Robert Augustine Ward "Doc" Lowndes (1916–1998) was an American science fiction author, editor, and fan who played a significant role in the mid-20th-century science fiction community. He was a principal member of the Futurians, an influential group of science fiction fans and writers based in New York City that also included figures like Donald A. Wollheim, Isaac Asimov, and Frederik Pohl.\n\nLowndes is best remembered for his extensive career as an editor for Columbia Publications. He oversaw a wide array of pulp and digest-sized magazines spanning multiple genres, including crime fiction, westerns, sports fiction, and science fiction. Among his most notable editorial projects were Future Science Fiction, Science Fiction, and Science Fiction Quarterly. As an editor, he was known for discovering new talent, notably publishing the first story of mystery writer Edward D. Hoch, who became a lifelong contributor to Lowndes's publications.\n\nIn addition to his editorial work, Lowndes was an active writer. His first published story, "The Outpost at Altark," appeared in Super Science in 1940 and was written in an uncredited collaboration with Donald A. Wollheim. Throughout his career, Lowndes bridged the gap between fandom, authorship, and professional editing, leaving a lasting mark on the golden age of science fiction and pulp literature.
