Frank Riley

Writing as Frank Riley, Frank Rhylick was an American author and journalist whose name is closely tied to mid-century science fiction. He is best remembered for collaborating with Mark Clifton on They'd Rather Be Right, the 1955 Hugo Award winner for Best Novel, later also published as The Forever Machine.

His career was broader than fiction alone. He worked as a syndicated travel columnist and served as travel editor for the Los Angeles Times and Los Angeles Times magazine, with travel writing that also appeared in other newspapers. That mix of imaginative storytelling and real-world reporting gave his work a range that feels unusual and appealing.

Riley died in 1996, but his reputation endures through both his award-winning science fiction and his long newspaper career. For listeners exploring classic speculative fiction, he stands out as a writer who helped bridge the worlds of magazine-era SF and mainstream journalism.