author
Paul L. Payne
1921–1992
A science-fiction writer and magazine editor from the pulp era, he helped shape the fast-moving, adventurous spirit of mid-century SF. He is especially remembered for his work on Planet Stories and for novels such as The Cructars Are Coming! and As It Was.
1 Audiobook
As It Was
by Paul L. Payne
About the author
Born in Alcoa, Tennessee, in 1921, Paul L. Payne built his reputation in science fiction both as a writer and as an editor. He worked on the influential pulp magazine Planet Stories, editing it from the late 1940s into 1950, a period when the magazine became known for lively space adventure and planetary romance.
Alongside his editorial work, he wrote fiction of his own, including The Cructars Are Coming! and As It Was. Reference sources on science fiction also credit him with essays and critical work connected to the field, showing that his role in the genre went beyond storytelling alone.
Payne died in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1992. Though he is not as widely known today as some of his contemporaries, his work remains part of the rich history of American pulp science fiction and the magazine culture that helped define it.