Born and brought up in Cincinnati, Ohio, Mr. Brown attended Hanover College in Hanover, Indiana. His home is now in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he divides his time between reading proofs and writing book reviews for the Milwaukee Journal, and freelance writing. He has written hundreds of short stories, which have appeared in leading detective magazines, and he has been represented in Ellery Queen's Rogues' Gallery, in the Adventure in Time and Space anthology, and in Best Detective Stories of the Year-1947.Mr. Brown believes that a good book, detective story or no, should emphasize characterization. "The straight whodunit," he says, "is an intellectual exercise for the read. A second type of mystery depends upon pace; characterization is vivid but typed, and the plot is subordinate. The third and, in my opinion, the best type, which I try to write, stresses character development." He has succeeded in following his own precepts in both The Dead Ringer and The Fabulous Clipjoint.

One of the great pulp writers, Fredric Brown (1906-1972) combined a flair for the horrific, a quirky sense of humor, and a wild imagination, and published many classic novels in the mystery and science fiction genres. But he was also a master of the "short-short story," tales only a page or two in length, but hard-hitting and with a wicked twist at the end. Nightmares and Geezenstacks (1961) collects 47 short gems by Brown, ranging from science fiction to noir crime to horror, including the chilling and unforgettable "The Geezenstacks". Long unobtainable, Brown's classic collection returns to print for the first time in almost 40 years and is sure to please both longtime fans and those who are discovering this brilliant writer for the first time."Might have been written by O. Henry in a black mood; alternately comic, horrifying [and] clever." - Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Review"My favorite author of all time." - Mickey Spillane"A distinctive and unique voice ... one of the genre's most incisive satirists and outstanding innovators." - Library Journal"One of the best pulp writers." - Booklist