author

Dale Clark

1905–1988

Best known as a pen name of Ronal Kayser, this American pulp writer brought a private eye’s eye for detail to fast-moving mystery, detective, and weird-fiction stories. His work appeared widely in magazine fiction, and he also published novels under several names.

1 Audiobook

In the Dark

In the Dark

by Dale Clark

About the author

Writing as Dale Clark, Ronal Sherwood Kayser was an American writer and journalist born in Springfield, Minnesota, on August 27, 1905. Reference sources identify Dale Clark as one of several pseudonyms he used, alongside names such as Dale Clarke and Clark Clayton.

Kayser wrote extensively for pulp magazines, especially in mystery, detective, horror, and other popular-fiction markets. A biographical note preserved by mystery-fiction researchers says he held many jobs, including work as a private detective, which helps explain the lived-in feel of his crime stories. He later lived in La Jolla, California.

He died in San Diego County, California, in 1988. While he is not a household name today, Dale Clark remains of interest to readers who enjoy hard-boiled magazine fiction and the rich world of mid-century pulp storytelling.