Van Dine, S. S. (1888-1939), is the pen name of Willard Huntington Wright, an American author of detective fiction. Van Dine’s novels featured the scholarly and snobbish amateur detective Philo Vance. Van Dine introduced Vance in The Benson Murder Case (1926). Vance also appears in 11 other novels, including The Canary Murder Case (1927) and The Bishop Murder Case (1929). In the Philo Vance stories, the murderers use unusual methods to commit crimes. Under his own name, Wright wrote books on literary criticism and art, as well as a study of German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Wright was born on Oct. 15, 1888, in Charlottesville, Virginia. He died on April 11, 1939.
