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Author Description Robert J. Leman was, at once, wild and proper. He wrote imaginative science fiction tales, eventually compiled into a collection of short stories, "Feesters in the Lake," published in 2001.<br /><br />But he also adhered to his principles, dressing in Brooks Brothers oxford shirts and often, a suit and tie.<br /><br />In that sense, Mr. Leman paired unlikely opposites into one personality.<br /><br />He was a rural boy, raised on a farm in Illinois, who thirsted for Faulkner and later learned German, Latin and French.<br /><br />He was an ardent political conservative who, as a hobby, contributed to science fiction fanzines.<br /><br />He spoke little about his childhood and World War II involvement, and yet used words to describe the richest fictional scenes his mind could create.<br /><br />When writing, Mr. Leman used longhand and a yellow legal pad, later transferring the copy to a typewriter.<br /><br />He'd developed as an author chiefly by reading. As a child, he'd struggled to find happiness living with his stepmother, and used school as a refuge. Then, during World War II -- he served with the 81st Field Artillery and helped liberate the Ohrdruf concentration camp -- he came across a Faulkner paperback and fell in love.<br /><br />His two children, Nancy Leman and Frances Barnes, recall Mr. Leman's personal library, filled with thousands of books -- Twain and Nabokov and Dickens. He even collected a few Faulkner originals.<br /><br />Mr. Leman wrote most of his science fiction short stories during the 1980s. One, titled "Window," became a finalist for the Nebula award and inspired an episode of the 2001 Fox show "Night Visions."<br /><br />"Feesters in the Lake" was published by Midnight House, a small publishing firm devoted to sci-fi and horror fiction.<br /><br />"It was a lot of dark, psychological stuff," said Ms. Barnes. "There was always an element of otherworldliness, but with real people. He could take people's fears and turn them into a story. But always with some humor thrown in."<br /><br />Mr. Leman, before settling in Pittsburgh, lived across the country -- Tulsa, Okla., and Denver and later Rawlins, Wyo. He worked for Carter Oil, which later became a part of Exxon, helping with the legal side of land acquisition.<br /><br />(<a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06222/712416-122.stm">http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06222/...</a>)

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