Arthur Tofte

Arthur R. Tofte
BornJune 8, 1902
DiedMay 21, 1980
OccupationNovelist, advertising
NationalityAmerican
GenreScience Fiction

Arthur R Tofte (June 8, 1902 – May 21, 1980) was an American writer, best known for his science fiction and fantasy.[1] He has an award named after him,[2] which is given to the category of children's literature by the Council for Wisconsin Writers. He was married to Dorothy Tofte and had two children.[3]

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Tofte graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1925 and began a career in advertising, including a stint as advertising manager of the Tom Thumb Miniature Golf business.[4] His earliest writing included stories published in Esquire and in other general interest magazines.[5] After joining the Fictioneers, a Milwaukee writers group which also included Stanley G. Weinbaum,[5] he published five science fiction stories between 1938 and 1940, beginning with "The Meteor Monsters" in Amazing Stories.[1][6] He described Weinbaum as a "close friend" who sparked his interest in science fiction.[4] In 1938, Tofte became a copy chief in the Industrial Group Advertising Department of Allis-Chalmers.[3] He remained with the company until his 1969 retirement, becoming manager of the Publications and Industrial Press Department in 1958. Tofte was also active in industry groups, and had been a vice president of the National Industrial Advertising Association as well as president of the Milwaukee Industrial Advertising Club.[3]

After his retirement, Tofte returned to writing. He sold a string of short sf stories to Roger Elwood, followed by two novels to Elwood's Laser Books line.[1][6] The novels reportedly sold about 75,000 copies each.[3] He published three more science fictional novels as well as a historical novel, and sold short stories to magazines including Family Circle and Boys' Life.[1][3] Tofte died of cancer in 1980 at his Wisconsin home. A "family novel about raising a hyperactive child", Thursday's Child appeared posthumously, as did translations of his first two sf novels into Italian.[3][7]

Science fiction

Novels

  • Crash Landing on Iduna (1975)
  • Walls Within Walls (1975)
  • The Day the Earth Stood Still (1976)
  • Survival on a Primitive Planet (1977)
  • The Ghost Hunters (1978)

Short stories

  • "Warriors of Mars" (1938)
  • "The Meteor Monsters" (1938)
  • "Purge of the Deaf" (1938)
  • "Revolt of the Robots" (1939)
  • "The Power and the People" (1940)
  • "The Speeders" (1973)
  • "When the Cold Came" (1974)
  • "A Thirst for Blood" (1974)

Short stories in Swedish

  • "Krigarna på Mars" - Published in: Jules Verne-Magasinet (Veckans äventyr), 3/1943
  • "Robotarnas uppror" - Published in: Jules Verne-Magasinet (Veckans äventyr), 9/1940

References

  1. ^ a b c d ISFDB bibliography
  2. ^ Council for Wisconsin Writers Contest Categories Archived 2004-02-08 at archive.today
  3. ^ a b c d e f "For state writer, it was happy ending", The Milwaukee Journal, May 23, 1980
  4. ^ a b "Introducing the Author", Fantastic Adventures, May 1939, p.84
  5. ^ a b "Meet the Authors," Amazing Stories, August 1938, p.145
  6. ^ a b SF Encyclopedia
  7. ^ Fantastic Fiction listing

Further reading

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