Edward James (historian)


Edward Frederick James is a British scholar of medieval history and science fiction. He is Emeritus Professor of Medieval History at University College, Dublin.

Biography

James was born in Solihull, Warwickshire. He received a BA 1968; DPhil in 1975. He began teaching in 1970 at University College, Dublin.
He was a Lecturer, then College Lecturer, at the Department of Medieval History, University College Dublin from 1970 to 1978. He was a Lecturer, then Senior Lecturer in early medieval history at the Department of History, University of York, 1978 to 1995, as well as Director of the Centre for Medieval Studies, University of York from 1990 to 1995.
He was Professor of Medieval History at the University of Reading from 1995 to 2004 and was a Director of the Graduate Centre for Medieval Studies, 1999–2001.
He has researched Late Roman and early medieval history; the history of the barbarians, particularly of the Franks; the writings of Gregory of Tours ; and the history of science fiction, fantasy, and utopian literature. He was Professor of Medieval History, in the School of History, University College Dublin, from 2004 until his retirement in 2012.
He is also an academic writer on science fiction and fantasy, and was the editor of Foundation – The International Review of Science Fiction from 1986 to 2001. He won the Eaton Award for best critical work on science fiction for Science Fiction in the Twentieth Century. The Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction, which he edited with Farah Mendlesohn, won the 2005 Hugo Award for Best Related Book. A companion volume, The Cambridge Companion to Fantasy Literature, also edited with Mendlesohn, collects chapters by Brian Attebery, Gregory Frost, Alexander C. Irvine, Paul Kincaid, Adam Roberts, Gary K. Wolfe, and others.

Personal life

James married his fellow academic, Farah Mendlesohn in 2001.

Selected works