Robert P. Mills
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| Robert P. Mills | |
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| Name | Robert P. Mills |
| Birth date | 1920s |
| Death date | 1980s |
| Occupation | Magazine editor, anthologist |
| Known for | Science fiction and detective fiction editing |
| Notable works | The Best from Fantasy and Science Fiction, The Best Science Fiction Stories |
Robert P. Mills was an American magazine editor and anthologist prominent in mid-20th century speculative and detective fiction publishing. He served as an influential editor at periodicals and anthologies, shaping careers of writers and contributing to genre formation alongside contemporaries. His editorial work connected magazines, publishers, writers, and awards across the United States and the United Kingdom.
Early life and education
Born in the United States in the 1920s, Mills grew up during the interwar period influenced by popular culture and pulp magazines such as Astounding Science Fiction, Amazing Stories, Weird Tales, Detective Comics, and Black Mask. He received education in American institutions that produced editors and writers active in the postwar era alongside graduates associated with Columbia University, Harvard University, New York University, City College of New York, and University of Iowa. His formative influences included authors and editors tied to John W. Campbell, Fritz Leiber, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, and August Derleth networks that defined science fiction and fantasy circles in mid-century America.
Publishing career
Mills began his publishing career in magazine offices connected to major genre houses such as Curtis Publishing Company, Ziff Davis, Street & Smith, and smaller imprints that competed with Gnome Press, Shasta Publishers, and Ballantine Books. He worked with periodicals like The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, where he collaborated with editors and contributors linked to Anthony Boucher, J. Francis McComas, Joseph W. Campbell, and staff who also wrote for Galaxy Science Fiction, If (magazine), Amazing Stories, and Worlds of If. His roles often intersected with agents, bookstores, and distributors tied to Books, Inc., Doubleday, Harper & Row, and Ace Books. Mills coordinated with illustrators and artists known through Astounding/Analog, Fancyclopedia, and art departments connected to Frank R. Paul, Virgil Finlay, and Boris Vallejo.
Editorial style and influence
Mills's editorial style was characterized by close collaboration with authors such as J. G. Ballard, Kurt Vonnegut, Philip K. Dick, H. P. Lovecraft (posthumous influence), Damon Knight, Alfred Bester, and Cordwainer Smith. He emphasized narrative clarity, thematic cohesion, and market awareness in selections for magazines and anthologies alongside contemporaries like Hugo Gernsback, Donald A. Wollheim, and Groff Conklin. His influence extended through mentoring writers associated with Science Fiction Writers of America, Authors Guild, Mystery Writers of America, and editors from Playboy (magazine), New Worlds (magazine), and The New Yorker who crossed over to genre fiction. Mills's decisions affected award trajectories including the Hugo Award, Nebula Award, Edgar Award, and the World Fantasy Award by promoting certain narratives and authors for consideration.
Major publications and anthologies
Mills edited and compiled anthologies that gathered works by prominent writers such as Arthur C. Clarke, Robert A. Heinlein, Samuel R. Delany, Ursula K. Le Guin, Mervyn Peake, Harlan Ellison, John Brunner, and Silverberg, Robert. His anthologies were published by firms including Doubleday, Ballantine Books, Gollancz, Penguin Books, and HarperCollins. He curated themed collections that appeared alongside series edited by Martin Greenberg, Gardner Dozois, Ellen Datlow, and Terri Windling. Mills also oversaw special issues and "best of" volumes comparable to compilations like The Best American Short Stories and editors' retrospectives tied to the histories of science fiction magazines such as The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction and Galaxy Science Fiction.
Awards and recognition
Throughout his career Mills received recognition from institutions and events such as the World Science Fiction Convention, the Hugo Awards, and honors given by organizations like Science Fiction Writers of America. His edited collections received nominations and commendations in critical circles that also recognized works by Jules Verne, H. G. Wells, Edgar Allan Poe, and Mary Shelley for their enduring influence. He participated in panels, judge panels, and retrospectives at conventions including Worldcon, Eastercon, World Fantasy Convention, and literary festivals sponsored by publishers like Penguin Random House and HarperCollins.
Personal life and legacy
Mills's personal network included friendships and professional ties with figures such as Anthony Boucher, F. Orlin Tremaine, Fletcher Pratt, Lester del Rey, and literary agents representing Ray Bradbury and Isaac Asimov. His legacy persists through the careers he helped launch and through anthologies that continue to be cited in bibliographies, library catalogs of institutions like the Library of Congress, British Library, and university special collections at Iowa Writers' Workshop and Columbia University Rare Book & Manuscript Library. Posthumous discussions of his impact appear in histories of genre publishing, academic studies, and commemorative volumes produced by organizations such as The Society for the Study of Science Fiction and The Science Fiction Research Association.
Category:American magazine editors Category:Science fiction editors