S. P. (Sterner St. Paul) Meek

Sterner St. Paul Meek was an American military chemist, science fiction writer, and children's author, born in Chicago on April 8, 1894, and died on June 10, 1972. He published under several bylines over the years, including Capt. S. P. Meek, Major S. P. Meek, and later Col. S. P. Meek, reflecting his army career as well as his writing life.

He became known in the early pulp era of science fiction, especially after publishing "The Murgatroyd Experiment" in 1929. Much of his best-known work appeared in magazines such as Amazing Stories and Wonder Stories, and he is often remembered for fast-moving adventures featuring recurring characters like Dr. Bird and Operative Carnes. His fiction tends to blend scientific know-how with the breathless pace of early magazine serials.

Meek's career gives him a distinctive place in genre history: he wrote as someone with real technical training, but he also knew how to keep a story lively and accessible. That mix of lab-minded curiosity and old-school adventure helped make him a recognizable name in the formative years of American science fiction.