The Dark Eyes of London

Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace was a British writer known for his contributions to sensational genres like detective stories, gangster novels, adventure tales, and science fiction. He was born on April 1, 1875, in Greenwich, London, to a poor family and was raised as an illegitimate child. Wallace left school at the age of 12 and began working in various jobs before finding his way into journalism. His early life was marked by hardship, but he soon found success as a writer, contributing not only novels but also plays, screenplays, and short stories. Wallace is best remembered for his detective and crime fiction, including the creation of "The Green Archer" and the introduction of the character "King Kong" to cinema. His works were marked by suspense, high tension, and complex characters. He was married twice, first to Ivy Maude Caldecott, with whom he had a son and daughter, and later to Ethel Violet King. Wallace passed away on February 10, 1932, at the age of 56 in Beverly Hills, California.