Evelyn E. Smith

Evelyn E. Smith was an American writer of science fiction and mysteries, as well as a compiler of crossword puzzles. During the 1950s, under her own name, Smith regularly published short stories and novelettes in such publications as Galaxy Science Fiction, Fantastic Universe and the The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. Her short fiction ranges from satires set in a post-apocalyptic setting such as "The Last of the Spode" and "The Hardest Bargain", to "BAXBR/DAXBR", where she explores the dangers of Martian crossword puzzles. Her science fiction novels chiefly deal with questions of gender identity and, like all of her work, are characterized by their wit and humor. Smith is probably best known, however, for her Miss Melville Mystery series, which chronicles the exploits of a middle-aged socialite-turned-assassin. Under the pseudonym of Delphine C. Lyons, she authored a number of gothic romance novels and the non-fiction works Everyday Witchcraft and Love Potions & Spells, which collect folklore and magical spells, and Fortune Telling, eight ways to read the future.