Space, Time & Crime

"Space, Time & Crime" extraordinary stories by Miriam Allen deFord (Editor), August Derleth, Mack Reynolds, Isaac Asimov, Fredric Brown, Anthony Boucher, Frederik Pohl, Ron Goulart, Poul Anderson, Karen Anderson, Fritz Leiber, Avram Davidson, J. Francis McComas, Reginald Bretnor, James McKimmey. -- Discover the future of crime with these science-fiction greats. |...| [Contents]: Introduction by Miriam Allen deFord // Crisis, 1999 by Fredric Brown // Criminal Negligence by J. Francis McComas // The Talking Stone by Isaac Asimov // The Past and Its Dead People by Reginald Bretnor // The Adventure of the Snitch in Time by August Derleth and Mack Reynolds // The Eyes Have It by James McKimmey, Jr. // Public Eye by Anthony Boucher // The Innocent Arrival by Poul Anderson and Karen Anderson (aka Innocent at Large) // Third Offense by Frederik Pohl // The Recurrent Suitor by Ron Goulart //
Try and Change the Past by Fritz Leiber // Rope's End by Miriam Allen deFord //
Or the Grasses Grow short-story by Avram Davidson. -- Starling science-fiction adventures with a criminal cast! |...| About Miriam Allen deFord (August 21, 1888 – February 22, 1975) was an American writer.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she worked as a newspaper reporter for a time and, in the early 1900s, was also a campaigner and disseminator of birth control information to women. She spent perhaps the most energy in mystery fiction and science fiction. Hence she did several anthologies in the mystery world. She also had interest in historical crime or criminals. In 1968 she wrote The Real Bonnie and Clyde. She also wrote The Overbury Affair which involves events during the reign of James I of Britain. For the latter work she received a 1961 Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Fact Crime book. She also worked for the magazine The Humanist.

However, in 1949 The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction began with Anthony Boucher as editor. Anthony Boucher wrote science fiction and fantasy, but also garnered attention in the mystery field as well. This gave his magazine some cross-over appeal to mystery writers like Ms. deFord. Hence much of her science fiction would appear first in Boucher's magazine. Her stories there dealt with themes like nuclear devastation, alienation, and sexual roles. Her two collections are Elsewhere, Elsewhen, Elsehow and Xenogenesis. She also edited an anthology of stories mixing science fiction with mystery called Space, Time, and Crime.

DeFord was also a passionate Fortean, a follower of Charles Fort, and did fieldwork for him. DeFord is mentioned in Fort's book "Lo!" Shortly before her death in 1975, Fortean writer Loren Coleman visited Ms. deFord frequently and interviewed her about her earlier interactions with Fort and her trips to Chico, California, to investigate the case of a poltergeist rock-thrower on Fort's behalf.

DeFord died February 22, 1975 at her longtime home, The Ambassador Hotel at 55 Mason Street in San Francisco.

Aventura / Contos / Crime / Ficção científica / Literatura Estrangeira / Romance policial / Suspense e Mistério