Introductions

Coming up with the list of ten detective novels a couple of posts ago got me to thinking about the first books I read by some favorite authors of mine, my introduction to their work, if you will. So, naturally, since I like lists, here's another one -- the first books I read by some notable mystery authors, and a few science-fiction and Western authors, too:

Michael Avallone, THE THOUSAND COFFINS AFFAIR
Max Brand, SINGLE JACK
Edgar Rice Burroughs, A FIGHTING MAN OF MARS
Raymond Chandler, THE LADY IN THE LAKE
Leslie Charteris, THE SAINT IN MIAMI
Agatha Christie, THE BODY IN THE LIBRARY
Michael Connelly, BLOOD WORK
Lester Dent, METEOR MENACE
Franklin W. Dixon, THE SHORT-WAVE MYSTERY
Ian Fleming, FOR YOUR EYES ONLY
Dick Francis, WHIP HAND
Erle Stanley Gardner, SHILLS CAN'T CASH CHIPS (as A.A. Fair)
Zane Grey, THE LOST WAGON TRAIN
Brett Halliday, THIS IS IT, MICHAEL SHAYNE
Dashiell Hammett, THE CONTINENTAL OP
Robert A. Heinlein, HAVE SPACE-SUIT, WILL TRAVEL
Robert E. Howard, CONAN THE USURPER
Louis L'Amour, THE SACKETT BRAND
Ross Macdonald, THE MOVING TARGET
John D. MacDonald, DARKER THAN AMBER
Clarence E. Mulford, HOPALONG CASSIDY
Robert B. Parker, THE GODWULF MANUSCRIPT
Richard S. Prather, DEAD MAN'S WALK
Mickey Spillane, THE DEEP
Rex Stout, NOT QUITE DEAD ENOUGH
Harry Whittington, THE DOOMSDAY AFFAIR
Jack Williamson, GOLDEN BLOOD

I went on to read many, many more books by all of these authors. Of course, there are scores of other authors whose work I've read extensively, but I don't recall which book of theirs I started on. Of the ones listed above, I remember where I bought the ones that I own, which libraries I checked the others out of, and where I was when I read all of them. Just don't ask me what I had for supper last night, because I might not be able to remember that.