author
Melvin Sturgis
A mid-century science fiction writer and engineer, he brought a practical, technical edge to stories of strange gifts, dangerous discoveries, and life beyond the ordinary. His work appeared in the pulp and digest magazines that helped shape classic American SF.
2 Audiobooks
The Gift
by Melvin Sturgis
The Unprotected Species
by Melvin Sturgis
About the author
Melvin Sturgis was an American science fiction author active in the 1950s. The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction notes that he began publishing genre work with "The Gift" in Imagination in November 1951, and it also records that he wrote under the name Mel Sturgis.
He is especially associated with short fiction from the magazine era of science fiction. Project Gutenberg has made works such as The Gift and The Unprotected Species available, helping preserve stories that introduced many readers to his mix of speculative ideas and brisk storytelling.
A contemporary author note reprinted with The Unprotected Species describes him as a mechanical engineer at Rocketdyne, a division of North American Aviation. That technical background likely helped give his fiction its grounded, problem-solving feel, which still makes it an interesting snapshot of postwar science fiction.