ending with Rogue Berserker ( 2005), perhaps inevitably weakened the impact of the initial premise. As an sf author, he became known – and remains best remembered – for the Berserker series of stories and novels, the first several of which are the strongest: Berserker (coll of linked stories 1967), which includes the first, roughly told but memorable story in the sequence, 'Fortress Ship' (January 1963 If vt 'Without a Thought' in Berserker) Brother Assassin ( 1969 vt Brother Berserker 1969) Berserker's Planet ( 1975) Berserker Man ( 1979), perhaps the best of the lot, and The Ultimate Enemy (coll 1979 vt Berserkers: The Ultimate Enemy 1988). He began publishing sf with 'Volume PAA-PYX' in Galaxy for February 1961, and was active from that date, soon releasing the first of his many novels, The Golden People ( 1964 dos exp 1984), a Space Opera involving Psi Powers.

(1930-2007) US author and editor, in the latter capacity with the Encyclopedia Britannica 1967-1973, for which he wrote the original entry on sf.

The Dracula Tape by Fred Saberhagen