Eugene Key (1907–1968) was an American short story writer. His collection, '' Mars Mountain'' (1935) was the first full-length book to be issued by a publisher that specialized in

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 ...

. Key enlisted in the

United States Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical r ...

and was later transferred into the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...

. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, Key served in England where he met, and married, his second wife, Winifred Rachel Key (September 12, 1924 – August 24, 2010). She was in the

Women's Royal Air Force The Women's Royal Air Force (WRAF) was the women's branch of the Royal Air Force. It existed in two separate incarnations: the Women's Royal Air Force from 1918 to 1920 and the Women's Royal Air Force from 1949 to 1994. On 1 February 1949, the ...

. Key was an associate professor of engineering at

East Los Angeles College East Los Angeles College (ELAC) is a public community college in Monterey Park, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. It is part of the California Community Colleges System and the Los Angeles Community College District. With fourteen communitie ...

. He received the degrees of B.S. in arts and sciences from

Illinois Institute of Technology Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Tracing its history to 1890, the present name was adopted upon the merger of the Armour Institute and Lewis Institute in 1940. The university has prog ...

and B.S. in electrical engineering from

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

. Key was a licensed professional engineer, and had varied and extensive practical experience as an engineer and mechanical designer in private industry and for government agencies. He had the rank of lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force Reserve, and while on active duty during World War II, he wrote and edited technical handbooks for the Air Force. He had published some twenty articles concerning technical subjects in ''Power Plant Engineering'' (now ''Power Engineering'') and ''Design News'' magazines. Key was also a member of the

American Society of Civil Engineers and Architects American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

, the

National Science Teachers Association The National Science Teaching Association (NSTA), founded in 1944 (as the National Science Teachers Association) and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, is an association of science teachers in the United States and is the largest organization ...

, the

American Society for Engineering Education The American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) is a non-profit member association, founded in 1893, dedicated to promoting and improving engineering and engineering technology education. The purpose of ASEE is the advancement of education ...

, and the Los Angeles College Teachers Association, and was listed in ''The International Yearbook'' and ''Statesman's Who's Who, Who's Who in the West'', and ''Who's Who in Commerce and Industry.''Principles of Electricity

Bibliography

Fiction

*''Mars Mountain'' (1934) *''The Red Ace'' (1930) *''Lake Tempest'' (1934) *''Earth Sees Mars'' (1934)

Non-fiction

*''Elementary Engineering Mechanics'' (1960) *''Principles of Electricity for Students of Physics and Engineering''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Key, Eugene George 1907 births 1968 deaths American science fiction writers Illinois Institute of Technology alumni United States Army Air Forces soldiers United States Air Force officers United States Army personnel of World War II American male short story writers 20th-century American novelists American male novelists 20th-century American short story writers 20th-century American male writers American expatriates in the United Kingdom