Nathaniel Schachner ((January 16, 1895 – October 2, 1955), who published under the names Nat Schachner and Nathan Schachner, was an American

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art and creative writing such as novels, short stories, books, poetry, travelogues, p ...

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the st ...

, and attorney, as well as an early advocate of the development of

rockets A rocket (from it, rocchetto, , bobbin/spool) is a vehicle that uses jet propulsion to accelerate without using the surrounding air. A rocket engine produces thrust by reaction to exhaust expelled at high speed. Rocket engines work entirely ...

for space travel. A prominent

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

of historical works on figures from America's Revolutionary Era, Schachner also was a regular contributor to the genre leading up to and during the early years of what came to be referred to as the

Golden Age of Science Fiction The first Golden Age of Science Fiction, often recognized in the United States as the period from 1938 to 1946, was an era during which the science fiction genre gained wide public attention and many classic science fiction stories were published. ...

(c. 1938–1946). Best known for his

biographies A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or c ...

of American historical figures such as

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was previously the natio ...

and Alexander Hamilton, Schachner began his writing career contributing

short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...

to leading " pulp magazines" 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 ...

, horror,

mystery Mystery, The Mystery, Mysteries or The Mysteries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters *Mystery, a cat character in ''Emily the Strange'' Films * ''Mystery'' (2012 film), a 2012 Chinese drama film * ''Mystery'' ( ...

, and

adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme ...

genres. During the heart of the Great Depression, he contributed more than fifty stories to magazines such as ''

Astounding Stories ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' is an American science fiction magazine published under various titles since 1930. Originally titled ''Astounding Stories of Super-Science'', the first issue was dated January 1930, published by William C ...

'', ''

Terror Tales ''Terror Tales'' was the name of two American publications: a pulp magazine of the weird menace genre of the 1930s, and a horror comic in the 1960s and 1970s. Pulp magazine ''Terror Tales'' was originally published by Popular Publications. The ...

'', '' Horror Stories'', ''

Dime Mystery Magazine ''Dime Mystery Magazine'' was an American pulp magazine published from 1932 to 1950 by Popular Publications. Titled ''Dime Mystery Book Magazine'' during its first nine months, it contained ordinary mystery stories, including a full-length n ...

'', and ''Fantastic Adventures''. He then turned to writing historical

non-fiction Nonfiction, or non-fiction, is any document or media content that attempts, in good faith, to provide information (and sometimes opinions) grounded only in facts and real life, rather than in imagination. Nonfiction is often associated with b ...

and fiction, gaining recognition for his prodigious research. Schachner, a practicing attorney, was a founder and officer of the American Interplanetary Society, which pioneered

liquid fuel Liquid fuels are combustible or energy-generating molecules that can be harnessed to create mechanical energy, usually producing kinetic energy; they also must take the shape of their container. It is the fumes of liquid fuels that are flammable ...

rocketry in the United States in the early 1930s. Later known as the American Rocket Society, the organization eventually became part of the

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is a professional society for the field of aerospace engineering. The AIAA is the U.S. representative on the International Astronautical Federation and the International Council of ...

, a

professional society A professional association (also called a professional body, professional organization, or professional society) usually seeks to further a particular profession, the interests of individuals and organisations engaged in that profession, and the ...

in the field of aerospace engineering that today has nearly 30,000 members world-wide.

Bibliography

Historical works

* * * * * *

Short stories and novelettes

Following is a listing of Schachner's short fiction as published in magazines during the 1930s and 1940s. The links provide access to either the stories or information on them from the

Internet Speculative Fiction Database The Internet Speculative Fiction Database (ISFDB) is a database of bibliographic information on genres considered speculative fiction, including science fiction and related genres such as fantasy, alternate history, and horror fiction. The ISFDB ...

. *
The Tower of Evil
''Wonder Stories Quarterly'', 1930 Summer *
In 20,000 A.D.!
''Wonder Stories'', September 1930, co-author: Arthur L. Zagat * "The Song of the Cakes", ''Oriental Stories'', Autumn 1930, co-author: Arthur L. Zagat
Information
*
Back to 20,000 A.D.
''Wonder Stories'', March 1931, co-author: Arthur L. Zagat *
The Emperor of the Stars
''Wonder Stories'', April 1931 *
The Dead-Alive
, ''Weird Tales'', April-May 1931, co-author: Arthur L. Zagat *
The Menace from Andromeda
, ''Amazing Stories'', April 1931, co-author: Arthur L. Zagat *
The Death-Cloud
''Astounding Stories of Super-Science'', May 1931, co-author: Arthur L. Zagat *
The Revolt of the Machines
''Astounding Stories of Super-Science'', July 1931, co-author: Arthur L. Zagat *
Venus Mines, Incorporated
, ''Wonder Stories'', August 1931, co-author: Arthur L. Zagat *
Exiles of the Moon
, Part 1, ''Wonder Stories'', September 1931, co-author: Arthur L. Zagat *
Exiles of the Moon
, Part 2,''Wonder Stories'', October 1931, co-author: Arthur L. Zagat *
Exiles of the Moon
, Part 3, ''Wonder Stories'', November 1931, co-author: Arthur L. Zagat *
Pirates of the Gorm
, ''Astounding Stories'', May 1932 *
Slaves of Mercury
, ''Astounding Stories'', September 1932 *
Emissaries of Space
, ''Wonder Stories Quarterly'', Fall 1932 *
The Time Express
, ''Wonder Stories'', December 1932 *
The Memory of the Atoms
, ''Wonder Stories'', January 1933, co-author: R. Lacher *
The Eternal Dictator
, ''Wonder Stories'', February 1933 *
The Robot Technocrat
, ''Wonder Stories'', March 1933 *
The Revolt of the Scientists
, ''Wonder Stories'', April 1933 *
The Revolt of the Scientists-II The Great Oil War
, ''Wonder Stories'', May 1933 *
The Revolt of the Scientists-III The Final Triumph
, ''Wonder Stories'', June 1933 *
Fire Imps of Vesuvius
, ''Astounding Stories'', October 1933 *
The Orange God
, ''Astounding Stories'', October 1933, pseudonym: Walter Glamis *
Ancestral Voices
, ''Astounding Stories'', December 1933 *
Redmask of the Outlands
, ''Astounding Stories'', January 1934 *
The Time Imposter
, ''Astounding Stories'', March 1934 *
He from Procyon
, ''Astounding Stories'', April 1934 * "The Dragon of Iskander", ''Fantastic Stories of Imagination'', April 1934
Information
*
The 100th Generation
, ''Astounding Stories'', May 1934 * "Marble Murderer", ''Dime Mystery Magazine'', July 1934
Information
*
Stratosphere Towers
, ''Astounding Stories'', August 1934 *
The Living Equation
, ''Astounding Stories'', September 1934 * "Monsters of the Pit", ''Terror Tales'', November 1934
Information
*
The Great Thirst
, ''Astounding Stories'', November 1934 * "They Dare Not Die", ''Terror Tales'', January 1935
Information
*
The Ultimate Metal
, ''Astounding Stories'', February 1935 * "Thirst of the Ancients", ''Terror Tales'', February 1935
Information
* "Death Takes a Bride", ''Terror Tales'', March 1935
Information
*
Mind of the World
''Astounding Stories'', March 1935 *
When the Sun Dies
, ''Astounding Stories'', March 1935, pseudonym: Chan Corbett * "Death Teaches School, ''Terror Tales'', April 1935
Information
* "Satan's Antechamber", ''Thrilling Mysteries'', April 1935
Information
* "The Devil's Brewers", ''Terror Tales'', May 1935
Information
* "Hospital of the Damned", ''Horror Stories'', June 1935
Information
* "Railroad to Hell", ''Terror Tales'', June 1935
Information
*
The Orb of Probability
, ''Astounding Stories'', June 1935 * "Creatures of the Dusk", ''Terror Tales'', July 1935
Information
*
The Son of Redmask
, ''Astounding Stories'', August 1935 *
Intra-Planetary
, ''Astounding Stories'', October 1935, pseudonym: Chan Corbett *
I Am Not God
, Part 1 of 2, ''Astounding Stories'', October 1935 *
I Am Not God
, Part 2 of 2, ''Astounding Stories'', November 1935 *
The Isotope Men
, ''Astounding Stories'', January 1936 *
Entropy
, ''Astounding Stories'', March 1936 * "A Feast for Hell's Angels", ''Terror Tales'', May 1936
Information
*
Reverse Universe
, ''Astounding Stories'', June 1936 *
Ecce Homo
, ''Astounding Stories'', June 1936, pseudonym: Chan Corbett * "The Devil's Night Club", ''Dime Mystery Magazine'', June 1936
Information
* "Death Unmasks at Midnight", ''Horror Stories'', June-July 1936
Information
*
Pacifica
, ''Astounding Stories'', July 1936 *
The Return of the Murians
, ''Astounding Stories'', August 1936 *
The Saprophyte Men of Venus
, ''Astounding Stories'', October 1936 *
The Eternal Wanderer
, ''Astounding Stories'', November 1936 * "Wedding Night of the Damned", ''Terror Tales'', November-December 1936
Information
*
The Thought Web of Minipar
, ''Astounding Stories'', November 1936, pseudonym: Chan Corbett * "Cauldrons of the Damned", ''Horror Stories'', December 1936-January 1937
Information
*
Infra-Universe
, Part 1 of 2, ''Astounding Stories'', December 1936 *
Infra-Universe
, Part 2 of 2, ''Astounding Stories'', January 1937 *
Beyond Infinity
, ''Astounding Stories'', January 1937, pseudonym: Chan Corbett *
Beyond Which Limits
, ''Astounding Stories'', February 1937 *
The Shining One
, ''Astounding Stories'', May 1937 *
Satan's Children Are Hungry
, ''Terror Tales'', March-April 1937 *
The Shining One
, ''Astounding Stories'', May 1937 *
Earthspin
, ''Astounding Stories'', June 1937 * "The Plague of Evil Love", ''Terror Tales'', June 1937
Information
*
Sterile Planet
, ''Astounding Stories'', July 1937 *
Crystallized Thought
, ''Astounding Stories'', August 1937 *
Past, Present and Future
, ''Astounding Stories'', September 1937 * "Children of Murder", ''Dime Mystery Magazine'', October 1937
Information
*
Lost in the Dimensions
, ''Astounding Stories'', November 1937 *
City of the Rocket Horde
, ''Astounding Stories'', December 1937 * "Governess for the Mad", ''Terror Tales'', January-February 1938
Information
*
Negative Space
, ''Astounding Science Fiction'', April 1938 *
Island of the Individualists
, ''Astounding Science Fiction'', May 1938 * "Factory for Death", ''Dime Mystery Magazine'', September 1938
Information
*
The Sun-World of Soldus
, ''Astounding Science Fiction'', October 1938 * "The Flowering Corpses", ''Dime Mystery Magazine'', October 1938
Information
*
Simultaneous Worlds
, Part 1 of 2, ''Astounding Science Fiction'', November 1938 *
Simultaneous Worlds
, Part 2 of 2, ''Astounding Science Fiction'', December 1938 * "The Corpses' Christmas Party, ''Horror Stories'', December 1938-January 1939
Information
* "Parade of the Tiny Killers", ''Terror Tales'', January 1939
Information
* "Welcome Mr. Death, ''Strange Detective Mysteries'', January-February 1939, pseudonym: Chan Corbett
Information
* "Merchant of Screaming Death, ''Strange Detective Mysteries'', January-February 1939
Information
*
Palooka from Jupiter
, ''Astounding Science Fiction'', February 1939 * "Terror of the Corpse Balloons", ''Strange Detective Mysteries'', March-April 1939
Information
*
Worlds Don't Care
, ''Astounding Science Fiction'', April 1939 * "The Corpse Clinic", ''Strange Detective Mysteries'', May 1939
Information
* "The Great Grey Hounds of Death", ''Strange Detective Mysteries'', May-June 1939, pseudonym: Chan Corbett
Information
*
When the Future Dies
, ''Astounding Science Fiction'', June 1939 *
City of the Cosmic Rays
, ''Astounding Science Fiction'', July 1939 * "City Under the Sea", ''Fantastic Adventures'', September 1939
Information
*
City of the Corporate Mind
, ''Astounding Science Fiction'', December 1939 *
Cold
, ''Astounding Science Fiction'', March 1940 *
Space Double
, ''Astounding Science Fiction'', May 1940 * "Master Gerald of Cambray", ''Unknown Fantasy Fiction'', June 1940
Information
*
Runaway Cargo
, ''Astounding Science Fiction'', October 1940 *
Old Fireball
, ''Astounding Science Fiction'', June 1941 *
Jurisdiction
, ''Astounding Science Fiction'', August 1941 *
The Return of the Circe
, ''Fantastic Adventures'', August 1941 *
Beyond All Weapons
, ''Astounding Science Fiction'', November 1941 *
Eight Who Came Back
, ''Fantastic Adventures'', November 1941 *
The Strange Story of Two American Boys
, ''Crack Detective Stories'', September 1945 *
Frontier Sam
, ''Speed Western Stories'', September 1946

Notes

References

External links

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Schachner, Nat 1895 births 1955 deaths 20th-century American novelists American male novelists American science fiction writers American male short story writers 20th-century American short story writers 20th-century American male writers American military personnel of World War I