HORNIG, Charles D.

(1916-)

   US editor whose career began in 1933 when, as a young sf fan, he started a FANZINE called The Fantasy Fan and happened to send a copy of it to Hugo GERNSBACK. By coincidence, Gernsback was at that time looking for a new managing editor for WONDER STORIES, and was so impressed by CDH's editorial that he decided to offer him the post. At 17, CDH became the youngest-ever sf magazine editor, attending evening classes at the same time until he finished high school. He edited Wonder Stories Nov 1933-Apr 1936, when the magazine was sold to another publisher and became THRILLINGWONDER STORIES. CDH did not give up his fan activities, continuing The Fantasy Fan on a monthly basis until early 1935. At Gernsback's instigation he began the SCIENCE FICTION LEAGUE, a club centred on Wonder Stories. CDH initiated a "new-story" policy in an attempt to emulate the"thought-variant" stories published by F. Orlin TREMAINE in ASF; but this did not achieve many notable results-although he did publish Stanley G. WEINBAUM's first story, "A Martian Odyssey" (1934), to great acclaim. Hepublished one story of his own under the pseudonym Derwin Lesser, used again in articles he contributed to the magazine SCIENCE FICTION, which he edited from its inception in Mar 1939. He also edited two companion magazines: FUTURE FICTION and SCIENCE FICTION QUARTERLY. None of these magazines achieved any distinction; they were taken over (and the first 2 titles amalgamated) by Robert A.W. LOWNDES in 1941. A convinced pacifist, CDH was a conscientious objector to WWII, and in 1942 was assigned to apublic-service forestry camp. He left in 1943 and was imprisoned later the same year as an absolute objector to all forms of wartime service.

   MJE