Charles E. Fritch

Born in Utica, New York, in 1927, Charles E. Fritch built a long career writing across several popular genres, especially science fiction, fantasy, horror, and mystery. He began publishing science fiction in the early 1950s and became known for lively short fiction as well as novels and editorial work.

Along with writing, he worked behind the scenes in magazines and anthologies. He edited Gamma in the 1960s and later served as editor of Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine from 1979 to 1985, showing the same range as an editor that he did as a storyteller.

One of his best-known stories, "Misfortune Cookie," was adapted for television on The Twilight Zone. He died on October 11, 2012, at age 85, leaving behind a body of work that genre readers continue to rediscover.