Nelson S. Bond
Biography
Nelson S. Bond (1908–2006) was an American author of science fiction, fantasy, adventure, and radio drama whose career flourished during the pulp magazine era. A prolific storyteller with a flair for wit and character, Bond helped popularize science fiction in the 1930s and 40s through his lively, fast-paced fiction and his work across radio, magazines, and early television. He is especially remembered for his humorous and inventive series of Lancelot Biggs stories — all of which will be featured on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.
Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Bond began his writing career as a journalist in West Virginia before turning to fiction. He began selling to pulp magazines in the mid-1930s, quickly becoming a regular contributor to Astounding, Amazing Stories, Fantastic Adventures, and Blue Book. Unlike many writers who specialized in hard science or cosmic dread, Bond often gravitated toward lighter, character-driven tales that balanced imaginative speculation with humor, irony, or human warmth.
His most famous character is Lancelot Biggs — master spacer, accidental hero, and cosmic problem-solver — who debuted in Amazing Stories in 1939. The Biggs stories follow the misadventures of a seemingly hapless officer aboard a starship who repeatedly stumbles into saving the day through unorthodox means. The series became one of the more beloved comic entries in Golden Age science fiction and helped forge the template for genial, personality-forward space opera. Every story in this Lancelot Biggs series is scheduled to appear on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, preserving the entire sequence for a modern audience.
Bond’s versatility exceeded science fiction. He wrote historical adventure, supernatural tales, and mainstream fiction for Blue Book, Esquire, and The Saturday Evening Post. He wrote for radio in its golden age and transitioned briefly to early television drama. His story Mr. Mergenthwirker’s Lobblies — about invisible prank-loving imps — became popular on radio and was adapted multiple times for TV, making him one of the first science fiction/fantasy writers to see his work broadcast on national television.
Beyond entertainment, Bond played a meaningful role in the professionalization of science fiction. He corresponded with editors such as John W. Campbell and supported emerging writers. He also worked in public relations and bookselling after the pulp era changed the magazine market, eventually retiring from fiction in the 1950s. Though he stepped away from writing, his pulp and digest fiction remained in print through anthologies and reissues.
In later life, Bond was rediscovered by science fiction historians and readers who saw his work as an important link between the exuberant pulp tradition and later, more polished storytelling. In 1998, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America honored him with the Nebula Author Emeritus Award for his lifetime contributions to the field — formal recognition of a writer who entertained millions and helped shape early American science fiction.
Bond lived to the extraordinary age of 97, passing away in 2006 — one of the last living pillars of the original magazine era.
Legacy: Nelson S. Bond remains a vivid example of what made early science fiction delightful — invention without pretension, personality without cynicism, and storytelling driven by the joy of speculation. The Lancelot Biggs stories in particular preserve his talent for humorous adventure in space, and with their full run being featured on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, a new generation will hear the comic ingenuity that once filled the pages of Amazing Stories. Bond’s work stands as a bridge from the pulps to modern SF, a reminder that imagination — delivered with charm and velocity — is timeless.
