Joseph Everidge Kelleam (1913–1975) was an American science fiction author whose career spanned the mid-20th century. Born in Boswell, Oklahoma, Kelleam entered the literary scene during the Golden Age of science fiction. He made his professional debut in 1939 with the short story "Rust," which was published in the influential magazine Astounding Science Fiction. This early success established his presence in the pulp science fiction community.
Over the following decades, Kelleam transitioned from short fiction to novels, publishing several notable works of space opera and speculative adventure. In 1956, Ace Books published his novel Overlords From Space as part of their popular double-novel format, bound dos-à-dos with Ray Cummings' The Man Who Mastered Time. This release helped cement his reputation among fans of traditional adventure-style science fiction.
During the 1960s, Kelleam published several novels through Avalon Books, including The Little Men and Hunters of Space in 1960, the latter of which was also serialized in Amazing Stories under the title Hunters Out of Space. His final major novel, When the Red King Woke, was published in 1966. Throughout his career, Kelleam's work reflected the classic themes of mid-century speculative fiction, characterized by cosmic exploration, alien encounters, and imaginative world-building.
