Richard Connell was born on October 17, 1893, in Duchess County, near the Hudson River in New York State, close to where Theodore Roosevelt lived. By the time he was ten, he began writing for the Poughkeepsie News-Press, his father's newspaper, as a baseball reporter. While attending Georgetown College in Washington D.C., Richard worked as a secretary for his father in Congress. After his father's passing in 1912, Connell enrolled at Harvard University, where he became the editor of both the Daily Crimson and the Lampoon. After graduating from Harvard, Connell took a job with the New York American, a newspaper in New York City. He also served in the American forces during World War I. In 1925, after the publication of "The Most Dangerous Game," which earned him the O'Henry Memorial Award for short fiction, Connell relocated to Beverly Hills, California, to pursue a career as a freelance writer.

Richard Connell was among the most prolific short story authors of the early twentieth century, writing over three hundred stories. Many of these were featured in popular magazines of the era, such as The Saturday Evening Post and Colliers. His most famous story is "The Most Dangerous Game," which has remained in print since 1924. Numerous stories by Connell were compiled into three collections: The Sin of Monsieur Petipon (1922), Apes and Angels (1924), and Ironies (1930). Although Connell did not specifically write for young adult audiences, "The Most Dangerous Game" is frequently read by young adults and is often included in anthologies for this age group.

Connell resided in California, writing short stories, novels, and film scripts until his death in 1949. He authored three novels: Mad Lover, Playboy, and What Ho! Among Connell's numerous screenplays are Seven Faces and Brother Orchid, which featured Hollywood stars Edward G. Robinson and Humphrey Bogart.

Connell's writing career spanned forty-six years, and it was the only profession he pursued. As a trained reporter, he drew inspiration not only from his own experiences and imagination but also from the numerous people he interviewed and wrote about throughout his career. As a World War I veteran, he witnessed firsthand the brutality of war and man's inhumanity to man. "The Most Dangerous Game" embodies Connell's deep social awareness, thoughtfully addressing some of the most critical issues of the early twentieth century.