Joe Haldeman has had a varied career in science fiction. He has written novels and stories, poems, tie-in novels, movie scripts, and even filk songs. Born in 1943, he had his first story, “Out of Phase,” published in Galaxy Magazine in September 1969, two years after graduating college. His first book, War Year, was non-genre based on his experiences in the Vietnam War. His first SF novel, The Forever War (1974), was also heavily influenced by his Vietnam War experiences. It won the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Awards. He wrote a sequel Forever Free in 1999. His 1998 novel, Forever Peace, despite the name, is only thematically linked; it won the Hugo and Nebula. Other major works include the Worlds trilogy, the Marsbound trilogy, The Hemingway Hoax (which won best novella Hugo and Nebula before being turned into a novel), Camouflage (Nebula winner), and The Accidental Time Machine. He also wrote two Star Trek novels. Unlike many authors who are primarily novelists, he continued to write stories throughout his career Many of these are in The Best of Joe Haldeman (2013 from Subterranean Press).
Arguably the first major SF writer of the Vietnam War generation, Joe Haldeman often dealt with themes of war and peace and the long-term effects of war on those who fight it. He was named a SFWA grandmaster in 2010 and inducted to the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2012. He also was president of SFWA. It is worth noting his connection to the Washington Science Fiction Association.
He was a trustee of the Washington Science Fiction Association (WSFA) for two years, in 1967-1968, 1969-1970. His brother Jack (Jay) C. Haldeman was a science fiction writer in his own right, with six novels and around 75 short stories. The brothers collaborated on a novel, There is No Darkness. Jay was president of WSFA from 1966 to 1974 and chaired the club’s convention, Disclave, during those years.