I thought it would be only a minor chore to compile a list of the most prolific authors of fiction set in California and written before 1960. Nearly all the information, I thought, would be found in Baird and Greenwood’s Annotated Bibliography of California Fiction, 1664-1970. I’d already used the book to put together a list like this several years ago.
But the more I got into this simple project, the less possible it seemed. First, the contents of most short story collections can only be determined by looking at the books themselves. That task would take far more time than I wanted to commit. So I decided to limit the list to novels. But then came the problem of paperback originals. Baird and Greenwood seldom include them, no library systematically collects them, and magazines almost never reviewed them. (The Official Price Guide: Paperbacks by Jon Warren [1991], which is now out of print, has a listing by publisher and an author index. ) So I had to limit the list to novels that some source said fit my criteria.
Given all of that, here’s what I came up with. In parenthesis are the years the author was publishing California novels, though the following number reflects only those produced before 1960.
1. Erle Stanley Gardner (1933-1973) -- around 120
The most famous author on the list. His Perry Mason is perhaps the best known of all series crime-fighters, though not the only one he wrote about.
2. Kathleen Norris (1913-1955) -- 37
Primarily a romance writer. Sixteen of her novels were made into movies. Her name has recently been expropriated by a modern religious writer.
3. Dolores Hitchens (1939-1967) -- 29
A mystery writer, many of whose books featured Miss Rachel Murdock and her cat. She co-authored another five books with her husband. (If you follow the link above, search the site for "Olsen," her maiden name.)
4. Jackson Gregory (1914-1945) -- 22
Wrote adventure stories set in California’s past. He also produced dozens of westerns, an unknown number of which are set mostly or partly in the state.
4. Richard S. Prather (1950-1987) -- 22
Author of hard-boiled detective stories, most of which came out in paperback originals. His books sold tens of millions of copies.
6. Peter B. Kyne (1914-1936) -- 20
His novels usually focused on the business world, especially its more benign aspects.
7. Gertrude Atherton (1890-1942) -- 17
Another romance writer. Her work seems to be getting renewed attention today.
8. William Campbell Gault (1952-1963) -- 16
Another author of hard-boiled detective fiction.
8. Clifford Knight (1937-1952) -- 16
A writer of mainstream mystery stories who died before the paperback market developed.
10. Willis Todhunter Ballard (1942-1965) -- 13
Author first of detective stories, then of westerns, some of which may be set in California. He wrote more than 100 books, most as paperback originals, and used 17 pseudonyms.
10. Virginia Rath (1935-1947) -- 13
Another mystery writer. She used Bay Area and Northern California settings.
10. Ruth Comfort Mitchell (1921-1944) -- 13
Not primarily a genre writer. Her books often featured female protagonists facing contemporary problems.