A MAN OF MANY NAMES: THE PEN NAMES OF L. RON HUBBARD
During the golden age of pulp magazines, L. Ron Hubbard used numerous pen names or pseudonyms to publish stories across multiple magazines—from Western gunslingers to Foreign Legionnaires and explorers of distant planets. Behind all those bylines stood a single prolific storyteller.
Introduction
Pick up a pulp magazine from the 1930s and scan the table of contents. You might see a Western by Winchester Remington Colt, an action adventure by Ken Martin, and a science fiction tale by René Lafayette. Different writers, different styles—or so it would seem.
In reality, many of those stories came from the same typewriter.
During the golden age of pulp magazines, L. Ron Hubbard was known for his extraordinary productivity. Editors often wanted more stories from him than a single byline could accommodate, so additional tales appeared under carefully chosen pen names. The result was a literary shape-shifting act: one author writing across genres while appearing to be many.
Sometimes the illusion was especially dramatic. The September 1935 issue of Top-Notch carried three different Hubbard stories in a single issue. “The Sky Devil” appeared under his own name, while “Buckley Plays a Hunch” was credited to Bernard Hubbel and “Medals for Mahoney” to Ken Martin.
Another example appeared on the cover of Five-Novels Magazine in October 1938. The issue featured “The Lieutenant Takes the Air” by L. Ron Hubbard and also “Branded Outlaw” by Barry Randolph—two stories from the same author, presented as two different writers.
Across dozens of pulp magazines, Hubbard adopted a remarkable range of identities. Western gunslingers, Foreign Legion soldiers, daring adventurers, and explorers of distant planets all appeared under different bylines.
Taken together, they reveal something fascinating about the pulp era—and about a writer who could move effortlessly from one world to another.
It is the story of a man of many names.
Did You Know?
Between 1934 and 1950, L. Ron Hubbard authored more than fifteen million words of fiction appearing in more than two hundred pulp magazines and classic publications.
To supply editors and readers with stories across a wide range of genres and magazines, he adopted fifteen pseudonyms in addition to his already well-known L. Ron Hubbard byline.
Winchester Remington Colt
Lt. Jonathan Daly
Capt. Charles Gordon
Capt. L. Ron Hubbard
Bernard Hubbel
Michael Keith
René Lafayette
Legionnaire 148
Legionnaire 14830
Ken Martin
Scott Morgan
Lt. Scott Morgan
Kurt von Rachen
Barry Randolph
Capt. Humbert Reynolds
Why Pulp Writers Used Pen Names
During the pulp era, prolific writers frequently adopted additional names. Magazine editors often preferred not to fill an entire issue with stories by a single author, even when that writer could supply them as was the case for L. Ron Hubbard.
Pen names solved the problem.
A writer could appear several times in the same issue—sometimes even on the cover—while readers believed they were discovering a whole roster of contributors. For fast and versatile storytellers like L. Ron Hubbard, pseudonyms allowed editors to publish more stories without breaking the illusion of variety.
The Many Identities Behind the Stories
Across the pulp magazines of the 1930s and 1940s, Hubbard’s stories appeared under a variety of bylines. Each name carried its own personality, sometimes hinting at the setting or tone of the story.
Below are some of the identities that appeared alongside his own.
Winchester Remington Colt
One of Hubbard’s most colorful pseudonyms, Winchester Remington Colt evokes the firearms of the American frontier and fits perfectly with the tradition of Western pulp storytelling. Under this name appeared the Western tale “Man for Breakfast.”
Lt. Jonathan Daly
The action-adventure story “Trail of the Red Diamonds” appeared under the byline Lt. Jonathan Daly, a name that carries the tone of a military officer recounting high-stakes exploits.
Capt. Charles Gordon
Another rank-bearing pseudonym, Capt. Charles Gordon, was used for the action-adventure story “Tomb of the Ten Thousand Dead.”
Capt. L. Ron Hubbard
In some cases Hubbard combined his own name with a military title. As Capt. L. Ron Hubbard, he authored adventure stories such as “Hell’s Legionnaire” and “Yukon Madness.”
Bernard Hubbel
The action-adventure story “Buckley Plays a Hunch” appeared under the name Bernard Hubbel, one of Hubbard’s early pulp pseudonyms.
Michael Keith
The suspense story “Brass Keys to Murder” was published under the pen name Michael Keith, showing Hubbard’s ability to move easily into the mystery and suspense field.
René Lafayette
One of Hubbard’s most significant pseudonyms was René Lafayette, used for several fantasy and science-fiction stories.
Under this name appeared fantasy tales such as:
The name appeared on the celebrated science-fiction series Ole Doc Methuselah, including stories such as:
- “Ole Doc Methuselah”
- “The Expensive Slaves”
- “Her Majesty’s Aberration”
- “The Great Air Monopoly”
- “Plague!”
- “A Sound Investment”
- “Ole Mother Methuselah”
René Lafayette was also credited with the Conquest of Space series, including:
- “Forbidden Voyage”
- “The Magnificent Failure”
- “The Incredible Destination”
- “The Unwilling Hero”
- “Beyond the Black Nebula”
- “The Emperor of the Universe”
- “The Last Admiral”
Legionnaire 148 & Legionnaire 14830
The action-adventure story “The Squad that Never Came Back” appeared under the striking pseudonym Legionnaire 148, suggesting the voice of a soldier of the famed French Foreign Legion.
Ken Martin
The action-adventure stories “Medals for Mahoney” and “The Adventure of ‘X’” were published under the name Ken Martin.
Kurt von Rachen
The mysterious byline Kurt von Rachen was associated with the science-fiction Kilkenny Cats series, including:
- “The Idealist”
- “The Kilkenny Cats”
- “The Traitor”
- “The Mutineers”
- “The Rebels”
Kurt von Rachen also bylined the story “Red Sand.”
The fictional backstory for the name added intrigue: Kurt von Rachen was said to be on the lam for a murder charge while writing pulp stories from Argentina, adding a dash of mystery to the pseudonym.
Barry Randolph
The Western stories “When Gilhooly Was in Flower” and “Branded Outlaw” appeared under the pen name Barry Randolph.
Capt. Humbert Reynolds
The action-adventure story “Golden Hell” was published under the name Capt. Humbert Reynolds.
Scott Morgan and Lt. Scott Morgan were house names that L. Ron Hubbard also wrote under.
Did You Know?
L. Ron Hubbard included three of his pen names as characters—two writers and a golf buddy—within the humorous novel Typewriter in the Sky:
“Winchester Remington Colt, the western writer, came lounging into the bar, his Stetson on the back of his head, his high-heeled boots loud upon the mosaic.”
“Horace looked around the chromium-plated office as though search for a witness to this blasphemy. He found one in René Lafayette, who, manuscripts on his lap, was dozing comfortably awaiting his turn with the publisher.”
“After a while he’d get up and practice and then maybe call Kurt von Rachen and have a round of golf.”
Conclusion
Through a remarkable range of pseudonyms, L. Ron Hubbard filled the pulp era with adventure, mystery, fantasy, and science fiction—appearing in magazine after magazine under different identities while continuing to build his reputation under his own name.
It was a hallmark of the pulp era’s most versatile writers.
And it is why, across the golden age of pulp magazines, L. Ron Hubbard truly stood out as a man of many names.
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The Death of Social Interaction: How Smartphones and Screen Time Are Destroying Human Connection
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