GERNSBACK, HUGO

born Aug. 16, 1884, Luxembourg, Luxembourg died Aug. 19, 1967, New York City American inventor and publisher who was largely responsible for the establishment of science fiction as an independent literary form. After receiving a technical education in Luxembourg and Germany, Gernsback traveled to the United States in 1904 to market an improved dry battery that he had invented. He formed a radio supply house, and in 1908 he founded Modern Electrics (later absorbed by Popular Science), a pioneer magazine for radio enthusiasts. In 1926 Gernsback began publishing Amazing Stories, one of the first magazines devoted exclusively to what he referred to as scientifiction. The stories were often crudely written, but the very existence of the magazine and its successors, including Wonder Stories, encouraged the development and refinement of the genre. His contribution was later recognized with the establishment of the annual Hugo Award for the best science fiction novel.