Hal K. Wells

Hal K. Wells (1899–1979), born Harold Ketton Wells, was an American writer of popular science fiction from Little Hocking, Ohio. Active in the pulp magazine era, he published stories in magazines such as Amazing Stories and Weird Tales; three of his works are held in this collection. His representative titles include Devil Crystals of Arret, Zehru of Xollar, and The Cavern of the Shining Ones, whose exotic place names and mysterious crystal imagery reflect the adventure and strangeness typical of pulp science fiction. Public information about his life and full body of work is limited, so his writing can currently be understood mainly through these magazines and titles; he left a trace in pulp science fiction circles but has yet to receive systematic study.