author
Clyde Beck
1912–1986
An early science fiction fan, critic, and author, he helped shape the conversation around the genre long before it became mainstream. He is best remembered for Hammer and Tongs, a pioneering 1937 book of science fiction criticism.
1 Audiobook
Collision Orbit
by Clyde Beck
About the author
Born in California in 1912, Clyde F. Beck was part of the early American science fiction fandom scene and wrote both criticism and fiction. Sources consistently describe him as an author, critic, and fan, with his first genre publication appearing in 1930.
His lasting reputation comes mainly from Hammer and Tongs (1937), which the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction calls the first work of criticism devoted to American science fiction. The book gathered essays and reviews that had first appeared in The Science Fiction Critic, a fanzine edited by his brother, Claire P. Beck.
Beck published only a small amount of fiction, but he remains a notable figure in the history of early science fiction because of his thoughtful engagement with the field while it was still taking shape. He died in 1986.