Edwin Balmer

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{{short description|American novelist (1883–1959)}}

{{more footnotes|date=April 2012}}

{{Infobox writer

| name = Edwin Balmer

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| caption = A portrait of Edwin Balmer by James Montgomery Flagg, published in The Indianapolis Times, 1923

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| birth_date = {{Birth date|1883|7|26}}

| birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

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| occupation = Writer

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| genre = Science fiction, mystery

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

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.{{cite book |last=Keefer |first=Truman F. |year=1978 |title=Philip Wylie |place=Boston, MA |publisher=Twain Publishers}}{{rp|page=52}}

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.

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.

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.

Bibliography

File:Amazing stories 192704.jpg

References

;Citations

{{Reflist}}

;Bibliography

{{refbegin}}

  • {{cite book | last=Greasley | first=Philip A. | year=2001 | title=Dictionary of Midwestern Literature | volume=One: The Authors | publisher=Indiana University Press | isbn=0-253-33609-0 | page=51}}
  • {{cite book |last=Keefer |first=Truman F. |year=1978 |title=Philip Wylie |place=Boston, MA |publisher=Twain Publishers}}
  • {{cite book | last=Reilly | first=John M. | year=1985 | title=20th century Crime and Mystery Writers | edition=2nd | location=New York, NY | publisher=St. Martin's Press | isbn=0-312-82418-1 | page=[https://archive.org/details/twentiethcentury00reil/page/50 50] | url-access=registration | url=https://archive.org/details/twentiethcentury00reil/page/50}}
  • {{cite book | last=Tuck | first=Donald H. | author-link=Donald H. Tuck | year=1974 | title=The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy | location=Chicago, IL | publisher=Advent | isbn=0-911682-20-1 | page=29}}

{{refend}}