William Sloane
William Milligan Sloane III was an American editor and author born on August 15, 1906, in Plymouth, Massachusetts. He graduated from Princeton University in 1929 and enjoyed a diverse career in the publishing industry, working for various companies including Longman's Green, Fitzgerald Publishing, and Henry Holt and Company, eventually becoming vice president at Holt. In 1946, he founded his own company, William Sloane Associates, before transitioning to academic publishing as the director of Rutgers University Press from 1955 until 1974. Sloane was also known for his brief yet impactful foray into science fiction, where he masterfully combined elements of horror with scientific concepts in works like "To Walk the Night" and "The Edge of Running Water." His narratives were characterized by suspenseful storytelling and a rational grounding in science, exploring themes of existence and the supernatural. Sloane passed away on September 25, 1974, leaving behind a legacy in both publishing and literature.
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Subject Terms
William Sloane
Fiction Writer
- Born: August 15, 1906
- Birthplace: Plymouth, Massachusetts
- Died: September 25, 1974
Biography
William Milligan Sloane III was born in Plymouth, Massachusetts, on August 15, 1906, and attended Hill School, from which he graduated in 1925. He then went to Princeton University in New Jersey, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1929. He was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honorary society. In 1930, he married Julie Hawkins, with whom he had one son and two daughters.
He held a variety of jobs in the publishing industry, starting with work in the plays and editorial departments of Longman’s Green and Company. In 1932, he became a manager in the Fitzgerald Publishing Company, a position he held until 1937, when he moved to Farrar and Rinehart, becoming an associate editor. The following year, he moved to Henry Holt and Company, holding the position of manager of the trade department from 1939 to 1946, and from 1944 to 1946 vice president of the company. In 1946, he created his own company, William Sloane Associates, which he operated until 1952.
At that point he moved into academic publishing, working for Funk and Wagnalls, a company known for its textbooks, until 1955. He then became director of Rutgers University Press, a position he held until 1974. He also served on several committees and conferences, and was president of the Association of American University Presses.
His science-fiction career was extremely brief, yet it was notable for the deftness with which he blended science and horror in the two novels and one short story he published. To Walk the Night deals with a trope that has become cliche in the hands of inept filmmakers, yet he managed to invest it with fresh life. The protagonists drop by an old friend’s home only to see him suddenly burst into flames and be reduced to ash. As they investigate this peculiar situation, they discover that their friend had been making some daring investigations into the fundamental nature of reality and somehow undermined his own existence. The details are revealed in logical manner, providing true suspense rather than tricks, and come to a remarkably memorable conclusion.
His other novel, The Edge of Running Water, moved further into the supernatural, yet always retained its firm grounding in scientific rationality. A character attempts to build a machine that will breach the veil between the living and the dead. His experiments result in the death of one character and the irrevocable loss of another who is thrust into an alien dimension, although there is little overt violence. Sloane died on September 25, 1974.