Erle+Stanley+Gardner

Erle Stanley Gardner Photo and Biography Novel Reviews Websites Critical Reviews Other Works

According to recent statistics, Erle Stanley Gardner’s book sales (totaling over 319 million in 37 different languages) evidence the immense popularity of this beloved writer. Creator of the Perry Mason courtroom thrillers, Gardner has penned well over 141 titles, 80 of which star the infamous Mason. Much of his work followed a formulaic structure; however no two stories paralleled one another, as Gardner’s integrity did not allow for repetition of plotlines. His creativity and brilliant scenarios, secured Gardner’s approval among readers and critics, and garnered his respect among the annals of mystery and detective fiction.   

Gardner was born on July 17, 1889 in Malden, Massachusetts. Throughout his childhood, he constantly traveled with his family. He dropped out of Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, Ind., after a brief tenure and settled down in California, where he worked as a law firm typist.In 1911, he was admitted to the California bar and began defending underprivileged clients. He acquired an interest in the friendless and wrongly accused, which led to his founding of "The Court of Last Resort" in the 1940s. This organization is dedicated to helping those who did not receive "equal treatment under the law".While practicing in Ventura, Calif., he wrote for the pulp magazines popular at that time, working to create accurate courtroom dramas and brilliant legal strategy resembling his own practices. By 1932 he averaged 200,000 words a month while working two days a week in his law practice. He then published the first Perry Mason detective stories, //The Case of the Velvet Claws// (1933) and The Case of the Sulky Girl(1933), both were huge successes. It was then that he gave up law entirely to focus on writing. Soon after, he had written and published over 80 more Mason novels! After other medias took an interest in the franchise, Gardner supervised, and was involved in, the adaptation of the Perry Mason stories for radio, television, and movies featuring his popular character. 