Miles John Breuer (January 3, 1889 – October 14, 1945) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

and

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

writer of Czech origin. Although he had published elsewhere since the early 20th century, he is considered the part of the first generation of writers to appear regularly in the

pulp Pulp may refer to: * Pulp (fruit), the inner flesh of fruit Engineering * Dissolving pulp, highly purified cellulose used in fibre and film manufacture * Pulp (paper), the fibrous material used to make paper * Molded pulp, a packaging material ...

science fiction magazines, publishing his first story, "The Man with the Strange Head", in the January 1927 issue of ''

Amazing Stories ''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearances ...

''. His best known works are "The

Gostak Gostak is a meaningless noun that is used in the phrase "the gostak distims the doshes", which is an example of how it is possible to derive meaning from the syntax of a sentence even if the referents of the terms are entirely unknown. It is an ...

and the Doshes" (1930) and two stories written jointly with

Jack Williamson John Stewart Williamson (April 29, 1908 – November 10, 2006), who wrote as Jack Williamson, was an American science fiction writer, often called the "Dean of Science Fiction". He is also credited with one of the first uses of the term '' gen ...

, "The Girl from Mars" (1929) and ''The Birth of a New Republic'' (1931).

Early life and medical career

Miles J. Breuer was born in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, in 1889, to Charles (Karel) and Barbara Breuer,

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus' Places * Czech, ...

immigrants from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The family moved to

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

in 1893 while Charles pursued a medical degree at

Creighton University Creighton University is a private Jesuit research university in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. In 2015 the university enrolled 8,393 graduate and undergra ...

in Omaha. Miles grew up in the Czech community of

Crete, Nebraska Crete is a city in Saline County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 7,099 at the 2020 census. History The railroad was extended to the area in 1870, bringing settlers. In 1871, two rival towns merged to form a new town, which was name ...

. He graduated from Crete High School in 1906. He attended the

University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...

, where he earned a master's degree in 1911. After earning a medical degree in 1915 from

Rush Medical College Rush Medical College is the medical school of Rush University, located in the Illinois Medical District, about 3 km (2 miles) west of the Loop in Chicago. Offering a full-time Doctor of Medicine program, the school was chartered in 1837, a ...

, which was then at the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...

, Breuer returned to Nebraska to join his father's medical practice. In 1916 Miles married Julia Strejc. The couple had three children together, Rosalie, Stanley, and Mildred. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Miles Breuer served for twenty months in France as a first lieutenant in the Army Medical Corps. Rejoining his father's medical practice after the war, Breuer contributed frequent medical articles to Czech-language newspapers, as well as a monthly health column in the country's largest Czech-language agricultural monthly. In 1925 he published a handbook called ''Index of Physiotherapeutic Technic'', cataloging a variety of methods for physical therapy. Breuer suffered a nervous breakdown in December 1942. Shortly afterward he moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, where he continued his medical practice until 1945. He died that year after a brief illness.

Writing career

Breuer's first published works of fiction appeared as early as in 1909 in various English-language (eg. early monthly pulp ''10 Story Book'') as well as US-based Czech-language publications (e.g. calendar ''Amerikán'', monthly ''Bratrský věstník''). Breuer had long been interested in scientific romances, particularly those by

H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells"Wells, H. G."
Revised 18 May 2015. ''

Hugo Gernsback Hugo Gernsback (; born Hugo Gernsbacher, August 16, 1884 – August 19, 1967) was a Luxembourgish–American editor and magazine publisher, whose publications including the first science fiction magazine. His contributions to the genre as pub ...

founded the first science fiction magazine, ''Amazing Stories'', Breuer began submitting stories, publishing his first, "The Man with the Strange Head", in the January 1927 issue. Only a few months earlier, this story was published in Chicago in Czech as "Muž se zvláštní hlavou" in the yearly Czech-language calendar ''Amerikán'' for 1927. Over the next fifteen years Breuer published two novels, thirty-six shorter stories, and several other items for science fiction magazines, including collaborations with

and

Clare Winger Harris Clare Winger Harris (January 18, 1891 – October 26, 1968) was an early science fiction writer whose short stories were published during the 1920s. She is credited as the first woman to publish stories under her own name in science fiction mag ...

. A great majority were published in ''Amazing Stories'' (a monthly) and ''Amazing Stories Quarterly''. Of these stories, at least a dozen were previously published in various non-genre publications, either in English, or Czech, or both languages. Several of Breuer's stories have been included in

anthologies In book publishing Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed work ...

. In the early 21st century, Michael R. Page of the

University of Nebraska-Lincoln A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...

edited a collection, ''The Man with the Strange Head and Other Early Science Fiction Stories'' (2008), comprising ten stories, the novel ''Paradise and Iron'', and Breuer's editorial essay "The Future of Scientifiction". The most recent article addressing his Czech-language writing was published by Jaroslav Olša, Jr. in the Czech SF monthly ''XB-1'' (November 2020). Its abbreviated version is a chapbook ''The Amazing Breuer. Early Czech-American Science Fiction Author Miloslav (Miles) J. Breuer (1889-1945)'' (2020). – chapbook available online Jack Williamson has described Breuer as "among the first and best of the amateurs whose work Gernsback began to print." Walter Gillings said that Breuer wrote "some of the most intriguing tales that appeared in the early volumes of ''Amazing Stories'' ". John Clute described his work as crudely written, but intelligent and noted for new ideas."Miles J. Breuer", ''

The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction ''The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction'' (SFE) is an English language reference work on science fiction, first published in 1979. It has won the Hugo, Locus and British SF Awards. Two print editions appeared in 1979 and 1993. A third, continu ...

'', 1993, p. 157.

Works by Miles J. Breuer

This list is limited to

speculative fiction Speculative fiction is a term that has been used with a variety of (sometimes contradictory) meanings. The broadest interpretation is as a category of fiction encompassing genres with elements that do not exist in reality, recorded history, na ...

as cataloged by the

Internet Speculative Fiction Database The Internet Speculative Fiction Database (ISFDB) is a database of bibliographic information on genres considered speculative fiction, including science fiction and related genres such as fantasy, alternate history, and horror fiction. The ISFDB ...

. For Breuer as author or co-author, ISFDB lists the following one 1916 story and 44 items published from 1927 to 1942. It also catalogs ten letters to ''Amazing Stories'' and one to ''Wonder Stories'', all 1927–31, and one 1930 illustration.

Short stories (only those listed in ISFDB)

* "The Man Without an Appetite" (

Czech language Czech (; Czech ), historically also Bohemian (; ''lingua Bohemica'' in Latin), is a West Slavic language of the Czech–Slovak group, written in Latin script. Spoken by over 10 million people, it serves as the official language of the Czech Re ...

, ''Bratrský věstník'', 1916), '' Great Science Fiction About Doctors'', ed. Noah D. Fabricant and

Groff Conklin Edward Groff Conklin (September 6, 1904 – July 19, 1968) was an American science fiction anthologist. He edited 40 anthologies of science fiction, one of mystery stories (co-edited with physician Noah Fabricant), wrote books on home improvemen ...

, Collier Books, 1963. *"The Man with the Strange Head", ''Amazing Stories'', January 1927. Reprinted in ''

Big Book of Science Fiction ''Big Book of Science Fiction'' is an anthology of science fiction short stories edited by Groff Conklin. It was first published in hardcover by Crown Publishers in August 1950. A later edition was issued by Bonanza Books/Crown Publishers in 1978 u ...

'', ed. Groff Conklin, Crown, 1950; ''Amazing Science Fiction Anthology: The Wonder Years 1926 - 1935''; ed. Martin H. Greenberg, TSR, 1987; ''The Man with the Strange Head and Other Early Science Fiction Stories'', ed. Michael R. Page, University of Nebraska Press, 2008. *"The Stone Cat", ''Amazing Stories'', September 1927. *"The Riot at Sanderac", ''Amazing Stories'', December 1927. *"The Puzzle Duel", ''Amazing Stories Quarterly'', Winter 1928. *"The Appendix and the Spectacles", ''Amazing Stories'', December 1928. Reprinted in ''The Science Fiction Galaxy'', ed. Groff Conklin, Perma Books, 1950; '' The Mathematical Magpie'', ed. Clifton Fadiman, Simon & Schuster, 1962; ''The Man with the Strange Head''. *"The Captured Cross-Section", ''Amazing Stories'', February 1929. Reprinted in ''Avon Fantasy Reader #12'', ed. Donald A. Wollheim, Avon Novels, 1950; '' Fantasia Mathematica'', ed. Clifton Fadiman, Simon & Schuster, 1958; ''Other Dimensions'', ed. Robert Silverberg, Hawthorn Books, 1973. *"Buried Treasure", ''Amazing Stories'', April 1929. *"The Book of Worlds", ''Amazing Stories'', July 1929. Reprinted in ''Avon Science Fiction Reader #2'', ed. Donald A. Wollheim, Avon Novels, 1951; ''Fantastic Stories'', April 1969; ''New Horizons: Yesterday's Portraits of Tomorrow'', ed. August Derleth, Arkham House, 1999. *"Rays and Men", ''Amazing Stories Quarterly'', Summer 1929. *"The Girl from Mars" (with Jack Williamson), ''Science Fiction Series #1'', November 1929. Reprinted in ''The Early Williamson'', Jack Williamson, Doubleday, 1975; ''The Metal Man and Others: The Collected Stories of Jack Williamson, Volume One'', Jack Williamson, Haffner, 1999. *"A Baby on Neptune" (with Clare Winger Harris), ''Amazing Stories'', December 1929. Reprinted in ''Away from the Here and Now'', Clare Winger Harris, Dorrance, 1947; ''Flight into Space'', ed. Donald A. Wollheim, Fredrick Fell, 1950; ''Gosh! Wow! (Sense of Wonder) Science Fiction'', ed. Forrest J. Ackerman, Bantam, 1982. *"The Fitzgerald Contraction", ''Science Wonder Stories'', January 1930. Reprinted in ''Startling Stories'', January 1942. *"The Hungry Guinea Pig", ''Amazing Stories'', January 1930. Reprinted in ''Science Fiction Adventures in Mutation'', ed. Groff Conklin, Vanguard Press, 1955; ''Amazing Stories'', October 1961; ''Science Fiction Classics Annual'', 1970; ''The Ascent of Wonder: The Evolution of Hard SF'' eds. David Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer, Tor, 1994. *"The Gostak and the Doshes", ''Amazing Stories'', March 1930. Reprinted in ''Avon Fantasy Reader #10'', ed. Donald A. Wollheim, Avon Novels, 1949; ''Science Fiction Adventures in Dimension'', ed. Groff Conklin, Vanguard Press, 1953; ''Great Science Fiction by Scientists'', ed. Groff Conklin, Collier Books, 1962; ''Science Fiction Classics'', Fall 1967; ''The Arbor House Treasury of Science Fiction Masterpieces'', eds. Robert Silverberg and Martin H. Greenberg, Arbor House, 1983; ''Amazing Stories: 60 Years of the Best Science Fiction'', eds. Isaac Asimov and Martin H. Greenberg, TSR, 1985; ''Great Tales of Science Fiction'', eds. Robert Silverberg and Martin H. Greenberg, Galahad Books, 1988; ''The Man with the Strange Head''. *"The Driving Power", ''Amazing Stories'', July 1930. *"The Time Valve", ''Wonder Stories'', July 1930. *"The Inferiority Complex", ''Amazing Stories'', September 1930. *"A Problem in Communication", ''Astounding Stories of Super-Science'', September 1930. Reprinted in ''The Man with the Strange Head''. *"On Board the Martian Liner", ''Amazing Stories'', March 1931. Reprinted in ''The Man with the Strange Head''. *"The Time Flight", ''Amazing Stories'' July 1931. *"The Demons of Rhadi-Mu", ''Amazing Stories Quarterly'', Fall 1931. *"Mechanocracy", ''Amazing Stories'', April 1932. Reprinted in ''The Man with the Strange Head''. *"The Einstein See-Saw", ''Astounding Stories'', April 1932. Reprinted in ''Avon Fantasy Reader #15'', ed. Donald A. Wollheim, Avon Novels, 1951. *"The Perfect Planet", ''Amazing Stories'', May 1932. *"The Finger of the Past", ''Amazing Stories'', November 1932. Reprinted in ''The Man with the Strange Head''. *"The Strength of the Weak", ''Amazing Stories'', December 1933. * "Millions for Defense", ''Amazing Stories'', March 1935. Reprinted in ''The Man with the Strange Head''. *"Mars Colonizes", ''Marvel Tales'', Summer 1935. Reprinted in ''The Garden of Fear and Other Stories'', ed. William L. Crawford, Crawford Publication, 1949; ''The Man with the Strange Head''. *"The Chemistry Murder Case", ''Amazing Stories'', October 1935. *"Mr. Dimmitt Seeks Redress", ''Amazing Stories'', August 1936. Reprinted in ''Amazing Stories'', October 1966. *"The Company or the Weather", ''Amazing Stories'', June 1937. *"Mr. Bowen's Wife Reduces", ''Amazing Stories'', February 1938. Reprinted in ''Amazing Science Fiction'', September 1970. *"The Raid from Mars", March 1939. *"The Disappearing Papers", ''Future Fiction'', November 1939. *"The Oversight", ''Comet Stories'', December 1940. Reprinted in ''The Man with the Strange Head''. *"The Sheriff of Thorium Gulch", ''Amazing Stories'', August 1942.

Novels

*''Paradise and Iron'', ''Amazing Stories Quarterly'', Summer 1930. Reprinted in ''The Man with the Strange Head''. *''The Birth of a New Republic'' (with Jack Williamson), ''Amazing Stories Quarterly'', Winter 1931. Reprinted in ''The Metal Man and Others''.

Poems

*"The Specter", ''Weird Tales'', March 1927. *"Via Scientiae", ''Amazing Stories'', May 1930. *"Sonnet to Science", ''Amazing Stories'', December 1930.

Essays

*"The Future of Scientifiction", ''Amazing Stories Quarterly'', Summer 1929. Reprinted in ''Science Fiction Classics'', Summer 1968; ''The Man with the Strange Head''. * "Meet the Authors", ''Amazing Stories'', March 1939, by Isaac Asimov and five others. *"The New Frontier", ''Startling Stories'', May 1940.

References

External links

* * * * *
''"The Raid From Mars"''
at

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* — includes the Miles J. Breuer story "A Problem in Communication" {{DEFAULTSORT:Breuer, Miles J. 1889 births 1945 deaths Physicians from Nebraska American science fiction writers Pulp fiction writers Creighton University alumni Pritzker School of Medicine alumni Writers from Lincoln, Nebraska United States Army Medical Corps officers United States Army personnel of World War I American people of Czech descent 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American male writers American male novelists American male short story writers 20th-century American short story writers People from Crete, Nebraska