Laurence Manning
Laurence Manning was a notable Canadian-born science fiction author whose work gained prominence in American pulp magazines during the 1920s and 1930s. Born in 1899 in St. John, New Brunswick, he graduated with a civil law degree and later moved to the United States, where he pursued a career in journalism and business. Manning’s contributions to science fiction are recognized for their technical sophistication and foresight, particularly in themes like rocketry and environmentalism. His notable works include "The Voyage of the Asteroidoid," published in 1932, which featured innovative ideas about liquid-fuel rockets traveling to Venus. Additionally, he wrote a sequel and later authored "The Man Who Awoke," a serialized tale exploring the concept of hibernation and time travel. Beyond his fiction, Manning was actively involved in the aeronautics field, helping to promote rocket research as a founding member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He passed away in 1972, but his legacy in science fiction and aerospace continues to be recognized today.
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Laurence Manning
Author
- Born: 1899
- Birthplace: St. John, New Brunswick, Canada
- Died: April 10, 1972
Biography
Some critics and science-fiction fans consider Laurence Manning the most significant Canadian-born author who wrote science fiction for the American pulp magazines during the 1920’s and 1930’s. His work impressed reviewers for its technical mastery and ability to anticipate later science-fiction concepts, including environmentalism and rocketry.
Manning was born in 1899 in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada. He graduated from Kings College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with a bachelor’s of civil law degree in 1919, and the following year he immigrated to the United States. Manning was a reporter for a florists’ trade magazine in Philadelphia. By 1923, he was living in New York City, where he was a manager at Kelsey Nursery Service; he eventually was promoted to president and later owned the mail-order gardening business. He served as a second lieutenant in the Royal Canadian Air Force.
In the early 1930’s, Manning’s first stories appeared in science-fiction magazines. His short novel, The Voyage of the Asteroidoid, was published in an issue of Wonder Stories Quarterly in 1932. It tells the story of a liquid-fuel rocket, the Asteroid, that flies to Venus. The novel contains accurate information about rocketry that stems from Manning’s interest in the field. He wrote a sequel, The Wreck of the Asteroid, which was serialized in a science-fiction magazine from December, 1932, until February, 1933. In 1951, Manning drew on his experience of the gardening business to write a nonfiction book, The How and Why of Better Gardening, which was reprinted several times.
Manning was a founding member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, editing the institute’s journal and serving as its president in 1934. He helped the organization conduct experiments with high-gravity tests and liquid-fuel rockets. Manning died on April 10, 1972.
The year after his death, The Man Who Awoke was published in book form. This novel originally was serialized in five-parts in Wonder Stories Quarterly in 1933. The Man Who Awoke is the story of Norman Winters, a rich man who builds a hibernation chamber, where he can live for thousands of years in suspended animation. Every five thousand years, Manning leaves his chamber to examine how the world has changed during his slumber, resulting in numerous adventures.