Erle Stanley Gardner
AUTHOR

Erle Stanley Gardner

Detective Crime Fiction Thriller
Tap the gear icon above to manage new release emails.
Erle Stanley Gardner (1889-1970) is a prolific American author best known for his works centered on the lawyer-detective Perry Mason. At the time of his death in March of 1970, in Ventura, California, Gardner was "the most widely read of all American writers" and "the most widely translated author in the world," according to social historian Russell Nye. The first Perry Mason novel, The Case of The Velvet Claws, published in 1933, had sold twenty-eight million copies in its first fifteen years. In the mid-1950s, the Perry Mason novels were selling at the rate of twenty thousand copies a day. There have been six motion pictures based on his work and the hugely popular Perry Mason television series starring Raymond Burr, which aired for nine years and 271 episodes. As author William F. Nolan notes, "Gardner, more than any other writer, popularized the law profession for a mass-market audience, melding fact and fiction to achieve a unique blend; no one ever handled courtroom drama better than he did." Richard Senate further sums up the significance of Gardner?s contribution: "Although the character of Perry Mason is not unique as a 'lawyer-sleuth,' he is the first to come to anyone's mind when it comes to sheer brilliance in solving courtroom-detective cases by rather unconventional means. Besides 'Tarzan,' 'Sherlock Holmes,' 'Superman' ? 'Perry Mason' qualifies as an American icon of popular culture in the twentieth century." Gardner's writing has touched a lot of people including a number of high profile figures. Brian Kelleher and Diana Merrill say in their 1987 book, The Perry Mason TV Show Book that Harry S. Truman was a fan and that it is rumored that when Einstein died, a Perry Mason book was at his bedside. They further describe that when Raymond Burr met Pope John XXIII, the actor reported that the pontiff "seemed to know all about Perry Mason." Federal judge Sonya Sotomayor frequently mentions how Perry Mason was one of her earliest influences. Starting with his first book, Gardner had a very definite vision of the shape the Perry Mason character would take: "I want to make my hero a fighter," he wrote to his publisher, "not by having him be ruthless to women and underlings, but by creating a character who, with infinite patience jockeys his enemies into a position where he can deliver one good knockout punch." Author Photo: Courtesy of Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin
Read more Read less
You're getting a free audiobook


You're getting a free audiobook.

$14.95 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Try for $0.00

The Case of the Velvet Claws

Most popular
View Details

Featured Article: Dream Big—Meet the All-Star Cast of The Sandman: Act II


Immerse yourself in the world of The Sandman right now with an unforgettable audio experience. The star power alone is worth the price of admission—the cumulative amount of awards that have been won by the cast over the course of their careers is simply staggering. The cast features some of the most talented and esteemed actors working today. So let's dive right into the who's who of The Sandman: Act II.

Featured Article Dream Big Meet the All Star Cast of The Sandman Act II

Best Sellers

Product List
  • The Case of the Lucky Legs Audiobook By Erle Stanley Gardner cover art

    Regular price: $20.00 or 1 credit

    Sale price: $20.00 or 1 credit

    Try for $0.00
  • Perry Mason and the Case of the Curious Bride Audiobook By Erle Stanley Gardner, M. J. Elliott cover art

    Regular price: $10.49 or 1 credit

    Sale price: $10.49 or 1 credit

    Try for $0.00
  • The Case of the Substitute Face Audiobook By Erle Stanley Gardner cover art

    Regular price: $20.00 or 1 credit

    Sale price: $20.00 or 1 credit

    Try for $0.00
  • The Case of the Screaming Woman Audiobook By Erle Stanley Gardner cover art

    Regular price: $16.00 or 1 credit

    Sale price: $16.00 or 1 credit

    Try for $0.00
  • The Case of the Velvet Claws Audiobook By Erle Stanley Gardner cover art

    Regular price: $20.00 or 1 credit

    Sale price: $20.00 or 1 credit

    Try for $0.00
  • The Case of the Spurious Spinster Audiobook By Erle Stanley Gardner cover art

    Regular price: $20.00 or 1 credit

    Sale price: $20.00 or 1 credit

    Try for $0.00
  • The Case of the Sulky Girl Audiobook By Erle Stanley Gardner cover art

    Regular price: $20.00 or 1 credit

    Sale price: $20.00 or 1 credit

    Try for $0.00
  • The Case of the Fabulous Fake Audiobook By Erle Stanley Gardner cover art

    Regular price: $16.00 or 1 credit

    Sale price: $16.00 or 1 credit

    Try for $0.00
  • Perry Mason and the Case of the Howling Dog Audiobook By Erle Stanley Gardner, M. J. Elliott cover art

    Regular price: $10.49 or 1 credit

    Sale price: $10.49 or 1 credit

    Try for $0.00
  • The Case of the Mythical Monkeys Audiobook By Erle Stanley Gardner cover art

    Regular price: $20.00 or 1 credit

    Sale price: $20.00 or 1 credit

    Try for $0.00
  • The Case of the Vagabond Virgin Audiobook By Erle Stanley Gardner cover art

    Regular price: $20.00 or 1 credit

    Sale price: $20.00 or 1 credit

    Try for $0.00
  • The Case of the Beautiful Beggar Audiobook By Erle Stanley Gardner cover art

    Regular price: $12.44 or 1 credit

    Sale price: $12.44 or 1 credit

    Try for $0.00
  • The Case of the Grinning Gorilla Audiobook By Erle Stanley Gardner cover art

    Regular price: $20.00 or 1 credit

    Sale price: $20.00 or 1 credit

    Try for $0.00
  • The Case of the Singing Skirt Audiobook By Erle Stanley Gardner cover art

    Regular price: $20.00 or 1 credit

    Sale price: $20.00 or 1 credit

    Try for $0.00
  • The Case of the Postponed Murder Audiobook By Erle Stanley Gardner cover art

    Regular price: $16.00 or 1 credit

    Sale price: $16.00 or 1 credit

    Try for $0.00
  • The Case of the Fiery Fingers Audiobook By Erle Stanley Gardner cover art

    Regular price: $20.00 or 1 credit

    Sale price: $20.00 or 1 credit

    Try for $0.00
  • The Case of the Shoplifter's Shoe Audiobook By Erle Stanley Gardner cover art

    Regular price: $20.00 or 1 credit

    Sale price: $20.00 or 1 credit

    Try for $0.00
  • The Case of the Runaway Corpse Audiobook By Erle Stanley Gardner cover art

    Regular price: $20.00 or 1 credit

    Sale price: $20.00 or 1 credit

    Try for $0.00
  • The Case of the Sleepwalker's Niece Audiobook By Erle Stanley Gardner cover art

    Regular price: $20.00 or 1 credit

    Sale price: $20.00 or 1 credit

    Try for $0.00
  • The Case of the Rolling Bones Audiobook By Erle Stanley Gardner cover art

    Regular price: $20.00 or 1 credit

    Sale price: $20.00 or 1 credit

    Try for $0.00

Are you an author?

Help us improve our Author Pages by updating your bibliography and submitting a new or current image and biography.
Visit Amazon Author Central