Wilmar H. Shiras

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Wilmar H(ouse) Shiras (1908 - 1990) was an American science fiction author, who also wrote under the name Jane Howes. Her most famous story was, "In Hiding" (1948), a novella included in the anthology, The Science Fiction Hall of Fame.

Contents 1 Biography 2 Works 3 Recognition 4 Influence 5 References

[edit] Biography

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Shiras attended the University of California at Berkeley, studying history. She and her husband Russell raised five children, and it was for her family that Shiras began creating stories.

Her story "In Hiding" was submitted in 1948 to John W. Campbell, Jr.'s influential magazine Astounding Science Fiction, where it was published in the November issue. The story, about extraordinarily gifted children who were struggling to find their place in the world, struck a chord with readers and became a classic. Shiras published two sequels in the magazine: "Opening Doors," and "New Foundations." The three stories then became the first three chapters in the novel, Children of the Atom.^[1]

[edit] Works

• 1948, "In Hiding," novella first published in Astounding Science Fiction
• 1949, "Opening Doors," short story
• 1949, "New Foundations," short story
• 1953, Children of the Atom novel, Gnome Press
• 1946 Slow Dawning (by Howes, Jane Pseud. Shiras, Wilmar House)

[edit] Recognition

The story "In Hiding" was included in:

• The Best Science Fiction Stories 1949
• The Science Fiction Hall of Fame

The Science Fiction Book Club named Children of the Atom at #14 on their list of "The Most Significant SF & Fantasy Books of the Last 50 Years, 1953-2002."^[2]

[edit] Influence

The story "In Hiding" has been credited -- though never officially confirmed — with providing the inspiration for Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s world-famous comic book creation, The Uncanny X-Men.

[edit] References