author
1918–1997
Best known as the sharp-eyed reviewer behind Galaxy magazine’s book column, this mid-century science-fiction writer also published stories of his own under more than one name. His work sits right at the crossroads of fandom, criticism, and classic magazine SF.
by Floyd C. Gale, H. L. (Horace Leonard) Gold
Born in New York City in 1918 as Floyd Clifford Gold, he wrote under the name Floyd C. Gale and is remembered as both a science-fiction author and a critic. Reliable bibliographic sources identify him as the brother of influential Galaxy Science Fiction editor H. L. Gold, a connection that placed him close to one of the genre’s most important magazine circles.
He began publishing genre fiction in 1940, and later became especially well known for the book reviews he wrote for Galaxy from 1955 to 1963. Some sources also note that he published fiction under the name Christopher Grimm, showing a career that moved easily between storytelling and criticism.
Gale died on February 23, 1997. While he is not as famous as some of the writers he reviewed, he remains an interesting figure in science-fiction history: a steady magazine voice, an early contributor to pulp-era SF, and part of the wider creative world around Galaxy.