AP Obit

Publication Date: Thursday, Feb. 6, 1958
Source: Associated Press
Lifted from George C. Willick's Spacelight site.

KUTTNER, 43, WROTE ON SCIENCE-FICTION

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Feb 6, AP - Henry Kuttner, a writer who specialized in science-fiction, died Tuesday of a heart attack at his home here. He was 43 years old.

Mr. Kuttner's books included The Fairy Chessmen, Ahead of Time, Tomorrow and Tomorrow, and Dr. Cyclops. The last named was made into a motion picture.

Mr. Kuttner spent almost his whole life writing. He took time out to get a college education fairly recently, receiving a degree from the University of California at Los Angeles after he had become a successful writer.

In 1940 Mr. Kuttner married Catherine Lucille Moore. Most of his work since that time had been in collaboration with his wife, and at times, neither knew which of them had written what.

Mr. Kuttner wrote under sixteen known names and probably a number of others that he would not have remembered in recent years. One of his pseudonyms, Lewis Padgett, became probably as well known as his own name.

In the mystery-story line, Mr. Kuttner's most important work was a series of novels for Permabooks, beginning with The Murder of Eleanor Pope in 1956. But in both mysteries and science-fiction he was interested in making psycho-analysis a part of literature.

Mr. Kuttner turned out quantities of short stories along with his novels. Many of his major short stories were under the Padgett pseudonym. He also did a good deal of work for radio, television, and films.

A count showed that as of 1953, he had published more than 170 stories. the number probably had soared above 200 before his death.

Mr. Kuttner was formerly regional vice president of the Mystery Writers of America.

His widow, who wrote under the name of C. L. Moore, survives.