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Edward D. Hoch

エドワード・ディー・ホック

Edowādo D. Hokku

Aliases: Edward Dentinger Hoch / Edward D. Hoch
Pen Names: Stephen DentingerOne of several pen names used in magazine publications, R. L. StevensAlternate byline used for some magazine stories, Mr. XUsed as a house/anonymous byline

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1930-02-22 (Rochester, New York, USA)
Died
2008-01-17 (Rochester, New York, USA) age 77
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Rochester, New York, USA

Career

Occupations
Mystery writer, Short story writer
Active Years
1955-2008
Affiliations
Mystery Writers of America, Private Eye Writers of America
Memberships
Mystery Writers of America
Influenced By
John Dickson Carr, Agatha Christie, Ellery Queen

Awards

Edgar Award (Short Story)
1968
Work: The Rectangular Room
Category: 短編
Organization: Mystery Writers of America
Result: winner
Anthony Award (Short Story)
1998
Work: Murder in Madagascar
Category: 短編
Organization: Anthony Awards
Result: winner
Anthony Award (Short Story)
2001
Work: The Missing Padlock Key
Category: 短編
Organization: Anthony Awards
Result: winner
Lifetime Achievement Award
2000
Organization: Private Eye Writers of America
Result: winner
Grand Master Award
2001
Organization: Mystery Writers of America
Result: winner
Bouchercon Lifetime Achievement / Service Award
2001
Organization: Bouchercon
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

The Anthony Awards 2 appearances
  1. Edition 13 (1998) short story prize

    Retired British intelligence agent Jeffery Rand travels to Madagascar to investigate a murder connected to a smuggling case. Following a trade in rare Madagascan radiated tortoises and a scheme of puns and double-crosses, Rand unravels the mechanism behind the crime.

    A single bag of coconuts leads a smuggling case on a distant island toward an unexpected solution.

    406 pages
    smugglingrare animalsMadagascarinternational espionagewordplay
  2. Edition 16 (2001) short story prize

Works

Major Works

The Shattered Raven

1969 Mystery (novel)

A novel featuring detective Barney Hamet; one of Hoch's early novels, showcasing classical puzzle-mystery elements.

classical puzzle solvinghomage/parody of golden-age detective fiction
Translations
  • The Shattered Raven

The Transvection Machine

1971 Science fiction mystery / novel

A mystery centered on computers and technology; part of the Computer Prosecution Bureau series.

technology-centered crimeSF-tinged mystery
Translations
  • The Transvection Machine

Bibliography

  • The Shattered Raven
  • The Transvection Machine
  • The Fellowship of the HAND
  • The Frankenstein Factory
  • The Blue Movie Murders
  • Prize Meets Murder

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Classical fair-play detective fictionPuzzle-like, intricately plotted stories emphasizing trickery and clueing
Recurring Motifs
locked roomsimpossible crimeslong-running series characters who age and change

Legacy

Regarded as a master of the classical whodunit and a prolific short-story writer. His long-standing monthly presence in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine and numerous series made him a major figure in modern short-form mystery fiction.

Academic Societies

  • Mystery Writers of America

Quotes

  • The King of the Classical Whodunit
    Source: Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine (description)

Trivia

  • Published more than 450 stories in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine.
  • From May 1973 through May 2004 he had an unbroken monthly presence in EQMM.
  • Known for many series characters and an extremely prolific output of short fiction.