Operation R.S.V.P.

Henry Beam Piper (March 23, 1904 – c. November 6, 1964) was an American science fiction author. He wrote many short stories and several novels. He is best known for his extensive Terro-Human Future History series of stories and a shorter series of 'Paratime' alternate history tales. He wrote under the name H. Beam Piper. Another source gives his name as 'Horace Beam Piper' and a different date of death. His gravestone says 'Henry Beam Piper'. Piper himself may have been the source of part of the confusion; he told people the H stood for Horace, encouraging the assumption that he used the initial because he disliked his name.