He is sometimes called the "father of science fiction", though he was not a notable writer; he gave the new genre its name in the 1920s, when he published pulp magazines like Amazing Stories and Science Wonder Stories.
The Hugos, the annual awards for best science fiction, were named after him.
He was obsessed with the technology of radio. He was an inventor who held 80 patents. He founded Radio News magazine; and started one of New York's first stations, WRNY.