Philip Wylie (1902¿71) was a prolific writer of fiction and nonfiction whose earliest books exercised great influence in twentieth-century science fiction pulp magazines and comic books: Gladiator was the inspiration for Superman, The Savage Gentleman was the forerunner of pulp hero Doc Savage, and When Worlds Collide inspired Flash Gordon. Wylie¿s Gladiator, The Disappearance, Triumph, and When Worlds Collide are all available in Bison Books editions.