Introduction   On Racism   Epigraphs   A History of the Pulps   A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H   I   J   K   L   M   N   O   P   Q   R   S   T   U   V   W   X   Y   Z   

Glossary and Character Taxonomy  Breakdown by Country of Origin   Bibliography   Table of Contents    The Best of the Encyclopedia

Fleckner, Professor. Professor Fleckner was created by Garret Smith and appeared in the story serial “The Treasures of Tantalus” (Argosy All-Story, Dec. 11, 1920-Jan. 8, 1921).

Professor Fleckner is an inventor and scientist who has invented the telephonoscope, which can pick up and transmit images and sound regardless of distance. Fleckner is financed by the idealistic young millionaire Tom Priestley. But when the pair accidentally discover, via the telephonoscope, that an organization called the Crime Trust has been running crime nationwide, and that the President of the United States is the head of the Crime Trust, Fleckner reveals his own base motives by working to acquire the Trust’s wealth. He uses the telephonoscope to seize control of the Trust, but none of the Trust’s members know where the Trust’s fortune is.

Meanwhile the telephonoscope begins picking up transmissions from another planet and sees humanoid aliens engaged in murder. Priestley eventually takes control of the Trust and turns it into a philanthropic organization, and Fleckner discovers that the Trust never had the wealth he assumed it did.

Table of Contents / Annotations / Blog / Books / Patreon / Twitter / Contact me