Reginald Thomas Maitland Scott was born in Woodstock, Ontario, in 1882. After studying at the Royal Military College in Kingston, he ventured abroad, working as an engineer in India, Malaysia, and Ceylon. In World War I, he served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, before settling in New York City to pursue a literary career.

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In 1920, Scott introduced secret service agent Aurelius Smith, who was reminiscent of his idol, Sherlock Holmes, in ‘What Bluff Dreams Are Made Of’. This character went on to feature in a series of novels and a radio drama. Scott also wrote the first two novels of ‘The Spider’ pulp magazine series, which was later adapted for radio and film.

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Outside his literary pursuits, Scott had an interest in paranormal psychic phenomena. Following the loss of his son during World War II, he continued to write until he passed away in 1966 at the age of 83.