Sci Fi Writer Visits Square

One of the hottest new writers in the science fiction world was in a Cambridge bookstore yesterday afternoon signing copies of his latest novel.

David Brin, with only four novels and several short stories published, has already received many of the most prestigious awards in science fiction.

At the Science Fantasy Bookstore on John F. Kennedy St. yesterday, the popular writer autographed copies of his latest novel, "The Postman," commented on a variety of topics, and talked with his gathered fans.

Brin's second novel, "Startide Rising," won both the Hugo and Nebula awards for Best Novel of 1983. "The Crystal Spheres" won the Hugo for Best Short Story of 1985, and "The Postman" came in second during the 1984 Hugo competition.

The Hugo is annually awarded by the World Science Fiction Convention where the number of voters each year averages about 1400. The Nebula Awards are chosen by the Science Fiction Writers of America. Voting for the Nebulas is limited to the professional writers who belong to the organization.

Brin, who holds a doctorate in Astrophysics and is a consultant for NASA, this year gave up his teaching position at the University of California at San Diego to write full-time. He has three more novels coming out in the next year.