Black Widowers Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
Starting in 1971, Isaac Asimov wrote a series of mystery short stories about a men-only dinner club called the Black Widowers. The stories were published mostly in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, with a few in Fantasy & Science Fiction; and Asimov's namesake magazine, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine.The stories always follow the same convention: the six club members and a guest sit down to dinner, served by the incomparable waiter, Henry. During the meal it always comes out that the guest has a problem which the club members try to solve, but only Henry sees the correct (and usually very simple) answer.
The Black Widowers were based on an all-male club Asimov belonged to, the Trap Door Spiders. Members of the Widowers were based on real life Spiders, some of them famous writers in their own right.
- Geoffrey Avalon (L. Sprague de Camp)
- Emmanuel Rubin (Lester del Rey)
- James Drake (Doc Clark)
- Thomas Trumball (Gilbert Cant)
- Mario Gonzalo (Lin Carter)
- Roger Halsted (Don Bensen)