American writer (1928–2021)
William Francis Nolan (March 6, 1928 – July 15, 2021) was an American author who wrote hundreds of stories in the science fiction, fantasy, horror, and crime fiction genres.
Career.
Nolan became involved in science-fiction fandom in the 1950s, and published several fanzines, including "Ray Bradbury Review". During this time, Nolan befriended several science-fiction and fantasy writers, including Ray Bradbury, Robert Bloch, Richard Matheson, Charles Beaumont, and Ray Russell. Nolan became a professional author in 1956. Nolan is perhaps best known for coauthoring the novel "Logan's Run", with George Clayton Johnson, but wrote literally hundreds of pieces, from poetry to nonfiction, to prose, for many publications, such as "Sports Illustrated", "Rogue", "Playboy", "Dark Discoveries", "Nameless Digest", and others. Nolan wrote several mystery novels, including the "Challis" series. He also had a long career in the movie industry, primarily working for Dan Curtis, and co-wrote the screenplay for the 1976 horror film "Burnt Offerings" which starred Karen Black and Bette Davis.
Nolan was also a prolific editor of collections (by others), and anthologies, most recently co-editing two anthologies with friend, filmmaker, and writer Jason V Brock: "The Bleeding Edge" (2009), with stories from fellow writers Ray Bradbury, Richard Matheson, George Clayton Johnson, John Shirley, Dan O'Bannon, and several others, and "The Devil's Coattails" (2012), which featured offerings from Ramsey Campbell, S. T. Joshi, Richard Selzer, Earl Hamner Jr., and more, both from Cycatrix Press. Nolan teamed up with Bluewater Productions for a comic book series, "Logan's Run: Last Day," released in 2010. In addition, he developed comics based on one other property of his for Bluewater: "Tales from William F. Nolan's Dark Universe" (featuring stories adapted by Nolan and Brock and published in 2013). Another comic book mini-series "Sam Space" (forthcoming) has been scripted and approved.
Among his many accolades, Nolan was nominated once for the Edgar Allan Poe Award from the Mystery Writers of America. He was voted a Living Legend in Dark Fantasy by the International Horror Guild in 2002, and in 2006 was bestowed the honorary title of Author Emeritus by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. In 2010, he received the Lifetime Achievement Bram Stoker Award from the Horror Writers Association (HWA). In 2013 he was a recipient, along with Brian W. Aldiss, of the World Fantasy Convention Award in Brighton, England by the World Fantasy Convention. In May 2014, Nolan was presented with another Bram Stoker Award, for Superior Achievement in Nonfiction; this was for his collection about his late friend Ray Bradbury, called "Nolan on Bradbury: Sixty Years of Writing about the Master of Science Fiction". In 2015, Nolan was named a World Horror Society Grand Master; the award was presented at the World Horror Convention in Atlanta, GA in May of that year.
Personal life.
Nolan was born in Kansas City, Missouri, the son of Bernadette Mariana Kelly, a stenographer, and Michael Cahill Nolan, an adventurer, and sportsman. His family was Irish Catholic. He briefly attended the Kansas City Art Institute. Later, he worked for Hallmark Cards, Inc. writing verses and illustrating greeting cards before moving to California with his parents.
After a few years working in offices, he met Charles Beaumont, who would remain a close friend until Beaumont's untimely death at age thirty-eight. Beaumont was instrumental in Nolan becoming an author.
Nolan was a close friend to radio writer Norman Corwin as well as speculative writer Ray Bradbury. He was also a member of the influential Southern California School of Writers in the 1950s–1960s (known informally as "The Group"), many of whom wrote for "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", "The Twilight Zone", "Star Trek", and other popular series of the day. Nolan was an ethical vegetarian and loved animals. In later life, he still wrote new material and was active in various literary projects, and conventions (he was Guest of Honor at Killer Con and Portland's Orycon, as well as a special guest at the World Horror Convention, World Fantasy Convention, and many others), and promotional opportunities.
Though estranged for more than ten years, he had been married since 1970. He resided in Vancouver, Washington. With regard to his work, he said: "I get excited about something, and I want to write about it."
Nolan died from complications of an infection in July 2021 at the age of 93.
References.
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