Alfred Johannes Olsen (April 12, 1884– May 20, 1956), better known under his pen name Bob Olsen, was an American science fiction writer.

Biography

Olsen was the son of Norwegian immigrants and grew up in

Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts ...

. He attended Brown University, and achieved a

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal ...

and a masters in science in 1908. He later met his wife, Thula Crismon (1896–1957) in

Salt Lake City, Utah Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...

while teaching science. He had five children, but one died at birth. His first son and first child was Bob Gillham Olsen, named after his father's pen name born 1919, his first daughter and second child was Zora Louise Olsen born 1923, their second daughter and third child was Joyzelle Kaza Olsen born in 1929, and their fourth child and second son was Kenneth Crimson Olsen born 1937. He moved to California and started the Olsen Advertising Agency, all the while writing stories for magazines like ''

Amazing Stories ''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearances ...

''. He built a home in

Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. ...

. Olsen often wrote humorous science fiction in ''Amazing Stories'', from 1927 to 1936. He was one of the first writers to use the phrase "

space marine The space marine, an archetype of military science fiction, is a kind of soldier who operates in outer space or on alien worlds. Historical marines fulfill multiple roles: ship defence, boarding actions, landing parties, and general-purpose hi ...

". His large hobby granted him fame through the world of science fiction in his day, but that was not enough to support a family.

Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury (; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of modes, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery fictio ...

, just a teenager at the time, visited Bob Olsen often for mentorship, friendship, as well as simply a sharing of ideas.

Bibliography

Short stories

* "The Four-Dimensional Roller-Press", ''

'', June 1927 * "Four-Dimensional Surgery", ''Amazing Stories'', February 1928 * "Four-Dimensional Robberies", ''Amazing Stories'', May 1928 * "The Educated Pill", ''Amazing Stories'', July 1928 * "Four Dimensional Transit", ''

Amazing Stories Quarterly ''Amazing Stories Quarterly'' was a U.S. science fiction pulp magazine that was published between 1928 and 1934. It was launched by Hugo Gernsback as a companion to his ''Amazing Stories'', the first science fiction magazine, which had begun p ...

'', Fall 1928 * "The Superperfect Bride", ''Amazing Stories'', July 1929 * "Flight in 1999", ''

Air Wonder Stories ''Wonder Stories'' was an early American science fiction magazine which was published under several titles from 1929 to 1955. It was founded by Hugo Gernsback in 1929 after he had lost control of his first science fiction magazine, ''Amazing Stor ...

'', September 1929 * "The Phantom Teleview", ''

Science Wonder Stories ''Wonder Stories'' was an early American science fiction magazine which was published under several titles from 1929 to 1955. It was founded by Hugo Gernsback in 1929 after he had lost control of his first science fiction magazine, ''Amazing Stor ...

'', November 1929 * "Cosmic Trash", ''Science Wonder Stories'', April 1930 * "The Man who Annexed the Moon", ''Amazing Stories'', February 1931 * "The Master of Mystery", ''Amazing Stories'', October 1931 * "Seven Sunstrokes", ''Amazing Stories'', April 1932 * "The Ant with the Human Soul", ''Amazing Stories Quarterly'', Spring/Summer 1932 * "The Purple Monsters", ''Amazing Stories'', August 1932 * "Captain Brink of the Space Marines", ''Amazing Stories'', November 1932 * "The Pool of Death", ''Amazing Stories'', January 1933 * "The Crime Crusher", ''Amazing Stories'', June 1933 * "The Four-Dimensional Escape", ''Amazing Stories'', December 1933 * "Perils Among the Drivers", ''Amazing Stories'', March 1934 * "The Four-Dimensional Auto-Parker", ''Amazing Stories'', July 1934 * "Nœkken of Norway", ''Amazing Stories'', November 1934 * "Six-Legged Gangsters", ''Amazing Stories'', June 1935 * "The Isle of Juvenescence", ''Amazing Stories'', June 1936 * "The Space Marines and the Slavers", ''Amazing Stories'', December 1936 * "The Scourge of a Single Cell", ''

Science Fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

'', March 1940 * "Rhythm Rides the Rocket", ''Science Fiction'', October 1940 * "Our Robot Maid", ''

Future Fiction ''Future Science Fiction'' and ''Science Fiction Stories'' were two American science fiction magazines that were published under various names between 1939 and 1943 and again from 1950 to 1960. Both publications were edited by Charles Hornig fo ...

'', November 1940

Poems

* "Transports of Love", ''

'', June 1929 * "My Robot Son", ''

'', Fall 1931 * "In 1999", ''Amazing Stories'', January 1934 * Untitled, ''Amazing Stories'', July 1934 * "Who Deserves Credit?", ''Amazing Stories'', February 1935 * "How Inventions Are Born", ''Amazing Stories'', April 1935 * "Landscapes of Luna", ''Amazing Stories'', October 1935

Other

* ''

Cosmos The cosmos (, ) is another name for the Universe. Using the word ''cosmos'' implies viewing the universe as a complex and orderly system or entity. The cosmos, and understandings of the reasons for its existence and significance, are studied in ...

'': "Chapter 4: The Murderer from Mars", ''Science Fiction Digest'', September 1933 * "Cigarette Characterization #1", ''Fantasy Magazine'', September 1934 * "My Best Story", ''Fantasy Magazine'', February 1935 * ''Rhythm Rides the Rocket'', Columbia Publications, 1942 * "Wanted: A Definition for Science Fiction", ''

Future Science Fiction ''Future Science Fiction'' and ''Science Fiction Stories'' were two American science fiction magazines that were published under various names between 1939 and 1943 and again from 1950 to 1960. Both publications were edited by Charles Hornig fo ...

'', June 1957

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Olsen, Bob American science fiction writers 1884 births 1956 deaths American male short story writers American male novelists 20th-century American novelists American people of Norwegian descent 20th-century American short story writers 20th-century American male writers