Nelson S. Bond (1908 - )
by Peter Ruber
If Robert Bloch is deservedly remembered for his special brand of black humor in many tales of horror, then surely Nelson Bond should be remembered for his completely wacky fantasy science fiction stories, many of which appeared in the pages of Blue Book, the elite of all pulp magazines. In Bond's world, the real, the surreal, and the unreal often collide in warped and wonderful ways, like no other stories have in the last sixty years.
Take Pat Pending, the wacky "inventulator" whose adventures were narrated by Don Mallory, a junior clerk in the United States Patent Office, in Washington, D.C. Or the inventive Lancelot Biggs: Spaceman, who with a few spare parts could energize his spaceship to travel at the speed of light. Or the mad magic of Mr. Mergenthwirker and his lobblies -- those fascinating, bodyless creatures who create so much mischief. Or confidence and carney man "Squaredeal Sam" McGhee, while he had not an honest bone in his body had a heart of gold, as well as a remarkable talent for becoming involved with unusual characters. Nelson Bond created other minor series characters; but he always seemed to know just how many he should write without overdoing the gimmick -- then stopped.
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Posted by ds at February 13, 2003 05:31 PM
