An American science fiction writer, considered one of the most influential and controversial authors of the genre in his time. He set a standard for scientific and engineering plausibility and helped to raise the genre's standards of literary quality.

He was one of the first science fiction writers to break into mainstream magazines and was one of the best-selling science fiction novelists for many decades. He, Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke are often considered to be the 'Big Three' of science fiction authors.