author
William Oliver Turner
1914–1980
A prolific freelance writer of western fiction, he built stories out of frontier conflict, hard choices, and fast-moving action. Outside his fiction work, he also had a long-running interest in magic, giving his career an unusual extra dimension.
1 Audiobook
The High Hander
by William Oliver Turner
About the author
William Oliver Turner (1914–1980) was an American freelance fiction writer best known for westerns. Archival records at the University of Oregon describe him as a writer who specialized in the genre, and LibriVox also identifies him as a freelance fiction writer focused on western stories.
According to Magicpedia, he moved with his family to Evanston, Illinois, when he was 12, graduated from Knox College in the 1930s, and worked in newspapers, advertising agencies, and briefly as a magazine editor in Iowa. The same source says he later returned to Tacoma in 1965 to devote himself full time to writing.
He also had a parallel life as an amateur magician. That mix of practical writing work, magazine experience, and wide-ranging interests helps explain the steady, entertaining feel of his fiction.