Raymond Eugene Banks was an American science fiction writer who was primarily active during the 1950s and 1960s. After serving in World War II, Banks sold his first fantasy story to Esquire shortly after his demobilization in 1946. He transitioned to writing full-time in 1952, embarking on a decade of prolific output during which he published approximately forty science fiction short stories. His work appeared in a variety of publications, ranging from lesser-known, ephemeral magazines like Dynamic Science Fiction to leading genre venues such as Astounding and Galaxy.\n\nWhile his novels were often characterized as sex-dominated planetary romances or space operas, Banks's shorter fiction was highly diverse. His short stories, which some critics compared to the work of A. E. van Vogt, frequently blended grand-scale space battles reminiscent of E. E. Smith with social and political themes, occasionally incorporating elements of horror. Despite being recognized by contemporaries like Robert Silverberg as one of the most promising postwar science fiction writers, Banks's name eventually faded from prominent literary discussion.\n\nAround 1960, Banks attempted to diversify his career by writing hardboiled crime fiction. He created a series of detective novels featuring the gritty protagonist Sam King, though these works failed to achieve commercial success. Following this setback, his literary output declined significantly after 1961 and nearly ceased by the 1970s. His final publications were three sexually explicit genre-exploitation novels published by Hustler between 1978 and 1980.
