James Blish was an American science fiction and fantasy author renowned for his imaginative and thought-provoking works. He is best known for the Cities in Flight series, which explores the concept of entire cities traveling through space using anti-gravity technology, and A Case of Conscience, a Hugo Award-winning novel that delves into the moral and theological dilemmas of encountering an alien civilization. Blish also wrote Star Trek novelizations, bringing the iconic series to print.