H. L. Gold

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(April 26, 1914 – February 21, 1996)

Horace Leonard Gold, founding editor of Galaxy Science Fiction in 1950, was one of the first post-Campbell editors to take magazine sf in a new direction. He also wrote some sf and was briefly an assistant editor on the prozines Captain Future, Thrilling Wonder Stories and Startling Stories.

Under his direction, Galaxy became one of the leading magazines in the field. (One of Gold's slogans was, "You'll Never See it in Galaxy!") He was also a major anthologist, particularly with this Best from Galaxy series. After Galaxy took over IF, he was also editor of IF until he retired from both in 1961, after being severely injured in a car accident.

He was also a writer, starting in the pulps in the 1930s. He later wrote comic books and screenplays. Gold’s “Trouble with Water” (Unknown, March 1939), may be the first example of Jewish characters in modern fantasy.

Born in Montreal, Canada, Gold moved to the United States at the age of 2. His mother was from Romania and his father was from Russia. The family lived in Rhode Island and in New York City when he was young. Gold served in the military during WWII.

Gold was famously agoraphobic, so many Hydra Club meetings were held at his house. He married Evelyn Stein in 1939; she would become Galaxy’s assistant editor, and he left it to her to be the prozine’s “Face” at conventions. The Golds had a son, E. J. Gold, in 1941, and divorced in 1957.

Gold moved to LA in 1964 and married Muriel "Nicky" (Nicholson) Conley in 1965. He became a naturalized citizen in 1970. He died in 1996 in Orange, California. Muriel died in 1999.

His brother was author and critic Floyd C. Gale, who wrote reviews for Galaxy, and with whom he collaborated on fiction.

Awards, Honors and GoHships:



Person 19141996
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