Leinster, Murray, 1896-1975

William Fitzgerald Jenkins (1896-1975), better known to science fiction readers by his pseudonym Murray Leinster, was an American author of adventure, detective, Western, and science fiction short stories and novels. He is best known for his science fiction and alternate history work (he is credited with the invention of parallel universe stories); these won numerous awards and accolades, including the Liberty Award (1937), Hugo Award (1956), and a retro-Hugo (1996). The Sidewise Award for Alternate History, established in 1995, was named after his short story "Sidewise in Time."

Jenkins was born in Norfolk, Virginia on June 16, 1896 to George Briggs Jenkins and his wife Mary Louis Murray Jenkins. After attending public and private schools in Norfolk, Jenkins served during World War I with the Committee on Public Information and with the 98th Division of the United States Army and during World War II as an editor in the Office of War Information.

From 1915 to 1932 Jenkins wrote short stories for pulp and science fiction magazines under the pseudonym Murray Leinster. After 1930 he resumed the use of his own name for stories published in national magazines. Other pseudonyms used for a few of his earlier writings are Jean Farquar, Louisa Carter Lee, and Mona Vail.

Bibliographies of Jenkins' work are widely available online; see for example the listing for Murray Leinster on fantasticfiction.co.uk and the Murray Leinster page at www.sfsite.com .

Jenkins' works have been published in fifteen languages and Braille, and have appeared in numerous anthologies. He also wrote the screenplays for more than a dozen movies, including Owner of the Aztec and Murder Will Out .

From the guide to the Will Jenkins (Murray Leinster) Papers, 1915-1968, (Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries)