Alex Comfort

Alex Comfort was an English writer and physician whose works in both non-fiction and fiction spanned many genres. Born in 1920, Comfort had an expansive and varied career, and his best-known works include The Joy of Sex and The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook.

Early Life

Alex Comfort was born on February 10, 1920, in London, England. The son of two academics, he was brought up in a stimulating and intellectual family atmosphere. As a child, Comfort exhibited signs of a prodigious intelligence, learning to read by the age of three. He developed a fondness for poetry and wrote his first poem at the age of five.

Education

Comfort studied medicine at King's College in London and went on to pursue his medical career in the early 1940s. However, his current interests became secondary to his writing, and he decided to pursue a literary career. In the early 1950s, he became a lecturer in literary appreciation at University College London. Comfort enrolled in the Royal Army Medical Corps during World War II and later pursued an academic career at the University of London, receiving a doctorate in gerontology.

Writing Career

Comfort wrote extensively and was active in a variety of literary genres. During his career, he placed particular attention to science and medical topics, as well as social sciences and psychology. He also wrote science fiction and was a pioneer within the genre.

He achieved international success through his renowned non-fiction works such as The Joy of Sex, which was first published in 1972. This book provided a frank, humorous and thought-provoking exploration of human sexuality and quickly became an international bestseller, remaining at the top of the lists for close to a decade. Comfort followed The Joy of Sex with The New Joy of Sex (1991)—written for a more sophisticated audience—as well as The Cancer Syndrome (1980). He also published several works of fiction, including Pause for Breath (1954), The Horse of a Different Colour (1967) and The Baseball User’s Guide (1976).

Comfort’s works also include The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook, which was first published in 1989. This book provides guidance and assistance to people struggling with anxiety and phobias, discussing treatments and offering real-life success stories. In addition to helping those suffering from psychological problems, Comfort wrote many books on the physical effects of ageing and its medical implications, including The Biology of Ageing (1961), Ageing: The Facts (1979) and Biological Aging and Nutrition (1985).

Legacy

Comfort made significant contributions to both fiction and non-fiction literature. He was adept in providing thorough, scientifically accurate explorations of issues such as human sexuality and aging, and his works remain popular to this day. His influence is particularly seen in his contribution to the science fiction genre, and he is credited as having established the enduring themes of science fiction.

In addition to his literary career, Comfort was also a physician and was deeply committed to helping people in need. He set up a free clinic in London to help individuals with psychological problems and spent much of his time providing medical advice to those less fortunate.

Alex Comfort’s commitment to providing help and encouragement to those experiencing psychological problems endures to this day. He left a powerful impression on literature and medicine, and his works remain relevant in the modern world.