John Hayden Howard (1925-2014) was a 1967 Nebula Award finalist and prolific short story writer who often wrote under his pen name, Hayden Howard. He was published 73 times, including internationally in the US, UK, and Australia, with some works translated into Italian and French. Hayden’s dystopian and science fiction was published often in magazines including Galaxy Science Fiction and IF Worlds of Science Fiction. His 1960s magazine short stories were illustrated by Jack Gaughan, an illustrator now listed in the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame. Hayden was also published in a paperback anthology edited by Isaac Asimov; and the hardcover Best of SF: 1970, and is listed in The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. In addition to sci-fi, he also had published many detective stories, sea stories, and mysteries, including in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. The year Hayden’s novel The Eskimo Invasion was an award finalist, he was in good company. Other 1966-1967 Nebula and Hugo Award nominees included Philip K. Dick (Man in the High Castle); J.R.R. Tolkien (Lord of the Rings series); Daniel Keys (Flowers for Algernon); Robert Silverberg (Thorns); Frank Herbert (Dune); and Isaac Asimov (Foundation Series.) Star Trek episodes were also nominated for awards at that time. Hayden Howard’s stories are reminiscent of a television show from the same era, The Twilight Zone®. Many of Hayden’s short stories have similar thought-provoking surprise endings. In real life, family and friends knew Hayden simply as “Jack.”
