Howard R. Garis
The ghostwriter who built the boy-inventor legend, writing most of the original Tom Swift adventures.
Howard R. Garis was a prolific American author and a key figure in the Stratemeyer Syndicate, the book-packaging firm behind many classic juvenile series. Working from Edward Stratemeyer's plot outlines, Garis wrote most of the original Tom Swift novels under the house name Victor Appleton — the gadget-driven adventures of a young inventor that helped define the boy-genius archetype — as well as early entries in the Great Marvel series under another house name.
Garis (also famous, separately, as the creator of Uncle Wiggily) wrote brisk, optimistic, invention-packed adventure for young readers, full of remarkable machines and far-flung escapades. Expect wholesome, fast-moving period thrills. His science-fiction-adjacent titles appear in our catalogue. As always, the individual book pages are the best guide to each title's era, tone, and content — every entry content-rated and age-guided.
- For fans of vintage boy-inventor adventure
- The original Tom Swift novels
- Every title content-rated and age-guided
