Edwin Balmer (July 26, 1883 - March 21, 1959) was an American science fiction and mystery writer. He was born in Chicago to Helen Clark (Pratt) and Thomas Balmer. In 1909, he married Katharine MacHarg, sister of the writer William MacHarg. After her death, he married Grace A. Kee in 1927.
He began as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune before writing for books and magazines. He was editor of Redbook and later became associate publisher.
Edwin Balmer was born on July 26, 1883 in Chicago, Illinois and died on March 21, 1959 at age 75.
Together with author Philip Wylie, he wrote the catastrophe novels When Worlds Collide (1933) and After Worlds Collide (1934). The former of the two books was eventually made into an award-winning movie by George Pal.
Balmer also helped create (with artist Marvin Bradley) the syndicated comic strip Speed Spaulding, partially based on the Worlds Collide series, which ran from 1938 through 1941 in the comic book Famous Funnies.
Balmer also wrote several detective novels and collaborated with William MacHarg on The Achievements of Luther Trant (1910), an early collection of detective short stories.