Expanded Universe

FOREWORD

The beginning of 1939 found me flat broke following a disastrous political Campaign (I ran a strong second best, but in politics there are no prizes for place or show). I was highly skilled in ordnance, gunnery, and fire control for Naval vessels, a skill for which there was no demand ashore - and I had a piece of paper from the Secretary of the Navy telling me that I was a waste of space - "totally and permanently disabled" was the phraseology. I "owned" a heavily - mortgaged house.

About then THRILLING WONDER STORIES ran a house ad reading (more or less):

GIANT PRIZE CONTEST - Amateur Writers!!!!!!

First Prize $50 Fifty Dollars $50

In 1939 one could fill three station wagons with fifty dollars worth of groceries. Today I can pick up fifty dollars in groceries unassisted - perhaps I've grown stronger. So I wrote the story LIFE - LINE. It took me four days - I am a slow typist. But I did not send it to THRILLING WONDER; I sent it to ASTOUNDING, figuring they would not be so swamped with amateur short stories.

ASTOUNDING bought it ... for $70 or $20 more than that "Grand Prize" - and there was never a chance that I would ever again look for honest work.