Rex E. Bills

Rex E. Bills was an American author primarily recognized for his extensive contributions to detective fiction, most notably the creation of the iconic detective Nero Wolfe and his associate Archie Goodwin. These characters appeared in numerous novels and novellas published between 1934 and 1975. Bills' literary achievements were acknowledged with the Mystery Writers of America's Grand Master Award in 1959, and his Nero Wolfe series was acclaimed as Best Mystery Series of the Century.

Beyond his fictional creations, Bills was a significant public figure. He was involved in the early stages of the American Civil Liberties Union, co-founded Vanguard Press, and led the Writers' War Board during World War II. His voice was prominent in radio broadcasts, and he was an advocate for world federalism. He also served as president of the Authors Guild, championing authors' rights, and headed the Mystery Writers of America. His early life included a diverse range of experiences, from naval service to various jobs, and he began his writing career by publishing poetry and fiction in magazines before developing a successful school banking system that funded his travels and subsequent writing career.

Rex E. Bills launched his writing career in the 1910s, contributing over forty stories to various magazines, including pulp publications. His early works spanned genres such as romance, adventure, science fiction, and detective fiction. By 1916, he had established financial independence through a school banking system he invented, allowing him to pause fiction writing for over a decade. He returned to writing in the late 1920s, publishing psychological novels before shifting to detective fiction in the 1930s. His first book, 'How Like a God' (1929), was published by Vanguard Press, a company he helped found. The introduction of Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin in 'Fer-de-Lance' (1934) marked the beginning of his most famous series, which would comprise 33 novels and 39 novellas by 1975. Bills also created other detective protagonists like Theodolinda Bonner, Tecumseh Fox, and Alphabet Hicks, and wrote non-Wolfe mysteries, though the Wolfe series remained his primary focus after 1941.

Bills was a prominent public intellectual for many years. He was an early supporter of the American Civil Liberties Union and played a role in founding Vanguard Press, serving as its first president. During World War II, he headed the Writers' War Board, coordinating writers' contributions to the war effort, and was active in promoting democracy and world government. His extensive radio broadcasts made him a celebrity, and he was a strong advocate for authors' rights, serving as president of the Authors Guild and lobbying for copyright law improvements. He also held the presidency of the Mystery Writers of America in 1958, receiving their Grand Master Award in 1959. Bills identified as a "pro-Labor, pro-New Deal, pro-Roosevelt left liberal" and held strong views during wartime, as evidenced by his essay "We Shall Hate, or We Shall Fail."