Georges Arthur Surdez (1900–1949) was a writer of adventure stories. Server, Lee, ''Encyclopedia of Pulp Fiction Writers''. New York : Facts on File, 2002 (p. 243–44) He invented the term " Russian Roulette" in a story of the same name published in

Collier's ''Collier's'' was an American general interest magazine founded in 1888 by Peter Fenelon Collier. It was launched as ''Collier's Once a Week'', then renamed in 1895 as ''Collier's Weekly: An Illustrated Journal'', shortened in 1905 to ''Collie ...

magazine.

Biography

Surdez was born in

Bienne , french: Biennois(e) , neighboring_municipalities= Brügg, Ipsach, Leubringen/Magglingen (''Evilard/Macolin''), Nidau, Orpund, Orvin, Pieterlen, Port, Safnern, Tüscherz-Alfermée, Vauffelin , twintowns = Iserlohn (Germany) B ...

, Switzerland, of French descent. Surdez's family emigrated to America when Surdez was aged thirteen; he went to school in New York. Surdez spent several years living in the

French colonies From the 16th to the 17th centuries, the First French colonial empire stretched from a total area at its peak in 1680 to over , the second largest empire in the world at the time behind only the Spanish Empire. During the 19th and 20th centuri ...

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

and

Central Africa Central Africa is a subregion of the African continent comprising various countries according to different definitions. Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, ...

. In 1920 Surdez returned to the United States and remained in the country for most of his life.

Writing Career

Surdez specialised in writing fiction about the

French Foreign Legion The French Foreign Legion (french: Légion étrangère) is a corps of the French Army which comprises several specialties: infantry, Armoured Cavalry Arm, cavalry, Military engineering, engineers, Airborne forces, airborne troops. It was created ...

. Surdez researched the Foreign Legion in detail, and once visited the organization's training camp at

Sidi Bel Abbès Sidi Bel Abbès ( ar, سيدي بلعباس), also called Bel Abbès, is the capital (2005 pop. 200,000)''Sidi Bel Abbes'', lexicorient.com (Encyclopaedia of the Orient), internet article. of the Sidi Bel Abbès wilaya (2005 pop. 590,000), Algeria ...

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

to gather information about the Legion.Goodstone, Tony. ''The Pulps : Fifty Years of American Pop Culture'' Chelsea House, New York, 1976. (p.30 ). He was a regular contributor to ''

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 ...

'', with over 100 stories appearing. Surdez's work also appeared in other magazines, including '' Argosy'', ''

Blue Book A blue book or bluebook is an almanac, buyer's guide or other compilation of statistics and information. The term dates back to the 15th century, when large blue velvet-covered books were used for record-keeping by the Parliament of England. The ...

'', ''

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 ...

'' and ''

''.

Adaptions

His short story ''A Game in the Bush'' was filmed as '' South Sea Love'' in 1927. His novel "The Demon Caravan" was filmed as ''

Desert Legion ''Desert Legion'' is a 1953 American adventure film directed by Joseph Pevney and starring Alan Ladd. Plot Ladd stars as a soldier in the French Foreign Legion who stumbles across a lost city in the desert mountains of Algeria in North Africa. C ...

'' starring

Alan Ladd Alan Walbridge Ladd (September 3, 1913 – January 29, 1964) was an American actor and film producer. Ladd found success in film in the 1940s and early 1950s, particularly in films noir and Westerns. He was often paired with Veronica Lake ...

Personal life

He married an older schoolteacher, Edith McKenna, in 1922. They divorced after she left him for another man in 1943.

Critical Reception

Writer

Lee Server Lee Server (May 27, 1953 – December 28, 2021) was an American writer. He was a graduate of New York University Film School. Server wrote several books about Hollywood cinema and pulp fiction. His book on Ava Gardner, ''Love is Nothing'' (2006) ...

wrote "The Swiss-born Surdez was at once the most elegant prose stylist and the most realistic of all the pulpsters and novelists of the early 20th century who specialized in tales of the French Foreign Legion." Pulp magazine historian Tim Cottrill stated that Surdez is "considered one of the best writers among early pulpsters".

Works

Novels

*Swords of the Soudan, 1923. *The Demon Caravan, 1927 *They March from Yesterday (1 March 1930, published by Adventure magazine). *Homeland, 1946 (autobiographical novel).

Short stories

*Dinner for Monsieur Martin. *The Yellow Streak *Sons Of The Sword, 1928, published in Adventure. *A Game In The Bush *Hell's Half-Way House *Russian roulette, 1937, published in Collier's. *The Haunted Wall, 1941

References

1900 births 1949 deaths People from Biel/Bienne Pulp fiction writers Swiss expatriates in the United States {{switzerland-writer-stub