Gernsback is known as The Father of Science Fiction. He founded the very first magazine devoted to the genre, Amazing Stories. Gernsbeck coined the name, science fiction, but he preferred the rather awkward term, Scientifiction. It's no wonder that it didn't catch on.
Hugo Gernsback was an editor and a writer. As an author his most famous is Ralph 124C 41+. It's kind of a play on words. One to foresee for 1+. The 1+ was supposed to mean 'many'.
Though Ralph 124C 41+ contained many predictions that never came about, it also described television and channel surfing, artificial cloth, synthetic foods, and tape recorders.
Most agree, however, that Ralph 124C 4+ is a terribly-written novel. I personally have not read it.
As an editor, Gernsback had a rather unsavory reputation. He was known to underpay or even neglect to pay his writers altogether. H.P. Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith called him Hugo The Rat.
Hugo Gernsback was also an inventor who owned over 80 patents by the time he died.
As a publisher and editor he worked on nearly 100 magazines of every possible description. From science fact to science fiction, humor, sociology, broadcasting, to just about anything else.
Hugo Gernsback may have been a poor writer and an editor/publisher with few scruples, but he was a visionary. His imagination and love of science fueled the beginning of the SF genre. Every fan and professional owes him at least a nod of gratitude.
Of course, the highest honor in Science Fiction, The Hugo Award, is named after Mr. Gernsback.
Hugo Gernsback was an editor and a writer. As an author his most famous is Ralph 124C 41+. It's kind of a play on words. One to foresee for 1+. The 1+ was supposed to mean 'many'.
Though Ralph 124C 41+ contained many predictions that never came about, it also described television and channel surfing, artificial cloth, synthetic foods, and tape recorders.
Most agree, however, that Ralph 124C 4+ is a terribly-written novel. I personally have not read it.
As an editor, Gernsback had a rather unsavory reputation. He was known to underpay or even neglect to pay his writers altogether. H.P. Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith called him Hugo The Rat.
Hugo Gernsback was also an inventor who owned over 80 patents by the time he died.
As a publisher and editor he worked on nearly 100 magazines of every possible description. From science fact to science fiction, humor, sociology, broadcasting, to just about anything else.
Hugo Gernsback may have been a poor writer and an editor/publisher with few scruples, but he was a visionary. His imagination and love of science fueled the beginning of the SF genre. Every fan and professional owes him at least a nod of gratitude.
Of course, the highest honor in Science Fiction, The Hugo Award, is named after Mr. Gernsback.
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