SENT FROM THE COSMOS
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Nobody at the Ouallene Experimental Base (Sahara) could believe what was witnessed on May 22nd, 2219, at ten o'clock sharp in the morning.
A man was walking towards the anti-radioactivity bunkers, coming from the "Red Zone".
This was like seeing the earth open up, emerging from a column of fire, the air becoming impregnated with the smell of sulfur, and seeing a demon appear with a tail, horns, goat legs, and a trident. Perhaps it was even more incredible, because in the "Red Zone" of Ouallene, an expanse of more than five hundred kilometers of highly radioactive desert, not even a larva could survive.
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Pedro Guirao Hernández (1929-1993) was a central figure, although often hidden behind multiple pseudonyms, in 20th-century Spanish popular culture, excelling in comics and, above all, in "bolsilibros" or "polp fictions." Born in Cehegín, Murcia.
Starting in 1960, Guirao collaborated with key publishing houses such as Bruguera (writing scripts for "HISTORIAS") and Ferma (massively contributing to Western collections like "GRAN OESTE / MONTANA OESTE"). He was a "true all-rounder," mastering multiple popular genres: Western, war, espionage, detective, science fiction, and adventure. This versatility was essential to meet the constant demand from publishers and ensure his workflow in the competitive Spanish market.
Science fiction was one of his most notable fields. Early works like "Dos cerebros iguales" (Two Equal Brains, 1959, as Walt G. Dovan) and "Cuatro a Mercurio" (Four to Mercury, 1960, as Peter Kapra) established him in the genre. He was crucial in collections like Manhattan's "Naviatom" and became a key name in Spanish popular science fiction.
The extensive use of pseudonyms was a defining characteristic of Pedro Guirao. This practice responded to genre conventions (using Anglo-Saxon names), editorial requirements, the need to manage massive output without saturating the market, and perhaps the low status of popular literature. Among his most important and recurring pseudonyms are Peter Kapra (widely used in science fiction and espionage), Walt G. Dovan (also prominent in science fiction), and Phil Weaber (used in adventure and other genres). These names allowed him to navigate the industry and maintain a huge production, although they contributed to his relative anonymity.
From the mid-1970s, he increasingly turned to non-fiction, publishing essays on esotericism, history, and popular science under his real name. He directed the magazine "Spirit" and published works such as "La Protohistoria" (Protohistory, 1978), "Pitágoras" (Pythagoras, 1981), "Ecos del más allá" (Echoes from Beyond), and "El enigma del origen del hombre" (The Enigma of the Origin of Man, 1989). This shift may have been due to personal interests or changes in the market. In 1982, he founded his own publishing house, Ediciones Helios, seeking editorial independence. His adaptability was even reflected in the publication of a "Diccionario General de Informática" (General Dictionary of Computing) in 1985.
Pedro Guirao Hernández was one of the most productive and versatile authors of 20th-century Spanish popular literature. His contribution, especially in pulp science fiction under pseudonyms like Peter Kapra and Walt G. Dovan, was massive. However, his legacy, like that of many creators of mass culture, remains somewhat undervalued and less recognized than that of canonical authors, despite his enormous output. He died in Barcelona in 1993, symbolically coinciding with the decline of the "bolsilibro" format to which he contributed so much. His vast work is an essential window into understanding the Spanish popular cultural industry of his time.
