Frank Gruber (writer)
Encyclopedia
Frank Gruber was an America
n writer, best known for his Westerns
and his detective stories
. He sometimes wrote under the pen names Stephen Acre, Charles K. Boston and John K. Vedder.
Gruber wrote more than 300 stories for over 40 pulp magazine
s, as well as more than sixty novel
s and more than 200 screenplay
s and television scripts. He bragged that he could write a complete mystery novel in 16 days and then use the other 14 days of the month to knock out a historical serial for a magazine. He said that, while in the Army, he learned how to manipulate the dice
to throw 35 consecutive sevens, but that he had "lost this skill through lack of practice". His mystery novels included The French Key and The Laughing Fox.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
n writer, best known for his Westerns
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
and his detective stories
Detective fiction
Detective fiction is a sub-genre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator , either professional or amateur, investigates a crime, often murder.-In ancient literature:...
. He sometimes wrote under the pen names Stephen Acre, Charles K. Boston and John K. Vedder.
Gruber wrote more than 300 stories for over 40 pulp magazine
Pulp magazine
Pulp magazines , also collectively known as pulp fiction, refers to inexpensive fiction magazines published from 1896 through the 1950s. The typical pulp magazine was seven inches wide by ten inches high, half an inch thick, and 128 pages long...
s, as well as more than sixty novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s and more than 200 screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
s and television scripts. He bragged that he could write a complete mystery novel in 16 days and then use the other 14 days of the month to knock out a historical serial for a magazine. He said that, while in the Army, he learned how to manipulate the dice
Dice control
Dice control in casino craps is a controversial theory where proponents claim that individuals can learn to carefully toss the dice so as to influence the outcome. A small but dedicated community of dice shooters claim proof of dice influencing in casino conditions...
to throw 35 consecutive sevens, but that he had "lost this skill through lack of practice". His mystery novels included The French Key and The Laughing Fox.
External links and references
- Biography of Frank Gruber, with lists of works at The Thrilling Detective website