A Lost Sci Fi writer

It's fairly common in small towns to see murals on the side of buildings.  These are often a nice way to showcase little bits of local history.  This one on the side of an appliance store in Beaver Dam Wisconsin, is rather nicely done.

I really like early Science Fiction.  But I had never heard of Raymond Z. Gallun.  The mural shows a square jawed, steely eyed, cleft chinned man gazing resolutely into an amazing future.  

As you can tell from the fine print Gallun was born in Beaver Dam in 1911.  He enjoyed some success in the early days of Sci Fi, both in the "Pulp Era" of the 1920s and 30s and on into the so called "Golden Age" that began - depending on who you ask - either just before or just after the Second World War.

Gallun did not look anything like the guy on the mural.  

An early sketch...considerably less heroic looking

The mural is actually based on a cover of one of the early Sci Fi magazines that published Gallun's work.  The art on these was always creative, lurid and only vaguely connected to the content of the stories.  I've touched on this phenomena in a previous post.

I would love to say that my rustic wanderings tipped me off to an unrecognized genius; that I am now a devoted fan of this largely forgotten writer.  But to be honest the samples of his work I have come across in my research are.....not that good.

You can judge for yourself by a quick stroll here.  The "freesfonline" data base has some great stuff on it although it rather highlights the poverty of more modern Sci Fi.

Like all the early writers Gallun really "cranked 'em out", getting paid by the page.  His stories tend to be reworkings of earlier stories or archetypes.  In the hands of, say, his contemporary Isaac Asimov this can be spirited fun.  Gallun's take on the classic Western Frontier conflict of settlers versus outlaws seems pretty silly when set on a mining asteroid.  

Well Ray, rest in peace.  You lived long enough to see a lot of the early dreams of the pioneers - of the Sci Fi genre, not the asteroid farmer type - come true.