author
John Preston True
1859–1933
Known for adventure stories for young readers and an imaginative early science-fiction tale, this American writer moved easily between history, fiction, and popular storytelling. His surviving work suggests a versatile literary career that ranged from children's books to speculative writing.
1 Audiobook
The Iron Star — And What It Saw on Its Journey Through the Ages From Myth to History
by John Preston True
About the author
Born in Bethel, Maine, on February 13, 1859, John Preston True was an American author whose books appeared in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Reference sources connect him with works such as Their Club and Ours, Scouting for Washington, and The Iron Star, and What It Saw on Its Journey Through the Ages.
His writing seems to have been especially at home in lively, accessible genres: stories for younger readers, historical adventure, and imaginative fiction. The Iron Star is remembered enough to be noted by the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, which points to its mix of speculative ideas and historical sweep.
True died in 1933. While biographical details about his life are fairly sparse in the sources available online, his books remain accessible through library and public-domain collections, giving modern readers a clear sense of a writer interested in both entertainment and big, curious ideas.