author
Verne Athanas
1917–1962
A hard-working Oregon lumberman who turned to writing after an early heart attack, he built a remarkably productive career in Western fiction. His stories and novels drew on the landscapes and frontier life of the Pacific Northwest, giving them an authentic, lived-in feel.
1 Audiobook
The Madcap Metalloids
by Verne Athanas
About the author
Born in Idaho in 1917 and raised in Ashland, Oregon, Verne Athanas worked in the lumber industry before becoming a writer. Local historical records say he graduated from Ashland High School in 1936, married his classmate Alice Spencer that same year, and later shifted careers after a serious heart attack.
Athanas went on to write Western fiction for major magazines including The Saturday Evening Post, Collier's, Country Gentleman, and Argosy. Archival records at the University of Oregon describe him as a writer of western fiction, and his best-known novels include The Proud Ones, Maverick, and Rogue Valley.
His work also reached film and television. The Proud Ones was adapted into a 1956 feature film, and he is also credited for television writing, including work connected with Tales of Wells Fargo. He died in Boise, Idaho, in 1962, leaving behind a large body of short stories, serials, and novels.