Ed McBain

Evan Hunter, also known by his pen name Ed McBain, was a prominent American author and screenwriter. He was born Salvatore Albert Lombino in New York City in 1926 and legally changed his name to Evan Hunter in 1952. In addition to these names, he also used several other pseudonyms, including Richard Marsten, Hunt Collins, Curt Cannon, Ezra Hannon, Dean Hudson, and John Abbott.

McBain is best known for his crime fiction, which he began writing in 1956 under the name Ed McBain. However, he had already achieved success and recognition as Evan Hunter before this. After serving in the US Navy during World War II, McBain earned a degree from Hunter College in English and Psychology. He then worked for a literary agency in New York while also writing on his own. His first major success came in 1954 with the publication of his novel The Blackboard Jungle under the name Evan Hunter.

McBain is perhaps most famous for his 87th Precinct series, which he wrote under the name Ed McBain. The series, which is set in a fictional city called Isola, features a large cast of detectives and includes over fifty novels. The first book in the series, Cop Hater, was published in 1956. In addition to his work as a novelist, McBain was also a successful screenwriter. He wrote the screenplay for Alfred Hitchcock's film The Birds (1963), as well as for several television series, including Columbo and the NBC series 87th Precinct.

Throughout his career, McBain received numerous awards for his contributions to the world of literature and entertainment. In 1986, he was given the Grand Master Award for lifetime achievement by the Mystery Writers of America. He was also the first American to receive the Cartier Diamond Dagger award from the Crime Writers Association of Great Britain. McBain passed away in 2005 at the age of seventy-eight after a battle with larynx cancer.