Hugo Gernsback, The Father of Magazine SF
The Man Who Created The First Science Fiction Magazine.
Jun 14, 2009
Hugo Gernsback was born Hugo Gernsbacher on August 16, 1884 in Luxembourg. After studying in Luxembourg and Germany, he emigrated to the United States in 1904, planning a career as an inventor.
Once in America, Gernsback established the Electric Importing Company in order to market an improved battery which he had developed, but unfortunately he did not experience much success with his new invention. As a result, he decided to expand the company into a more general supply house for radio parts and equipment.
In order to help create a market, he began to include plans and articles in the company's catalogue. Eventually it developed into the first electronics and radio magazine: "Modern Electrics", first published in 1908.
Ralph 124C 41+
1911 saw the first portion of a twelve-part science fiction serial appear in "Modern Electrics". Written by Gernsback, it was entitled "Ralph 124C 41+: A Romance Of the Year 2660". Ralph, the titular character, is an inventor and one of the top ten scientists of his time. The story deals with his meeting with Alice 212B 423, with whom he falls in love but has to rescue from a rejected suitor, and even revive her from death at his rival's hands.
The tale takes place against Gernsback's view of the future, which in retrospect contains a combination of surprisingly accurate predictions and complete misses. It was revised and published into book form in 1925.
"Scientifiction"
In 1926, Gernback launched "Amazing Stories", the first magazine to be dedicated solely to "scientifiction", as he called it. Initially "Amazing Stories" only reprinted material by H. G. Wells and Jules Verne, but importantly it offered for the first time a potential venue for new authors.
Over time it presented stories by now legendary science fiction authors such as Edgar Rice Burroughs, A. A. Merrit, Jack Williamson, E. E. "Doc" Smith, Edmond Hamilton, and Philip Francis Nowlan, whose classic character Buck Rogers first appeared in the August 1928 edition of "Amazing".
"Wonder Stories"
In 1929, Gernsback was forced to declare bankruptcy, and although "Amazing" continued to be published it was no longer under his control.
He quickly recovered, and began publication of three new magazines: "Air Wonder Stories", "Science Wonder Stories", and "Science Wonder Quarterly". The first two were merged into "Wonder Stories" in 1930, and "Science Wonder Quarterly" became "Wonder Quarterly". It was "Science Wonder Stories" which was credited by future science fiction author Isaac Asimov for introducing him to science fiction in 1929.
Unfortunately, Gernsback experienced financial difficulty with the "Wonder Stories" line as well, and sold the titles in 1936.
Gernsback's Legacy
Gernsback died in New York on August 19, 1967, by which time science fiction had developed enormously from the early days of the genre. Some critics feel that his scientific bias led to the focus of science fiction on technology that dominated the Golden Age of science fiction. However, it is impossible to ignore the important role played by "Amazing Stories" and "Wonder Stories" in the creation of a generation of science fiction authors, and an audience to read them.
On that basis, Hugo Gernsback fully earned the privilege of having his name given to science fiction's premier honour: the Hugo Award, a prize which he himself received in 1960 as a special recipient. In 1996, he was also one of the first to be inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame.
