author
Joseph Shallit
1915–1995
A lively writer of mysteries and science fiction, he moved easily between crime stories, imaginative speculation, and journalism. His work carries the energy of mid-century pulp fiction while still feeling sharp and entertaining.
2 Audiobooks
Wrong Analogy
by Joseph Shallit
Education of a Martian
by Joseph Shallit
About the author
Born in Philadelphia in 1915 to Jewish immigrant parents from Vitebsk, Joseph Shallit studied at the University of Pennsylvania and later worked as a newspaper reporter and magazine editor. He wrote under his own name after being born Joseph Shaltz, and built a career that ranged across fiction and journalism.
Shallit is remembered as an American mystery novelist and science fiction writer, especially for stories published in the postwar magazine era. Alongside his fiction, he spent many years with the Pennsylvania Railroad and later Conrail, editing an employee magazine.
He retired in 1980 and died in Philadelphia in 1995 after a long struggle with Alzheimer's disease. Accounts of his life also remember his good humor and his early support for civil rights, which adds a human dimension to the adventurous spirit of his writing.