Erle Stanley Gardner American writer Date of Birth: 17.07.1989 Country: USA

1. Biography of Erle Stanley Gardner
2. Erle Stanley Gardner's Literary Works
3. Gardner's Venture into Science Fiction

Biography of Erle Stanley Gardner

Erle Stanley Gardner was an American writer and a classic author of detective fiction. He published over 120 novels under various pseudonyms such as A.A. Fair, Kendrake, and Kenny. In 1911, Gardner opened a law firm in Merced, California. After a few years, he transitioned to a sales agency and in 1921, he established the law firm of Sheridan, Orr, Drapo, and Gardner in Ventura, California.

Gardner gained popularity through his captivating performances in court proceedings until 1933, when he decided to dedicate himself entirely to literature. In 1946, Gardner founded and was a member of the "Court of Last Resort," an organization that aimed to review death penalty cases. He was awarded the Edgar Allan Poe Award by the American Association of Mystery Writers in 1962 for his documentary book about this organization, in the category of Grand Master.

Gardner also drew public attention to the rock art of Lower California, some of which was later designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In 1968, he married his longtime secretary, Agnes Bethell (1902-2002), who served as the inspiration for Della Street, the secretary of his main literary character, Perry Mason.

Erle Stanley Gardner's Literary Works

Gardner wrote several series of novels, with his most extensive body of work revolving around the character of Perry Mason, an attorney who not only represents clients in court but also investigates crimes with the assistance of his private detective, Paul Drake. Mason's main opponent is prosecutor Hamilton Burger.

Under the pseudonym A.A. Fair, Gardner wrote a series of novels featuring private detective Donald Lam and his boss, Bertha Cool. This series, consisting of 29 novels, is partially a parody of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin series.

Gardner also authored a series of nine novels featuring young district attorney Douglas Selby, who fights against corruption in the fictional town of Madison City, California. Selby's main antagonist is the dishonest lawyer A.B. Carr.

Gardner's Venture into Science Fiction

Although Gardner is primarily known as one of the most renowned and prolific authors of classic detective fiction, he also dabbled in science fiction. Several early short stories and novellas were published in the magazine "Argosy" in the late 1920s and early 1930s, before his active career as a novelist.

These works, including four novellas and three short stories, consisted of typical science fiction ideas and techniques of that era, often blended with elements of adventure and detective genres. However, these early science fiction works were mostly forgotten until they were reprinted in the 1960s and later collected in the anthology "The Human Zero: The Science Fiction Stories of Erle Stanley Gardner" in 1981.

While Gardner's science fiction writings have been criticized for being derivative and weak compared to other works of the time, they hold interest for collectors, fans of the author, and researchers studying the development of science fiction.