William Simpson

Writing in the late 1800s, William Simpson published The Man from Mars: His Morals, Politics and Religion in San Francisco in 1891, using the pseudonym Thomas Blot. The book imagines a Martian observer describing a very different society, turning the story into a lively way of examining human customs and beliefs.

Reference works on early science fiction remember him mainly for that novel, noting its utopian bent and its interest in social criticism as much as storytelling. Public-domain library records also connect him with later editions of the book, which helped preserve his work for modern readers.

The basic biographical details that can be confirmed are limited, but available records identify him as an American author born in New York on March 6, 1828, who died in Alameda, California, on August 26, 1910. No suitable verified portrait image was found during this search.