Edmond Hamilton
Also known as The Ol' World Wrecker, for the frequency in which planets bite the big one in his works. Edmond Hamilton is the husband and sometime co-author of Leigh Brackett and creator, with E.E. 'Doc' Smith, of the Space Opera. Hamilton's works overflow with mighty Star Kings, fiery princesses, heroes who are in over their heads, assorted faithful sidekicks and galaxy-destroying super weapons.
The work of this author provides examples of:
- Affably Evil: Shorr Kan. In fact he is so affable he's brought back for the sequel as an ally.
- Anti-Hero: Shorr Kan again, after his Heel Face Turn.
- Brain In a Jar: Simon Wright in the Captain Future series.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: See The Woman Wearing the Queenly Mask below. In Hamilton's 'verse the two tend to go together.
- Everything's Better with Princesses: For some unexplained reason the ruler of the Star Kingdom of Fomalhaut uses the title 'Princess' rather than 'Queen'.
- Giant Spiders: Captain Future encounters some on some of the Solar System's planets.
- The Vulkars of Smashing Suns have intelliegent, psychic Giant Spiders as their most loyal servants.
- Human Aliens / Rubber Forehead Aliens: Everywhere. In Hamilton's works the entire universe seems to be filled with humans or humanlike creatures, only differing from Earth's humans in skin tone, build, and sometimes other features.
- I Love Nuclear Power: Hamilton based at least two stories off the then-plausible idea that radiation could activate evolution. Both horribly subverted the concept of Evolutionary Levels, though in different ways--"The Man Who Evolved" proposes that evolution is cyclical, eventually returning to protoplasm, while "Devolution" says that bacteria are the highest form of life, and everything since has been a step down.
- Scenery Porn: Ditto. The silver seas and crystal cliffs of Throon are an especially plangent example.
- Shining City: Every galaxy spanning empire has one or more.
- Superhero: Captain Future is quite a textbook example.
- Tomato in the Mirror: In the short story Smashing Suns, The Hero, a publishing house salesman, has trouble believing he's actually the long-lost heir of ancient Galactic Emperors.
- The Woman Wearing the Queenly Mask: Lianna of Fomalhaut and the Empress Tharanya for two.