Talmage Powell
Talmage Powell was an influential American short-story writer and novelist, born in Hendersonville, North Carolina, in 1920. He began his writing career in 1942 and gained prominence for his extensive contributions to pulp fiction, with over two hundred short stories published in magazines like *Black Mask* and *Dime Mystery*. Powell was versatile, exploring various genres and writing for many leading magazines, including *Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine* and *Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine*. Notably, he created the Ed Rivers series during the 1950s and 1960s, which garnered acclaim as some of the finest private eye novels of that era. In addition to his original works, Powell served as a ghostwriter for the Ellery Queen novels. His writing endeavors extended into screenwriting, where he contributed to popular television series such as *Mission Impossible* and *Surfside Six*. Talmage Powell passed away on March 3, 2000, in Asheville, North Carolina, leaving behind a legacy in the realm of mystery and fiction writing.
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Talmage Powell
Author
- Born: October 4, 1920
- Birthplace: Hendersonville, North Carolina
- Died: March 3, 2000
- Place of death: Asheville, North Carolina
Biography
Born in Hendersonville, North Carolina, in 1920, short-story writer and novelist Talmage Powell launched his writing career by 1942. He is best known for the more than two hundred short stories he wrote for pulp fiction magazines like Black Mask and Dime Mystery. However, he wrote in almost every genre and wrote for all the top magazines of that time. When the pulps died, Powell wrote over three hundred short stories for many of the mystery magazines, including Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Mike Shayne, Manhunt, and Suspense.
During the 1950’s and 1960’s, Powell produced his popular Ed Rivers series, called by some critics as the best private eye novels written during the those decades. Powell was also a ghostwriter for a number of the Ellery Queen novels, particularly the Tim Corrigans series. In addition to the Ellery Queen novels, Powell wrote under the following pen names: Robert Hart Davis, Robert Henry, Milton T. Lamb, Milton Land, Dave Leigh, Jack McCready, Anne Talmage, and Dave Sands.
Later, Powell turned his attention to screenwriting and writing for television. He wrote episodes for Mission Impossible and Surfside Six among other television shows and movies. Powell died in Asheville, North Carolina, on March 3, 2000, at the age of seventy-nine.