George Clayton Johnson, writer, Died at 86

  Writers

George Clayton Johnson was born on July 10, 1929, and died on December 25, 2015.

He was an American science fiction writer, best known for co-writing the novel Logan’s Run with William F. Nolan, the basis for the MGM 1976 film.

George was also known for his television scripts for The Twilight Zone (including “Nothing in the Dark”, “Kick the Can”, “A Game of Pool”, and “A Penny for Your Thoughts”), and the first telecast episode of Star Trek, entitled “The Man Trap”.

He also wrote the story on which the 1960 and 2001 films Ocean’s Eleven was based.

George was born in a barn in Cheyenne, Wyoming, was forced to repeat the sixth grade, and dropped out of school entirely in the eighth.

He briefly served as a telegraph operator and draftsman in the United States Army, then enrolled at the Alabama Polytechnic Institute (now Auburn University) under the G.I. Bill, but quit to return to his travels around the U.S., working as a draftsman, before becoming a writer.

George married Lola Brownstein on October 10th, 1952 in Los Angeles, and fathered two children, Paul and Judy.

George was a vocal advocate for the legalization of marijuana.

Along with his writing output, George was instrumental in the early development of San Diego Comic Con.

He was also a longtime vegetarian.

George Johnson passed away on Christmas Day 2015, of bladder and prostate cancer at a Veterans Administration Medical Center hospital in North Hills, California.

George was survived by his son Paul, his daughter Judy, and his wife Lola of 63 years.