Prolific science fiction author Damien Broderick, who wrote over 70 books and helped coin the term “virtual reality,” has died. The beloved Australian writer passed away on April 19 in Portugal, according to genre outlet Locus. He was 80.
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Damien Francis Broderick, born on April 22, 1944, in Melbourne, Australia, earned a PhD in fiction semiotics from Deakin University. He spent many years as a senior fellow at the University of Melbourne.
Broderick’s foray into science fiction began in 1964 with the publication of “The Sea’s Furthest End,” a story that would later evolve into a full-length novel of the same name in 1993. His debut novel, Sorcerer’s World, followed in 1970.
💔 DAMIEN BRODERICK PASSED 💔 — It is with a heavy heart that I share the news of Damien Broderick's passing today. Damien was a visionary author, scholar, and thinker. Damien's work profoundly shaped the landscape of science fiction, transhumanism, and futurist thought. (1/5) pic.twitter.com/MJWdpaSXK0
— Philip vN (@PhilipvN) April 20, 2025
Broderick excelled at writing short stories. “Infinite Monkey” (2000) earned an Aurealis Award, while “This Wind Blowing, and this Tide” (2009) and “Under the Moons of Venus” (2010) were both finalists for the prestigious Sturgeon Memorial Award. Many of his remarkable short stories have been compiled into acclaimed collections, including A Man Returned (1965), The Dark Between the Stars: Speculative Fiction (1991), Uncle Bones (2009), The Qualia Engine (2011), Adrift in the Noösphere: Science Fiction Stories (2012), and Under the Moons of Venus: Best Science Fiction Stories of Damien Broderick (2021).
Other notable novels include The Dreaming Dragons: A Time Opera (1980), a Campbell Memorial Award runner-up, as well as The Judas Mandala (1982), The Black Grail (1986), Transmitters (1984), Striped Holes (1988), and Quipu (2005). Additionally, Godplayers (2005) stands alongside three Aurealis Award-winning novels: The White Abacus (1996), Transcension (2002), and K-Machines (2006).
Damien Broderick Takes a Hallmark of Science Fiction to the Mainstream
Meanwhile, in 1982, Broderick played a key role in coining the term “virtual reality” (a computer-generated environment designed to feel realistic—or at least fully immersive—to those who experience it) through his novel The Judas Mandala, a work that explores multiple complex and intertwining virtual realities. According to The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, Broderick’s use of the term “virtual reality” is the earliest example in fiction.
I was saddened to hear that Damien Broderick passed away recently. He was a great friend and author, an incisive thinker about fiction and the future, and for some reason liked to use my pictures for his book covers. pic.twitter.com/OmIlFbczJd
— Anders Sandberg (@anderssandberg) April 28, 2025
Broderick was also a prolific writer in science fiction criticism and scholarship, with works like Reading by Starlight (1995), Transrealist Fiction (2000), and The Time Machine Hypothesis (2019). His non-fiction includes titles on future studies and polymathy, such as The Spike (1997) and Ferocious Minds (2005).
Later in life, the Australian Broderick resided in San Antonio, Texas, with his wife, Barbara Lamar, before eventually settling in Portugal. In 2005, he was honored with a prestigious scholarship award from the International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts. Five years later, in 2010, he received the A. Bertram Chandler Memorial Award, recognizing his exceptional contributions to Australian science fiction.