Arthur J. Burks facts for kids

Burks's story "The Invading Horde" was featured on the cover of Weird Tales in November 1927.

Burks's story "The Place of the Pythons" was on the cover of the first issue of Strange Tales in 1931.

Burks's story "The Far Detour" was featured on the cover of Science Fiction Quarterly in Winter 1942.

First edition of The Splendid Half-Caste.

Arthur Josephus Burks (born September 13, 1898 – died May 13, 1974) was an American Marine officer who became a very busy writer. He wrote many exciting stories for magazines.

Life of a Prolific Writer

Arthur Burks was born in Waterville, Washington, into a farming family. He married Blanche Fidelia Lane in 1918 and they had four children.

From Soldier to Storyteller

Burks served in the United States Marine Corps during World War I. He started writing in 1920. While stationed in the Dominican Republic, he learned about voodoo traditions from prisoners. This inspired him to write supernatural stories. He sold his first stories to a magazine called Weird Tales in 1924.

In 1927, he left the Marine Corps to write full-time. He became known as one of the "million-word-a-year" writers. This means he wrote an incredible amount of stories for pulp magazines. He wrote about 800 stories in total! People said he could create a story plot from any everyday object they suggested. His name was often seen on the covers of magazines.

What He Wrote About

Arthur Burks wrote mostly about:

• Aviation (stories about flying)
• Detectives
• Adventure
• Science fiction
• Sports (especially boxing)
• "Weird menace" (spooky and thrilling stories)

He did not write love stories or Westerns. He also wrote several story series. One was about a boxer named Kid Friel for Gangster Stories magazine. Another was about an undercover detective named Dorus Noel, set in New York City's Chinatown.

Later Years and New Interests

Burks wrote less in the late 1930s. He rejoined the military when the U.S. entered World War II. He eventually retired as a lieutenant colonel.

In 1948, Burks moved to Paradise in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. He kept writing until he passed away in 1974. In the 1960s, he wrote many books about metaphysics and the paranormal. These topics deal with things beyond what we can normally see or understand. In his last years, he gave talks about paranormal activities and even offered psychic readings.

See also

• Princess Der Ling - Burks wrote a preface for one of her books.