author
Bill Venable
A mid-century science-fiction writer and dedicated fan, Bill Venable brought a playful, imaginative spirit to pulp stories and fandom publishing. His short fiction—including Theft—blends wild ideas, humor, and the strange possibilities of the future.
1 Audiobook
Theft
by Bill Venable
About the author
Bill Venable was a Pennsylvania science-fiction fan and writer who was most active in the 1950s. He published stories in science-fiction pulp magazines, including Theft, which originally appeared in the September 1952 issue of Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy and was later preserved by Project Gutenberg.
Venable was also deeply involved in fan culture. He served as president of the National Fantasy Fan Federation in 1953, edited and revised the 1951 guide Fanspeak, published fanzines under the Pendulum Press name, and contributed poetry and artwork to the community. With Jack Harness, he also wrote and directed the 1952 fan production The Demolished Null-A and Now You Don't.
Although many details of his personal life remain undocumented, surviving records show a creative figure who worked across fiction, art, publishing, and science-fiction fandom during the genre’s formative years.