He was born in 1966. After graduating from Princeton University (where he edited a science fiction magazine called Infinity), Van Gelder started working as an editorial assistant at St. Martin's Press in 1988, later rising to full editor. In January 1997, he became the editor of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction upon the resignation of Kristine Kathryn Rusch. He continued working at St. Martin's until October 2000, when he bought the magazine from Edward L. Ferman to become its publisher.
During his tenure, F&SF became the second longest-running science fiction magazine, surpassing Amazing Stories in total number of issues published. It is exceeded only by Astounding/Analog. Van Gelder also began focusing on the publication of themed anthologies drawing from the magazine's back list rather than the best-of annuals published when Ferman was the magazine's publisher. He later edited a collection of notable stories from F&SF, The Very Best of Fantasy & Science Fiction, published by Tachyon Publications.
Van Gelder, Gordon, ed. (2003). One Lamp: Alternate History Stories from the Magazine of Science Fiction and Fantasy. New York: Four Walls Eight Windows.
Van Gelder, Gordon, ed. (2004). In Lands That Never Were: Tales of Swords and Sorcery. New York: Thunder's Mouth Press.
Van Gelder, Gordon, ed. (2005). Fourth Planet from the Sun: Tales of Mars from the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. New York: Thunder's Mouth Press.
Van Gelder, Gordon, ed. (2009). The Very Best of Fantasy and Science Fiction: Sixtieth Anniversary Anthology. San Francisco: Tachyon Press.
Van Gelder, Gordon, ed. (2011). Welcome to the Greenhouse: New Science Fiction on Climate Change. New York: OR Books.
Van Gelder, Gordon, ed. (2014). The Very Best of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Volume Two. San Francisco: Tachyon Press.
Van Gelder, Gordon, ed. (2017). Go Forth and Multiply: Twelve Tales of Repopulation. Vancleave, MS: Surinam Turtle Press/Ramble House.
Van Gelder, Gordon, ed. (2018). Welcome to Dystopia: Forty-Five Visions of What Lies Ahead. New York, NY: OR Books.