Raymond Zinke Gallun (1911-1994) (pronounced Ga-Loon) was as important and brilliant a Science Fiction writer as many others who came out of the Golden Age of Science Fiction, but his contributions are less well-known partly because of his carefree attitude towards life and partly because he did not write novels until later in his career. Not a self-promoter like Asimov or Heinlein, he dipped in and out of SF as the mood took him. He wrote for all the big editors, starting with Hugo Gernsback, then T. O’Conor Sloane F. Orlin Tremaine and even the dictatorial John W. Campbell. Gallun’s work enriched every magazine he appeared in.
His story “Old Faithful” is a classic of sympathetic aliens. Isaac Asimov wrote in Before the Golden Age: “More important [than getting a sequel] was the fact that sympathetic portraits of extraterrestrials became common after “Old Faithful,” particularly among the more sophisticated writers. The old picture of extraterrestrial as mindless villain receded into the more primitive byways.” He does not give Gallun all the credit but did say of him: “But if the trend was inevitable, Gallun nevertheless was the first to take
advantage of it in a really effective manner.”
1929
“The Crystal Ray” (Air Wonder Stories, November 1929) has two military men on leave in the Andes discover a terrible weapon to use against the Asiatic invaders. The crystal ray wins the war even while its creator dies in a flurry of bullets. The America-Asia war theme dates back to the first Buck Rogers adventure.
“The Space Dwellers” (Science Wonder Stories, November 1929) Reprinted in Startling Stories, Fall 1943 has an Earthly astronomer visited by a seven-foot tall, ebony alien. Othaloma relates the history of his race and how they transformed into non-air breathing creatures that can live in the void of space.
1931
“Atomic Fire” (Amazing Stories, April 1931)
“The Lunar Chrysalis” (Amazing Stories, September 1931)
1932
“The Revolt of the Star Men” (Wonder Stories Quarterly, Winter 1932)
“Waves of Compulsion” (Wonder Stories, March 1932)
“The Moon Mistress” (Wonder Stories, May 1932)
“Menace From Mercury” (with John B. Michel)(Wonder Stories Quarterly, Summer 1932) as part of the Interplanetary Story Contest.
“The Moon Mirage” (1932)
1933
“The Flight of RX-1” (Amazing Stories, July 1933)
1934
“Moon Plague” (Wonder Stories, January 1934)
“Space Flotsam” (Astounding Stories, February 1934)
“The World Wrecker” (Astounding Stories, June 1934)
“The Wand of Creation” (Astounding Stories, September 1934)
“The Machine From Ganymede” (Astounding Stories, November 1934)
“Old Faithful” (Astounding Stories, December 1934)
1935
“Mind Over Matter” (Astounding Stories, January 1935)
“Telepathic Piracy” (Astounding Stories, March 1935)
“N’Goc” (Astounding Stories, May 1935)
“Blue Haze on Pluto” (Astounding Stories, June 1935)
“The Son of Old Faithful” (Astounding Stories, July 1935)
“Derelict” (Astounding Stories, October 1935)
“Avalanche” (Astounding Stories, December 1935) (as Dow Elstar)
“Davey Jones’ Ambassador” (Astounding Stories, December 1935)
“Nova Solis” (Astounding Stories, December 1935) (as E. V. Raymond)
1936
“Buried Moon” (Astounding Stories, February 1936)
“Mad Robot” (Astounding Stories, March 1936)
“Child of the Stars” (Astounding Stories, April 1936)
“The Weapon” (Astounding Stories, May 1936)
“The Scarab” (Astounding Stories, August 1936)
“The Beast of the Void” (Astounding Stories, September 1936)
“The Great Illusion” (Fantasy Magazine, September 1936) with Eando Binder, Jack Williamson, Raymond Z. Gallun and John Russell Fearn
“Godson of Almarlu” (Astounding Stories, October 1936)
“The Path” (Astounding Stories, November 1936)
“Saturn’ Ringmaster” (Thrilling Wonder Stories, December 1936)
1937
“Luminous Mine” (Astounding Stories, January 1937)
“To a Pebble” (Science Fantasy Correspondent January/February 1937)
“The Fires of Genesis” (Astounding Stories, March 1937)
“The Second Cataclysm” (Astounding Stories, March 1937) (as Dow Elstar)
“Comet’s Captive” (Astounding Stories, June 1937)
“Dark Sun” (Thrilling Wonder Stories, June 1937)
“Dawn-World Echoes” (Astounding Stories, July 1937)
“A Menace in Miniature” (Astounding Stories, October 1937)
“Stardust Gods” (Astounding Stories, October 1937) (as Dow Elstar and Robert S. McCready)
“Red Shards of Ceres” (Thrilling Wonder Stories, December 1937) reprinted in Fantastic Story, Spring 1950.
1938
“Mercutian Adventure” (Astounding Stories, February 1938)
“Thunder Voice” (Astounding Stories, February 1938) (as Dow Elstar)
“Something From Jupiter” (Astounding Science Fiction, March 1938) (as Dow Elstar)
“Iszt-Earthman” (Astounding Science Fiction, April 1938)
“Seeds of the Dusk” (Astounding Science Fiction, June 1938)
“Hotel Cosmos” (Astounding Stories, July 1938)
“Magician of Dream Valley” (Astounding Science Fiction, October 1938)
1939
“The Shadow of the Veil” (Astounding Science Fiction, February 1939)
“The Machine That Thought” (as William Callahan) (Science Fiction, March 1939) reprinted as The Machine That Thought (1942)
“Strange Creature” (Science Fiction, August 1939)
“Masson’s Secret” (Astounding Science Fiction, September 1939)
Next time, Raymond Z. Gallun’s career changes direction… Part Two.
