author
Bill Venable
A mid-century science fiction writer and fandom figure, this author is best known for witty short stories like Theft and If at First. He was also active in fan circles in the 1950s, where he edited fanzines and took on leadership roles in organized fandom.
1 Audiobook
Theft
by Bill Venable
About the author
Bill Venable was an American science fiction fan and writer active in the early 1950s. Reference sources on science fiction fandom describe him as a Pennsylvania fan who was involved with the American Science-Fantasy Society and served as president of the National Fantasy Fan Federation in 1953.
Alongside his fan work, he published a small number of science fiction stories. Two that remain easy to trace today are Theft, which originally appeared in Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy in September 1952, and If at First, which was later reprinted through Project Gutenberg.
Venable also seems to have had a hand in fanzine publishing, including work connected with The Pendulum. Although surviving biographical detail is limited, the record that remains shows a writer closely tied to the energetic, amateur-driven world of classic science fiction fandom.