Paul Frederick Ernst (1899-1985) was a prolific American pulp fiction writer best known for his work in the early days of science fiction and fantasy genres. Here's a summary of what we know about him:
Life and Career:
- Born: November 7, 1899, in Akron, Ohio
- Died: September 21, 1985, in Pinellas County, Florida (possibly Largo)
- Began writing fiction in his early twenties
- Known for churning out "potboilers" (fast-paced, formulaic stories) for various pulp magazines
Genre Focus:
- Science fiction: His stories appeared in magazines like Astounding Stories, Strange Tales, and Amazing.
- Fantasy: An example is his "Doctor Satan" series that ran in Weird Tales (1935-1936).
- Superhero fiction: His most famous work is the creation of the original 24 "The Avenger" novels published by Street & Smith under the house name Kenneth Robeson (1939-1942).
Additional Points:
- Used pseudonyms like Paul Frederick Stern for some works.
- Adapted to changing market trends: When pulp magazines declined, he transitioned to writing for "slick" magazines like Good Housekeeping.
- Continued writing well into his later years: There's a record of a story published in 1971.
Information Gaps:
- Details about his personal life are scarce.
- There isn't a comprehensive bibliography of all his works published under various names and pseudonyms.
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