Charles Alexander Nuetzel is an American author and publisher, primarily of science fiction, thrillers, and erotica. He has written as Charles Nuetzel and numerous pseudonyms, including Mark Allen, Blake Andrews, Albert Augustus Jr., Jack Belmont, Alex Blake, Fredric Blake, J. D. Blake, Rex Charles, John Davidson, Carson Davis, Fred Davis, Jay Davis, Jack Donaldson, Charles English, Frank Ewing, Don Franklin, Donald Franklyn, George Frederics, Howard Jackson, Fritz Jantzen, David Johnson, Hal Lambert, Frank MacDonald, Fred MacDonald, Alec Rivere, Stu Rivers, Jack Turner, Jay West, and Rita Wilde.
Nuetzel was born November 10, 1934 in San Francisco, California,[1] one of twin sons of commercial artist Albert Augustus Nuetzel (1901–1969)[1] and Betty (Stockberger) Nuetzel (1910-1973). His twin brother, Albert Augustus Nuetzel, Jr., died two days after birth. The family moved to Southern California when Nuetzel was eight. He was pointed in the way of his future career through early interest in Edgar Rice Burroughs and later a chance meeting with Ray Bradbury, which resulted in his acquaintance with the man who would become his agent, Forrest J. Ackerman. He attended San Fernando Valley State College for one semester and subsequently worked in various professions, including pop singer and film technician. In 1962, Nuetzel married Brigitte Marianne Winter.
Literary career
Nuetzel was active literarily for eleven years, from 1960-1971, and again briefly from 2006-2008, when Borgo Press, an imprint of Wildside Press, reissued much of his backfile along with a number of previously unpublished or new works, and 2012-2015, when many of his works were reissued through Haldolen Press.
From 1960 onward, Nuetzel began publishing short stories and novels under numerous pseudonyms, as well as under his own name. A self-styled hack author,[1] he aspired to be a pulp writer, only to be informed that pulp was dead, and sleazy erotica was the current equivalent; much of his early work was directed to that market, and many of his stories in general have a more or less pronounced erotic overtone. Many of the books he wrote or packaged bore cover images produced by his father Albert Nuetzel, or Nuetzell, as he was often credited.[1]
His first published science fiction story was "A Very Cultured Taste" (1960, in Jade Magazine).[1] His best-known works in that genre include his Edgar Rice Burroughs-influenced planetary romances, all originally published in 1969; Warriors of Noomas, Raiders of Noomas, Swordsman of Vistar, and The Slaves of Lomooro (as by Albert Augustus Jr.), the Lost Race novel Lost City of the Damned (1961, as by Alec Rivere), the future-sex novel Lovers: 2017 (1964, as by Charles English), the dystopian film tie-in Queen of Blood (1966), and the satirical short story collection Images of Tomorrow (1969).[1]
Nuetzel also worked as an agent, editor, packager, and publisher. He helped found the paperback publisher Powell Books, and edited its science fiction imprint (Powell Science Fiction); he was also established his own firm, NAC Publications (NAC stemming from his own initials in reverse order).[1] Both lines included some of his own works, often issued under pen names.[1] By 1971, when Nuetzel retired from writing,[1] he had published over 70 novels[1] and over 100 short stories.
Many of his scattered or obscurely published stories and novels were reissued, some as e-books, starting in 2006, along with some previously unpublished and original works. His autobiography, Pocketbook Writer: Confessions of Commercial Hack, appeared in 2008.
Slavegirl of Noomas (Wildside Press, 2008, with Heidi Garrett)[1]
Conquest of Noomas (Wildside Press, 2013, with Heidi Garrett)[1]
Torlo Hannis of Noomas (Borgo Press/Wildside Press, 2007, omnibus of Raiders of Noomas and Warriors of Noomas)[1]
Other novels
Lost City of the Damned (Pike Books, 1961, as Alec Rivere,[1] 2006 under own name; condensed as "Jungle Safari" in Jungle Jungle (1969))
Love Me to Death (1961, as Alex Blake)
Softly as I Kill You (1961, as John Davidson, 2006 under own name)
Two Timing Tart (1961, as John Davidson)
Blues for a Dead Lover (1962, as John Davidson, 2006 under own name)
Motel Mistress (1962, as John Davidson)
One Hundred Dollar Call-Girl (1962, as Hal Lambert)
Sex Is My Business (1962, as John Davidson, 2007 under own name)
Tropic of Passion (1962, as John Davidson; collected in Tropic of Passion & Amazon Gold Fever (2006)
Jungle Nymph (1964, as David Johnson, 2006 under own name; collected (as "Jungle Goddess" in Jungle Jungle (1969))
Lovers: 2075 (NAC Publications/Scorpion Books, 1964, as Charles English;[1] collected in Images of Tomorrow (1969); revised as The Ersatz (collected in The Ersatz and The Talisman (Wildeside Press, 2006);[1] published as a singleton 2012)
Nobody Loves a Tramp (1964, as Alex Blake)
Sex Queen (1964, as Stu Rivers, 2007 under own name)
Murder Times 4 (1965)
Never In Her Arms (1965, as John Davidson, 2007 under own name)
Sex on Fire (1965, as John Davidson; as Goldlust (Powell Publications, 1969, as Albert Augustus, Jr.);[1] as Gold Lust (2006, under own name)
Bikini Girl (1966, as Jay West)
Parley in Passion (1965, as Fred MacDonald, 2006 under own name)
Queen of Blood (Greenleaf Classics, 1966, movie tie-in)[1]
Star Bitch (1967, as Don Franklin, 2007 under own name)
Blowout! (1968, as Donald Franklyn)
Born to Be Loved (1969, as Fred Davis, 2006 under own name)
Hollywood Mysteries (1969)
Krista (1969, as Fred MacDonald)
The Slaves of Lomooro (Powell Publications, 1969, as Albert Augustus Jr.;[1] 2007 under own name)
Robert Reginald: Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature. A Checklist, 1700–1974 with Contemporary Science Fiction Authors II. Gale, Detroit 1979, ISBN 0-8103-1051-1, p.1020.
Robert Reginald: Contemporary Science Fiction Authors. Arno Press, New York 1974, ISBN 0-405-06332-6, p.206–209.
Donald H. Tuck: The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy through 1968. Advent, Chicago 1974, ISBN 0-911682-20-1, p.334.
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