author

Frederick Irving Anderson

1877–1947

Best remembered for clever mystery stories and a lively reporter’s eye, this American writer moved easily between journalism, popular fiction, and early screen work. His tales helped shape magazine-era crime fiction with wit, pace, and neat surprise.

1 Audiobook

Electricity for the farm Light, heat and power by inexpensive methods from the water wheel or farm engine

Electricity for the farm Light, heat and power by inexpensive methods from the water wheel or farm engine

by Frederick Irving Anderson

About the author

Born in Aurora, Illinois, on November 14, 1877, Frederick Irving Anderson was an American writer and reporter whose career ranged from newspaper work to detective fiction and screenwriting. Reliable biographical sources agree that he worked as a reporter for the New York World and later became known for mystery and crime stories published in major magazines.

Anderson is especially associated with smart, fast-moving short fiction. Reference and critical sources describe him as a notable writer of detective and mystery stories, and later film credits connect him with adaptations including The Golden Fleece and the Sophie Lang films. He died in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, in December 1947.

Although some details of his life are sketchy in the sources available online, his reputation rests on polished popular storytelling: ingenious plots, a journalist’s sense of momentum, and a strong place in early American mystery fiction.