The edgiest pulp novel ever written. Fast One was originally a collection of stories featuring the gambler/gunman Kells. The tales ran in Black Mask magazine from 1931-1932. This work has been occasionally republished, most recently as a graphic novel by No Exit Press. Raymond Chandler considered this novel "the high point in the ultra hard-boiled manner."

Little is known about the life of writer George Carrol Sims, who used the pseudoynms Paul Cain for his pulp career, and Peter Ruric for his tasks as a screenwriter. Sims was that rarest of creatures--a succesful novelist and Hollywood scribe. He also dated the actress Gertrude Michael, and the character of Granquist in Fast One was based on her.