The Fan (Abrahams novel)

Last updated

The Fan is a novel by Peter Abrahams, published in 1995. [1] It is a psychological thriller that follows Gil Renard as he progresses into his own insanity. [2] [3] The story revolves around the sport of baseball, and explores the overt dedication displayed by some of its fanatics.

In 1996, the novel was adapted to film as The Fan .

Reception

Publishers Weekly called it a "taut novel" and a "finely crafted, edge-of-the-seat thriller." [4] Warren Goldstein, in The Washington Post , wrote that it was a "finely-crafted suspense story." [5] Kirkus Reviews considered it "forceful, straight-ahead storytelling, a tale of two fascinating characters set against the backdrop of Major League Baseball." [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>Jailbird</i> (novel)

Jailbird is a novel by Kurt Vonnegut, published in 1979. The book is regarded as Kurt Vonnegut's "Watergate novel."

Roberta Rogow is an American writer of speculative fiction and fan fiction, and a filk singer-songwriter. SHe graduated with a BA from Queens CUNY in 1962 and Columbia University with an MLS in 1971.

Dean Charles Ing was an American author, who usually wrote in the science fiction and techno-thriller genres. His novel The Ransom of Black Stealth One (1989) was a New York Times bestseller. He wrote more than 30 novels, and co-authored novels with his friends Jerry Pournelle, S. M. Stirling, and Leik Myrabo. Following the death of science fiction author Mack Reynolds in 1983, Ing was asked to finish several of Reynolds' uncompleted manuscripts.

William Bradley Strickland is an American writer known primarily for fantasy and science fiction. His speculative fiction is published under the name Brad Strickland except for one novel written as Will Bradley. By a wide margin his work most widely held in WorldCat participating libraries is The Sign of the Sinister Sorcerer, which concluded the Lewis Barnavelt series created by John Bellairs (1938–1991).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karin Slaughter</span> American crime writer (born 1971)

Karin Slaughter is an American crime writer. She has written 21 novels, which have sold more than 40 million copies and have been published in 120 countries. Her first novel, Blindsighted (2001), was published in 27 languages and made the Crime Writers' Association's Dagger Award shortlist for "Best Thriller Debut" of 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William C. Dietz</span> American science fiction writer

William C. Dietz is an American science fiction writer, principally of military science fiction novels and video game novelizations.

Show, don't tell is a technique used in various kinds of texts to allow the reader to experience the story through actions, words, subtext, thoughts, senses, and feelings rather than through the author's exposition, summarization, and description. It avoids adjectives describing the author's analysis, but instead describes the scene in such a way that readers can draw their own conclusions. The technique applies equally to nonfiction and all forms of fiction, literature including haiku and Imagism poetry in particular, speech, movie making, and playwriting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John R. Tunis</span> American writer and broadcaster

John Roberts Tunis, "the 'inventor' of the modern sports story", was an American writer and broadcaster. Known for his juvenile sports novels, Tunis also wrote short stories and non-fiction, including a weekly sports column for the New Yorker magazine. As a commentator Tunis was part of the first trans-Atlantic sports cast and the first broadcast of the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament to the United States.

Felix Francis is a British crime writer. He is Dick Francis’ younger son.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steven James</span> American novelist

Steven James is the author of more than forty books, including the critically acclaimed Bowers Files, an eleven-book series of psychological thrillers that consists of Opening Moves, Every Crooked Path, Every Deadly Kiss, Every Wicked Man, The Pawn, The Rook, The Knight, The Bishop, The Queen, The King, and Checkmate. The series has received four Christy Awards and numerous other honors.

Wallace Stroby is an American crime fiction author and journalist. He is the author of eight novels, four of which feature Crissa Stone, a female professional thief.

Anthony Hyde is a Canadian author of spy novels, most notably The Red Fox and Formosa Straits.

Sidney Offit is an American writer. He is perhaps best known as the author of various children's books during the 1960s, including The Adventures of Homer Fink, illustrated by Paul Galdone. In 1971, Boys' Life wrote that "more than a few of BL's millions of readers must be among the millions who know Mr. Offit's books for young readers: The Adventures of Homer Fink, Soupbone, Cadet Attack, and Cadet Quarterback." Offit is currently the President of the Authors Guild Foundation, and teaches fiction writing at The New School, for which he was recognized in 2001 with a Distinguished Teaching Award. For decades, he has been a member of both the Century Association and PEN American Center, serving a number of terms on the latter's Board of Trustees. For 32 years, he was also curator of the George Polk Awards in Journalism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Pavone</span> American novelist

Chris Pavone is an American author of international thrillers. His first novel, The Expats, was a New York Times bestseller.

William Brashler is an American author and journalist. He is best known for writing The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings, which was published in 1973. A film adaptation, directed by John Badham and starring Richard Pryor and Billy Dee Williams, was released in 1976. Bingo Long was chosen as one of the top 100 sports books of all time by Sports Illustrated, in 2002. The 20th anniversary edition of the book included a preface by sports historian Peter C. Bjarkman.

Robert Kalich is an American novelist, journalist, and producer. He is the author of non-fiction books and novels, best known for his national best-seller, "The Handicapper" (1981) a novel about an obsessive gambler published by Crown Publishing Group. Robert was born and lives in New York where he co-directs a film company with his twin brother Richard Kalich.

<i>Champagne and Baloney</i> 1976 book by Tom Clark

Champagne and Baloney: The Rise and Fall of Finley's A's is a nonfiction book by poet Tom Clark, published in 1976. It chronicles the ups and downs of Charles O. Finley's Oakland Athletics, who won three World Series, in 1972, 1973, and 1974, before falling apart.

Billie Sue Mosiman was an American writer. Mosiman was known for her novels and over 200 short stories that encompassed the genres of horror, science fiction, fantasy, thrillers and suspense fiction.

<i>Dragon Pearl</i> Novel written by Yoon Ha Lee

Dragon Pearl is a middle grade novel written by Yoon Ha Lee and published on January 15, 2019 by Disney Hyperion under their "Rick Riordan Presents" publishing imprint. The book is a mix of Korean mythology and science fiction as the main character travels the galaxy. A short story by Lee about the characters in the book was featured in the anthology book The Cursed Carnival and Other Calamities.

<i>Women of Wonder: The Contemporary Years</i>

Women of Wonder, the Contemporary Years: Science Fiction by Women from the 1970s to the 1990s is an anthology of short stories, novelettes, and novellas edited by Pamela Sargent. It was published in 1995, along a companion volume, Women of Wonder,The Classic Years: Science Fiction by Women from the 1940s to the 1970s.

References

  1. Duncan, Joyce (May 18, 2004). Sport in American Culture: From Ali to X-games. ABC-CLIO. ISBN   9781576070246 via Google Books.
  2. Schraufnagel, Noel (August 15, 2008). The Baseball Novel: A History and Annotated Bibliography of Adult Fiction. McFarland. ISBN   9780786435579 via Google Books.
  3. 1 2 "THE FAN by Peter Abrahams | Kirkus Reviews" via www.kirkusreviews.com.
  4. "Fiction Book Review: The Fan by Peter Abrahams, Author Warner Books $22.95 (338p) ISBN 978-0-446-51860-4". Publishersweekly.com. 1995-02-27. Retrieved 2020-05-18.
  5. Goldstein, Warren (July 9, 1995). "FICTION" via www.washingtonpost.com.