Evelyn E. Smith

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Evelyn E. Smith (born July 25, 1922 in New York City ; died July 4, 2000 there ) was an American author of crossword puzzles , crime novels , science fiction and horror .

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She published her first SF story in 1952 in Galaxy magazine . Young Michael grew up in a Brotherhood lodge and is therefore not very familiar with the customs and traditions of the “United Universe”. Peace has reigned there for centuries, as the roots of all wars and conflicts have been removed: anything that could offend any of the numerous races of the universe or that is taboo anywhere is offensive and taboo in the entire universe, such as eating in public, walking more than 200 meters or using the word “history”. And everywhere one is showered with rhyming advertising slogans and commercials that one must not avoid, as this could offend the advertiser's ego - and ego violation is criminal. Michael quickly realizes that he has no place in this universe and returns to the Brotherhood. The short story can now be read as a satire on political correctness , which apparently already cast its shadow in 1952. It is also typical of Smith's science fiction, which often moves in the humorous-satirical spectrum. Sometimes their stories are also quite black humor, for example in The Last of the Spode (1953) after the apocalypse the last three Britons are mainly concerned about whether the tea supplies will last until the end of their lives and one of them remarks regretfully that it will after all, Bodleian was somehow a shame.

By the early 1960s, over 50 short stories had appeared in Galaxy , Fantastic Universe , The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, and other magazines. In 1962 a first novel followed, The Perfect Planet , in which a couple of astronauts landed on a wellness planet, a satire on health and fitness fanaticism. But she was best known for the crime series Miss Melville with the protagonist Susan Melville, middle-aged artist and New York society lady, who occasionally also takes on murder assignments. In addition to science fiction, Smith also wrote several horror novels and some non-fiction books under the pseudonym Delphine C. Lyons, including the occult guide Everyday Witchcraft .

As a science fiction author largely forgotten for a long time, several collections of her stories were published from 2010 onwards. Her works have been translated into French, Italian and Spanish. Three of her stories appeared in German translation.

bibliography

Miss Melville (crime series)
  • Miss Melville Regrets (1986)
  • Miss Melville Returns (1988)
  • Miss Melville's Revenge (1990)
  • Miss Melville Rides a Tiger (1991)
  • Miss Melville Runs for Cover (1993)
Novels (as Evelyn E. Smith)
  • The Perfect Planet (1962)
  • Unpopular Planet (1975)
  • The Copy Shop (1985)
Novels (as Delphine C. Lyons)
  • Flowers of Evil (1965)
  • House of Four Windows (1965)
  • The Depths of Yesterday (1966)
  • Valley of Shadows (1968)
  • Phantom at Lost Lake (1970)
Collections
  • Evelyn E. Smith Resurrected: Selected Stories of Evelyn E. Smith (2010)
  • The Two Suns of Morcali and Other Stories (2012)
  • Anthology of Sci-Fi V24: The Pulp Writers: Evelyn E. Smith (2013)
  • The 20th Golden Age of Science Fiction Megapack (2015)
Short stories
  • Tea Tray in the Sky (1952)
  • The Martian and the Magician (1952)
  • Not Fit for Children (1953)
  • The Last of the Spode (1953)
  • Nightmare on the Nose (1953)
  • Call Me Wizard (1954)
  • BAXBR / DAXBR (1954)
  • Gerda (1954)
  • The Agony of the Leaves (1954)
  • At Last I've Found You (1954)
  • Collector's Item (1954)
  • The Laminated Woman (1954)
  • Dragon Lady (1955)
  • The Vilbar Party (1955)
  • Helpfully Yours (1955)
  • The Big Jump (1955)
  • Man's Best Friend (1955)
  • Teragram (1955)
  • The Faithful Friend (1955)
  • The Princess and the Physicist (1955)
  • The Good Husband (1955)
  • The Doorway (1955)
  • Jack of No Trades (1955)
  • Weather Prediction (1955)
  • Floyd and the Eumenides (1955)
  • The Captain's Mate (1956)
  • The Venus Trap (1956)
  • Mr. Replogle's Dream (1956)
  • Woman's Touch (1957)
  • The Ignoble Savages (1957)
  • The Lady from Aldebaran (1957)
  • Once a Greech (1957)
  • Outcast of Mars (1957)
  • The 4D Bargain (1957)
  • The Hardest Bargain (1957)
  • The Man Outside (1957)
  • The Most Sentimental Man (1957)
  • The Weegil (1957)
  • The Blue Tower (1958)
  • My Fair Planet (1958)
  • Two Suns of Morcali (1958)
  • The People Upstairs (1959)
  • The Alternate Host (1959)
  • Send Her Victorious (1960)
  • A Day in the Suburbs (1960)
    • German: A day in Suburbia. In: Wulf Bergner (Ed.): One day in Suburbia. Heyne Science Fiction & Fantasy # 3353, 1973.
  • Sentry of the Sky (1961)
  • Softly While You're Sleeping (1961)
  • Robert E. Lee at Moscow (1961)
  • They Also Serve (1962)
  • Little Gregory (1964)
    • German: Educator wanted. In: Charlotte Winheller (ed.): Error of the machines. Heyne General Series # 299, 1964.
  • Calliope and Gherkin and the Yankee Doodle Thing (1969)
Nonfiction (as Delphine C. Lyons)
  • The Armchair Shopper's Guide: Mail Order Bargains Around the World (1968)
  • Everyday Witchcraft: Love Magic, Charms and Spells, Fortune Telling: Everything You Need to Know to Enjoy Occult Power! (1972)
  • The Whole World Catalog (1973)

literature

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Smith, Evelyn E.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Lyons, Delphine C. (pseudonym)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American author of crossword puzzles, crime novels and science fiction
DATE OF BIRTH July 25, 1922
PLACE OF BIRTH New York City
DATE OF DEATH 4th July 2000
Place of death New York City