Murray Leinster
Encyclopedia
Murray Leinster was a nom de plume of William Fitzgerald Jenkins, an award-winning American
writer
of science fiction
and alternate history
. He wrote and published over 1,500 short stories and articles, 14 movie scripts, and hundreds of radio scripts and television plays.
.
He began his career as a freelance writer before World War I
; he was two months short of his 20th birthday when his first story, "The Foreigner", appeared in the May 1916 issue of H. L. Mencken
's literary magazine The Smart Set
. Over the next three years, Leinster published ten more stories in the magazine. During and after World War I, he began appearing in pulp magazine
s like Argosy
, Snappy Stories, and Breezy Stories. He continued to appear regularly in Argosy into the 1950s. When the pulp magazines began to diversify into particular genres in the 1920s, Leinster followed suit, selling jungle stories to Danger Trails, westerns to West and Cowboy Stories, detective stories to Black Mask and Mystery Stories, horror stories to Weird Tales
, and even romance stories to Love Story Magazine under the pen name Louisa Carter Lee.
Leinster's first science fiction story, "The Runaway Skyscraper
", appeared in the February 22, 1919 issue of Argosy, and was reprinted in the June 1926 issue of Hugo Gernsback
's first science fiction magazine, Amazing Stories
. In the 1930s, he published several science fiction stories and serials in Amazing and Astounding Stories (the first issue of Astounding included his story "Tanks"). He continued to appear frequently in other genre pulps such as Detective Fiction Weekly and Smashing Western, as well as Collier's Weekly
beginning in 1936 and Esquire
starting in 1939.
Leinster is credited with the invention of parallel universe
stories. Four years before Jack Williamson
's The Legion of Time came out, Leinster published his "Sidewise in Time
" in the June 1934 issue of Astounding. This was probably the first time that the concept of alternate worlds appeared in modern science fiction. Leinster's vision of extraordinary oscillations in time ('sidewise in time') had a long-term impact on other authors, for example Isaac Asimov
's "Living Space
", "The Red Queen's Race
", and The End of Eternity
.
Leinster's 1945 novella "First Contact
" is also credited as one of the first (if not the first) instances of a universal translator
in science fiction.
Leinster was one of the few science fiction writers from the 1930s to survive in the John W. Campbell
era of higher writing standards, publishing over three dozen stories in Astounding and Analog under Campbell's editorship. The last story by Leinster in Analog was "Quarantine World" in the November 1966 issue, thirty-six years after his appearance in the premier January 1930 issue.
Murray Leinster's 1946 short story "A Logic Named Joe
" contains one of the first descriptions of a computer (called a "logic") in fiction. In the story, Leinster was decades ahead of his time in imagining the Internet
. He envisioned logics in every home, linked through a distributed system of servers
(called "tanks"), to provide communications, entertainment, data access, and commerce; one character says that "logics are civilization."
After World War II, when both his name and the pulps had achieved a wider acceptance, he would use either "William Fitzgerald", "Fitzgerald Jenkins" or "Will F. Jenkins" as names on stories when "Leinster" had already sold a piece to a particular issue.
Leinster continued publishing in the 1950s and 1960s, appearing in Galaxy Magazine and The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, as well as The Saturday Evening Post
. He won a Hugo Award
for his 1956 story "Exploration Team
". Leinster ended his writing career writing novelizations of episodes of the science fiction series Men Into Space
, The Time Tunnel
, and Land of the Giants
.
(1917–1918). In 1921, he married Mary Mandola, and the two had four daughters. During World War II
, he served in the Office of War Information
.
over the film Star Trek: First Contact
, claiming that as the owners of the rights to Leinster's 1945 short story "First Contact
", it infringed their trademark
in the term. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia granted Paramount's motion for summary judgment
and dismissed the suit. The court found that regardless of whether Leinster's story first coined the phrase, it had since become a generic
and therefore unprotectable term that described the genre of science fiction in which humans first encounter alien species. Even if the title was instead "descriptive"—a category of terms higher than "generic" that may be protectable—there was no evidence that the title had the required association in the public's mind (known as "secondary meaning") such that its use would normally be understood as referring to Leinster's story. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals
affirmed the lower court's dismissal without comment.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
of science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and alternate history
Alternate history (fiction)
Alternate history or alternative history is a genre of fiction consisting of stories that are set in worlds in which history has diverged from the actual history of the world. It can be variously seen as a sub-genre of literary fiction, science fiction, and historical fiction; different alternate...
. He wrote and published over 1,500 short stories and articles, 14 movie scripts, and hundreds of radio scripts and television plays.
Writing career
Leinster was born in Norfolk, VirginiaNorfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
.
He began his career as a freelance writer before World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
; he was two months short of his 20th birthday when his first story, "The Foreigner", appeared in the May 1916 issue of H. L. Mencken
H. L. Mencken
Henry Louis "H. L." Mencken was an American journalist, essayist, magazine editor, satirist, acerbic critic of American life and culture, and a scholar of American English. Known as the "Sage of Baltimore", he is regarded as one of the most influential American writers and prose stylists of the...
's literary magazine The Smart Set
The Smart Set
The Smart Set was a literary magazine founded in America in March 1900 by Colonel William d'Alton Mann.-History:Mann had previously published Town Topics, a gossip rag which he used for political and social gain among New York City's infamous elite known as "The Four Hundred." With The Smart Set,...
. Over the next three years, Leinster published ten more stories in the magazine. During and after World War I, he began appearing in pulp magazine
Pulp magazine
Pulp magazines , also collectively known as pulp fiction, refers to inexpensive fiction magazines published from 1896 through the 1950s. The typical pulp magazine was seven inches wide by ten inches high, half an inch thick, and 128 pages long...
s like Argosy
Argosy (magazine)
Argosy was an American pulp magazine, published by Frank Munsey. It is generally considered to be the first American pulp magazine. The magazine began as a general information periodical entitled The Golden Argosy, targeted at the boys adventure market.-Launch of Argosy:In late September 1882,...
, Snappy Stories, and Breezy Stories. He continued to appear regularly in Argosy into the 1950s. When the pulp magazines began to diversify into particular genres in the 1920s, Leinster followed suit, selling jungle stories to Danger Trails, westerns to West and Cowboy Stories, detective stories to Black Mask and Mystery Stories, horror stories to Weird Tales
Weird Tales
Weird Tales is an American fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine first published in March 1923. It ceased its original run in September 1954, after 279 issues, but has since been revived. The magazine was set up in Chicago by J. C. Henneberger, an ex-journalist with a taste for the macabre....
, and even romance stories to Love Story Magazine under the pen name Louisa Carter Lee.
Leinster's first science fiction story, "The Runaway Skyscraper
The Runaway Skyscraper
"The Runaway Skyscraper" is a science fiction short story by Murray Leinster that first appeared in the February 22, 1919 issue of Argosy magazine...
", appeared in the February 22, 1919 issue of Argosy, and was reprinted in the June 1926 issue of Hugo Gernsback
Hugo Gernsback
Hugo Gernsback , born Hugo Gernsbacher, was a Luxembourgian American inventor, writer, editor, and magazine publisher, best remembered for publications that included the first science fiction magazine. His contributions to the genre as publisher were so significant that, along with H. G...
's first science fiction magazine, Amazing Stories
Amazing Stories
Amazing Stories was an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction...
. In the 1930s, he published several science fiction stories and serials in Amazing and Astounding Stories (the first issue of Astounding included his story "Tanks"). He continued to appear frequently in other genre pulps such as Detective Fiction Weekly and Smashing Western, as well as Collier's Weekly
Collier's Weekly
Collier's Weekly was an American magazine founded by Peter Fenelon Collier and published from 1888 to 1957. With the passage of decades, the title was shortened to Collier's....
beginning in 1936 and Esquire
Esquire (magazine)
Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:...
starting in 1939.
Leinster is credited with the invention of parallel universe
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
stories. Four years before Jack Williamson
Jack Williamson
John Stewart Williamson , who wrote as Jack Williamson was a U.S. writer often referred to as the "Dean of Science Fiction" following the death in 1988 of Robert A...
's The Legion of Time came out, Leinster published his "Sidewise in Time
Sidewise in Time
"Sidewise in Time" is a science fiction short story by Murray Leinster that was first published in the June 1934 issue of Astounding Stories...
" in the June 1934 issue of Astounding. This was probably the first time that the concept of alternate worlds appeared in modern science fiction. Leinster's vision of extraordinary oscillations in time ('sidewise in time') had a long-term impact on other authors, for example Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
's "Living Space
Living Space
"Living Space" is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the May 1956 issue of Science Fiction and reprinted in the 1957 collection Earth Is Room Enough...
", "The Red Queen's Race
The Red Queen's Race (Isaac Asimov)
"The Red Queen's Race" is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov that uses the Red Queen's race from Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass as a metaphor for the final plot twist. The story also makes reference to Asimov's psychohistory...
", and The End of Eternity
The End of Eternity
The End of Eternity by Isaac Asimov is a science fiction novel, with mystery and thriller elements, on the subjects of time travel and social engineering....
.
Leinster's 1945 novella "First Contact
First Contact (novelette)
"First Contact" is a 1945 science fiction novelette by Murray Leinster credited as one of the first instances of a universal translator in science fiction. It won a retro Hugo Award for Best Novelette in 1996.-Plot summary:...
" is also credited as one of the first (if not the first) instances of a universal translator
Universal translator
A universal translator is a device common to many science fiction works, especially on television. First described in Murray Leinster's 1945 novella "First Contact", the translator's purpose is to offer an instant translation of any language...
in science fiction.
Leinster was one of the few science fiction writers from the 1930s to survive in the John W. Campbell
John W. Campbell
John Wood Campbell, Jr. was an influential figure in American science fiction. As editor of Astounding Science Fiction , from late 1937 until his death, he is generally credited with shaping the so-called Golden Age of Science Fiction.Isaac Asimov called Campbell "the most powerful force in...
era of higher writing standards, publishing over three dozen stories in Astounding and Analog under Campbell's editorship. The last story by Leinster in Analog was "Quarantine World" in the November 1966 issue, thirty-six years after his appearance in the premier January 1930 issue.
Murray Leinster's 1946 short story "A Logic Named Joe
A Logic Named Joe
"A Logic Named Joe" is a science fiction short story by Murray Leinster that was first published in the March 1946 issue of Astounding Science Fiction. The story actually appeared under Leinster's real name, Will F. Jenkins, since that issue of Astounding also included a story under the Leinster...
" contains one of the first descriptions of a computer (called a "logic") in fiction. In the story, Leinster was decades ahead of his time in imagining the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. He envisioned logics in every home, linked through a distributed system of servers
Server (computing)
In the context of client-server architecture, a server is a computer program running to serve the requests of other programs, the "clients". Thus, the "server" performs some computational task on behalf of "clients"...
(called "tanks"), to provide communications, entertainment, data access, and commerce; one character says that "logics are civilization."
After World War II, when both his name and the pulps had achieved a wider acceptance, he would use either "William Fitzgerald", "Fitzgerald Jenkins" or "Will F. Jenkins" as names on stories when "Leinster" had already sold a piece to a particular issue.
Leinster continued publishing in the 1950s and 1960s, appearing in Galaxy Magazine and The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, as well as The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post is a bimonthly American magazine. It was published weekly under this title from 1897 until 1969, and quarterly and then bimonthly from 1971.-History:...
. He won a Hugo Award
Hugo Award
The Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...
for his 1956 story "Exploration Team
Exploration Team
Exploration Team is a science fiction novelette by Murray Leinster. It won the Hugo Award for Best Novelette in 1956.-Plot summary:On an extremely dangerous unsettled planet, an illegal colonist with his team of trained bears make a dangerous trek to rescue the few survivors of an abortive...
". Leinster ended his writing career writing novelizations of episodes of the science fiction series Men Into Space
Men Into Space
Men Into Space is an American sci-fi television series broadcast from September 30, 1959 to September 7, 1960 by CBS which depicted future efforts by the United States Air Force to explore and develop outer space. The black-and-white filmed show starred William Lundigan as Col...
, The Time Tunnel
The Time Tunnel
The Time Tunnel is a 1966–1967 U.S. color science fiction TV series. The show was created and produced by Irwin Allen, his third science fiction television series. The show's main theme was Time Travel Adventure. The Time Tunnel was released by 20th Century Fox and broadcast on ABC. The show ran...
, and Land of the Giants
Land of the Giants
Land of the Giants was an hour-long American science fiction television program lasting two seasons beginning on September 22, 1968 and ending on March 22, 1970. The show was created and produced by Irwin Allen. Land of the Giants was the fourth of Allen's science fiction TV series. The show was...
.
Personal life
During World War I, Leinster served with the Committee of Public Information and the United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
(1917–1918). In 1921, he married Mary Mandola, and the two had four daughters. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he served in the Office of War Information
United States Office of War Information
The United States Office of War Information was a U.S. government agency created during World War II to consolidate government information services. It operated from June 1942 until September 1945...
.
Legal action against Paramount Pictures
In 2000, Leinster's heirs sued Paramount PicturesParamount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
over the film Star Trek: First Contact
Star Trek: First Contact
Star Trek: First Contact is the eighth feature film in the Star Trek science fiction franchise, released in November 1996, by Paramount Pictures. First Contact is the first film in the franchise to feature no cast members from the original Star Trek television series of the 1960s...
, claiming that as the owners of the rights to Leinster's 1945 short story "First Contact
First Contact (novelette)
"First Contact" is a 1945 science fiction novelette by Murray Leinster credited as one of the first instances of a universal translator in science fiction. It won a retro Hugo Award for Best Novelette in 1996.-Plot summary:...
", it infringed their trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
in the term. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia granted Paramount's motion for summary judgment
Summary judgment
In law, a summary judgment is a determination made by a court without a full trial. Such a judgment may be issued as to the merits of an entire case, or of specific issues in that case....
and dismissed the suit. The court found that regardless of whether Leinster's story first coined the phrase, it had since become a generic
Genericized trademark
A genericized trademark is a trademark or brand name that has become the colloquial or generic description for, or synonymous with, a general class of product or service, rather than as an indicator of source or affiliation as intended by the trademark's holder...
and therefore unprotectable term that described the genre of science fiction in which humans first encounter alien species. Even if the title was instead "descriptive"—a category of terms higher than "generic" that may be protectable—there was no evidence that the title had the required association in the public's mind (known as "secondary meaning") such that its use would normally be understood as referring to Leinster's story. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals...
affirmed the lower court's dismissal without comment.
Other endeavors
Leinster was also an inventor under his real name of William F. Jenkins, best known for the front projection process used in special effects.Honors and awards
- Liberty Award (1937) for "A Very Nice Family", first published in the January 2, 1937 issue of Liberty Magazine.
- Hugo AwardHugo Award for Best NoveletteThe Hugo Awards are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...
(1956) for Best Novelette for "Exploration TeamExploration TeamExploration Team is a science fiction novelette by Murray Leinster. It won the Hugo Award for Best Novelette in 1956.-Plot summary:On an extremely dangerous unsettled planet, an illegal colonist with his team of trained bears make a dangerous trek to rescue the few survivors of an abortive...
". - Retro-Hugo (1996) for Best Novelette for "First ContactFirst Contact (novelette)"First Contact" is a 1945 science fiction novelette by Murray Leinster credited as one of the first instances of a universal translator in science fiction. It won a retro Hugo Award for Best Novelette in 1996.-Plot summary:...
". - Guest of Honor at Discon I21st World Science Fiction ConventionThe 21st World Science Fiction Convention, also known as Discon I, was held August 31–September 2, 1963, at the Statler-Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C., USA....
, the 21st WorldconWorldconWorldcon, or more formally The World Science Fiction Convention, is a science fiction convention held each year since 1939 . It is the annual convention of the World Science Fiction Society...
in 1963. - The Sidewise Award for Alternate HistorySidewise Award for Alternate HistoryThe Sidewise Awards for Alternate History were established in 1995 to recognize the best alternate history stories and novels of the year.The awards take their name from the 1934 short story "Sidewise in Time" by Murray Leinster, in which a strange storm causes portions of Earth to swap places with...
(established in 1995) is named after Leinster's story "Sidewise in Time." - In the 1979 Italian film StarcrashStarcrashStarcrash is an Italian 1979 science fiction film, which was also released under the English title of The Adventures of Stella Star . The film is a low budget and is often regarded as a rip-off of Star Wars...
, the spaceship in the opening sequence is called the Murray Leinster. - In Virginia, 27 June 2009 was designated Will F. Jenkins Day in honor of his achievements in science fiction.
Mystery
- Scalps, Brewer & Warren, 1930. (also known as Wings of Chance)
- Murder MadnessMurder MadnessMurder Madness is a science fiction novel by author Murray Leinster. It was first published in book form in 1931 by Brewer and Warren. It was Leinster's first book...
, Brewer & Warren, 1931; first serialized in Astounding, May - August 1930. - Murder Will Out (as Will F. Jenkins), John Hamilton, 1932.
- No Clues (as Will F. Jenkins), Wright & Brown, 1935.
- Murder in the Family (as Will F. Jenkins), John Hamilton, 1935; first appeared in Complete Detective Novels, April 1934.
- The Man Who Feared (as Will F. Jenkins), Gateway, 1942; first serialized in Detective Fiction Weekly, August 9–30, 1930.
Romance
as Louisa Carter Lee- Her Desert Lover, Chelsea House 1925.
- Love and Better: A Love Story, Chelsea House 1931.
Science Fiction
- The Murder of the U.S.A. (as Will F. Jenkins), Crown, 1946.
- Fight for Life, Crestwood, 1949.
- Space PlatformSpace PlatformSpace Platform is a YA science fiction novel by author Murray Leinster. It was published in 1953 by Shasta Publishers in an edition of 5,000 copies. It is the first novel in the author's Joe Kenmore series.-Plot introduction:...
, Shasta PublishersShasta PublishersShasta Publishers was a science fiction and fantasy small press specialty publishing house founded in 1947 by Erle Melvin Korshak, T. E. Dikty, and Mark Reinsberg, who were all science fiction fans from the Chicago area...
, February 1953. - Space Tug, Shasta PublishersShasta PublishersShasta Publishers was a science fiction and fantasy small press specialty publishing house founded in 1947 by Erle Melvin Korshak, T. E. Dikty, and Mark Reinsberg, who were all science fiction fans from the Chicago area...
, 1953 - The Black Galaxy, Galaxy, 1954; first appeared in Startling, March 1949.
- Gateway to Elsewhere, Ace, 1954; first appeared as "Journey to Barkut" in Startling, January 1952.
- The Brain-Stealers, Ace, 1954; first appeared as "The Man in the Iron Cap" in Startling, November 1947.
- Operation: Outer SpaceOperation: Outer SpaceOperation: Outer Space is a science fiction novel by author Murray Leinster. It was first published in 1954 by Fantasy Press in an edition of 2,042 copies.-Plot introduction:...
, Fantasy PressFantasy PressFantasy Press was an American publishing house specialising in fantasy and science fiction titles. Established in 1946 by Lloyd Arthur Eshbach in Reading, Pennsylvania, it was most notable for publishing the works of authors such as Robert A. Heinlein and E. E. Smith...
, 1954. - The Forgotten PlanetThe Forgotten PlanetThe Forgotten Planet is a science fiction novel by Murray Leinster. It was released in 1954 by Gnome Press in an edition of 5,000 copies. The novel is a fix-up from three short stories, "The Mad Planet" and "The Red Dust", both of which had originally appeared in the magazine Argosy in 1920 and...
, Ace, 1954. - The Other Side of Here, Ace, 1955; first serialized as The Incredible Invasion in Astounding, August - December 1936.
- City on the Moon, Avalon, 1957.
- War with the Gizmos, Fawcett, 1958.
- Four from Planet 5, Fawcett, 1959; first appeared as "Long Ago, Far Away" in Amazing, September 1959.
- The Monster from Earth's End, Fawcett, January, 1959.
- The Mutant Weapon, Ace, 1959; first appeared as "Med Service" in Astounding, August 1957.
- The Pirates of Zan, Ace, 1959; first serialized as The Pirates of Ersatz in Astounding, February - April 1959.
- Men Into Space, Berkley, 1960; novelization of the TV seriesMen Into SpaceMen Into Space is an American sci-fi television series broadcast from September 30, 1959 to September 7, 1960 by CBS which depicted future efforts by the United States Air Force to explore and develop outer space. The black-and-white filmed show starred William Lundigan as Col...
. - The Wailing Asteroid, Avon, December 1960.
- Creatures of the Abyss, Berkley, 1961 (also known as The Listeners).
- This World is Taboo, Ace, 1961; first appeared as "Pariah Planet" in Amazing, July 1961.
- Operation Terror, Berkley, 1962.
- Talents Incorporated, Avon, 1962.
- The Other Side of Nowhere, Berkley, May 1964; first serialized as Spaceman in Analog, March - April 1964.
- Time Tunnel, Pyramid, July 1964.
- The Duplicators, Ace, 1964; first appeared as "Lord of the Uffts" in Worlds of Tomorrow, February 1964.
- The Greks Bring Gifts, Macfadden, 1964.
- Invaders of Space, Berkley, December 1964.
- Tunnel Through Time, Westminster Press, 1966.
- Space Captain, Ace, 1966; first serialized as Killer Ship in Amazing, October - December.
- Checkpoint Lambda, Berkley, 1966; first serialized as Stopover in Space in Amazing, June - August 1966.
- Miners in the SkyMiners in The SkyMiners in The Sky is a 1967 Science Fiction novel by Murray Leinster.The rings around Thotmess, a gas giant in the system of the star Niletus where planets are called for Ancient Egyptian gods, is a completely lawless place...
, Avon, April 1967. - Space Gypsies, Avon, June 1967.
- The Time Tunnel, Pyramid, January 1967; novelization of the TV seriesThe Time TunnelThe Time Tunnel is a 1966–1967 U.S. color science fiction TV series. The show was created and produced by Irwin Allen, his third science fiction television series. The show's main theme was Time Travel Adventure. The Time Tunnel was released by 20th Century Fox and broadcast on ABC. The show ran...
. - The Time Tunnel: Timeslip!, Pyramid, July 1967; novelization of TV series.
- Land of the Giants, Pyramid, September 1968; novelization of the TV seriesLand of the GiantsLand of the Giants was an hour-long American science fiction television program lasting two seasons beginning on September 22, 1968 and ending on March 22, 1970. The show was created and produced by Irwin Allen. Land of the Giants was the fourth of Allen's science fiction TV series. The show was...
. - Land of the Giants 2: The Hot Spot, Pyramid, April 1969; novelization of the TV series.
- Land of the Giants 3: Unknown Danger, Pyramid, September 1969; novelization of the TV series.
Western
- The Gamblin' Kid (as Will F. Jenkins), A.L. Burt, 1933; first appeared in Western Action Novels, March 1937.
- Mexican Trail (as Will F. Jenkins), A.L. Burt, 1933.
- Outlaw Sheriff (as Will F. Jenkins), King, 1934.
- Fighting Horse Valley (as Will F. Jenkins), King, 1934.
- Kid Deputy (as Will F. Jenkins), Alfred H. King, 1935; first serialized in Triple-X Western, February - April 1928.
- Black Sheep (as Will F. Jenkins), Julian Messer, 1936.
- Guns for Achin (as Will F. Jenkins), Wright & Brown, 1936; first appeared in Smashing Novels, November 1936.
- Wanted Dead or Alive!, Quarter Books, 1949; first serialized in Triple-X Magazine, February - May 1929.
- Outlaw Guns, Star Books, 1950.
- Son of the Flying 'Y' (as Will F. Jenkins), Fawcett, 1951.
- Cattle Rustlers (as Will F. Jenkins), Ward Lock, 1952.
- Dallas (as Will F. Jenkins), Fawcett, 1950. Novelization of screenplay by John Twist.
Story Collections
- The Last Space Ship, Fell, 1949.
- "The Boomerang Circuit", Thrilling Wonder, June 1947
- "The Disciplinary Circuit", Thrilling Wonder, Winter 1946
- "The Manless Worlds", Thrilling Wonder, February 1947
- Sidewise in TimeSidewise in Time (collection)Sidewise in Time is a 1950 collection of science fiction short stories by Murray Leinster. It was first published by Shasta Publishers in 1950 in an edition of 5,000 copies...
, Shasta PublishersShasta PublishersShasta Publishers was a science fiction and fantasy small press specialty publishing house founded in 1947 by Erle Melvin Korshak, T. E. Dikty, and Mark Reinsberg, who were all science fiction fans from the Chicago area...
, 1950.- "Sidewise in TimeSidewise in Time"Sidewise in Time" is a science fiction short story by Murray Leinster that was first published in the June 1934 issue of Astounding Stories...
", Astounding, June 1934 - "Proxima Centauri", Astounding, March 1935
- "A Logic Named JoeA Logic Named Joe"A Logic Named Joe" is a science fiction short story by Murray Leinster that was first published in the March 1946 issue of Astounding Science Fiction. The story actually appeared under Leinster's real name, Will F. Jenkins, since that issue of Astounding also included a story under the Leinster...
" (as Will F. Jenkins), Astounding, March 1946 - "De Profundis", Thrilling Wonder, Winter 1945
- "The Fourth-Dimensional Demonstrator", Astounding, December 1935
- "The Power", Astounding, September 1945
- "Sidewise in Time
- The Forgotten PlanetThe Forgotten PlanetThe Forgotten Planet is a science fiction novel by Murray Leinster. It was released in 1954 by Gnome Press in an edition of 5,000 copies. The novel is a fix-up from three short stories, "The Mad Planet" and "The Red Dust", both of which had originally appeared in the magazine Argosy in 1920 and...
, Gnome PressGnome PressGnome Press was an American small-press publishing company primarily known for publishing many science fiction classics.The company was founded in 1948 by Martin Greenberg and David A. Kyle. Many of Gnome's titles were reprinted in England by Boardman Books...
, 1954.- "The Mad Planet", ArgosyArgosy (magazine)Argosy was an American pulp magazine, published by Frank Munsey. It is generally considered to be the first American pulp magazine. The magazine began as a general information periodical entitled The Golden Argosy, targeted at the boys adventure market.-Launch of Argosy:In late September 1882,...
, June 12, 1920 - "The Red Dust", Argosy All-Story WeeklyArgosy (magazine)Argosy was an American pulp magazine, published by Frank Munsey. It is generally considered to be the first American pulp magazine. The magazine began as a general information periodical entitled The Golden Argosy, targeted at the boys adventure market.-Launch of Argosy:In late September 1882,...
, April 2, 1921 - "Nightmare Planet", Science Fiction Plus, June 12, 1952
- "The Mad Planet", Argosy
- Colonial SurveyColonial SurveyColonial Survey is a 1957 collection of science fiction short stories by Murray Leinster. It was first published by Gnome Press in 1957 in an edition of 5,000 copies. The collection was reprinted by Avon Books in 1957 under the title The Planet Explorer. The stories all originally appeared in...
, Gnome PressGnome PressGnome Press was an American small-press publishing company primarily known for publishing many science fiction classics.The company was founded in 1948 by Martin Greenberg and David A. Kyle. Many of Gnome's titles were reprinted in England by Boardman Books...
, 1957 (also known as The Planet Explorer).- "Solar Constant", Astounding, July 1956 as "Critical Difference"
- "Sand Doom", Astounding, December 1955
- "Combat Team", Astounding, March 1956 as "Exploration Team"
- "The Swamp Was Upside Down", Astounding, September 1956
- Out of This WorldOut of This World (Leinster book)Out of This World is a collection of three related science fiction stories by Murray Leinster, published by Avalon Books in 1958. The stories, all featuring "hillbilly polymath" Bud Gregory, originally appeared in Thrilling Wonder Stories over a four-month span in 1947, and are sometimes...
, Avalon, 1958.- "The Deadly Dust" (as William Fitzgerald), Thrilling Wonder, August 1947
- "The Gregory Circle" (as William Fitzgerald), Thrilling Wonder, April 1947
- "The Nameless Something" (as William Fitzgerald), Thrilling Wonder, June 1947
- Monsters and Such, Avon, 1959.
- "The Castaway", Argosy, September 1946
- "De Profundis", Thrilling Wonder, Winter 1945
- "If You Was a Moklin", Galaxy, September 1951
- "The Lonely Planet", Thrilling Wonder, December 1949
- "Nobody Saw the Ship", Future, May–June 1950
- "Proxima Centauri", Astounding, March 1935
- "The Trans-Human", Science Fiction Plus, December 1953
- Twists in Time, Avon, 1960.
- "Rogue Star", first publication
- "Dear Charles", Fantastic, May 1953
- "Dead City", Thrilling Wonder, Summer 1946 as "Malignant Marauder"
- "Sam, This Is You", Galaxy, May 1955
- "The Other Now", Galaxy, March 1951
- "The Fourth-Dimensional Demonstrator", Astounding, December 1935
- "The End", Thrilling Wonder, December 1946
- The Aliens, Berkley, March 1960.
- "The Aliens", Astounding, August 1959
- "Fugitive From Space", Amazing, May 1954
- "Anthopological Note", Fantasy and Science Fiction, April 1957
- "The Skit-Tree Planet", Thrilling Wonder, April 1947 as "Skit-Tree Planet"
- "Thing from the Sky", first publication
- Doctor to the Stars, Pyramid, March 1964.
- "The Grandfathers' War", Astounding, October 1957
- "Med Ship Man", Galaxy, October 1963
- "Tallien Three", Analog, August 1963 as "The Hate Disease"
- S.O.S. from Three Worlds, Ace, 1966.
- "Plague on Kryder II", Analog, December 1964
- "Ribbon in the Sky", Astounding, June 1957
- "Quarantine World", Analog, November 1966
- Get Off My World!, Belmont, April 1966.
- "Second Landing", Thrilling Wonder, Winter 1954
- "White Spot", Startling, Summer 1955
- "Planet of Sand", Famous Fantastic Mysteries, February 1948
- The Best of Murray Leinster, edited by Brian Davis, Corgi, 1976.
- "Time to Die", Astounding, January 1947
- "The Ethical Equations", Astounding, June 1945
- "Symbiosis", Collier's, June 14, 1947
- "Interference", Astounding, October 1945
- "De Profundis", Thrilling Wonder, Winter 1945
- "Pipeline to Pluto", Astounding, August 1945
- "Sam, This Is You", Galaxy, May 1955
- "The Devil of East Lupton", Thrilling Wonder, August 1948 as "The Devil of East Lupton, Vermont"
- "Scrimshaw", Astounding, September 1955
- "If You Was a Moklin", Galaxy, September 1951
- The Best of Murray Leinster, edited by John J. Pierce, Del Rey, April 1978.
- "Sidewise in Time", Astounding, June 1934
- "Proxima Centauri", Astounding, March 1935
- "The Fourth-Dimensional Demonstrator", Astounding, December 1935
- "First Contact", Astounding, May 1945
- "The Ethical Equations", Astounding, June 1945
- "Pipeline to Pluto", Astounding, August 1945
- "The Power", Astounding, September 1945
- "A Logic Named JoeA Logic Named Joe"A Logic Named Joe" is a science fiction short story by Murray Leinster that was first published in the March 1946 issue of Astounding Science Fiction. The story actually appeared under Leinster's real name, Will F. Jenkins, since that issue of Astounding also included a story under the Leinster...
" (as Will F. Jenkins), Astounding, March 1946 - "Symbiosis", Collier's, June 14, 1947
- "The Strange Case of John Kingman", Astounding, May 1948
- "The Lonely Planet", Thrilling Wonder, December 1949
- "Keyhole", Thrilling Wonder, December 1951
- "Critical Difference", Astounding, July 1956 (also known as "Solar Constant")
- The Med Series, Ace, May 1983.
- "The Mutant Weapon", Astounding, August 1957 as "Med Service"
- "Plague on Kryder II", Analog, December 1964
- "Ribbon in the Sky", Astounding, June 1957
- "Quarantine World", Analog, November 1966
- "This World is Taboo", Amazing, July 1961 as "Pariah Planet"
- First Contacts: The Essential Murray Leinster, edited by Joe Rico, NESFA, 1998.
- "A Logic Named JoeA Logic Named Joe"A Logic Named Joe" is a science fiction short story by Murray Leinster that was first published in the March 1946 issue of Astounding Science Fiction. The story actually appeared under Leinster's real name, Will F. Jenkins, since that issue of Astounding also included a story under the Leinster...
" (as Will F. Jenkins), Astounding, March 1946 - "If You Was a Moklin", Galaxy, September 1951
- "The Ethical Equations", Astounding, June 1945
- "Keyhole", Thrilling Wonder, December 1951
- "Doomsday Deferred", The Saturday Evening Post, September 24, 1949
- "First Contact", Astounding, May 1945
- "Nobody Saw the Ship", Future, May–June 1950
- "Pipeline to Pluto", Astounding, August 1945
- "The Lonely Planet", Thrilling Wonder, December 1949
- "De Profundis", Thrilling Wonder, Winter 1945
- "The Power", Astounding, September 1945
- "The Castaway", Argosy, September 1946
- "The Strange Case of John Kingman", Astounding, May 1948
- "Proxima Centauri", Astounding, March 1935
- "The Fourth-Dimensional Demonstrator", Astounding, December 1935
- "Sam, This Is You", Galaxy, May 1955
- "Sidewise in Time", Astounding, June 1934
- "Scrimshaw", Astounding, September 1955
- "Symbiosis", Collier's, June 14, 1947
- "Cure for Ylith", Startling Stories, November 1949
- "Plague on Kryder II", Analog, December 1964
- "Exploration Team", Astounding, March 1956 (also known as "Combat Team")
- "The Great Catastrophe", first publication
- "To All Fat Policemen", first publication
- "A Logic Named Joe
- Med Ship, edited by Eric Flint and Guy Gordon, Baen, June 2002.
- "Med Ship Man", Galaxy, October 1963
- "Plague on Kryder II", Analog, December 1964
- "The Mutant Weapon", Astounding, August 1957 as "Med Service"
- "Ribbon in the Sky", Astounding, June 1957
- "Tallien Three", Analog, August 1963 as "The Hate Disease"
- "Quarantine World", Analog, November 1966
- "The Grandfathers' War", Astounding, October 1957
- "Pariah Planet", Amazing, July 1961 (also known as This World is Taboo)
- Planets of Adventure, edited by Eric Flint and Guy Gordon, Baen, October 2003.
- The Forgotten PlanetThe Forgotten PlanetThe Forgotten Planet is a science fiction novel by Murray Leinster. It was released in 1954 by Gnome Press in an edition of 5,000 copies. The novel is a fix-up from three short stories, "The Mad Planet" and "The Red Dust", both of which had originally appeared in the magazine Argosy in 1920 and...
- "The Mad Planet", Argosy, June 12, 1920
- "The Red Dust", Argosy, April 2, 1921
- "Nightmare Planet", Argosy, June 12, 1952
- The Planet ExplorerColonial SurveyColonial Survey is a 1957 collection of science fiction short stories by Murray Leinster. It was first published by Gnome Press in 1957 in an edition of 5,000 copies. The collection was reprinted by Avon Books in 1957 under the title The Planet Explorer. The stories all originally appeared in...
(also known as Colonial Survey)- "Solar Constant", Astounding, July 1956 as "Critical Difference"
- "Sand Doom", Astounding, December 1955
- "Combat Team", Astounding, March 1956 as "Exploration Team"
- "The Swamp Was Upside Down", Astounding, September 1956
- "Anthopological Note", Fantasy and Science Fiction, April 1957
- "Scrimshaw", Astounding, September 1955
- "Assignment on Pasik", Thrilling Wonder, February 1949
- "Regulations", Thrilling Wonder, August 1948
- "The Skit-Tree Planet", Thrilling Wonder, April 1947 as "Skit-Tree Planet"
- The Forgotten Planet
- A Logic Named Joe, edited by Eric Flint and Guy Gordon, Baen, June 2005.
- "A Logic Named JoeA Logic Named Joe"A Logic Named Joe" is a science fiction short story by Murray Leinster that was first published in the March 1946 issue of Astounding Science Fiction. The story actually appeared under Leinster's real name, Will F. Jenkins, since that issue of Astounding also included a story under the Leinster...
" (as Will F. Jenkins), Astounding, March 1946 - "Dear Charles", Fantastic, May 1953
- Gateway to Elsewhere, Ace, 1954; first appeared as "Journey to Barkut" in Startling, January 1952.
- The Duplicators, Ace, 1964; first appeared as "Lord of the Uffts" in Worlds of Tomorrow, February 1964.
- "The Fourth-Dimensional Demonstrator", Astounding, December 1935
- The Pirates of Zan, Ace, 1959; first serialized as The Pirates of Ersatz in Astounding, February - April 1959.
- "A Logic Named Joe
- The Runaway Skyscraper and Other Tales from the Pulps, Wildside Press, August 2007.
- "The Runaway SkyscraperThe Runaway Skyscraper"The Runaway Skyscraper" is a science fiction short story by Murray Leinster that first appeared in the February 22, 1919 issue of Argosy magazine...
", Argosy, February 22, 1919 - "The Gallery Gods", Argosy, August 21, 1920
- "The Street of Magnificent Dreams", Argosy, August 5, 1922
- "Nerve", Argosy, June 4, 1921
- "Stories of the Hungry Country: The Case of the Dona Clotilde"
- "Morale", Astounding, December 1931
- "Grooves", Argosy, October 12, 1918
- "Footprints in the Snow", All Story Weekly, June 7, 1919
- "The Runaway Skyscraper
External links
- Murray Leinster Website
- Past Masters: Leinster's a Ten(ster), or Deal Out the Lincolns to William F. Jenkins by Bud Webster, at Galactic Central
Listen to
- A Logic Named Joe, Dimension X, NBC radio, 1950
- First Contact, X Minus One, NBC radio, 1955