Julian Kilman

Julian Kilman was the pen name of Leroy Noble Kilman, a Canadian-born writer whose work appeared in American magazines for two decades. A specialist biographical account records his birth in Ontario in 1878, law studies at the University of Michigan, and work in the United States government before he retired to Florida. He wrote fiction for several pulp and general-interest magazines, including Black Mask, and was part of a Buffalo writers’ group called the Scriptories during the 1920s.

Kilman published five stories in Weird Tales during the magazine’s first year. “The Mystery of Black Jean” appeared in the first issue; “The Affair of the Man in Scarlet” followed in April 1923, with three more stories later that year. The series of credits shows that his connection to the new magazine was more substantial than a single appearance. He also wrote nonfiction after retiring from fiction, particularly articles about fishing, and maintained an interest in collecting butterflies. The byline “Julian Kilman” is the name printed on the story in this edition; the biographical record supplies the connection to Leroy Noble Kilman without confusing the two forms of his name.