Howard Browne

Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Howard Browne built a varied career as both a novelist and magazine editor. He wrote crime fiction, science fiction, and fantasy, and is especially remembered for the Paul Pine detective novels and for fantasy work such as What Mad Universe.

He was also an important figure behind the scenes in popular magazine fiction. Browne edited Amazing Stories and Fantastic Adventures, and later worked on Fantastic, helping bring speculative fiction to a wide audience during the pulp and digest era.

His career shows an unusual range: tough private-eye fiction on one hand, playful and inventive fantasy on the other. That mix of noir energy and imaginative fun is a big part of why his books still appeal to readers interested in classic genre writing.