Arthur Leo Zagat was an American lawyer who abandoned his legal career to become a highly prolific writer of pulp and science fiction during the mid-twentieth century. Born in 1896, Zagat served in the United States military in Europe during World War I and later completed his education at City College, Bordeaux University, and Fordham Law School. Despite his legal training, his passion lay in fiction, leading him to embark on a writing career that would span the last two decades of his life.\n\nZagat became a staple of the pulp magazine era, publishing approximately 500 short stories across a wide array of popular publications, including Argosy, Astounding, Thrilling Wonder Stories, and Horror Stories. He frequently collaborated with fellow lawyer-turned-writer Nat Schachner and wrote under the pseudonym Morgan LaFay for Spicy Mystery Stories. Among his most enduring contributions are the "Doc Turner" stories featured in The Spider, the "Red Finger" series in Operator #5, and his acclaimed "Tomorrow" series of novelettes published in Argosy between 1939 and 1941. His science fiction novel, Seven Out of Time, was published in 1949.\n\nBeyond his creative writing, Zagat was deeply involved in the professional writing community. He taught writing at New York University and was elected to the first national executive committee for the Authors League's pulp writers' section in 1941. During World War II, he served as an executive in the Office of War Information, and in the post-war years, he dedicated himself to organizing writing workshops and rehabilitation assistance for hospitalized veterans. Zagat passed away from a heart attack in 1949.
