Eric Stanley Gardner
AUTHOR

Eric Stanley Gardner

Mystery, Thriller & Suspense | Biographies & Memoirs
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
Not an Audible member?
From £7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Start your free 30-day trial

The Case of the Velvet Claws

Most popular
View Details

Best Sellers

Product list
  • The Case of the Velvet Claws cover art

    Regular price: £18.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £18.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • The Case of the Curious Bride cover art

    Regular price: £18.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £18.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • The Case of the Perjured Parrot cover art

    Regular price: £18.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £18.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • The Case of the Horrified Heirs cover art

    Regular price: £14.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £14.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • The Case of the Caretaker's Cat cover art

    Regular price: £18.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £18.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • The Case of the Fabulous Fake cover art

    Regular price: £14.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £14.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • The Case of the Crying Swallow cover art

    Regular price: £14.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £14.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • The Case of the Mythical Monkeys cover art

    Regular price: £18.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £18.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • The Case of the Grinning Gorilla cover art

    Regular price: £18.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £18.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • The Court of Last Resort cover art

    Regular price: £22.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £22.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • The Case of the Lame Canary cover art

    Regular price: £18.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £18.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • The Case of the Lucky Legs cover art

    Regular price: £18.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £18.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • The Case of the Haunted Husband cover art

    Regular price: £18.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £18.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • The Case of the One-Eyed Witness cover art

    Regular price: £18.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £18.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • The Case of the Sulky Girl cover art

    Regular price: £18.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £18.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • The Case of the Baited Hook cover art

    Regular price: £18.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £18.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • The Case of the Shoplifter's Shoe cover art

    Regular price: £18.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £18.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • The Case of the Amorous Aunt cover art

    Regular price: £18.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £18.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • The Case of the Hesitant Hostess cover art

    Regular price: £18.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £18.99 or 1 Credit

    Try for £0.00
  • The Case of the Foot-Loose Doll cover art

    Regular price: £18.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: £18.99 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