Lester Del Rey

Born Leonard Knapp in Minnesota in 1915, he became best known under the name Lester del Rey. He built his reputation in science fiction magazines and went on to write novels, short stories, criticism, and books for younger readers, earning a place as one of the familiar names of mid-20th-century American science fiction.

He is especially remembered for energetic storytelling and for popular works aimed at younger audiences, including novels in the Winston Science Fiction line. Alongside his fiction, he also became an important editorial figure in the field, helping bring science fiction and fantasy to a broad readership.

Later in his career, del Rey worked closely with Del Rey Books, the imprint associated with his wife Judy-Lynn del Rey. He died in New York in 1993, but he remains part of the history of science fiction both for the stories he wrote and for the writers and books he helped champion.