William Anthony Parker White, writing primarily under the pen name Anthony Boucher, was a versatile American author, editor, and critic who made significant contributions to mid-twentieth-century mystery and science fiction. Born in 1911, White adopted multiple pseudonyms throughout his career. In addition to his most famous moniker, he wrote under the name "H. H. Holmes"—borrowed from the notorious nineteenth-century serial killer—and used the killer's real name, "Herman W. Mudgett," to sign his light verse.
Boucher's literary output spanned novels, short stories, radio dramas, and critical reviews. Between 1942 and 1947, he served as a prominent reviewer of mystery fiction for the San Francisco Chronicle, establishing himself as an influential critical voice in the genre. As a novelist, he is particularly remembered for his mastery of the locked-room mystery. His novel Nine Times Nine, published under his H. H. Holmes pseudonym, remains highly regarded by aficionados of detective fiction and was voted one of the top locked-room mysteries of all time in a landmark 1981 poll of writers and critics.
