F. L. Wallace (1915–2004) was an interesting US writer of science fiction and mystery whose small body of work often demonstrates sensitivity to ecological issues. Wallace spent most of his life in California as a mechanical engineer after attending the University of Iowa and UCLA. His first published story, “Hideaway,” appeared in the magazine Astounding Science Fiction. Galaxy Science Fiction and other science fiction magazines published subsequent stories of his, including “Delay in Transit,” “Bolden’s Pets,” and “Tangle Hold.” Because he left the field in the 1960s and had no major advocates, Wallace quickly became forgotten, although the e-book release of a collection in 2009 has begun to bring him once again to notice.
The 1950s were Wallace’s period of greatest activity, during which he quickly established a reputation for style, wit, and emotional depth. In “Accidental Flight” (Galaxy, 1952), a population of the disabled—in fact accident victims, mutants, cyborgs, and others with psi powers—transforms an asteroid hospital into a starship powered by engines that manipulate gravity; they set off for the stars, where they find redemption in being of use to the human race. Worlds in Balance (1955) assembles two typical stories, but Wallace never put together a full-length collection of his work.
“Student Body” (Galaxy, 1953) showcases Wallace’s adroit handling of environmental issues in a manner more sophisticated than that of most writers of the era other than Frank Herbert (at novel length). Complex issues involving both alien contact and the impact of invasive species are housed within a tense plot. Although “Student Body” received no particular accolades upon publication, it endures as an example of a work ahead of its time—a future classic.