Rog Phillips
Rog Phillips, born Roger Phillips Graham in 1909, was a significant figure in mid-20th century science fiction, particularly known for his contributions to the genre during the 1940s and 1950s. He published extensively in notable magazines such as Amazing Stories and Fantastic Adventures, establishing a reputation as a prolific short fiction writer. Phillips often wrote under various pseudonyms, including Craig Browning and Clinton Ames, and his work included both short stories and novels. Among his best-known pieces is "The Yellow Pill," recognized for its complex exploration of perception and reality, which has been adapted for television. His character, Lefty Baker, featured in several stories and showcased his talent for creating engaging narratives. In addition to his fiction, Phillips played a vital role in the science fiction community as a fan and contributor, co-creating the influential fanzine review column "The Club House" with editor Ray Palmer. Phillips's legacy is marked by his inventive storytelling and his active engagement with the science fiction fandom of his time.
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Rog Phillips
Writer
- Born: 1909
- Died: 1965
Biography
Roger Phillips Graham (1909-1965), who wrote mainly as Rog Phillips, published many stories in the science-fiction (SF) magazines that proliferated in the 1940’s and 1950’s, but was most associated with the two companion magazines, Amazing Stories (which had the distinction of being the first all-SF magazine when it started in 1926) and Fantastic Adventures. He also wrote as Craig Browning, Clinton Ames, Franklin Bahl, Gregg Conrad, Inez McGowan, Melva Rogers, Chester Ruppert, William Carter Sawtelle, and John Wiley, and under house names shared by a number of writers, as Alexander Blade, P. F. Costello, Alfred R. Steber, Gerald Vance, Peter Worth, and possibly others.
Graham was a well-known West Coast SF fan for some thirty years, as was his first wife, Mari Wolf. His first professional fiction sale was “Let Freedom Ring” (1945) to Amazing. He built a series of stories around a character he created named Lefty Baker: “Squeeze Play” (1947), “The Immortal Menace” (1949), “The Insane Robot” (1949), and “But Who Knows Huer or Huen?” (1969). Although the bulk of his work was in short fiction, he published four novels: Time Trap (1949), Worlds Within (1950), World of If (1951) and The Involuntary Immortals (1949), which he revised in 1959. the plot of the latter was not uncommon in SF, and involved a group of young paranormals who had to join forces to protect themselves from being attacked or killed by non-gifted humans who are fearful of their mental talents.
His best-known story is titled “The Yellow Pill” (1958), which The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction calls “an ingenious exercise in paradoxes of perception.” It appeared in Judith Merril’s Best SF Annual collection for that year. The story was adapted by Leon Griffiths for television in 1969. It was originally published in Astounding Science Fiction magazine. The story depicts two characters, one who believes he is inside a room while the other believes he is inside a spaceship. The two challenge each other’s idea of the truth of reality, with deadly results. Phillips is also remembered for “Game Farm” (1967), which appeared in If magazine.
Amazing editor Ray Palmer (1910-1977) tapped Phillips to write a fanzine review column. Palmer began editing Amazing Stories when the magazine was purchased by Ziff-Davis in 1938, a job he kept for more than a decade. Although the magazine had been the first in the SF genre, its stories had become rather stagnant. Palmer perked it up considerably, choosing more action- oriented juvenile stories in many cases, buying SF stories by such classic genre writers as Edgar Rice Burroughs and even the first SF story ever published by Isaac Asimov. The column that he created with Phillips, called “The Club House,” became highly influential among fans and science-fiction readers and continued from March, 1948, to March, 1953. Palmer revived it occasionally after that in other magazines where he was editor, such as Universe Science Fiction and Other Worlds.