Raymond Z. Gallun Mural

The Raymond Z. Gallun mural in downtown Beaver Dam pays tribute to one of Wisconsin’s early science-fiction pioneers, a Beaver Dam native whose imagination reached far beyond the city where he was born. Raymond Zinke Gallun (1911–1994) began writing science fiction as a teenager and published his first stories, “The Space Dwellers” and “The Crystal Ray,” in 1929. He went on to become a prolific pulp-era writer, producing more than 120 short stories and novels including People Minus X (1957), The Planet Strappers (1961), The Eden Cycle (1974), Skyclimber (1981), and Bioblast (1985). His best-known early story, “Old Faithful,” appeared in Astounding Stories in 1934 and helped establish his reputation during the formative years of modern science fiction.

Painted by Walldogs mural artist Andrew Patrick Henry during Beaver Dam’s June 28–July 2, 2017 mural festival, the Raymond Gallun mural turns a piece of local literary history into a striking piece of public art. The mural’s subject is officially identified as “Raymond Gallun, Pioneer of Sci-Fi Writing,” and the project was championed by the Beaver Dam Area Arts Association. Gallun’s legacy also includes The Best of Raymond Z. Gallun, a 1978 collection of his early stories, and Starclimber, his autobiography published after his death. For fans of vintage science fiction, pulp magazines, strange Wisconsin history, or Beaver Dam’s extensive Walldogs mural collection, this is an easy-to-miss roadside stop with a surprisingly deep story behind it.