Detective Story Magazine
Encyclopedia
Detective Story Magazine was an American
magazine published by Street & Smith
from October 15, 1915 to Summer, 1949 (1,057 issues). The first pulp magazine devoted to detective fiction
, it consisted of short stories and serials.
It was the publishing house's first pulp magazine and was originally a dime novel entitled Nick Carter Weekly
.
Stories from the magazine were first heard on the radio on July 31, 1930. The Street and Smith radio program Detective Story Hour was narrated by a mysterious character named "The Shadow
." Confused listeners would ask for copies of "The Shadow" magazine. As a result Street & Smith debuted The Shadow Magazine on April 1, 1931, a pulp series
created and primarily written by the prolific Walter B. Gibson
.
The success of The Shadow
and Doc Savage
also prompted Street & Smith to revive Nick Carter as a hero pulp that ran from 1933 to 1936. A popular radio show, Nick Carter, Master Detective
, aired on the Mutual Broadcasting System
network from 1943 to 1955.
From February 21, 1931 to its demise, the magazine was titled Street & Smith's Detective Story Magazine. During half of its 34-year life, the magazine was popular enough to support weekly issues. Ludwig Wittgenstein, the eminent philosopher, was among the fanatic readership. http://www.mysteryfile.com/NDavis/Wit.html
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
magazine published by Street & Smith
Street & Smith
Street & Smith or Street & Smith Publications, Inc. was a New York City publisher specializing in inexpensive paperbacks and magazines referred to as pulp fiction and dime novels. They also published comic books and sporting yearbooks...
from October 15, 1915 to Summer, 1949 (1,057 issues). The first pulp magazine devoted to detective fiction
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:...
, it consisted of short stories and serials.
It was the publishing house's first pulp magazine and was originally a dime novel entitled Nick Carter Weekly
Nick Carter (literary character)
Nick Carter is a fictional character who began as a pulp fiction private detective and has appeared in a variety of formats over more than a century.-Literary history:...
.
Stories from the magazine were first heard on the radio on July 31, 1930. The Street and Smith radio program Detective Story Hour was narrated by a mysterious character named "The Shadow
The Shadow
The Shadow is a collection of serialized dramas, originally in pulp magazines, then on 1930s radio and then in a wide variety of media, that follow the exploits of the title character, a crime-fighting vigilante in the pulps, which carried over to the airwaves as a "wealthy, young man about town"...
." Confused listeners would ask for copies of "The Shadow" magazine. As a result Street & Smith debuted The Shadow Magazine on April 1, 1931, a pulp series
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...
created and primarily written by the prolific Walter B. Gibson
Walter B. Gibson
Walter Brown Gibson was an American author and professional magician, best known for his work on the pulp fiction character The Shadow...
.
The success of The Shadow
The Shadow
The Shadow is a collection of serialized dramas, originally in pulp magazines, then on 1930s radio and then in a wide variety of media, that follow the exploits of the title character, a crime-fighting vigilante in the pulps, which carried over to the airwaves as a "wealthy, young man about town"...
and Doc Savage
Doc Savage
Doc Savage is a fictional character originally published in American pulp magazines during the 1930s and 1940s. He was created by publisher Henry W. Ralston and editor John L...
also prompted Street & Smith to revive Nick Carter as a hero pulp that ran from 1933 to 1936. A popular radio show, Nick Carter, Master Detective
Nick Carter, Master Detective
Nick Carter, Master Detective was a Mutual radio crime drama based on tales of the famed detective from Street & Smith's dime novels and pulp magazines. Nick Carter first came to radio as The Return of Nick Carter, a reference to the character's pulp origins, but the title was soon changed to Nick...
, aired on the Mutual Broadcasting System
Mutual Broadcasting System
The Mutual Broadcasting System was an American radio network, in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the golden age of U.S. radio drama, MBS was best known as the original network home of The Lone Ranger and The Adventures of Superman and as the long-time radio residence of The Shadow...
network from 1943 to 1955.
From February 21, 1931 to its demise, the magazine was titled Street & Smith's Detective Story Magazine. During half of its 34-year life, the magazine was popular enough to support weekly issues. Ludwig Wittgenstein, the eminent philosopher, was among the fanatic readership. http://www.mysteryfile.com/NDavis/Wit.html
Authors
Authors published in Detective Story include:- A. E. Apple
- Agatha ChristieAgatha ChristieDame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
- Carroll John DalyCarroll John DalyCarroll John Daly was a writer of crime fiction. He has been credited with creating the first hard-boiled detective story in 1923 with "Knights of the Open Palm," published June 1, 1923 in Black Mask magazine, featuring private detective Race Williams; the first appearance of Williams predated the...
- Arthur Conan DoyleArthur Conan DoyleSir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
- H. Irving HancockH. Irving HancockHarrie Irving Hancock was an American chemist and writer, mainly remembered as an author of children's literature and juveniles in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and as having written a fictional depiction of a German invasion of the USA....
- Johnston McCulleyJohnston McCulleyJohnston McCulley was the author of hundreds of stories, fifty novels, numerous screenplays for film and television, and the creator of the character Zorro...
- Fulton OurslerFulton OurslerCharles Fulton Oursler was an American journalist, playwright, editor and writer. Writing as Anthony Abbot, he was an notable author of mysteries and detective fiction.-Life:...
- Arthur B. ReeveArthur B. ReeveArthur Benjamin Reeve was an American mystery writer. He is best known for creating the series character Professor Craig Kennedy, sometimes called "The American Sherlock Holmes," and his Dr Watson-like sidekick Walter Jameson, a newspaper reporter, in eighteen detective novels...
- Sax RohmerSax RohmerArthur Henry Sarsfield Ward , better known as Sax Rohmer, was a prolific English novelist. He is best remembered for his series of novels featuring the master criminal Dr...
- Thomas ThursdayThomas ThursdayThomas Thursday was a lesser-known pulp writer who ended up having one of the longest careers writing for the pulp magazines. His first published short story, "A Stroke of Genius," appeared in Top-Notch . He submitted the story to them after finding an old issue in the subway. He used the penname...
External links
- Collecting Detective Story Magazine by Walker Martin.