Reginald Bretnor
Reginald Bretnor was a notable 20th-century writer recognized for his contributions to mystery and science fiction. Born in Vladivostok, Russia, his family relocated to Japan and later to San Diego, California, where he became a U.S. citizen in 1934. Bretnor's diverse background influenced his writing career, which took a significant turn during World War II when he worked in the Japanese section of the War Information Office, although he resigned in 1947 to focus on writing. He is best known for creating the "Feghoot" format, a series of short science-fiction stories characterized by their pun-laden endings, compiled in his work "Through Time and Space with Ferdinand Feghoot." Bretnor also authored a mystery novel titled "A Killing in Swords" and published nonfiction works that explored science fiction writing. His personal life included two marriages, both ending with the passing of his wives. Bretnor passed away in Oregon in 1992, leaving behind a legacy in the genre of speculative fiction.
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Reginald Bretnor
Writer
- Born: July 30, 1911
- Birthplace: Vladivostok, Russia
- Died: July 15, 1992
- Place of death: Medford, Oregon
Biography
Reginald Bretnor, a twentieth century writer of mystery and science fiction, was born in Vladivostok, Russia. Bretnor’s father was a banker and his mother was an English governess. His family moved to Japan in 1917, and then to San Diego, California, in 1920. Reginald Bretnor became a United States citizen in 1934. During World War II, because of his short residency in Japan, Bretnor was able to take a position in the Japanese section of the War Information Office. However, he resigned from this position in 1947, and moved to Berkeley, California, in order to pursue a full-time writing career.
Bretnor preferred to write short works and was fascinated by puns. He wrote Through Time and Space with Ferdinand Feghoot: The First Forty-Five Feghoot Adventures with Five More Never Previously Heard From, which was a series of short science- fiction works that ran for years in periodicals such as the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Venture, and Asimov’s Science Fiction. All of these popular science-fiction short stories ended with a pun. Thus, short stories that followed this format became known as Feghoots.
In addition to being credited with the creation of the Feghoot, Reginald Bretnor wrote a mystery novel, A Killing in Swords, which was published in 1978. Bretnor also published nonfiction works on the topic of science-fiction writing. Two of these most noted works were The Craft of Science Fiction: A Symposium on Writing Science Fiction and Science Fantasy and Science Fiction Today and Tomorrow.
Bretnor was widowed twice in his life. His first wife, Helen Harding, died in 1949. He remarried in 1969 to Rosalie Leveille. She died in 1988. Reginald Bretnor died in Oregon in 1992.