Bill Pronzini (born April 13, 1943) is an American

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art and creative writing such as novels, short stories, books, poetry, travelogues, p ...

detective fiction Detective fiction is a subgenre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator or a detective—whether professional, amateur or retired—investigates a crime, often murder. The detective genre began around the same time as s ...

. He is also an active

anthologist In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically catego ...

, having compiled more than 100 collections, most of which focus on

mystery Mystery, The Mystery, Mysteries or The Mysteries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters *Mystery, a cat character in ''Emily the Strange'' Films * ''Mystery'' (2012 film), a 2012 Chinese drama film * ''Mystery'' ( ...

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

, and

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...

. Pronzini is known as the creator of the

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

-based

Nameless Detective The Nameless Detective is the protagonist in a long-running Mystery fiction, mystery series by Bill Pronzini set in the San Francisco area. Overview The first novel, ''The Snatch'', was published in 1971. As of 2013, there are 40 novels featurin ...

, who starred in over 40 books from the early 1970s into the 2000s.

Biography

William John Pronzini was born in

Petaluma Petaluma (Miwok: ''Péta Lúuma'') is a city in Sonoma County, California, located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Its population was 59,776 according to the 2020 census. Petaluma's name comes from the Miwok village nam ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

in 1943. He attended local schools. He has been married three times. The first marriage was to Laura Patricia Adolphson (1965, divorced 1966); the second was to Brunhilde Schier (July 28, 1972, separated December 1985, divorced a couple of years later). He married mystery writer

Marcia Muller Marcia Muller (born September 28, 1944) is an American author of fictional mystery and thriller novels. Muller has written many novels featuring her ''Sharon McCone'' female private detective character. ''Vanishing Point'' won the Shamus Awar ...

in 1992. They have collaborated on several novels: ''Double'' (1984), a Nameless Detective novel, ''The Lighthouse'' (1987), ''Beyond the Grave'' (1986), several books in the Carpenter and Quincannon mystery series, and numerous anthologies. DeAndrea, William. "Pronzini, Bill" in ''Encyclopedia Mysteriosa''. MacMillan, 1994 (p.285-6).

Writing career

He published his first novel, ''The Stalker'', in 1971. However, his best known works are the

series, which he began in 1971.

Edward D. Hoch Edward Dentinger Hoch (February 22, 1930 – January 17, 2008) was an American writer of detective fiction. Although he wrote several novels, he was primarily known for his vast output of over 950 short stories. Biography Hoch (pronounced ...

, "Pronzini, Bill" in ''Twentieth Century Crime and Mystery Writers'', edited by James Vinson and D. L. Kirkpatrick. St. James Press, 1985. pp. 735-39. As of 2017, there are 46 books in the series, including a number of short stories. While the stories involve the usual range of crimes typical to mysteries, they depict relatively little violence. Otto Penzler, of The Mysterious Bookshop in New York City, has published a vodcast review of Bill Pronzini's work and career http://youtube.com/watch?v=tR0OaQDghKo.

Short stories

Pronzini has written and published more than three hundred short stories. They have been published in a variety of markets, including some of the last issues of both ''

Adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...

'' and '' Argosy'' magazines, generally considered the first American

pulp magazines Pulp magazines (also referred to as "the pulps") were inexpensive fiction magazines that were published from 1896 to the late 1950s. The term "pulp" derives from the cheap wood pulp paper on which the magazines were printed. In contrast, magazine ...

. Pronzini's work has also appeared in ''

Charlie Chan Charlie Chan is a fictional Honolulu police detective created by author Earl Derr Biggers for a series of mystery novels. Biggers loosely based Chan on Hawaiian detective Chang Apana. The benevolent and heroic Chan was conceived as an alter ...

Mystery Magazine'', ''

Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine ''Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine'' is a bi-monthly American digest size fiction magazine specializing in crime fiction, particularly detective fiction, and mystery fiction. Launched in fall 1941 by Mercury Press, ''EQMM'' is named after the fict ...

'', ''

Man from U.N.C.L.E. ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' is an American spy fiction television series produced by MGM Television, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television and first broadcast on NBC. The series follows secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who wo ...

Magazine'', ''

The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'' (usually referred to as ''F&SF'') is a U.S. fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House, a subsidiary of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Press. Editors Anthony Boucher ...

'', '' Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine'', and ''

Alfred Hitchcock's Anthology ''Alfred Hitchcock's Anthology'' (AHA) was a seasonally printed collection of suspenseful and Thriller (genre), thrilling short stories reprinted from ''Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine''. Produced from 1977 to 1989, the anthology contains st ...

''. His short story collection, ''Carpenter and Quincannon, Professional Detective Services'' (1998), is based in the 1890s and centers on Sabina Carpenter, a Pinkerton detective widow who is working in her late husband's profession.

Awards

Pronzini has received numerous awards and award nominations for achievement in the mystery genre. His

début novel A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to pu ...

''The Stalker'' was nominated for the 1972

Edgar Award The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, popularly called the Edgars, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America, based in New York City. Named after American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), a pioneer in the genre, the awards honor the bes ...

in the "Best First Mystery Novel" category. Pronzini won the

inaugural In government and politics, inauguration is the process of swearing a person into office and thus making that person the incumbent. Such an inauguration commonly occurs through a formal ceremony or special event, which may also include an inaugur ...

Shamus Award The Shamus Award is awarded by the Private Eye Writers of America (PWA) for the best detective fiction ( P. I. = Private investigator) genre novels and short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one ...

for "Best Private Eye Novel" in 1982 for his novel ''Hoodwink''. The following year, he was nominated for his second Edgar Award, this time in the "Best Critical or Biographical" listings for ''Gun in Cheek''. The next year, 1984, Pronzini won his first award for a short-story, winning the "Best Private Eye Short Story" Shamus Award for "Cat's Paw". His novel ''Bones'' was nominated for the "Best Private Eye Novel" Shamus in 1986. In 1987, Pronzini was awarded "The Eye", the Shamus award for "Lifetime Achievement" in the mystery genre, the highest accolade awarded. The same year, Pronzini received his first

Macavity Award The Macavity Awards are a literary award for mystery writers. Nominated and voted upon annually by the members of the Mystery Readers International, the award is named for the " mystery cat" of T. S. Eliot's ''Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats'' ...

for his Critical Work ''1001 Midnights'', along with

. The next year he won in the same category for ''Son of Gun in Cheek''. 1989 brought a nomination at the 1989 Anthony Awards for "Best Novel", for ''Shackles''; and another Shamus nomination for short-story "Incident in a Neighborhood Tavern". That same year, his novel ''Snowbound'' was awarded the French

Grand Prix de Littérature Policière The Grand Prix de Littérature Policière (or the Police Literature Grand Prize) is a French literary prize founded in 1948 by author and literary critic Maurice-Bernard Endrèbe. It is the most prestigious award for crime and detective fiction in ...

.Guide des Prix littéraires
online ed. ''Le Rayon du Polar''. Synopsis of French prizes rewarding French and international crime literature, with lists of laureates for each Prize. Grand Prix de littérature policière: pp. 18-36. Another two short-story nominations at the Shamus Awards followed for "Here Comes Santa Claus" in 1990 and "Home is the Place Where" in 1996. That year his novel ''Blue Lonesome'' was nominated for the "Best Novel"

1996 Anthony Award Bouchercon is an annual convention of creators and devotees of mystery and detective fiction. It is named in honour of writer, reviewer, and editor Anthony Boucher; also the inspiration for the Anthony Awards, which have been issued at the con ...

. The next year, ''Sentinels'' received a "Best Novel" nomination at the 1997 Shamus Awards; the year after ''A Wasteland of Strangers'' won Pronzini's only "Best Novel" Edgar Award. ''Boobytrap'' won the Shamus Award in the same category in 1999. "The Big Bite" in 2001 and "Devil's Brew" in 2007 were both Shamus Award "Best Private Eye Short Story" nominees. In 2010 he was nominated for "Best Novel" for his ''Schemers''.

Bibliography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pronzini, Bill 1943 births Living people American male novelists American mystery writers Analog Science Fiction and Fact people Anthologists Anthony Award winners Edgar Award winners Macavity Award winners Shamus Award winners Western (genre) writers