Authors

Donald A. Wollheim (1914–1990) was an American science fiction editor, publisher, and author whose vision and determination helped shape modern science fiction. As a pioneering fan, writer, and later a legendary editor, Wollheim was instrumental in moving the genre from pulp magazines to mass-market books, making science fiction accessible to […]

Carl Richard Jacobi (1908–1997) was an American writer of pulp fiction, best remembered for his contributions to horror, fantasy, adventure, and science fiction during the golden age of the pulps. Though never as widely known as some of his contemporaries, Jacobi developed a reputation as a skilled craftsman of atmospheric, […]

Harlan Ellison (1934–2018) was one of the most controversial, outspoken, and dazzlingly original voices in American speculative fiction—a writer whose fierce imagination and uncompromising personality earned him both acclaim and notoriety. Frequently described as the “bad boy of science fiction,” Ellison cultivated a reputation for being brash, confrontational, and unafraid […]

Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and critic whose darkly imaginative works left an indelible mark on world literature. Often hailed as the master of the macabre, Poe pioneered multiple genres—horror, detective fiction, and early science fiction—while developing a distinctive literary style known for its intensity, […]

Frank M. Robinson (1926–2014) was an American science fiction author, editor, and journalist whose career spanned more than half a century. Known for his sharp, accessible storytelling and his skill in blending speculative ideas with social commentary, Robinson left his mark not only through memorable novels and short stories but […]

Michael Shaara (1928–1988) was an American author best known for his Pulitzer Prize–winning Civil War novel The Killer Angels (1974), but his literary journey began in the pages of mid-20th-century science fiction and fantasy magazines. His early work revealed a restless imagination, a fascination with human conflict, and a gift […]

Damon Knight (1922–2002) was an American science fiction author, critic, and editor whose influence on the genre was wide-ranging and profound. Though a talented writer of short fiction himself, Knight is equally remembered as a fearless critic, a pioneering editor, and a tireless advocate for science fiction as a serious […]

Clark Ashton Smith (1893–1961) was an American poet, sculptor, painter, and writer of fantasy, science fiction, and horror whose dazzling imagination and ornate prose made him one of the most distinctive voices of early 20th-century speculative fiction. Though often overshadowed by his close contemporaries and correspondents H. P. Lovecraft and […]

Alfred Bester (1913–1987) was an American science fiction writer, editor, and journalist whose dazzling imagination and experimental style reshaped the landscape of modern speculative fiction. Born in New York City, Bester studied psychology and literature before launching his career as a comic book writer in the 1940s, scripting for DC […]