Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace (1875–1932) was a British writer of crime and adventure fiction, journalist, playwright and screenwriter.

Born in Greenwich, London, he left school at twelve and later joined the army. During the Second Boer War he reported for Reuters and the Daily Mail. After returning to London, he began publishing thrillers and built a large readership. Wallace wrote novels, plays, journalism and screen stories, often working at a rapid pace. His crime fiction was usually standalone rather than organized around a recurring detective. He moved to Hollywood near the end of his life and was working on the story that became King Kong when he died. His many works continued to be adapted for stage and screen.