author

H. A. Hartzell

Known almost entirely for a single quirky science-fiction story, this elusive writer left behind a small but memorable footprint. Their surviving work blends humor, fantasy, and everyday trouble in a way that still feels charmingly offbeat.

1 Audiobook

Death and Taxes

Death and Taxes

by H. A. Hartzell

About the author

Very little confirmed biographical information about this author appears to be available online. Reliable catalog and ebook sources consistently link H. A. Hartzell with "Death and Taxes," a story published in Worlds of If Science Fiction in May 1962 and later preserved by Project Gutenberg.

Bibliographic sources suggest that this may be the only work currently documented under the name H. A. Hartzell. That scarcity has given the author a bit of mystery, but the story itself has lasted: it is remembered as a light, playful piece of speculative fiction with comic supernatural touches.

For readers, that means H. A. Hartzell stands out less for a large body of work than for one unusual and enduring tale—an appealing reminder of how even a single story can keep a writer's name alive.