The Ultimate Fantasy Series Ranking

Author page

Gordon R. Dickson

1 universe Last reviewed 2026-09-05

Gordon Rupert Dickson was born November 1, 1923, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. After his father's death, he moved with his mother to Minneapolis in 1937. He served in the United States Army from 1943 to 1946, then earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Minnesota in 1948 and pursued graduate studies there through 1950. Dickson made his published debut in 1950 with "Trespass!", a short story co-written with Poul Anderson, launching a career spanning until 2001. He became known for science fiction and fantasy works that often featured mercenary protagonists and explored themes of human resilience against alien civilizations. His most significant achievement is the Childe Cycle, also called the Dorsai series, including Dorsai! (1959), Soldier, Ask Not (1967), and The Final Encyclopedia (1984); he also wrote the humorous Dragon Knight fantasy novels. Dickson received three Hugo Awards and one Nebula Award for individual works, won the 1977 Skylark Award from NESFA, and was inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 2000. He died January 31, 2001, at age 77 in Minneapolis from complications related to severe asthma, a condition that had affected him throughout his life.

Universe(s)

The Dragon Knight

  • Core Canon books: 9
  • Current rank: #607 in the official ranking
  • Weighted average: 3.88
  • Award recognitions: 1 won

Books

Aggregate across all universes

← All authors