Stephen Arr (1921–2012) was a short-story writer active in science fiction magazines in the mid-twentieth century. Public information about his life is limited, and only two of his works are held in the collection: Mr. President and Chain of Command. Judging from these two works and the venues in which his short stories appeared, his writing was aimed mainly at science fiction readers, with short, tightly paced pieces that build plot and conflict within a limited space. His themes often relate to organizational subjects such as power and chains of command, and the titles themselves reveal an interest in political and military structures. He was not a prolific or widely known author, and his output was small; he never entered the mainstream literary spotlight, yet he occupied a place in the science fiction magazine ecosystem of his time, a quiet contributor to the genre fiction of that era. A fuller assessment of his work and literary influence still awaits more complete documentation.
