author

Vaughan Shelton

Best known for the science-fiction story Point of Departure, this elusive mid-century writer left behind a small but memorable footprint in classic genre magazines and radio adaptation history.

1 Audiobook

Point of Departure

Point of Departure

by Vaughan Shelton

About the author

Very little biographical information about Vaughan Shelton appears to survive online, but the available record points to a science-fiction writer whose known work is closely tied to the 1950s magazine era. Project Gutenberg identifies Point of Departure as having first appeared in Galaxy Science Fiction in April 1956, and LibriVox likewise lists Shelton simply as a science-fiction writer.

That story seems to be the work most clearly associated with Shelton today. It was later adapted for the radio series X Minus One, which aired "Point of Departure" on October 17, 1957. The story's continued circulation through public-domain archives and audio recordings has helped keep Shelton's name alive, even though reliable personal details about the author remain hard to confirm.

Because so little verified information is available, Vaughan Shelton is best remembered through the work itself: thoughtful, idea-driven science fiction from the magazine age, with Point of Departure standing as the clearest window into that brief but intriguing legacy.