death_date birth_place other_names birth_date article_title name occupation
1969 new york hugh raymond 1917 john b. michel
 john b. michel author , editor
john b. michel

john b. michel -lrb- 1917 -- 1969 -rrb- was a science fiction author -lrb- sometimes publishing under the name hugh raymond -rrb- and editor associated with the futurians , of which he was one of twelve founding members .
he was elected director of the futurians in 1941 .
he was widely known for his left-wing , utopian politics , which came to be known in sf fandom as `` michelism , '' or the belief that `` science-fiction should by nature stand for all forces working for a more unified world , a more utopian existence , the application of science to human happiness , and a saner outlook on life . ''
debates over michelism and its association with technocracy and communism were an object of controversy in fanzines in the late 1930s , and its influence can be seen in much science fiction of the period , including isaac asimov 's `` foundation '' series .
michel was a member of the young communist league , and later joined the cpusa , although he was asked to leave in 1949 for absenteeism .
in the early 1940s , michel was briefly romantically associated with judith merril .
