Garret Smith (1878–1954) was an American journalist and early science fiction author who contributed significantly to the pulp magazines of the early twentieth century. A frequent contributor to Argosy, Smith specialized in short stories and serialized magazine novels that explored speculative concepts, technological advancements, and the future of humanity.
During his lifetime, Smith's serialized novel Between Worlds (originally published in 1910 and released as a book in 1929) gained attention for its depiction of women from a dystopian Venus attempting to conquer Earth. Though modern critics have sometimes dismissed it as a semi-juvenile work, his other writings have received greater critical praise. Notably, his 1920 serial The Treasures of Tantalus (published in book form in 2017) is highly regarded for its innovative introduction of a device capable of viewing through time and space, alongside its exploration of the moral implications of such technology.
Smith frequently revisited themes of surveillance and technological disruption in works like "On the Brink of 2000" and "You've Killed Privacy." He also engaged with cosmic and existential themes, such as human extinction in "After a Million Years" and space travel in "The Girl in the Moon." His story "Thirty Years Late" offered a speculative reimagining of the Rip van Winkle legend. While critics have noted that his imaginative concepts sometimes outpaced his literary execution, Smith remains recognized as an enterprising pioneer of early American science fiction.
