Hugo Gernsback (1884-1967)

Educated in European technical schools, Gernsback immigrated to America in 1904 and became a naturalized US citizen. His interest in the future of things electrical probably set in motion the history of American Science Fiction as we know it. Gernsback started early in this mode, as founder of Electric Importing Co in 1905, and editor of Modern Electrics in 1908. In 1925, Hugo founded radio station WRNY and was involved in the first television broadcasts.

Amazing Stories was created by Hugo in 1926 as the first publication devoted to future fiction. That was soon followed by Wonder Stories in 1929 (bad timing). But despite the Great Depression, Gernsback Publications, Inc became a viable force and was fairly diversified with titles from Radio Craft and Short Wave Craft to Sexology.

Gernsback developed 'Ralph 124C 41' as a pen name in 1911 and that began a sequence of events that ended in a visionary early science fiction novel of almost the same name, Ralph 124C 41+.

Hugo was a dreamer and misplaced inventor, his efforts in that field slightly awry, such as the osophone which was a device to allow the deaf to hear through their teeth. At his death, however, Gernsback held 80 patents. Hugo's visionary skills foretold of plastic, stainless steel, jukeboxes and tape recorders, solar power, television, etc. Honored by the field of Science Fiction when it named its award of excellence after Gernsback.