Who is generally considered to be the worst published murder mystery
or detective writer in the history of the world? Criteria:  The writer
should be dead, have received quotable bad reviews, and be known among
the cognoscenti for having created -- collectively -- the dullest or
most witless characters, devised the lousiest plots, come up with the
most impossible endings, and written the most inane, flat or just
plain awful prose?  In other words, when readers of mysteries and
detective stories talk amongst themselves about "the worst writer
ever" in the field, whom do they generally agree upon?  Also, for a
small tip, who was the best for all the opposite reasons?

Hello mccook-ga,

Since Ed Wood is generally considered to be the worst movie director
of all time, I figured that I should search for the "Ed Wood" of
mystery writers.  And lo and behold, there is such a person: Harry
Stephen Keeler (1890-1967).

He seems to fit all the criteria you have mentioned.  (Caveat: some
people think he's so bad he's good -- so, like Ed Wood, he has his
fans.)

Here are several sites and pages on the strange Mr. Keeler:

Harry Stephen Keeler Society
http://xavier.xu.edu:8000/~polt/keeler.html

Harry Stephen Keeler Home Page
http://users.aol.com/bigsecrets/Keeler/index.html

"Harry Stephen Keeler (1890-1967)"
Ramble House
http://www.ramblehouse.com/HarryKeeler.htm

"Bad writers never had it so good", by Carlos Tejada (The Wall Street
Journal Online, July 29, 2001)
ZDNet
http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1106-530394.html

"As the plot thickens", by John Marr (October 27, 1999)
San Francisco Bay Guardian
http://www.sfbg.com/lit/october99/index.html

"August 18, 2002"
MetaFilter
http://www.metafilter.com/mefi/19270

The best mystery writer ever seems more a matter of debate.  Agatha
Christie was voted the Best Writer of the Century at a major world
mystery convention in 2000.  However, not everyone would agree.

"Agatha Christie Named Best Mystery Writer of the Century" (Sept.
15th, 2000)
Chorion PLC
http://www.chorion.co.uk/release/pressreleases/AC150900.pdf

"Best of the Century?  A Discussion"
HandHeldCrime
http://www.handheldcrime.com/issues/2000-06/best-of-the-century.html

- justaskscott-ga


Search terms used on Google:

"ed wood of mystery"
"harry stephen keeler"
"best mystery writer"
"best mystery writer" christie

justaskscott-ga does it again.  A subjective, esoteric question: a
swift, definitive answer. Though Keeler apparently has apostles who
find his books dazzling in their incomprehensibility, a survey of the
sites justaskscott referred me to underscore the icomprehensibility
and, for my money, leave out the dazzle. Well done, Sherlock.

This is a really brilliant question and answer! Thank you. I love it.
It reminded me of a Really Bad Irish writer I'd heard of, and couldn't
remember her name. Luckily, she gets a mention in one of your urls,
the one for ZDnet.

Her name is : Amanda McKittrick Ros.



"God in the heavens high", I exclaimed, and tore the envelope open as
a wolf would a lawyer's throat, digesting the contents with a rapidity
hitherto unequalled by man or mortal.

- from "Helen Huddleson"

http://www.oddbooks.co.uk/amanda/ireneletter.html

intotravel:  Delighted you were happy with both the question and the
answer. Especially glad it helped you to relocate your own rock-bottom
writer.  Amanda's prose, if it lives down consistently to the level
you cited, is pleasantly appalling.

mccook-ga

I saw this question after the answer was posted and the very first
thing that came to my mind without even reading justaskscott-ga's
excellent answer was Keeler.

He's in a class by himself and I adore him. I am also the proud owner
of one of his novels (after a heated auction on eBay).

I mean who wouldn't? The man collected newsclippings on all sorts of
subjects. Before starting a novel, he would literally pull out random
articles and then regardless of the results weave them into a novel.
It enchants me.

Bill Pronzini wrote a wonderful book about the worst of the pulps and
of course, Keeler made the cut.

Regards,
Luciaphile-ga

There's a BOOK on bad mystery books?  Sounds like something I'm going
to order.  Thanks for the note, luciaphile-ga.

"Gun in Cheek," by Bill Pronzini. New York: Coward, McCann & Geohegan,
1982. ISBN: 069811180X.

"Son of Gun in Cheek," by Bill Pronzini. New York: Mysterious Press,
1987. ISBN: 0892962763.

Happy reading!

Regards,
luciaphile-ga

luciaphile-ga:  What in the world would we do without the Internet? 
Thanks, mccook-ga