Michael R. Collings

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Michael R. Collings
Michael R Collings at Brigham Young University science fiction and fantasy symposium - closeup.png
Collings at Life, the Universe, & Everything , a science fiction and fantasy symposium at Brigham Young University.
Born (1947-10-29) October 29, 1947 (age 75)
Rupert, Idaho
OccupationWriter, bibliographer, literary critic, poet, professor (retired)
LanguageEnglish
Nationality United States
Education Master's degree (English)
Ph.D. (English literature)
Alma mater Bakersfield College (AA)
Whittier College (BA)
University of California, Riverside (MA and PhD)
Period1979 - current
Genres fantasy, horror, science fiction
Subjects Orson Scott Card, Stephen King
Notable worksIn the Image of God: Theme, Characterization and Landscape in the Fiction of Orson Scott Card
SpouseJudi Collings
Children Michaelbrent Collings
Website
StarShine and Shadows

Michael Robert Collings (born October 29, 1947) [1] [2] is an American writer, poet, literary critic, and bibliographer, and a former professor of creative writing and literature at Pepperdine University. [2] [3] He was Poet in Residence at Pepperdine's Seaver College from 1997 to 2000. [4]

Contents

Collings has had multiple collections of his poetry published on subjects such as Latter Day Saint theology, Joseph Smith, Christmas, science fiction, and horror. [4] He is known for his literary critiques and bibliographies of the works of Orson Scott Card and Stephen King, [2] [3] [4] though he has also published critiques and bibliographies of the works of Peter Straub, Dean Koontz, C. S. Lewis, Brian W. Aldiss, and Piers Anthony. [2] [4] His In the Image of God: Theme, Characterization and Landscape in the Fiction of Orson Scott Card was the first book-length academic look at Card's works. [4] [5]

Biography

Michael Robert Collings was born in Rupert, Idaho. [6] He graduated from Bakersfield College in 1967 with an Associate's degree, then graduated with a Bachelor's degree in English from Whittier College two years later. After graduating with a Master's degree in English from the University of California, Riverside in 1973, Collings received his Ph.D. in English literature from UCR in 1977, specializing in Milton and The Renaissance. [7]

Before he began teaching creative writing and literature at Pepperdine University, [2] Collings taught at UCR, San Bernardino Valley Community College, and UCLA. He taught at Pepperdine from 1979 [7] until 2010, when he retired. He now lives in Idaho with his wife, Judi. His son, Michaelbrent Collings, is a fantasy and horror writer.

Collings was introduced to Stephen King's work by a student, David A. Engebretson, in 1983, and published his first book on him, The Many Facets of Stephen King, in 1985; reading King led to his also studying and publishing on Koontz and Robert McCammon. [8]

The World Horror Convention awarded him their Grand Master Award in 2016. [9]

Selected bibliography

Articles and papers

Sources: [4]

Non-fiction books

Sources: [2] [4] [5]

Novels

Wordsmith series

  1. The Veil of Heaven (2009, Borgo Press/Wildside Press, ISBN   978-1-4344-0280-6)
  2. The Thousand Eyes of Flame (2009, Borgo Press/Wildside Press, ISBN   978-1-4344-0281-3)
  3. Three Tales of Omne (2010, Borgo Press/Wildside Press, ISBN   978-1-4344-1177-8, published in an omnibus with The Elder of Days by Robert Reginald)

Epic poem

Poetry and fiction collections

Sources: [4] [6] [10]

See also

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References

  1. U.S. Public Records Index Vol 1 (Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.), 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Wands, D C (2008-02-16). "Michael R Collings". FantasticFiction. Retrieved 2008-02-29.
  3. 1 2 Beahm, George W. (1998). Stephen King from A to Z: an encyclopedia of his life and work . Andrews McMeel Publishing. p.  43. ISBN   0-8362-6914-4.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Michael R. Collings". Brigham Young University. 2003. Retrieved 2008-02-29.
  5. 1 2 Langford, Jonathan (1997-10-21). "AML-List Review: In the Image of God: Theme, Characterization, and Landscape in the Fiction of Orson Scott Card". Association for Mormon Letters. Archived from the original on 2007-10-26. Retrieved 2008-02-29.
  6. 1 2 "Michael R. Collings - Summary Bibliography". Internet Speculative Fiction Database . Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  7. 1 2 "Michael R. Collings Bio Information". Pepperdine University. Archived from the original on January 5, 2009. Retrieved 2008-02-29.
  8. Lindbergh, Ben (September 4, 2018). "The King Chroniclers and the Reimagining of an Icon of American Letters". The Ringer. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  9. "World Horror Grandmaster 2016". Science Fiction Awards Database. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  10. "The House Beyond the Hill by Michael R Collings". FantasticFiction. Retrieved 2008-02-29.