Henry Slesar

Born in Brooklyn in 1927, Henry Slesar worked as a copywriter before building a remarkably wide-ranging writing career. Reliable biographical sources describe him as an American author, playwright, and screenwriter whose fiction often leaned on irony, suspense, and surprise endings.

He became especially well known for short stories in mystery and science fiction magazines, and for his strong connection to Alfred Hitchcock Presents, where his work was adapted and where he also wrote teleplays. He later wrote extensively for television, including the long-running soap opera The Edge of Night, and industry coverage at the time of his death noted how prolific and award-winning he was.

Slesar died in New York City on April 2, 2002. Even readers who do not recognize his name may already know his style: brisk setups, clever reversals, and endings that land with a snap.