author

Stephen Tall

1908–1981

A biology professor by day and a science-fiction writer under the pen name Stephen Tall, he brought a warm, thoughtful sense of wonder to his stories. His novels and shorter work helped earn him a lasting place in mid-20th-century American science fiction.

1 Audiobook

The Lights on Precipice Peak

The Lights on Precipice Peak

by Stephen Tall

About the author

Writing as Stephen Tall, Compton Newby Crook was an American science-fiction author born on June 14, 1908, and he died on January 15, 1981. He was also a longtime biology professor at what was then Towson State College, where he taught from 1939 to 1974.

After retiring from teaching, he continued publishing fiction under his best-known pseudonym. Towson University notes that his books included The Stardust Voyages (1975), The Ramsgate Paradox (1976), and The People Beyond the Wall (1980), and that his memory is honored through the Compton Crook/Stephen Tall Memorial Award for a debut work of science fiction, fantasy, or horror.

That mix of science, teaching, and imagination gives his work an appealing character: curious, approachable, and full of classic genre charm. For listeners who enjoy thoughtful older science fiction, Stephen Tall is an author worth discovering.