Edwin Balmer

Edwin Balmer (July 26, 1883 March 21, 1959) was an American science fiction and mystery writer.

Edwin Balmer
Born(1883-07-26)26 July 1883
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Died21 March 1959(1959-03-21) (aged 75)
Occupationwriter
LanguageEnglish
NationalityUSA
Genrescience fiction, mystery

Biography

Balmer was born in Chicago to Helen Clark (Pratt) and Thomas Balmer. In 1909, he married Katharine MacHarg, sister of the writer William MacHarg. After her death, he married Grace A. Kee in 1927.

He began as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune in 1903 before writing for books and magazines. He was editor of Redbook (1927-1949) and later became associate publisher. He would then commission young writers to write up these ideas for inclusion in Redbook.[1]

He died on March 21, 1959 at age 75.

Novels

Together with author Philip Wylie, he wrote the catastrophe science fiction novels When Worlds Collide (1933) and After Worlds Collide (1934). The former was made into an award-winning 1951 movie by George Pal.

Comic strip

Balmer also helped create (with artist Marvin Bradley) the syndicated comic strip Speed Spaulding, partially based on the Worlds Collide series, which ran from 1938 through 1941 in the comic book Famous Funnies.

Balmer also wrote several detective novels and collaborated with William MacHarg on The Achievements of Luther Trant (1910), an early collection of detective short stories.

Bibliography

The April 1927 Amazing Stories cover-featured a reprint of "The Man in the Room", a "Luther Trent" detective story Balmer wrote together with William MacHarg
  • 1909 Waylaid by Wireless
  • 1910 The Achievements of Luther Trant with William MacHarg
  • 1910 The Science of Advertising with counsel from Thomas Balmer
  • 1913 The Surakarta with William MacHarg
  • 1915 A Wild-Goose Chase
  • 1916 Blind Man's Eyes with William MacHarg
  • 1917 The Indian Drum with William MacHarg
  • 1919 Ruth of the U.S.A.
  • 1920 Resurrection Rock Almost an identical reprint of The Indian Drum
  • 1922 The Breath of Scandal
  • 1923 Keeban
  • 1924 Fidelia
  • 1925 That Royle Girl
  • 1926 Billings of '49 with Lilian Holmes Strack
  • 1927 Dangerous Business, filmed as Party Girl in 1930
  • 1927 Flying Death
  • 1932 Five Fatal Words with Philip Wylie
  • 1933 The Golden Hoard with Philip Wylie
  • 1933 When Worlds Collide with Philip Wylie
  • 1934 After Worlds Collide with Philip Wylie
  • 1934 Dragons Drive You
  • 1936 The Shield of Silence with Philip Wylie
  • 1941 The Torn Letter
  • 1954 In His Hands
  • 1956 The Candle of the Wicked
  • 1958 With All the World Away
  • 2013 The Compleat Achievements of Luther Trant (the 1910 book with 3 additional stories)

References

Notes
  1. Keefer 1978. p. 52.
Bibliography
  • Greasley, Philip A. (2001). Dictionary of Midwestern Literature Volume One: The Authors. Indiana: Indiana University Press. p. 51. ISBN 0-253-33609-0.
  • Keefer, Truman F. Philip Wylie. Boston: Twain Publishers, 1978.
  • Reilly, John M. (1985). 20th century Crime and Mystery Writers, 2nd Edition. New York: St. Martin's Press. p. 50. ISBN 0-312-82418-1.
  • Tuck, Donald H. (1974). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Chicago: Advent. p. 29. ISBN 0-911682-20-1.
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