Richard M. (Richard Mace) Elam

Born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1920, Richard Mace Elam Jr. served for four years in the Army Air Force during World War II. He later built a career outside publishing as well, but wrote steadily on the side, producing articles, short stories, and books.

Elam is best remembered for science fiction written for younger readers, especially in the 1950s and early 1960s. Reference sources describe him as one of the few writers working regularly in young-adult science fiction at the time, and much of his fiction first appeared in youth-oriented venues as well as in book collections.

He died in 2013. Today, his work stands out for its approachable style and for the way it introduced many young readers to space travel, scientific imagination, and classic pulp-era adventure.