Arthur O. Friel

Who was Arthur O. Friel?

Arthur Olney Friel was one of the most popular writers for the adventure pulps. Friel, a 1909 Yale University graduate, had been South American editor for the Associated Press which led him into his subject matter. In 1922, he became a real-life explorer when he took a six-month trip down Venezuela's Orinoco River and its tributary, the Ventuari River. His travel account was published in 1924 as The River of Seven Stars.

After returning from the Venezuela trip, many of Friel's stories were set in that environment. He remained a popular writer in Adventure throughout the 1920s and 1930s. Most of his longer works were republished in hardback. In the '30s, he started appearing more regularly in the adventure pulp Short Stories with stories set in Venezuela.

He was a member of the American Geographical Society.

In a 1934 letter, Robert E. Howard described Friel as "one of my favorite authors".

He died in New Hampshire in 1959, the state where he had grown up.