Owl Goingback

Last updated
Owl Goingback
BornJames Russell Heidbrink [1]
(1959-05-01) May 1, 1959 (age 64) [2]
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. [2]
Occupationauthor
LanguageEnglish
NationalityAmerican
Genre Horror fiction
Notable awards Bram Stoker Lifetime Achievement Award (2020) [1]
SpouseNancy Santos Bello [3]
Childrentwo sons
Website
owlgoingback.com

Owl Goingback (born May 1, 1959, in St. Louis) [3] is an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction.

Contents

Early life

The author was born on May 1, 1959, in St. Louis, Missouri. [3] According to his personal website, Owl Goingback was given the surname Heidbrink at the age of ten, when he was adopted by his stepfather Carl M. Heidbrink. [4] According to the Daily Beast, the author legally changed his name to Owl Goingback in 2000 in Seminole County, Florida. [1]

In his biographical statements, Goingback writes that he grew up in the rural midwest, and that his mother's name was Quiet Starr. He dropped out of high school his senior year to join the United States Air Force and later attended Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University. On January 5, 1978, Goingback married Nancy Santos Bello, with whom he has two sons, Jason and Michael. [3]

In 2019, the Orlando Weekly wrote that Goingback "is of Choctaw and Cherokee heritage". [5] As of March 2024, the author's website states that he is "mixed blood Native American heritage (Choctaw/Cherokee, not enrolled, and Caucasian)". [4]

According to the Tribal Alliance Against Frauds, the author was born as James Russell Heidbrink. This organization states that the author is an "ethnic fraud ... of European ancestry." [1]

Military and early career

From 1976 to 1981, Goingback served as a jet engine mechanic in the United States Air Force, where he became a sergeant. [3] He received a good conduct medal and Air Force Longevity Service Award. [3] After leaving the military, Goingback owned and managed a restaurant in Georgia called Jim's Place from 1981-1986, after which he devoted himself to writing full-time. [3] [6] [2]

Writing

Goingback writes horror fiction novels, often with Native American subject matter. [5]

In addition to writing novels, children's stories, scripts, and other documents under his own name, he writes that he "has ghostwritten for Hollywood celebrities", [6] [7] and that he travels throughout the United States lecturing about "the customs and folklore of the American Indians" [6] and has worked as a model and actor. [6]

Personal

The author legally changed his name to Owl Goingback in Seminole County, Florida in 2000. [1] Goingback presently lives in Florida with his wife and sons. [6]

Awards

Awards for Goingback
YearTitleAwardResultRef.
1996“Grass Dancer” Nebula Award for Best Short Story Nominee [8]
1996Crota Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel Winner [9]
1996Crota Bram Stoker Award for Novel Finalist [9]
1998Eagle FeathersStorytelling World Award for Pre-Adolescent ListenersHonor [10]
1999Darker than Night Bram Stoker Award for Novel Finalist [11]
2019Coyote Rage Bram Stoker Award for Novel Winner [12] [13] [14]
2020 Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement Winner [13] [15]

Bibliography

See also

Related Research Articles

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The Bram Stoker Award for First Novel is an award presented by the Horror Writers Association (HWA) for "superior achievement" in horror writing for an author's first horror novel.

The Bram Stoker Award for Best Long Fiction is an award presented by the Horror Writers Association (HWA) for "superior achievement" in horror writing for long fiction.

The Bram Stoker Award for Short Fiction is an award presented by the Horror Writers Association (HWA) for "superior achievement" in horror writing for short fiction.

The Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement annually recognizes one to three living artists for "superior achievement in an entire career" which has "substantially influenced the horror genre". It is conferred by the Horror Writers Association, and most winners have been horror fiction writers, but other creative occupations are eligible.

The Bram Stoker Award for Best Screenplay is an award presented by the Horror Writers Association (HWA) for "superior achievement" in horror writing for best screenplay.

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References

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  2. 1 2 3 Contemporary Authors New Revision Series. Gale p. 152. 2005.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Goingback, Owl 1959-". Encyclopedia.com. Archived from the original on 2022-12-01. Retrieved 2023-03-03.[ better source needed ]
  4. 1 2 "Owl Goingback" . Retrieved 23 Mar 2024. On July 10, 1969, at the age of ten, he was adopted by his stepfather, Carl M. Heidbrink, who gave him his surname. He carried that name until his stepfather and mother divorced...
  5. 1 2 Nevill, Frances Susanna (23 October 2019). "Owl Goingback, Central Florida's most frightful writer, thinks real life is scarier than werewolves or vampires". Orlando Weekly. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
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  12. "The 2019 Bram Stoker Award® Winners". The Bram Stoker Awards. Archived from the original on 2022-05-28. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
  13. 1 2 "Bram Stoker Awards 2020". Science Fiction Awards Database. Archived from the original on 2022-05-19. Retrieved 2022-07-06.
  14. "2019 Stoker Awards Winners". Locus Online . 2020-04-20. Archived from the original on 2020-04-24. Retrieved 2022-07-06.
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  16. "Epeolatry Book Review: Evil Whispers By: Owl Goingback - The Horror Tree". horrortree.com. 3 April 2023. Retrieved 2023-04-12.