Edwin Balmer was an American novelist, short story writer, and editor whose career spanned the first half of the twentieth century. Born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1883, Balmer graduated from Northwestern University and later obtained a master's degree from Harvard University. He began his writing career as a reporter for the Chicago Daily News before transitioning to fiction and editorial work, eventually becoming the influential editor of Redbook and Blue Book magazines from 1927 to 1949.
Balmer is highly regarded for his contributions to early science fiction and detective mystery genres. He frequently collaborated with other writers, most notably William MacHarg and Philip Wylie. With MacHarg, Balmer co-created the character Luther Trant, a pioneering fictional detective who used early psychological testing methods, such as lie detectors, to solve crimes. These stories, collected in The Achievements of Luther Trant (1910), are recognized as significant early works in scientific detective fiction.
His most enduring literary legacy, however, came from his collaboration with Philip Wylie. Together, they wrote the landmark science fiction novel When Worlds Collide (1933) and its sequel After Worlds Collide (1934). The former, which depicts the impending destruction of Earth by a rogue planet and humanity's desperate attempt to build a space ark, became a major influence on the apocalyptic science fiction subgenre and was later adapted into a successful 1951 film. Balmer continued to write and edit until his death in 1959.
