- Born
- Died
- Birth nameFredric William Brown
- Attended University of Cincinnati, Hanover College, Indiana, but didn't obtain a degree. Worked in an office 1924-36, when he left to become writer, proofreader for the "Milwaukee Journal". Also started writing at this time, selling the first of over 300 short stories. Active in both science-fiction and mystery fields, his first SF short appeared in 1941. Won the "Edgar" award for Best First Mystery for "The Fabulous Clipjoint" (1947) from the Mystery Writers Of America. His SF was noted for its humor and wit, and a slickness not common in the '40s & '50s. A chronic respiratory condition forced him from the Midwest to Taos, New Mexico, and then to Tucson, Arizona. Also lived in Los Angeles, submitting scripts to Alfred Hitchcock's television shows.
- IMDb mini biography by: <dferstat@iinet.net.au>
- SpousesElizabeth Charlier(October 11, 1948 - March 11, 1972) (his death)Helen Ruth(1929 - 1947) (divorced, 2 children)
- Credited with writing the shortest short story of all time, entitled "Knock" (1948). It's entirety reads: "The last man on earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock at the door".
- His writing is marked by cleverness of style, original plots and ingenious endings, though his characters were usually only one-dimensional.
- In his introduction to the anthology "The Best of Fredric Brown", Robert Bloch wrote, "I hope they don't misspell his name," pointing out that "Fredric" was often misspelled as "Frederic" or "Frederick". Ironically, Bloch's own name was misspelled as "Block" on the spine of the hardcover edition.
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