(1906-1969) German-born scientist and scientific writer who emigrated to the USA in 1935. In Germany he had published his first book, Die Fahrt ins Weltall ["Journey into Space"] (1926); his second, the anthology Die Möglichkeit der Weltraumfahrt: Allgemeinverständliche Beiträge zum Raumschiffahrtsproblem ["The Possibility of Interplanetary Travel"] (1928), assembled essays by Hermann Oberth, and other members of the extremely influential Verein für Raumschiffahrt [the German "Society for Space Travel"], which persuasively argued the great potential of Rocket propulsion; several contributors went on to become famous for the construction of the V2 missile. Die Möglichkeit was one of the inspirations behind the film (and book) Die Frau im Mond (1929; vt The Girl in the Moon). He then published his only novel, Die Starfield Company: Ein technischer Zukunfsroman ["The Starfield Company: A Technical Scientifiction"] (1929), which dramatizes his arguments about the feasibility of Space Flight. After Ley's move to the US in 1935, his well-researched, precise science articles became a notable feature of the SF Magazines, especially Astounding Science-Fiction (from 1937) and Amazing Stories (from 1940). He became Science Editor of Galaxy Science Fiction in September 1952, having in March of that year begun there a science column which would last until his death. On the two early occasions (1953 and 1956) when science-fact articles were a Hugo category, he won each time. He wrote four sf stories as Robert Willey, beginning with "At the Perihelion" for Astounding in February 1937.

Ley was also a prolific author of books on science, especially on Rockets and Space Flight. Perhaps his best-known (and certainly most beautiful) book was The Conquest of Space (1949), with splendid illustrations, many in colour, by Chesley Bonestell; it won the nonfiction category of the International Fantasy Award in 1951, and was followed by The Exploration of Mars (1954) with Wernher von Braun, also illustrated by Bonestell. Lands Beyond (1952) with L Sprague de Camp, a historical account of strange explorations and discoveries, won the same award in 1953. Conquest of the Moon (1953), with Wernher von Braun and Fred L Whipple, was well enough remembered to receive a Retro Hugo in 2004. Of the science-fact writers intimately connected with Genre SF in his time, only De Camp, Arthur C Clarke and Isaac Asimov could rival Ley. One of the Moon's craters is named in his honour. [PN]

see also: Space Habitats; Sun; Tom Corbett: Space Cadet.

Willy Ley

born Berlin, Germany: 2 October 1906

died Jackson Heights, New York: 24 June 1969

works

• Die Starfield Company: Ein technischer Zukunfsroman ["The Starfield Company: A Technical Scientifiction"] (Berlin: Frederich Fechner Verlag, 1929) [hb/]

nonfiction (selected)

series

Romantic Zoologist

• The Lungfish and the Unicorn: An Excursion into Romantic Zoology (New York: Viking, 1941) [nonfiction: Romantic Zoologist: hb/]
  • The Lungfish, the Dodo and the Unicorn (New York: Viking, 1948) [rev vt of the above: Romantic Zoologist: hb/]
• Dragons in Amber: Further Adventures of a Romantic Zoologist (New York: Viking, 1951) [nonfiction: Romantic Zoologist: hb/]
• Salamanders and Other Wonders: Still More Adventures of a Romantic Zoologist (New York: Viking, 1951) [nonfiction: Romantic Zoologist: hb/]
• Exotic Zoology (New York: Viking, 1959) [nonfiction: coll: selections from the above three: Romantic Zoologist: hb/]

individual titles

• Die Fahrt ins Weltall ["Journey into Space"] (Leipzig, Germany: Hachmeister & Thal, 1926) [nonfiction: chap: illus/pb/Thea Blüthner]
• Bombs and Bombing: What Every Civilian Should Know (New York: Viking, 1941) [nonfiction: hb/]
• The Days of Creation (New York: Viking, 1941) [nonfiction: hb/]
  • The Days of Creation (New York: Viking, 1952) [nonfiction: rev of the above: hb/]
• Shells and Shooting (New York: Viking, 1942) [nonfiction: hb/]
• Rockets: The Future of Travel Beyond the Stratosphere (New York: Viking, 1944) [nonfiction: hb/]
  • Rockets and Space Travel: The Future of Flight Beyond the Stratosphere (New York: Viking, 1949) [nonfiction: rev vt of the above: hb/]
    • Rockets, Missiles and Space Travel (New York: Viking, 1951) [nonfiction: rev vt of the above: hb/]
      • Rockets, Missiles and Space Travel (New York: Viking, 1957) [nonfiction: rev of the above: hb/]
        • Rockets, Missiles and Men in Space (New York: Viking, 1968) [nonfiction: rev vt of the above: hb/]
• The Conquest of Space (New York: Viking, 1949) [nonfiction: illus/hb/Chesley Bonestell]
• Conquest of the Moon (New York: Viking, 1953) with Wernher von Braun and Fred L Whipple [nonfiction: illus/Klep: hb/Chesley Bonestell]
• Engineer's Dreams (New York: Viking, 1954) [nonfiction: hb/]
• The Exploration of Mars (New York: Viking, 1954) with Wernher von Braun [nonfiction: illus/hb/Chesley Bonestell]
  • Project Mars (London: John Spencer and Co/Badger Books, 1962) with Wernher von Braun [nonfiction: vt of the above: illus/hb/Chesley Bonestell]
• Satellites, Rockets and Outer Space (New York: New American Library, 1958) [nonfiction: pb/]
  • Satellites, Rockets and Outer Space (New York: New American Library, 1962) [nonfiction: rev of the above: pb/]
• Watchers of the Skies: An Informal History of Astronomy from Babylon to the Space Age (New York: Viking, 1963) [nonfiction: hb/]
• Beyond the Solar System (New York: Viking, 1964) [nonfiction: illus Chesley Bonestell: hb/Chesley Bonestell]
• Missiles, Moonprobes and Megaparsecs (New York: New American Library, 1964) [nonfiction: pb/]
• Ranger to the Moon (New York: New American Library, 1965) [nonfiction: pb/]
• Another Look at Atlantis, and Fifteen Other Essays (Garden City, New York: Doubleday and Company, 1969) [nonfiction: coll: Atlantis: hb/]
• The Drifting Continents (New York: Weybridge and Talley, 1969) [nonfiction: hb/]
• Events in Space (New York: David McKay, 1969) [nonfiction: hb/]
• Gas Giants: The Largest Planets (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1969) [nonfiction: hb/]
• Visitors from Afar: The Comets (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1969) [nonfiction: hb/]

nonfiction works as editor

• Die Möglichkeit der Weltraumfahrt: Allgemeinverständliche Beiträge Beitrag zum Raumschiffahrtsproblem ["The Possibility of Interplanetary Travel"] (Leipzig, Germany: Hachmeister & Thal, 1928) [nonfiction: anth: hb/]

links

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