Rex Stout

Rex Todhunter Stout was an acclaimed American author, best known for his detective fiction, particularly the series featuring the famous detective Nero Wolfe. Born on December 1, 1886, in Noblesville, Indiana, Stout used the shortened form of his name for his popular novels. He is particularly famous for creating the character of Nero Wolfe, a fictional detective who has been described as a Falstaff of detectives. The series featuring this character has been considered as one of the largest mystery conventions of the world and it was nominated for the Best Mystery Series of the Century award in the year 2000.

Stout's Nero Wolfe series consists of 33 books and around 40 novellas, which were published between the years 1934 and 1975. The series allowed Stout to have a prosperous writing career and also win many prestigious awards and nominations. Aside from his Nero Wolfe series, Stout wrote one other series called Tecumseh Fox, many standalone novels, several short story collections and even a Nero Wolfe cookbook. Stout's narrative and dialogue were top-notch, giving his novels a certain re-readable quality.

In addition to being a prominent author of fiction, Stout was also a public intellectual for many years. He founded the Vanguard Press and was active in the initial years of the Civil Liberties Union of America. Stout was also active in promoting world federalism, served as head of the Writers' War Board during World War II, and became a radio celebrity through his numerous broadcasts. He was the long-time president of the Authors Guild, during which he sought to benefit authors by lobbying for reform of the domestic and international copyright laws. Stout's contributions to the literary world and his public intellectualism have left a lasting impact on American culture.