Ross Rocklynne

Ross Rocklynne was the pen name of Ross Louis Rocklin, an American science fiction author born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on February 21, 1913, and who died in Los Angeles on October 29, 1988. He also wrote under the names Paul Cahendon, R. L. Rocklin, and R. Rocklinne.

Rocklynne sold his first story, “Man of Iron,” to Astounding Stories in 1935. He became a regular contributor to science fiction magazines including Astounding Stories, Fantastic Adventures, and Planet Stories, writing imaginative space-opera tales built around unusual scientific ideas. He was also active in early science fiction fandom and attended the first World Science Fiction Convention in New York in 1939.

His major collections include The Men and the Mirror and The Sun Destroyers, both published in 1973. After a long break from writing, he returned to science fiction in the late 1960s; his later work included “Ching Witch!”, published in Harlan Ellison’s influential anthology Again, Dangerous Visions.