Edgar Wallace

Born in London on April 1, 1875, he left school young and worked a string of jobs before joining the army and later turning to journalism. Reporting in South Africa helped sharpen the direct, vivid style that would become a hallmark of his fiction.

He became astonishingly prolific, producing novels, short stories, plays, and screen work, and was especially celebrated for detective and suspense fiction. Readers embraced his quick pace and talent for cliffhangers, and his influence was so strong that he is often credited with helping define the modern thriller.

Even after his death in 1932, his stories kept reaching new audiences through reprints, film adaptations, and stage versions. He is also remembered for his connection to the early development of King Kong, a reminder of how widely his imagination ranged.