George O. Smith
Encyclopedia
George Oliver Smith (also known by the pseudonym Wesley Long) was an American
science fiction
author
. He is not to be confused with George H. Smith
, another American science fiction author.
in the 1940s. His collaboration with the magazine's editor, John W. Campbell, Jr. was interrupted when Campbell's first wife, Doña, left him in 1949 and married Smith.
Smith continued regularly publishing science fiction novels and stories until 1960. His output greatly diminished in the 1960s and 1970s when he had a job that required his undivided attention. He was given the First Fandom Hall of Fame award
in 1980.
He was a member of the all-male literary banqueting club the Trap Door Spiders
, which served as the basis of Isaac Asimov
's fictional group of mystery solvers the Black Widowers
.
He is remembered chiefly for his Venus Equilateral
series of short stories about a communications station in outer space. Most of the stories were collected in Venus Equilateral
(1947), which was later expanded with the remaining three stories as The Complete Venus Equilateral (1976).
His novel The Fourth "R" (1959) - re-published as The Brain Machine (1968) - was a digression from his focus on outer space, and provides one of the more interesting examinations of a child prodigy
in science fiction.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
. He is not to be confused with George H. Smith
George H. Smith (fiction author)
George Henry Smith was an American science fiction author. He is not to be confused with George H. Smith, a libertarian writer, or George O...
, another American science fiction author.
Biography
Smith was an active contributor to Astounding Science Fiction during the Golden Age of Science FictionGolden Age of Science Fiction
The first Golden Age of Science Fiction — often recognized as the period from the late 1930s through the 1950s — was an era during which the science fiction genre gained wide public attention and many classic science fiction stories were published...
in the 1940s. His collaboration with the magazine's editor, John W. Campbell, Jr. was interrupted when Campbell's first wife, Doña, left him in 1949 and married Smith.
Smith continued regularly publishing science fiction novels and stories until 1960. His output greatly diminished in the 1960s and 1970s when he had a job that required his undivided attention. He was given the First Fandom Hall of Fame award
First Fandom Hall of Fame award
First Fandom Hall of Fame award is an annual award for contributions to the field of science fiction dating back more than 30 years. Contributions can be as a fan, writer, editor, artist, agent, or any combination of the five. It is awarded by First Fandom and is usually presented at the beginning...
in 1980.
He was a member of the all-male literary banqueting club the Trap Door Spiders
Trap Door Spiders
The Trap Door Spiders are a literary male-only eating, drinking, and arguing society in New York City, with a membership historically composed of notable science fiction personalities...
, which served as the basis of Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
's fictional group of mystery solvers the Black Widowers
Black Widowers
The Black Widowers is a fictional men-only dining club created by Isaac Asimov for a series of sixty-six mystery stories which he started writing in 1971...
.
Writing career
Smith wrote mainly about outer space, with such works as Operation Interstellar (1950), Lost in Space (1959), and Troubled Star (1957).He is remembered chiefly for his Venus Equilateral
Venus Equilateral
The Venus Equilateral series is a set of 13 science fiction short stories by George O. Smith, concerning the Venus Equilateral Relay Station, an interplanetary communications hub located at the Lagrangian point of the Sun-Venus system...
series of short stories about a communications station in outer space. Most of the stories were collected in Venus Equilateral
Venus Equilateral (collection)
Venus Equilateral is a collection of science fiction short stories by author George O. Smith. The stories belong to Smith's Venus Equilateral series. The collection was first published in 1947 by Prime Press in an edition of 3,000 copies. "Mad Holiday" was written for this collection...
(1947), which was later expanded with the remaining three stories as The Complete Venus Equilateral (1976).
His novel The Fourth "R" (1959) - re-published as The Brain Machine (1968) - was a digression from his focus on outer space, and provides one of the more interesting examinations of a child prodigy
Child prodigy
A child prodigy is someone who, at an early age, masters one or more skills far beyond his or her level of maturity. One criterion for classifying prodigies is: a prodigy is a child, typically younger than 18 years old, who is performing at the level of a highly trained adult in a very demanding...
in science fiction.