Algernon Blackwood (1869-1951) trained as a doctor and took up a special interest in Eastern medicine and religion. He published several short story collections before becoming an undercover agent for Britain during World War I. After the war he became known for his regular appearances reading ghost stories on BBC radio and television.
Everett F. Bleiler was born April 30, 1920 in Massachusetts. He received an anthropology degree from Harvard University in 1942 and a degree in the history of culture from the University of Chicago. He started working at Dover Publications in 1955, eventually becoming executive vice president in 1967, and left the company in 1977. After leaving Dover, he worked at Charles Scribner's Sons until 1986. He edited or co-edited numerous works including the annual Best Science Fiction Stories series, the Year's Best Science Fiction Novels series, and several anthologies. His nonfiction work includes The Checklist of Fantastic Literature, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction, Supernatural Fiction… Writers: Fantasy and Horror, Science Fiction: The Early Years, and Science Fiction: The Gernsback Years. He received several awards including the 1978 World Fantasy Award (Special, Professional), the 1984 SFRA Pilgrim Award, the 1988 World Fantasy Life Achievement Award, the 1994 First Fandom Award, and the 2004 International Horror Guild Living Legend Award. He died on June 13, 2010 at the age of 90.