Lee John Harding (19 February 1937 – 19 April 2023) was an Australian freelance photographer, who became a writer of science fiction novels and short stories.

Science fiction writing

Born in Colac, Victoria, and an enthusiastic fan of science fiction, Harding was among the founding members of the Melbourne Science Fiction Club.^[1] Other members of the club were Race Mathews, Bertram Chandler, Bob McCubbin, Merv Binns and Dick Jenssen.^[1]

Harding's first published work appeared in the Sydney photographic magazine PHOTO DIGEST in 1958: a photographic coverage of the filming of Nevil Shute's novel ON THE BEACH in Melbourne and Frankston locations, accompanied by a personal written record of his adventures there. This led to a request for a regular monthly column for the magazine on 35mm photography, and a subsequent photographic and written coverage of the filming of THE SUNDOWNERS, in Cooma, NSW.

In 1961 Harding's first published short story, Displaced Person,^[1] was published in Science Fantasy. He continued to write and submit stories to a range of magazines, including New Worlds, Science Fantasy, and Science Fiction Adventures in the U.K. In 1966, John Bangsund started the Australian SF Review^[1] (ASFR) and he and Harding and John Foyster became editorial partners in producing this fanzine publication. In 1969 Harding then went on to write for the joint Australian/UK SF magazine Vision of Tomorrow, set up by Ron Graham, plus stories in U.S magazines Galaxy, If and Odyssey, and also Australian magazines, including the Melbourne SUN newspaper. These stories were widely translated and dramatised. He also wrote two 12 part science fiction serials for ABC Education Radio and dramatised an H.G. Wells story for the same programme.

From 1972 Harding switched from photography to writing full-time. He published four short PB novels in Cassel's (aust.) education series for reluctant readers : The Fallen Spaceman, Children of Atlantis, The Frozen Sky & Return to Tomorrow. The success of this series was beyond expectations: the time was right to introduce the genre more widely in Australia. His first adult novel, A WORLD OF SHADOWS, followed in 1976 (Robert Hale, London) and in the same year he edited the seminal Australian SF anthologies BEYOND TOMORROW and THE ALTERED I, with assistance from Rob Gerrand and Ursula K. Le Guin, and followed this with ROOMS OF PARADISE in 1978, which was also published in the U.S. and U.K. Several stories from the latter were also re-printed in the annual U.S. publication, THE YEAR'S BEST SF. Four SF novels followed, culminating in the ground-breaking classic DISPLACED PERSON, adapted from his earlier short story, and his winning the Children's Book of The Year Award in 1980 accelerated the acceptance of the "young adult" genre to Australian fiction. With HEARTSEASE, he finally moved away from science fiction with his first mainstream novel, also for the young adult market.^[2] Harding has also written short stories using the pseudonym, Harold G Nye.^[2]

Lee Harding died in Perth, Western Australia on 19 April 2023, at the age of 86.^[3][4]

Awards

• 1970 - Ditmar Award Best Australian Science Fiction for Dancing Gerontius
• 1972 - Ditmar Award Best Australian Fiction for Fallen Spaceman
• 1978 - Alan Marshall Short Story Award for an unpublished manuscript Displaced Person^[5]
• 1980 - Winner of the Australian Children's Book of the Year Award for Displaced Person^[6]
• 2006 - Australian Science Fiction Foundation, Chandler Award in gratitude for his life's work.^[1]

Harding also received three Fellowships from the Literature Board.