Roman Frederick Starzl (1899–1976) was an American author and newspaper publisher who made significant early contributions to the science fiction genre during the pulp era. Based in Le Mars, Iowa, Starzl worked alongside his father, John V. Starzl, to run the Le Mars Globe-Post newspaper. While maintaining his career in local journalism, Starzl dedicated his creative energies to writing speculative fiction, publishing stories that captured the imagination of early science fiction enthusiasts. He was also the father of the renowned transplant surgeon and physician Thomas E. Starzl.
Although Starzl's bibliography is relatively obscure to modern readers, his writing earned high praise from some of the most influential figures in early science fiction. E. E. "Doc" Smith, widely recognized as a pioneer of the space opera subgenre, once referred to Starzl as a "master" of the craft. Literary historians have noted that Starzl's concept of the "Interplanetary Flying Patrol," featured in his work The Hornets of Space, likely served as a direct inspiration for Smith's own seminal Galactic Patrol series.
Starzl's impact on the genre and his personal life as a writer-publisher are preserved through historical retrospectives. An extensive interview with his son, Thomas Starzl, featured in Eric Leif Davin's book Pioneers of Wonder, offers deep insights into Starzl's creative process and his place among the early pioneers of speculative fiction. Through these accounts, Starzl remains recognized as a quiet but influential force in the foundational years of American science fiction.
