Dan Simmons

Last updated

Dan Simmons
Born (1948-04-04) April 4, 1948 (age 76)
Peoria, Illinois, U.S.
OccupationNovelist
Education Wabash College (BA)
Washington University in St. Louis (MEd)
Period1983–present
Genre Science fiction, horror, fantasy
Notable works Song of Kali (1985)
Hyperion (1989)
Carrion Comfort (1989)
The Terror (2007)

Dan Simmons (born April 4, 1948) is an American science fiction and horror writer. He is the author of the Hyperion Cantos and the Ilium/Olympos cycles, among other works that span the science fiction, horror, and fantasy genres, sometimes within a single novel. Simmons's genre-intermingling Song of Kali (1985) won the World Fantasy Award. [1] He also writes mysteries and thrillers, some of which feature the continuing character Joe Kurtz.

Contents

Biography

Born in Peoria, Illinois, Simmons started writing stories as a child with the goal of mesmerizing his audience with his story telling. [2] Simmons received a B.A. in English from Wabash College in 1970 and, in 1971, a Masters in Education from Washington University in St. Louis. [3]

He soon started writing short stories, although his career did not take off until 1982, when, through Harlan Ellison's help, Simmons was invited to the Milford workshop, which Ellison considered to be "the best SF writing workshop in the world". [4] Simmons considered Ellison as a mentor, friend, and the reason he pursued writing full-time. [4] Simmons' short story "The River Styx Runs Upstream" was published and awarded first prize in a Twilight Zone Magazine story competition, and he was taken on as a client by Ellison's agent, Richard Curtis. Simmons's first novel, Song of Kali, was released in 1985. [3]

He worked in elementary education until 1989. [3]

He lives in Longmont, Colorado as of 2007. [5]

Horror fiction

Summer of Night (1991) recounts the childhood of a group of pre-teens who band together in the 1960s, to defeat a centuries-old evil that terrorizes their hometown of Elm Haven, Illinois. The novel, which was praised by Stephen King in a cover blurb, is similar to King's It (1986) in its focus on small-town life, the corruption of innocence, the return of an ancient evil, and the responsibility for others that emerges with the transition from youth to adulthood.

In the sequel to Summer of Night, A Winter Haunting (2002), Dale Stewart (one of the first book's protagonists and now an adult), revisits his boyhood home to come to grips with mysteries that have disrupted his adult life.

Between the publication of Summer of Night (1991) and A Winter Haunting (2002), several additional characters from Summer of Night appeared in: Children of the Night (1992), a loose sequel to Summer of Night, which features Mike O'Rourke, now much older and a Roman Catholic priest, who is sent on a mission to investigate bizarre events in a European city; Fires of Eden (1994), in which the adult Cordie Cooke appears; and Darwin's Blade (2000), a thriller in which Dale's younger brother, Lawrence Stewart, appears as a minor character. [6] [7]

After Summer of Night , Simmons focused on writing science fiction until the 2007 work of historical fiction and horror, The Terror . His 2009 book Drood is based on the last years of Charles Dickens' life leading up to the writing of The Mystery of Edwin Drood , which Dickens had partially completed at the time of his death. [8]

Historical fiction

The Terror (2007) crosses the bridge between horror and historical fiction. It is a fictionalized account of Sir John Franklin and his expedition to find the Northwest Passage. The two ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, become icebound the first winter, and the captains and crew struggle to survive while being stalked across an Arctic landscape by a monster. The novel was adapted into a ten-part television series.

The Abominable (2013) recounts a mid-1920s attempt on Mount Everest by five climbers—two British, one French, one Sherpa, and one American (the narrator)—to recover the body of a cousin of one the British characters. [9]

Literary references

Many of Simmons's works have strong ties with classic literature. For example:

Bibliography

Novels

Series

Hyperion Cantos
  1. Hyperion (1989) – ISBN   978-0553283686
  2. The Fall of Hyperion (1990) – ISBN   978-0553288209
  3. Endymion (1996) – ISBN   978-3453315174
  4. The Rise of Endymion (1997) – ISBN   978-0747258933
Seasons of Horror
  1. Summer of Night (1991) – ISBN   978-0312550677
  2. Children of the Night (1992) – ISBN   978-1250009852
  3. Fires of Eden (1994) – ISBN   978-0061056147
  4. A Winter Haunting (2002) – ISBN   978-0380817160
  • Banished Dreams (1990), collects three prophetic dream sequences that were expurgated from the published edition of Summer of Night, entitled "Dale's Dream", "Kevin's Dream" and "Mike's Dream"
Joe Kurtz
  1. Hardcase (2001) – ISBN   978-0312980160
  2. Hard Freeze (2002) – ISBN   978-0316213509
  3. Hard as Nails (2003) – ISBN   978-0312994686
Ilium/Olympos
  1. Ilium (2003) – ISBN   978-0380817924
  2. Olympos (2005) – ISBN   978-0380817931

Standalone

Short stories

Collections

  • Prayers to Broken Stones (1990), six short stories and seven novellas/novelettes:
    "The River Styx Runs Upstream", "Eyes I Dare Not Meet in Dreams" (novelette), "Vanni Fucci Is Alive and Well and Living in Hell", "Vexed to Nightmare by a Rocking Cradle", "Remembering Siri" (novelette of Hyperion Cantos series), "Metastasis", "The Offering" (novelette), "E-Ticket to 'Namland" AKA "E-Ticket to Namland" (novelette), "Iverson's Pits" (novella), "Shave and a Haircut, Two Bites", "The Death of the Centaur" (novelette of Hyperion Cantos series), "Two Minutes Forty-Five Seconds", "Carrion Comfort" (novelette)
  • Lovedeath (1993), collection of five novelettes and novellas
    "Entropy's Bed at Midnight" (novelette), "Dying in Bangkok" AKA "Death in Bangkok" (novelette), "Sleeping with Teeth Women" (novella), "Flashback" (novelette), "The Great Lover" (novella)
  • Worlds Enough & Time (2002), collection of five novellas/novelettes:
    "Looking for Kelly Dahl" (novella), "Orphans of the Helix" (novelette from Hyperion Cantos series), "The Ninth of Av" (novella), "On K2 with Kanakaredes" (novelette), "The End of Gravity" (novella)

Uncollected short fiction

  • "Presents of Mind" (1986, with Edward Bryant, Steve Rasnic Tem and Connie Willis)
  • "Dying Is Easy, Comedy Is Hard" (1990, with Edward Bryant), novelette
  • "The Counselor" (1991), novelette
  • "All Dracula's Children" (1991), novelette
  • "My Private Memoirs of the Hoffer Stigmata Pandemic" (1991)
  • "This Year's Class Picture" (1992) (Appeared in The Living Dead, an anthology edited by John Joseph Adams)
  • "Elm Haven, IL" (1992), novelette, from Freak Show series
  • "One Small Step for Max" (1992)
  • "My Copsa Micas" (1994), novelette
  • "Madame Bovary, C'est Moi" (2000)
  • "Muse of Fire" (2007), novella
  • "The Guiding Nose of Ulfänt Banderōz" (2009), novella published as a chapbook and set in Jack Vance's Dying Earth setting

Poems

Non-fiction

Adaptations

In January 2004, it was announced that the screenplay he wrote for his novels Ilium and Olympos would be made into a film by Digital Domain and Barnet Bain Films, with Simmons acting as executive producer. Ilium is described as an "epic tale that spans 5,000 years and sweeps across the entire solar system, including themes and characters from Homer's Iliad and Shakespeare's The Tempest." [21]

In 2008, Guillermo del Toro was scheduled to direct a film adaptation of Drood for Universal Pictures. [22] As of December 2017, the project is still listed as "in development". [23]

In 2009, Scott Derrickson was set to direct Hyperion Cantos for Warner Bros. and Graham King, with Trevor Sands penning a script adapting Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion into one film. [24] In 2011, actor Bradley Cooper expressed interest in taking over the adaptation. [25] In 2015, it was announced that TV channel Syfy would produce a miniseries based on the Hyperion Cantos with the involvement of Cooper and King. [26] As of May 2017, the project was still "in development" at Syfy. [27] On November 1, 2021, Cooper and King restarted the feature film adaptation at Warner Bros., with Tom Spezialy set to write the script. [28]

The Terror (2007) was adapted in 2018 as an AMC 10-episode miniseries and received generally positive reviews upon release. [29] [30]

Awards

Wins

YearNomineeAwardCategoryResultRef
1986Song of Kali World Fantasy Award Novel Won [31] [1]
1990Carrion Comfort British Fantasy Award August Derleth Award (Novel)Won [31] [10]
Bram Stoker Award Novel Won [31] [10]
Hyperion Hugo Award Novel Won [31] [10]
1991The Fall of Hyperion BSFA Award NovelWon [31] [32]
1992Prayers to Broken Stones Bram Stoker Award Collection Won [31]
1993"This Year's Class Picture" Bram Stoker Award Short Fiction Won [31]
World Fantasy Award Short Fiction Won [31]
1994"Dying in Bangkok" Bram Stoker Award Long Fiction Won [31]

Locus Award

International Horror Guild Award

Nocte Award

Seiun Award

Nominations

Dan Simmons has been nominated on numerous occasions in a range of categories for his fiction, including the Arthur C. Clarke Award, Bram Stoker Award, British Fantasy Society Award, Hugo Award, Nebula Award, and World Fantasy Award. [35]

Selected nominations are listed below.

Year [36] NomineeAwardCategoryResultRef
1989"Metastasis " World Fantasy Award Short Fiction Nominated [31]
1990Carrion Comfort World Fantasy Award Novel Nominated [31]
1991Hyperion British Science Fiction Award NovelNominated [31] [10]
The Fall of Hyperion Hugo Award Novel Nominated [31]
Nebula Award Novel Nominated [31] [10]
Prayers to Broken Stones World Fantasy Award Collection Nominated [31]
Bram Stoker Award Collection Nominated [31]
Entropy's Bed at Midnight Bram Stoker Award Novella Nominated [31]
1992Hyperion Cantos Arthur C. Clarke Award Nominated [31] [37]
Summer of Night British Fantasy Award August Derleth Award (Novel)Nominated [31] [37]
Bram Stoker Award Novel Nominated [31]
1993Children of the Night Bram Stoker Award Novel Nominated [31]
"This Year's Class Picture" World Fantasy Award Short Fiction Nominated [31]
1994"Dying in Bangkok" World Fantasy Award Short Fiction Nominated [31]
Lovedeath Bram Stoker Award Collection Nominated [31]
"Flashback" Bram Stoker Award Novella Nominated [31]
1998The Rise of Endymion Hugo Award Novel Nominated [31] [33]
2004Ilium Hugo Award Novel Nominated [31] [34]
2008The Terror Bram Stoker Award Novel Nominated [31]
British Fantasy Award August Derleth Award (Novel)Nominated [31] [38] [39]
Shirley Jackson Award NovelNominated [31]

Locus nominations:

The Hollow Man (1992) – Locus Award nominee, 1993 [40]

The Winter Haunting (2002) – Locus Award nominee, 2003 [41]

Olympos (2005) – Locus Award shortlist, 2006 [42]

Related Research Articles

James Paul Blaylock is an American fantasy author. He is noted for a distinctive, humorous style, as well as being one of the pioneers of the steampunk genre of science fiction. Blaylock has cited Jules Verne, H. G. Wells, Robert Louis Stevenson, Arthur Conan Doyle and Charles Dickens as his inspirations.

<i>Hyperion Cantos</i> Science fiction series by Dan Simmons

The Hyperion Cantos is a series of science fiction novels by Dan Simmons. The title was originally used for the collection of the first pair of books in the series, Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion, and later came to refer to the overall storyline, including Endymion, The Rise of Endymion, and a number of short stories. More narrowly, inside the fictional storyline, after the first volume, the Hyperion Cantos is an epic poem written by the character Martin Silenus covering in verse form the events of the first two books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Stross</span> British author

Charles David George "Charlie" Stross is a British writer of science fiction and fantasy. Stross specialises in hard science fiction and space opera. Between 1994 and 2004, he was also an active writer for the magazine Computer Shopper and was responsible for its monthly Linux column. He stopped writing for the magazine to devote more time to novels. However, he continues to publish freelance articles on the Internet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Shea (American author)</span> American writer

Michael Shea was an American fantasy, horror, and science fiction author. His novel Nifft the Lean won the World Fantasy Award, as did his novella Growlimb.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate Wilhelm</span> American science fiction writer (1928–2018)

Kate Wilhelm was an American author. She wrote novels and stories in the science fiction, mystery, and suspense genres, including the Hugo Award–winning Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang. Wilhelm established the Clarion Workshop along with her husband Damon Knight and writer Robin Scott Wilson.

Michael Lawson Bishop was an American author. Over five decades and in more than thirty books, he created what has been called a "body of work that stands among the most admired and influential in modern science fiction and fantasy literature."

<i>Ilium</i> (novel) 2003 science fiction novel by Dan Simmons

Ilium is a science fiction novel by American writer Dan Simmons, the first part of the Ilium/Olympos cycle, concerning the re-creation of the events in the Iliad on an alternate Earth and Mars. These events are set in motion by beings who have taken on the roles of the Greek gods. Like Simmons's earlier series, the Hyperion Cantos, the novel is a form of "literary science fiction" that relies heavily on intertextuality, in this case with Homer and Shakespeare, as well as periodic references to Marcel Proust's À la recherche du temps perdu and Vladimir Nabokov's novel Ada or Ardor: A Family Chronicle. In July 2004, Ilium received a Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel of 2004.

<i>The Fall of Hyperion</i> (novel) 1990 novel by Dan Simmons

The Fall of Hyperion is the second novel in the Hyperion Cantos, a science fiction series by American author Dan Simmons. The novel, published in 1990, won both the 1991 British Science Fiction and Locus Awards. It was also nominated for the Hugo Award and the Nebula Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nina Kiriki Hoffman</span> American science fiction writer

Nina Kiriki Hoffman is an American fantasy, science fiction and horror writer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ian McDonald (British author)</span> British science fiction novelist

Ian McDonald is a British science fiction novelist, living in Belfast. His themes include nanotechnology, postcyberpunk settings, and the impact of rapid social and technological change on non-Western societies.

<i>Hyperion</i> (Simmons novel) 1989 science fiction novel by Dan Simmons

Hyperion is a 1989 science fiction novel by American author Dan Simmons. The first book of his Hyperion Cantos series, it won the Hugo Award for best novel. The plot of the novel features multiple time-lines and is told from the point of view of many characters. It follows a similar structure to The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. A framing narrative serves as a means to present the tales of a group of pilgrims sent to Hyperion's time tombs, to make a request of the Shrike, a metallic creature that is said to grant one wish to each pilgrim. The story is continued in The Fall of Hyperion, published in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Bowes</span> American writer (1944–2023)

Richard Dirrane Bowes was an American author of science fiction and fantasy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C. J. Cherryh bibliography</span>

American writer C. J. Cherryh's career began with publication of her first books in 1976, Gate of Ivrel and Brothers of Earth. She has been a prolific science fiction and fantasy author since then, publishing over 80 novels, short-story compilations, with continuing production as her blog attests. Cherryh has received the Hugo and Locus Awards for some of her novels.

Al Sarrantonio is an American horror and science fiction writer, editor and publisher who has authored more than 50 books and 90 short stories. He has also edited numerous anthologies.

Ilium/Olympos is a series of two science fiction novels by Dan Simmons. The events are set in motion by beings who appear to be ancient Greek gods. Like Simmons' earlier series, the Hyperion Cantos, it is a form of "literary science fiction"; it relies heavily on intertextuality, in this case with Homer and Shakespeare as well as references to Marcel Proust's À la recherche du temps perdu and Vladimir Nabokov's novel Ada or Ardor: A Family Chronicle.

Tim Lebbon is a British horror and dark fantasy writer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daryl Gregory</span> American science fiction, fantasy and comic book author

Daryl Gregory is an American science fiction, fantasy and comic book author. Gregory is a 1988 alumnus of the Michigan State University Clarion science fiction workshop, and won the 2009 Crawford Award for his novel Pandemonium.

<i>Nebula Awards 28</i> 1994 anthology edited by James Morrow

Nebula Awards 28 is an anthology of award winning science fiction short works edited by James Morrow, the third of three successive volumes under his editorship. It was first published in hardcover and trade paperback by Harcourt Brace in April 1994. The book has also been translated into Polish.

<i>Nebula Awards 27</i> 1993 anthology edited by James Morrow

Nebula Awards 27 is an anthology of science fiction short works edited by James Morrow, the second of three successive volumes under his editorship. It was first published in hardcover and trade paperback by Harcourt Brace in April 1993.

Neon Yang, formerly JY Yang, is a Singaporean writer of English-language speculative fiction best known for the Tensorate series of novellas published by Tor.com, which have been finalists for the Hugo Award, Locus Award, Nebula Award, World Fantasy Award, Lambda Literary Award, British Fantasy Award, and Kitschie Award. The first novella in the series, The Black Tides of Heaven, was named one of the "100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time" by Time magazine. Their debut novel, The Genesis of Misery, the first book in The Nullvoid Chronicles, was published in 2022 by Tor Books, received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, received a nomination for the 2022 Goodreads Choice Award for Science Fiction, and was a Finalist for the 2023 Locus Award for Best First Novel and 2023 Compton Crook Award.

References

  1. 1 2 "1986 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved July 16, 2009.
  2. ↑ alex@bookbanter.net, BookBanter Episode 004 - An Interview With Dan Simmons , retrieved April 24, 2024
  3. 1 2 3 "About Dan: Biographic Sketch". dansimmons.com. Archived from the original on June 4, 2018. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  4. 1 2 ""Something Only Your Soul Knew" – Wabash Magazine". blog.wabash.edu. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  5. ↑ Evans, Clay (February 7, 2007). "Myth and madness in the frozen north". Boulder Daily Camera . Retrieved December 2, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Review: Darwin's Blade". Publishers Weekly. October 30, 2000.
  7. ↑ Simmons, Dan (2000). Darwin's Blade . William Morrow. ISBN   978-0-380-97369-9.
  8. ↑ Gwinn, Mary Ann (February 15, 2009). "Q&A: Dan Simmons, author of "Drood"". The Seattle Times .
  9. ↑ Robbins, Michael (October 20, 2013). "Review: 'The Abominable' by Dan Simmons". Chicago Tribune.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "1990 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved July 16, 2009.
  11. ↑ Miller, T. S. (2013). "Flying Chaucers, Insectile Ecclesiasts, and Pilgrims Through Space and Time: The Science Fiction Chaucer". The Chaucer Review. 48 (2). doi:10.5325/chaucerrev.48.2.0129. S2CID   161558250 . Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  12. ↑ "John Keats". Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation. September 6, 2018. Retrieved September 7, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  13. ↑ Willems, Brian (2009). Hopkins and Heidegger. London: Continuum. ISBN   9781441169563.
  14. ↑ Feeley, Gregory (September 27, 1992). "The Hollow Man". The Washington Post.
  15. ↑ Stableford, Brian (March 1, 2009). News of the Black Feast and Other Random Reviews. Wildside Press LLC. pp. 73–74. ISBN   9781434403360.
  16. ↑ Marvell, A. (1981). "To his coy mistress." The Poetry Foundation. Retrieved on 17 October 2018 from https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44688/to-his-coy-mistress
  17. ↑ Owchar, Nick (August 7, 2011). "Book review: 'Flashback' by Dan Simmons". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  18. ↑ "Dan Simmons The Abominable cover art reveal!". Upcoming4.me. March 14, 2013. Archived from the original on March 19, 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  19. ↑ "Dan Simmons To Release 'The Fifth Heart', His Next Book After 'The Abominable'". Kernel's Corner. March 10, 2014. Retrieved April 6, 2014.
  20. ↑ "Omega Canyon". Hachette Book Group. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
  21. ↑ Marc Graser; Jonathan Bing (January 8, 2004). "'Ilium,' 'Olympos' optioned for pic". Variety. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
  22. ↑ Fleming, Michael Jr. (September 3, 2008). "Guillermo Del Toro booked thru 2017". Variety . Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  23. ↑ "Drood". IMDB.com. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  24. ↑ Fleming, Michael (January 29, 2009). "Scott Derrickson to direct 'Hyperion'". Variety . Archived from the original on July 22, 2015. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  25. ↑ Falconer, Robert (May 27, 2011). "Bradley Cooper Anxious to Adapt Dan Simmons's Hyperion for the Screen". Cinemaspy. Archived from the original on July 3, 2012. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  26. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (June 10, 2015). "Bradley Cooper, Graham King, Todd Phillips Adapting Dan Simmons' 'Hyperion' for Syfy". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  27. ↑ Fowler, Matt (May 12, 2017). "Syfy Reboot Includes Greenlit Krypton Series, George R.R. Martin's Nightflyers and More". IGN News. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
  28. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 1, 2021). "Bradley Cooper Launches Production Label; Sets 'Hyperion' At Warner Bros With Graham King". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved January 5, 2022.
  29. ↑ "The Terror: Season 1 (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved April 10, 2018.
  30. ↑ "The Terror Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved April 10, 2018.
  31. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 "sfadb : Dan Simmons Awards". www.sfadb.com. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  32. 1 2 "1991 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved July 16, 2009.
  33. 1 2 "1998 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved July 16, 2009.
  34. 1 2 "2004 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved July 16, 2009.
  35. ↑ Works in the WWEnd Database for Dan Simmons.
  36. ↑ (Awarded)
  37. 1 2 "1992 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved July 16, 2009.
  38. ↑ "2008 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved July 16, 2009.
  39. ↑ Rafferty, Terrence (March 18, 2007). "Ice Men". The New York Times. Retrieved March 31, 2010.
  40. ↑ "1993 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved July 16, 2009.
  41. ↑ "2003 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved July 16, 2009.
  42. ↑ "2006 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved July 16, 2009.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.