Nathan Schachner

Born in New York City on January 16, 1895, Nathaniel Schachner wrote under both Nat Schachner and Nathan Schachner. He was not only an author but also trained as a chemist and worked as an attorney, giving his writing a practical, wide-ranging cast.

He first became known in the 1930s as a prolific science fiction writer, contributing stories to popular magazines and helping shape early American genre fiction. Alongside that work, he was an enthusiastic supporter of early rocketry and space travel, and he was involved with the American Interplanetary Society.

Later, he became especially well regarded for historical nonfiction and biography. His books on figures such as Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton, and Thomas Jefferson helped make him a recognizable name beyond science fiction before his death in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, on October 2, 1955.