The Masterpieces of Eustace Cockrell

Eustace Cockrell was a pioneer television writer who contributed to many of the early western shows, including "Have Gun Will Travel," "Maverick" and "Gunsmoke." He also wrote for such high-profile television programs as "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "I Spy" and "Naked City."

As it turns out, Cockrell was also a master of the short story prior to his Hollywood career. Over 25 years, beginning in 1932, his works appeared regularly in pulp fiction magazines such as Blue Book and Argosy as well as in "slicks" like Collier's, Saturday Evening Post and Cosmopolitan.

Now, for the first time, these stories have been collected in a two-volume set edited by Roger Coleman, Cockrell's son-in-law. Coleman, also a writer, is married to Cockrell's daughter, Elizabeth.

These two volumes are organized to reflect a division within Cockrell's prolific writings. His early stories (1936-1945) portray the darkness of the Great Depression and the coming of World War II. Here, orphans, ex-cons and soldiers often serve as heroes and sources of inspiration. His later stories (1946-1957) express greater awareness of social issues and a rebellion against restrictive attitudes, especially those limiting the role of women and minorities.

Cockrell was a gifted writer for whom everyone, even the most hard-hearted and downtrodden, received a second chance. Hope came not from the power of wealth or prestige but from the innocence of children, the integrity of women; and the insights of those often on the fringes of society.

The "Masterpieces of Eustace Cockrell" further defines Cockrell's importance as an American writer, whether read in print or watched on the home screen.