Philip Wylie (1902 71) was a prolific writer of fiction and nonfiction whose earliest books exercised great influence in twentieth-century science fiction pulp magazines and comic books: Gladiator was the inspiration for Superman, The Savage Gentleman was the forerunner of pulp hero Doc Savage, and When Worlds Collide inspired Flash Gordon. Wylie s Gladiator, The Disappearance, Triumph, and When Worlds Collide are all available in Bison Books editions.