{{Short description|Swiss writer (1900-1949)}} '''Georges Arthur Surdez''' (1900–1949) was a Swiss writer of adventure stories.<ref name=jack-wagner>{{cite web|url=http://monlegionnaire.wordpress.com/2011/05/07/short-biography-of-georges-surdez/|date=May 7, 2011|last=Wagner|first=Jack|title=Short Biography of Georges Surdez}}</ref><ref name="lee-server"> Server, Lee, ''Encyclopedia of Pulp Fiction Writers''. New York : Facts on File, 2002 {{ISBN|9780816045778}} (p. 243–44) </ref> He invented the term "Russian Roulette" in a story of the same name published in Collier's magazine.<ref name=brightreview/>
== Biography == Surdez was born in Bienne, Switzerland, of French descent. Surdez's family emigrated to America when Surdez was aged thirteen; he went to school in New York.<ref name=blue-book>{{cite journal|title=Blue Book Stories of Adventure for MEN, by MEN|volume=73|issue=5|date=September 1941}}</ref> Surdez spent several years living in the French colonies in North Africa and Central Africa.<ref name=blue-book /> In 1920 Surdez returned to the United States and remained in the country for most of his life.<ref name=blue-book />
== Writing career == Surdez specialised in writing fiction about the French Foreign Legion. Surdez researched the Foreign Legion in detail, and once visited the organization's training camp at Sidi Bel Abbès, Algeria to gather information about the Legion.<ref name="tony-goodstone">Goodstone, Tony. ''The Pulps : Fifty Years of American Pop Culture'' Chelsea House, New York, 1976. {{ISBN|9780877540168}} (p.30 ).</ref> He was a regular contributor to ''Adventure'', with over 100 stories appearing.<ref name="lee-server" /><ref>{{cite book|authorlink=Otto Penzler|last=Penzler|first=Otto|title=The Big Book of Adventure Stories|publisher=Vintage|year=2011|isbn=978-0-307-47450-6|page=399}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://pulpflakes.blogspot.jp/2012/06/georges-surdez-writer-of-french-foreign.html|title=Georges Surdez - Writer of French Foreign Legion stories|date=10 June 2012}}</ref><ref>Hulse, Ed. ''The Blood 'n' Thunder guide to Pulp Fiction.'' Murania Press, Middletown, DE, 2018. {{ISBN|9781726443463}} (p. 53)</ref> Surdez's work also appeared in other magazines, including ''Argosy'', ''Blue Book'', ''Short Stories'' and ''Collier's''.<ref name="lee-server" /><ref>Goulart, Ron ''Cheap Thrills : an informal history of the pulp magazines''. Arlington House, New Rochelle, N.Y., 1972. {{ISBN|9780870001727}} (pg.40).</ref><ref>Hulse, Ed. "Short Stories:The Glory Days of Doubleday's Flagship Pulp", in Hulse, (ed.) ''Pride of the Pulps: The Great All-Fiction Magazines''. Morris Plains, NJ: Murania Press, 2017. {{ISBN|978-1546819264}} (pp. 142-183).</ref>
== Adaptions == His short story ''A Game in the Bush'' was filmed as ''South Sea Love'' in 1927.<ref name=brightreview>{{cite web |last=Othen |first=Christopher <!--|authorlink=Christopher Othen--> |title=The Man Who Invented Russian Roulette |url=http://www.brightreview.co.uk/ARTICLE-The-Man-Who-Invented-Russian-Roulette.html |access-date=2012-12-10 |archive-date=2018-08-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180828221359/http://www.brightreview.co.uk/ARTICLE-The-Man-Who-Invented-Russian-Roulette.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> His novel "The Demon Caravan" was filmed as ''Desert Legion'' starring Alan Ladd.<ref name=jack-wagner/> He also created Russian roulette
== Personal life == He married an older schoolteacher, Edith McKenna, in 1922.<ref name=brightreview/> They divorced after she left him for another man in 1943.<ref name=brightreview/>
== Critical reception == Writer Lee Server wrote "The Swiss-born Surdez was at once the most elegant prose stylist and the most realistic of all the pulpsters and novelists of the early 20th century who specialized in tales of the French Foreign Legion."<ref name="lee-server" /> Pulp magazine historian Tim Cottrill stated that Surdez is "considered one of the best writers among early pulpsters".<ref>Cottrill, Tim. ''Bookery's Guide to Pulps and Related Magazines, 1888-1969''. Bookery Press, Fairborn, OH, 2005. (p.378)</ref>
==Works==
===Novels=== *Swords of the Soudan, 1923.<ref name=brightreview/> *The Demon Caravan, 1927 *They March from Yesterday (1 March 1930, published by Adventure magazine).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.magazineart.org/main.php/v/pulpadventure/adventure/Adventure+1930-03-01.jpg.html|title=Adventure 1930-03-01|publisher=Magazineart.org}}</ref> *Homeland, 1946 (autobiographical novel).<ref name=brightreview/>
===Short stories=== *Dinner for Monsieur Martin.<ref>''Best Short Shorts.'' New York: Scholastic Book Services, 1958. Print.</ref> *The Yellow Streak *Sons Of The Sword, 1928, published in Adventure.<ref name=brightreview/> *A Game In The Bush *Hell's Half-Way House *Russian roulette, 1937, published in Collier's.<ref name=brightreview/> *The Haunted Wall, 1941<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Collier's Weekly|date=November 1, 1941|title=The Haunted Wall}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Surdez, Georges}} Category:1900 births Category:1949 deaths Category:People from Biel/Bienne Category:Pulp fiction writers Category:Swiss expatriates in the United States
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