Emil Petaja (12 April 1915 – 17 August 2000) was an American
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 unive ...
and
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...
writer whose career spanned seven decades. He was the author of 13 published novels, nearly 150 short stories, numerous poems, and a handful of books and articles on various subjects. Though he wrote science fiction, fantasy, horror stories, detective fiction, and poetry, Petaja considered his work part of an older tradition of "
weird fiction
Weird fiction is a subgenre of speculative fiction originating in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Weird fiction either eschews or radically reinterprets ghosts, vampires, werewolves, and other traditional antagonists of supernatural horr ...
." Petaja was also a small press publisher. In 1995, he was named the first ever
Author Emeritus Author Emeritus was an honorary title annually bestowed by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America upon a living writer "as a way to recognize and appreciate senior writers in the genres of science fiction and fantasy who have made signif ...
by the
Science Fiction Writers of America
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, doing business as Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association, commonly known as SFWA ( or ) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization of professional science fiction and fantasy writers. While ...
.
Of Finnish descent, Petaja's best known works are a series of science fiction novels based on the
Kalevala
The ''Kalevala'' ( fi, Kalevala, ) is a 19th-century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Karelian and Finnish oral folklore and mythology, telling an epic story about the Creation of the Earth, describing the controversies and r ...
, the Finnish verse epic. Petaja's series brought him readers from around the world, while his particular mythological approach to science fiction has been discussed in scholarly publications
[Kailo, Kaarina. "Spanning the Iron and Space Ages: Emil Petaja's Kalevala-based fantasy tales". ''Kanadan Suomalainen'', Toronto, Canada: Spring, 1985.] and included in related anthologies.
In a statement published in ''Contemporary Authors'' (Gale Research, 1984), Petaja commented, "My writing endeavors have mainly been to entertain, except for the factual material concerning Hannes Bok and fantasy art in general, which serves to indicate my enthusiasm for these subjects. My novels about the Finnish legendary epic Kalevala: The Land of Heroes spring from a lifelong interest in this fine poetic work. I own six translations of the Kalevala, as well as the work in the original. Both of my parents were Finnish."
Early life and work
Emil Petaja (pronounced PET-a-ya) was born on April 12, 1915 in Milltown,
Montana
Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...
[ ] – a small lumber town in the western part of the state. He was the youngest of 10 children born to John and Hanna Petaja. The future author attended schools in Bonner and
Missoula
Missoula ( ; fla, label=Salish language, Séliš, Nłʔay, lit=Place of the Small Bull Trout, script=Latn; kut, Tuhuⱡnana, script=Latn) is a city in the U.S. state of Montana; it is the county seat of Missoula County, Montana, Missoula Cou ...
, Montana.
According to an autobiographical account, Petaja's introduction to fantastic literature came in 1931 when he came across a copy of ''
Weird Tales
''Weird Tales'' is an American fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine founded by J. C. Henneberger and J. M. Lansinger in late 1922. The first issue, dated March 1923, appeared on newsstands February 18. The first editor, Edwin Baird, prin ...
''. Reading the magazine changed his life, and he became a lifelong devotee of fantasy and science fiction. Petaja started out as a fan and immersed himself in the genres by befriending other interested individuals, by collecting
pulp
Pulp may refer to:
* Pulp (fruit), the inner flesh of fruit
Engineering
* Dissolving pulp, highly purified cellulose used in fibre and film manufacture
* Pulp (paper), the fibrous material used to make paper
* Molded pulp, a packaging material
* ...
and
science fiction magazine
A science fiction magazine is a publication that offers primarily science fiction, either in a hard-copy periodical format or on the Internet.
Science fiction magazines traditionally featured speculative fiction in short story, novelette, nov ...
s, and by forming clubs and associations. During this time, Petaja also struck-up correspondence with, and sometimes befriended, such early luminaries as
H. P. Lovecraft,
Clark Ashton Smith
Clark Ashton Smith (January 13, 1893 – August 14, 1961) was an American writer and artist. He achieved early local recognition, largely through the enthusiasm of George Sterling, for traditional verse in the vein of Algernon Charles Swinburne ...
,
Robert E. Howard, and
August Derleth
August William Derleth (February 24, 1909 – July 4, 1971) was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first book publisher of the writings of H. P. Lovecraft, and for his own contributions to the Cthulhu Mythos and the ...
. Notably, Petaja is part of a unique group of individuals in the history of the genres who turned their
fandom
A fandom is a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of empathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest. Fans typically are interested in even minor details of the objects of their fandom and spend a significant ...
into literature. He was also a member of
First Fandom
First Fandom is an informal association of early, active and well-known science fiction fans.
In 1958 a number of fans at Midwestcon realized amid table-talk that they all had been active in fandom for more than 20 years. This inspired the creat ...
– a group which honors fans from the time when science fiction was known as "scientifiction." Petaja corresponded with Lovecraft in late 1934, and the next year proposed teaming with
Duane W. Rimel
Duane Weldon Rimel (February 21, 1915 – September 30, 1996) was an American writer of speculative fiction, speculative and erotic literature who is best known for his friendship with H. P. Lovecraft.
Life
Duane W. Rimel was born to Pearl Guy ...
to form a fan magazine, ''The Fantaisiste's Mirror'', that would resume serializing Lovecraft's ''Supernatural Horror in Literature'' from the point it had left off in the defunct ''Fantasy Fan''. However, the magazine never materialized. Petaja and Lovecraft continued corresponding until the latter's death in 1937.
The author's first published writings date from 1935 with the short story, "Two Doors," for the semi-prozine ''Unusual Stories''. Another early work, "Weird Music" (written with Duane W. Rimel), appeared in 1936 in ''The Phantagraph''. Other short fiction and verse was published in ''The Californian'' (alongside the efforts of Lovecraft), ''
Futuria Fantasia
''Futuria Fantasia'' was an American science fiction fanzine created by Ray Bradbury in 1938, when he was 18 years old. Though only four issues of the fanzine were published, its list of contributors included Hannes Bok, Forrest J. Ackerman, He ...
'', ''The Acolyte'', and other small press and regional publications.
Much of Petaja's early literary efforts were verse – and according to the author, he won a "couple of minor regional poetry contests." In 1936, Petaja self-published a chapbook of poems, ''Brief Candle'', running-off copies on the mimeograph machine at
Montana State University
Montana State University (MSU) is a Public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Bozeman, Montana. It is the state's largest university. MSU offers baccalaureate degrees in 60 fields, master's degrees in 6 ...
, where he was a student majoring in creative writing. ''Brief Candle'' contained cover art and illustrations by Petaja's friend,
Hannes Bok
Hannes Bok, pseudonym for Wayne Francis Woodard (, ; July 2, 1914 – April 11, 1964), was an American artist and illustrator, as well as an amateur astrologer and writer of fantasy fiction and poetry. He painted nearly 150 covers for various sc ...
, whom he had met that same year. The chapbook marked the first book publication for each author. According to Petaja, approximately 40 to 50 copies were printed with many "given to friends and well wishers." Some of these early pieces were later collected in ''As Dream and Shadow'' (SISU, 1972). Other poems from throughout his career remain unpublished.
In 1937, Petaja moved to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, California. There, he settled into the Los Angeles
sci-fi
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 universe ...
scene, befriending
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, and r ...
– then still a teenager – as well as
Henry Kuttner
Henry Kuttner (April 7, 1915 – February 3, 1958) was an American author of science fiction, fantasy and horror.
Early life
Henry Kuttner was born in Los Angeles, California in 1915. Kuttner (1829–1903) and Amelia Bush (c. 1834–1911), the ...
,
Henry Hasse
Henry Louis Hasse (February 7, 1913 – May 20, 1977) was an American science fiction author and fan. He is probably known best for being the co-author of Ray Bradbury's first professionally published story, "Pendulum", which appeared in Novemb ...
,
Forrest J. Ackerman
Forrest James Ackerman (November 24, 1916 – December 4, 2008) was an American magazine editor; science fiction writer and literary agent; a founder of science fiction fandom; a leading expert on science fiction, horror, and fantasy films; a pr ...
and others. Throughout 1937 and 1938, Petaja and Bok shared an apartment, and together they attended fan meetings, haunted second-hand book shops, went to the movies, and helped each other with their poems and stories.
In an autobiographical account, Petaja stated: "Perhaps when all is washed down over the dam, my major claim to fame will rest in the fact that it was I who got Hannes down to Los Angeles and I who dragged him, reluctantly, to the meetings of the
Los Angeles Science Fiction Society
The Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society, Inc., or LASFS, is a science fiction and fantasy fan society that meets in the Los Angeles area. The current meeting place can be found on thLASFS website
LASFS is the oldest continuously operating scienc ...
. Where we met Ray Bradbury." "It was at Clifton's Cafeteria on Broadway. We couldn't afford to eat there, usually, but we took advantage of the free lime sherbet. In that fabled back room where so many of the s-f elite have sat around the long table chewing the fat, fanwize, Hannes first met Forrie Ackerman, Henry Kuttner, et al."
During the 1940s, Petaja continued to write, turning out dozens of stories for many of the pulp fiction magazines. A prolific author, his
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 unive ...
,
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...
, and
weird fiction
Weird fiction is a subgenre of speculative fiction originating in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Weird fiction either eschews or radically reinterprets ghosts, vampires, werewolves, and other traditional antagonists of supernatural horr ...
stories appeared in ''
Fantastic Adventures
''Fantastic Adventures'' was an American pulp fantasy and science fiction magazine, published from 1939 to 1953 by Ziff-Davis. It was initially edited by Raymond A. Palmer, who was also the editor of ''Amazing Stories'', Ziff-Davis's other scien ...
'', ''
Worlds of Tomorrow
''Worlds of Tomorrow'' is an anthology of science fiction stories edited by American writer August Derleth. It was first published by Pellegrini & Cudahy in 1953. Many of the stories had originally appeared in the magazines '' Worlds Beyond'', ...
'', ''
Weird Tales
''Weird Tales'' is an American fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine founded by J. C. Henneberger and J. M. Lansinger in late 1922. The first issue, dated March 1923, appeared on newsstands February 18. The first editor, Edwin Baird, prin ...
'', ''
Fantasy and Science Fiction
''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'' (usually referred to as ''F&SF'') is a U.S. fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House, a subsidiary of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Press. Editors Anthony Boucher a ...
'', ''Future Science Fiction Stories'', and elsewhere. One story, "Dinosaur Goes Hollywood," published in ''
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 i ...
'' in 1944, features a dinosaur on the loose of a movie set. Some of these early works were brought together in the author's only short story collection, ''Stardrift and Other Fantastic Flotsam'' (Fantasy Press, 1971).
Petaja also published under the name of Theodore Pine
(Theodore was the author's middle name, and Petäjä is Finnish for 'pine'). As Pine, Petaja sold stories to detective and western story magazines of the period such as ''Crack Detective'', ''Ten Detective Aces'', ''Ten Story Detective'', ''Mammoth Western'', ''Western Action'', and ''Western Trails''.
Many of these stories have evocative titles like "The Corpse Wants Company," "Good Night, Dream Bandit," "The Perfumed Peril," "Satan Hogs the Camera," "Bullets on the Downbeat," "Sixgun Serenade," and "Trigger Surgery." During the 1940s, Petaja unsuccessfully attempted to publish a detective novel. One of his last detective stories, "Stirred Ashes," appeared in the ''Saint'' magazine in 1967. Petaja had also been a member of the
Mystery Writers of America
Mystery Writers of America (MWA) is an organization of mystery and crime writers, based in New York City.
The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday.
It presents the Edgar Award ...
.
Later life and work
In the late 1940s, Petaja moved to
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
, where he turned his interest in
photography
Photography is the art, application, and practice of creating durable images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is employed ...
into a profession.
He traveled the state as a school photographer, and at times maintained studios in
Sausalito
Sausalito (Spanish for "small willow grove") is a city in Marin County, California, United States, located southeast of Marin City, south-southeast of San Rafael, and about north of San Francisco from the Golden Gate Bridge.
Sausalito's p ...
and San Francisco, California. He was the house photographer for local theater groups, and wrote articles for magazines such as ''Popular Photography''.
Having largely given up writing by the early 1950s, Petaja resumed literary work in the early 1960s. His first published novels were ''Alpha Yes, Terra No!'' (Ace Books, 1965) and ''The Caves of Mars'' (Ace Books, 1965). These works, like a number of Petaja's subsequent novels, were published as part of the paperback series of Ace doubles. As such, Petaja was published alongside emerging writers like
Samuel R. Delany
Samuel R. "Chip" Delany (, ) (born April 1, 1942), is an American author and literary critic. His work includes fiction (especially science fiction), memoir, criticism, and essays (on science fiction, literature, sexuality, and society). His ...
,
Michael Moorcock
Michael John Moorcock (born 18 December 1939) is an English writer, best-known for science fiction and fantasy, who has published a number of well-received literary novels as well as comic thrillers, graphic novels and non-fiction. He has work ...
,
Brian Stableford
Brian Michael Stableford (born 25 July 1948) is a British academic, critic and science fiction writer who has published more than 70 novels. His earlier books were published under the name Brian M. Stableford, but more recent ones have dropped ...
, and
Dean Koontz
Dean Ray Koontz (born July 9, 1945) is an American author. His novels are billed as suspense thrillers, but frequently incorporate elements of horror, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and satire. Many of his books have appeared on ''The New Y ...
.
Petaja, being of Finnish descent, is best known for works making up a series based on the
Kalevala
The ''Kalevala'' ( fi, Kalevala, ) is a 19th-century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Karelian and Finnish oral folklore and mythology, telling an epic story about the Creation of the Earth, describing the controversies and r ...
, the Finnish verse epic. In each of the books which comprise the "Otava Series" – ''Saga of Lost Earths'' (Ace Books, 1966), ''Star Mill'' (Ace Books, 1966), ''The Stolen Sun'' (Ace Books, 1967), and ''Tramontane'' (Ace Books, 1967) – an Earth descendant of one of the four main heroes of the Kalevala is reborn into an avatar's role in order to re-enact adventures on Otava, the planet of origin of the Kalevala pantheon. The series brought Petaja readers from around the world; while his mythological approach to science fiction – an early example within the genre – was discussed in scholarly papers presented at academic conferences.
In 1979, two omnibus editions of the "Otava Series" were published by DAW Books. A fifth novel in the cycle, ''Return to Otava'' (1970), remains unpublished. Another novel unconnected with the series but related to the Kalevala is ''The Time Twister'' (Dell, 1968).
The Green Planet books – ''Lord of the Green Planet'' (Ace Books, 1967) and ''Doom of the Green Planet'' (Ace Books, 1968) – recount similar adventures befalling its Irish protagonist, who finds himself role-playing Celtic deities for the benefit of a madman armed with instruments of coercion.
Other novels dating from the late 1960s and early 1970s include ''The Prism'' (Ace Books, 1968), ''The Nets of Space'' (Berkley, 1969), ''The Path Beyond the Stars'' (Dell, 1969), and ''Seed of the Dreamers'' (Ace Books, 1970). Four other novels remain unpublished, ''Glory Stone'' (1970), ''Little Gods'' (1972), ''Spin the Star Wheel'' (1975), and ''Zodiac World'' (1980). This latter work concerns a planet whose population is ruled by astrological beliefs.
As chairman of the Golden Gate Futurians – an informal club for writers and fans – Petaja hosted meetings for friends and colleagues at his home in
the Castro
The Castro District, commonly referred to as the Castro, is a neighborhood in Eureka Valley in San Francisco. The Castro was one of the first gay neighborhoods in the United States. Having transformed from a working-class neighborhood throug ...
neighborhood of San Francisco. Among the regular attendees were local noted authors like
Fritz Leiber
Fritz Reuter Leiber Jr. ( ; December 24, 1910 – September 5, 1992) was an American writer of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He was also a poet, actor in theater and films, playwright, and chess expert. With writers such as Robert ...
,
Avram Davidson
Abraham, ; ar, , , name=, group= (originally Abram) is the common Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father of the special relationship between the Jews ...
and
E. Hoffmann Price
Edgar Hoffmann Price (July 3, 1898 – June 18, 1988) was an American writer of popular fiction (he was a self-titled "fictioneer") for the pulp magazine marketplace."Price, E. Hoffmann" in Server Lee. ''Encyclopedia of Pulp Fiction Writers''. ...
. Writers and editors who might be visiting from out of town – such as
Donald Wollheim
Donald Allen Wollheim (October 1, 1914 – November 2, 1990) was an American science fiction editor, publisher, writer, and fan. As an author, he published under his own name as well as under pseudonyms, including David Grinnell, Martin Pear ...
or
Harlan Ellison
Harlan Jay Ellison (May 27, 1934 – June 28, 2018) was an American writer, known for his prolific and influential work in New Wave speculative fiction and for his outspoken, combative personality. Robert Bloch, the author of '' Psycho'' ...
– would also attend and there have a chance to meet local figures like the Satanist
Anton LeVay or the film maker
Kenneth Anger
Kenneth Anger (born Kenneth Wilbur Anglemyer, February 3, 1927) is an American underground experimental filmmaker, actor, and author. Working exclusively in short films, he has produced almost 40 works since 1937, nine of which have been grouped ...
. Petaja enjoyed the company of other writers and artists and was acquainted with a number of individuals who lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, such as Warren Hinkle (his upstairs neighbor),
Anthony Boucher
William Anthony Parker White (August 21, 1911 – April 29, 1968), better known by his pen name Anthony Boucher (), was an American author, critic, and editor who wrote several classic mystery novels, short stories, science fiction, and radio d ...
,
Frank M. Robinson
Frank Malcolm Robinson (August 9, 1926 – June 30, 2014) was an American science fiction and techno-thriller writer. He was a speechwriter for gay politician Harvey Milk and Milk's designated successor in the event of his death but decline ...
,
Poul Anderson
Poul William Anderson (November 25, 1926 – July 31, 2001) was an American fantasy and science fiction author who was active from the 1940s until the 21st century. Anderson wrote also historical novels. His awards include seven Hugo Awards and ...
,
Philip K. Dick
Philip Kindred Dick (December 16, 1928March 2, 1982), often referred to by his initials PKD, was an American science fiction writer. He wrote 44 novels and about 121 short stories, most of which appeared in science fiction magazines during his l ...
and
Robert A. Heinlein
Robert Anson Heinlein (; July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was an American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was among the first to emphasize scientific accu ...
.
To date, Petaja's fiction has been translated and published in England, The Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Sweden, France, and
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
. In 1995, in recognition of a lifetime of significant achievement, Petaja was named an "Author Emeritus" by the Science Fiction Writers of America. The award was created "as a way to recognize and appreciate senior writers in the genres of science fiction and fantasy who have made significant contributions to our field but who are no longer active or whose excellent work may no longer be as widely known as it once was." As Author Emeritus, Petaja was invited to speak at the annual
Nebula Awards
The Nebula Awards annually recognize the best works of science fiction or fantasy published in the United States. The awards are organized and awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), a nonprofit association of profe ...
banquet.
Petaja died of heart failure on August 17, 2000 at his home in San Francisco.
He had suffered complications brought on from the treatment of a blood clot. After his death obituaries appeared in newspapers and magazines around the world.
Emil Petaja and Hannes Bok
As a lifelong friend and collector of
Hannes Bok
Hannes Bok, pseudonym for Wayne Francis Woodard (, ; July 2, 1914 – April 11, 1964), was an American artist and illustrator, as well as an amateur astrologer and writer of fantasy fiction and poetry. He painted nearly 150 covers for various sc ...
, Petaja founded the Bokanalia Foundation in 1967, three years after the artist's death. According to a published statement, the foundation was set up "with the help and encouragement of Harold Taves of Seattle and Ray Bradbury of Los Angeles and the Golden Gate Futurians of San Francisco . . . . The avowed intention of Bokanalia is simply to keep the great imaginative art of Hannes Bok from slipping into oblivion, and to make new (better than pulp) prints available to his many admirers all over the world". Between 1967 and 1970, Petaja published three portfolios of Bok's art.
Those portfolios include ''Variations on Bok Theme'', (black & white portfolio, 1967); ''The Famous Power Series'', (black & white portfolio, with text by Bok, 1969); and ''A Memorial Portfolio'', (color portfolio, with booklet with text by Petaja, 1970).
Petaja also authored a commemorative volume, ''And Flights of Angels: The Life and Legend of Hannes Bok'' (Bokanalia Memorial Foundation, 1968). Along with brief contributions from Wollheim,
Roger Zelazny
Roger Joseph Zelazny (May 13, 1937 – June 14, 1995) was an American poet and writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels, best known for ''The Chronicles of Amber''. He won the Nebula Award three times (out of 14 nomin ...
,
Jack Gaughan
John Brian Francis "Jack" Gaughan, pronounced like 'gone' (September 24, 1930 – July 21, 1985) was an American science fiction artist and illustrator who won the Hugo Award several times. Working primarily with Donald A. Wollheim at Ace Books, ...
, and others, ''And Flights of Angels'' contains Petaja's long biographical essay on the artist, a checklist of Bok's published artwork and writings, and reproductions of a substantial number of drawings, prints and illustrations. Later, under the SISU imprint (and on behalf of the Bokanalia Foundation), Petaja published an illustrated volume of Bok's poetry, ''
Spinner of Silver and Thistle'' (1972), as well as editing ''The Hannes Bok Memorial Showcase of Fantasy Art'' (1974).
Emil Petaja and film
Petaja was a lifelong film buff and collector of movie memorabilia. He had a large library of film-related books, owned hundreds of 16mm films and videotapes, and enjoyed recounting stories about films and actors. Today, he is best known to film enthusiasts as the author of ''Photoplay Edition'' (SISU, 1975). This illustrated guide was the first book on the subject of
photoplay editions, the movie tie-in books of the silent and early sound era. Petaja based the book on his personal collection, which at the time of publication numbered more than eight hundred books. As the author of ''Photoplay Edition'', Petaja was a special guest at the
San Francisco Silent Film Festival
The San Francisco Silent Film Festival is a film festival first held in 1996 and presented annually at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco, California, United States. It is the largest silent film festival in the United States, although the largest ...
in 1998 and 1999.
While living in Los Angeles, Petaja worked in the labs at
Technicolor
Technicolor is a series of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades.
Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films ...
, and wrote a handful of stories set in and around the movie capital. His interest in movies and film making continued through the years. Petaja made two short dramatic films, ''Dread Return'' in 1949, and ''The Call'' in 1950. These
8mm independent films, shot in San Francisco, utilized local actors and scenery.
[Petaja, Emil. "Filming a Movie Story," ''Home Movies'', May & June 1950.]
Books by Emil Petaja
* ''Brief Candle'' (1936)(poetry)
* ''Alpha Yes, Terra No!'' (1965)
* ''The Caves of Mars'' (1965)
* ''Saga of Lost Earths'' (1966)
* ''The Star Mill'' (1966)
* ''The Stolen Sun'' (1967)
* ''Tramontane'' (1967)
* ''Lord of the Green Planet'' (1967)
* ''Doom of the Green Planet'' (1968)
* ''The Time Twister'' (1968)
* ''The Prism'' (1968)
* ''And Flights of Angels: The Life and Legend of Hannes Bok'' (1968)
* ''The Nets of Space'' (1969)
* ''The Path Beyond the Stars'' (1969)
* ''Seed of the Dreamers'' (1970)
* ''
Stardrift and Other Fantastic Flotsam
''Stardrift and Other Fantastic Flotsam'' is a collection of science fiction short stories by Emil Petaja. It was first published in 1971 by Fantasy Publishing Company, Inc. in an edition of 1,500 copies. Most of the stories originally appeared ...
'' (1971)
* ''As Dream and Shadow'' (1972) (verse)
* ''Hannes Bok Memorial Showcase of Fantasy Art'' (1974)
* ''Photoplay Edition'' (1975)
* ''Saga of Lost Earths'' and ''The Star Mill'' (omnibus edition, 1979)
* ''The Stolen Sun'' and ''Tramontane'' (omnibus edition, 1979)
References
Sources
*
*
*
External links
*
Obituary on SFWA website.Obituary published by ''The Independent'' (London).Obituary published in the ''San Francisco Chronicle''.*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Petaja, Emil
1915 births
2000 deaths
20th-century American novelists
American fantasy writers
American male novelists
American people of Finnish descent
American science fiction writers
People from Missoula County, Montana
Science fiction fans
Writers from Montana
Writers from California
Writers from the San Francisco Bay Area
American male short story writers
20th-century American short story writers
20th-century American male writers