Anthony M. Rud
A pulp magazine maestro and novelist who spun tales of adventure and horror, leaving a cult legacy in genre fiction's golden age.
1893–1942 (age 49)·American novelist·Birthday: January 11·The Lost Generation
Biography
Anthony M. Rud operated in the bustling, ink-stained world of early 20th-century pulp magazines, both as an editor shaping the publications and as a writer feeding their endless demand for stories. Under his own name and pseudonyms like Ray McGillivary, he produced a stream of westerns, adventure tales, and weird horror that captivated readers of titles like 'Adventure' and 'Weird Tales'. His editorial eye helped define the voice of several pulps. While much of his output was for the moment, his 1923 novel 'The Stuffed Men' and his chilling short story 'Ooze', considered an early influence on creature features, have endured with collectors of classic genre fiction. His career was a dedicated, if often overlooked, engine of the popular storytelling of his time.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Anthony was born in 1893, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Anthony Was Born
The biggest hits of 1893
Anthony's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1893Born
World's Columbian Exposition dazzles Chicago
President: Grover Cleveland
1898Started school
Spanish-American War; US emerges as a world power
President: William McKinley
1906Became a teenager
San Francisco earthquake devastates the city
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1909Could drive
Robert Peary claims to reach the North Pole
President: William Howard Taft
1911Could vote
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 in New York
President: William Howard Taft
1914Turned 21
World War I begins
President: Woodrow Wilson
1923Turned 30
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1933Turned 40
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1942Died at 49
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
Key Achievements
- Wrote the influential early horror story 'Ooze', which was the first story ever published in the legendary magazine 'Weird Tales' in 1923.
- Authored the novel 'The Stuffed Men', a well-regarded work in adventure fiction circles.
- Served as an editor for several pulp magazines, including 'Adventure' and 'Western Story Magazine'.
Did You Know?
He used multiple pen names, including R. Anthony and Anson Piper.
His story 'Ooze' involved a scientist creating a giant, amorphous amoeba, a precursor to later monster tropes.
He was a frequent contributor to the pulp magazine 'Adventure', a leading title in its field.
“A good pulp story needs a man with a gun and a reason to use it.”
