Fredric Brown(1906-1972) was the only writer to achieve equal prominence in the mystery and science fiction genres. His first foray into mystery,The Fabulous Clipjoint, won the Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Award for Best First Novel. Brown was also the acknowledged master of the short short story; the famous collectionNightmares and Geezenstacksdemonstrates his consummate mastery of a form limited to no more than five hundred words. His short story ''Arena'' was the basis of a famedStar Trekepisode; ''Martians, Go Home!'' was adapted for a 1992 film; ''The Last Martian'' was adapted for Serling'sTwilight Zoneand starred Steve McQueen at the start of his career. Brown's work, more than forty years after his death, is increasingly prominent.
