Tim Dorsey

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Tim Dorsey
Tim Dorsey at Haslam's Book Store, St. Petersburg, Florida.jpg
Dorsey at a book signing at Haslam's Book Store in 2011
BornTimothy Alan Dorsey
(1961-01-25)January 25, 1961
Carmel, Indiana, U.S.
DiedNovember 26, 2023(2023-11-26) (aged 62)
Islamorada, Florida, U.S.
OccupationNovelist
NationalityAmerican
Alma mater Bishop Guertin High School
Auburn University
Children2
Website
www.timdorsey.com

Timothy Alan Dorsey (January 25, 1961 – November 26, 2023) was an American novelist. [1] He is known for a series starring Serge A. Storms, a mentally disturbed vigilante antihero who rampages across Florida enforcing his own moral code against a variety of low-life criminals.

Contents

Biography

Tim Dorsey was born in Carmel, Indiana, and was taken to Florida by his mother at the age of 1. He grew up in Riviera Beach, a small town in Palm Beach County just north of West Palm Beach. Dorsey graduated from Bishop Guertin High School in Nashua, N.H., in 1979. [2]

Dorsey attended Auburn University, where he became the editor of The Auburn Plainsman , the student newspaper; he wrote about racism while at Auburn. [3] Dorsey graduated in 1983 with a Bachelor's degree in Transportation. After graduation, he moved to Montgomery, Alabama, and served as a police reporter for a local newspaper. In 1987, Dorsey relocated to Tampa, Florida, and became a reporter for The Tampa Tribune . Until he resigned from the paper in 1999 to write full-time, he worked variously as political reporter, correspondent in the Tribune's Tallahassee bureau, copy desk editor, and, finally, night metro editor and news coordinator.

Dorsey lived in Tampa with his wife and two daughters and was a Tampa Bay Rays fan. He also still considered himself a Boston Red Sox fan, cultivated while attending high school in New Hampshire as a teen. [4]

Dorsey died in Islamorada, Florida, on November 26, 2023, at the age of 62. [5]

Serge Storms

Most of Dorsey's novels feature Serge A. Storms as the primary character. The character has several coexisting mental illnesses that render him obsessive, psychopathic, schizophrenic, and frequently homicidal, but Storms serves as the anti-hero in Dorsey's works due to his strong sense of moral absolutism and justice. Serge is intelligent, and frequently devises wildly inventive ways of condemning villains (or at least who he perceives as such) to death. His co-pilot in the majority of his adventures is Coleman, whose personality is the exact opposite of Serge. Whereas Serge is a high-strung straight-edged coffee addict, Coleman is an alcoholic drug user who goes to extreme lengths to maintain his buzz.

Novels by Tim Dorsey

Order of
Publication
Order in
Chronology [6]
TitlePublicationISBN
12 Florida Roadkill 1999 ISBN   978-0-06-113922-2
23 Hammerhead Ranch Motel 2000 ISBN   978-0-380-73234-0
35 Orange Crush 2001 ISBN   978-0-06-103154-0
41 Triggerfish Twist 2002 ISBN   978-0-06-103155-7
54 The Stingray Shuffle 2003 ISBN   978-0-06-055693-8
66 Cadillac Beach 2004 ISBN   978-0-06-055694-5
77 Torpedo Juice 2005 ISBN   978-0-06-058561-7
88 The Big Bamboo 2006 ISBN   978-0-06-058563-1
99 Hurricane Punch 2007 ISBN   978-0-06-082967-4
1010 Atomic Lobster 2008 ISBN   978-0-06-082969-8
1111 Nuclear Jellyfish 2009 ISBN   978-0-06-143266-8
1212Gator A-Go-Go2010 ISBN   978-0-06-143271-2
1313Electric Barracuda2011 ISBN   978-0-06-187689-9
1414When Elves Attack2011 ISBN   978-0-06-209284-7
1515Pineapple Grenade2012 ISBN   978-0-06-187690-5
1616The Riptide Ultra-Glide2013 ISBN   978-0-06-209278-6
1717Tiger Shrimp Tango2014 ISBN   978-0-06-209281-6
1818Shark Skin Suite2015 ISBN   978-0-06-224001-9
1919Coconut CowboyJanuary 26, 2016 ISBN   978-0-06-224004-0
2020Clownfish BluesJanuary 24, 2017 ISBN   978-0-06-242922-3
2121The Pope of Palm BeachJanuary 30, 2018 ISBN   978-0-06-242926-1
2222No Sunscreen for the DeadJanuary 15, 2019 ISBN   978-0062795885
2323Naked Came the Florida ManJanuary 7, 2020 ISBN   978-0062796004
2424Tropic of StupidJanuary 26, 2021 ISBN   978-0062967503
2525Mermaid ConfidentialJanuary 25, 2022 ISBN   978-0062967534
2626The Maltese IguanaFebruary 28, 2023 ISBN   978-0063240629

Short stories and Essay collections by Tim Dorsey

Related Research Articles

<i>Triggerfish Twist</i> 2002 novel by Tim Dorsey

Triggerfish Twist is a 2002 crime novel by Tim Dorsey, the fourth in his series featuring Serge A. Storms.

<i>Florida Roadkill</i> 1999 novel by Tim Dorsey

Florida Roadkill is a black comedy crime novel by Tim Dorsey, the first in his series centered around the character Serge A. Storms. It was published in 1999 by William Morrow and Company, an imprint of HarperCollins.

<i>Hammerhead Ranch Motel</i> 2000 novel by Tim Dorsey

Hammerhead Ranch Motel is a novel by Tim Dorsey published in 2000. It continues the story, started in Florida Roadkill, of blithe psychopath Serge A. Storms and his pursuit of five million dollars in cash hidden in the trunk of a car. The book is non-linear, with some scenes occurring at the same time chronologically but told out of order with later scenes.

<i>Cadillac Beach</i> 2004 novel by Tim Dorsey

Cadillac Beach is the sixth novel written by Tim Dorsey, published in 2004.

<i>Torpedo Juice</i> (novel) 2005 novel by Tim Dorsey

Torpedo Juice is Tim Dorsey's seventh novel, published in 2005. As with Dorsey's previous works, the main character is amateur Florida historian and serial killer Serge A. Storms.

<i>The Big Bamboo</i> 2006 novel by Tim Dorsey

The Big Bamboo is the eighth novel by Tim Dorsey featuring the sociopathic anti-hero Serge A. Storms. It was published in the US in March 2006 and May 2006 in the UK. The plotline follows Serge A. Storms as he follows his recent obsession of Hollywood and movies, in particular the movie The Punisher, which was shot on location in Florida. Serge travels to Hollywood to write a screenplay, something that Coleman, his constantly addled companion, is constantly interrupting with obnoxious and sometimes outrageous concerns.

<i>Sarasota Herald-Tribune</i> Daily newspaper in Sarasota, Florida

The Sarasota Herald-Tribune is a daily newspaper, located in Sarasota, Florida, founded in 1925 as the Sarasota Herald.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1944 Cuba–Florida hurricane</span> Category 4 Atlantic hurricane in 1944

The 1944 Cuba–Florida hurricane was a large Category 4 tropical cyclone on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale that caused widespread damage across the western Caribbean Sea and Southeastern United States in October 1944. It inflicted over US$100 million in damage and caused at least 318 deaths, the majority of fatalities occurring in Cuba. One study suggested that an equivalent storm in 2018 would rank among the costliest U.S. hurricanes. The full extent of the storm's effects remains unclear due to a dearth of conclusive reports from rural areas of Cuba. The unprecedented availability of meteorological data during the hurricane marked a turning point in the United States Weather Bureau's ability to forecast tropical cyclones.

<i>Hurricane Punch</i> Novel by Tim Dorsey

Hurricane Punch is a novel by Tim Dorsey published in 2007. It follows overly zealous serial killer Serge A. Storms, who is tracking hurricanes all over Florida.

The 1934 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1934 college football season. The season was the high-water mark of Dennis K. Stanley's three-year tenure as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. The highlights of the season included hard-fought victories over the Auburn Tigers and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, both fellow Southeastern Conference (SEC) members, and the VPI Gobblers and NC State Wolfpack, two out-of-conference Southern teams. Stanley's 1934 Florida Gators finished the year with a 6–3–1 overall record and a 2–2–1 record in the SEC, placing seventh in the thirteen-member SEC.

The 1938 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1938 college football season. The season was Josh Cody's third as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. The highlights of the season included a 21–7 homecoming win over the Maryland Terrapins and a hard-fought 9–7 conference victory over the team Auburn Tigers in Jacksonville, Florida, and the first-time meeting with the future in-state rival Miami Hurricanes. The season also included a 16–14 upset loss to Stetson in Gainesville. Cody's 1938 Florida Gators finished 4–6–1 overall and 2–2–1 in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), placing seventh of thirteen SEC teams in the conference standings—Cody's best finish in the SEC.

The 1940 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1940 college football season. The season was the first of four for Tom Lieb as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. Lieb was the former coach of the Loyola Lions, and had previously served as Knute Rockne's primary assistant and on-the-field replacement while Rockne was in the hospital during most of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish's 1930 national championship season. The highlights of the Gators' 1940 season included victories over the Maryland Terrapins (19–0), the Georgia Bulldogs (18–13), the Miami Hurricanes (46–6) and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (16–7). Lieb's 1940 Florida Gators finished with a 5–5 overall record and a 2–3 record in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), placing eighth among thirteen SEC teams.

The 1945 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1945 college football season. The season was the fifth and last for Tom Lieb as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. The 1945 backfield was made up entirely of freshmen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1950 Florida Gators football team</span> American college football season

The 1950 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1950 college football season. The season was Bob Woodruff's first of ten as the new head coach of the Florida Gators football team. Woodruff was a former college football player and assistant for coach Robert Neyland's Tennessee Volunteers, who made his name as an up-and-coming young head coach leading the Baylor Bears for three seasons in the late 1940s. Like Neyland, Woodruff emphasized stout defense, the kicking game and a ball control offense. In Woodruff's first season of 1950, the Gators offense, led by quarterback Haywood Sullivan and offensive coordinator Frank Broyles, posted record numbers. Sullivan was the first sophomore in SEC history to throw for more than 1,000 yards in a season. He set nine school records. The highlights of the season included two Southeastern Conference (SEC) victories over the Auburn Tigers (27–7) and the No. 13-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores (31–27)—the first season since 1940 in which the Gators won two or more SEC games. The Gators' No. 20 ranking after the Vanderbilt game marked their first-ever appearance in the top twenty of the weekly Associated Press Poll. Woodruff's 1950 Florida Gators finished 5–5 overall and 2–4 in the SEC, placing tenth among twelve conference teams.

The 1952 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1952 college football season. The season was Bob Woodruff's third and most successful as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. Woodruff's 1952 Florida Gators finished with an overall record of 8–3 and a Southeastern Conference (SEC) record of 3–3, placing sixth among twelve SEC teams.

The 1962 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1962 NCAA University Division football season. The season was the third of Ray Graves' ten seasons as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. Graves' 1962 Florida Gators posted a 7–4 overall record and a 4–2 record in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), placing fifth in twelve-team SEC. The Gators won the Gator Bowl again in 1962, upsetting ninth-ranked Penn State. They wore the Confederate Battle Flag on the side of their helmets to pump up the southern team facing a favored northern school.

The 1977 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1977 NCAA Division I football season. The season was Doug Dickey's eighth as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. Dickey's 1977 Florida Gators finished with a 6–4–1 overall record and a 3–3 Southeastern Conference (SEC) record, placing fifth among ten SEC teams.

The 1986 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season. The season was Galen Hall's third as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. The 1986 Florida Gators compiled a 6–5 overall record and a Southeastern Conference (SEC) record of 2–4, tying for 7th place among Ten SEC teams. This was the last year that Florida lost to the Kentucky Wildcats until 2018. This was the longest annual win streak of any team over another in NCAA history and the longest such streak in Southeastern Conference history.

<i>Nuclear Jellyfish</i> 2009 novel by Tim Dorsey

Nuclear Jellyfish is the eleventh novel by American author Tim Dorsey. It was released January 25, 2009.

David Ellsworth Posey is a former American football kicker who played for the New England Patriots in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida University.

References

  1. Risen, Clay (December 2, 2023). "Tim Dorsey, Who Turned Florida's Quirks Into Comic Gold, Dies at 62". The New York Times. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  2. Shaw, A. (Spring 2012). Gunfights and Florida History: An Interview with Tim Dorsey. Saw Palm, 6, 25-30. Retrieved from http://www.sawpalm.org/uploads/6/6/2/8/6628902/saw_palm_-_volume_6_-_2012.pdf on 2 February 2022.
  3. Washington, Jesse (2015-02-12). "Up From Leeds". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on 2016-08-13. Retrieved 2021-06-23.
  4. interview "In the footsteps of subversives" by Anna Mundow, Boston Globe February 25, 2007.
  5. "Tim Dorsey, who blended crime, comedy in Florida-based novels, dead at 62". Boston25 News. 28 November 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  6. "Tim Dorsey". www.timdorsey.com.