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Ambler, Eric

(1909-1998) UK screenwriter and author, mostly of political and espionage thrillers, thought by many the equal of Grahame Greene or John Le Carré in this field; the first of these novels, The Dark Frontier (1936; rev 1990), is of sf interest in that the story is predicated on the construction of an atomic device (see Nuclear Energy). Compared to his later work, the action here – dominated by a near Superhero with uncanny tactical intelligence and a secret identity – is almost slapstick. [JC]

Eric Clifford Ambler

born London: 28 June 1909

died London: 23 October 1998

works (highly selected)

• The Dark Frontier (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1936) [hb/]
  • The Dark Frontier (New York: Mysterious Press, 1990) [rev of the above: hb/]

links

• Internet Speculative Fiction Database

Entry from The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (2011-current) edited by John Clute and David Langford.
Accessed 13:06 pm on 5 March 2026.
<https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/ambler_eric>