Jerry Sohl, 88; Science Fiction Writer, Novelist, Scriptwriter

Jerry Sohl, 88, a novelist and scriptwriter, probably best known for his science fiction work, died Monday at a hospital in Thousand Oaks. The cause of death was not announced, but Sohl had been in declining health for some time.

Born in Los Angeles, Sohl grew up in Chicago and dropped out of college for a career in the newspaper business. He worked as a photographer, police reporter, critic and reviewer for several Midwest papers after World War II.

During the war, he served in the Army Air Forces.

He wrote a number of science fiction books, including “The Transcendent Man,” “The Mars Monopoly” and “The Altered Ego.” His novels include “The Lemon Eaters,” “The Resurrection of Frank Borchard” and “The Spun Sugar Hole.”

He also wrote under the pseudonyms Nathan Butler, Sean Mei Sullivan and Roberta Jean Mountjoy.

As a television writer, he worked on episodes of “Star Trek,” “Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” “Naked City,” “The Twilight Zone,” “Outer Limits” and “Route 66.”