author
William L. Hamling
1921–2017
A lively figure in mid-century science fiction and magazine publishing, he moved from fandom and editing into running influential digest magazines before building the Greenleaf publishing line. His career crossed pulp history, paperback culture, and major free-speech battles over publishing in the United States.
1 Audiobook
Patrol
by William L. Hamling
About the author
Born on June 14, 1921, William L. Hamling was an American writer, editor, publisher, and longtime science fiction fan. He became active in fandom in the late 1930s, published early fiction, and later worked for Ziff-Davis, where he was involved with science fiction magazines during a formative period for the genre.
Hamling went on to launch and run publishing ventures of his own, including Imagination and Imaginative Tales, and later Greenleaf Classics. Although he wrote fiction himself, he is best remembered for his editorial and publishing work, which ranged from science fiction digests to mass-market paperbacks and adult publications.
His career was also tied to notable legal fights over obscenity and publishing rights in the United States, making him a significant if sometimes controversial figure in 20th-century print culture. He died on June 29, 2017, and is still remembered in science fiction history as a lifelong member of First Fandom.