William Francis Nolan (March 6, 1928 – July 15, 2021) was an American author who was active in the science fiction, fantasy, horror, and crime fiction genres.

Career

Nolan became involved in science fiction fandom in the 1950s, and published several fanzines, including Ray Bradbury Review. but wrote hundreds of pieces, from poetry to nonfiction, to prose, for many publications, such as Sports Illustrated, Rogue, Playboy, Dark Discoveries, Nameless Digest, and others. In 2013 he was a recipient, along with Brian W. Aldiss, of the World Fantasy Convention Award in Brighton, England by the World Fantasy Convention. In May 2014, Nolan was presented with another Bram Stoker Award, for Superior Achievement in Nonfiction; this was for his collection about his late friend Ray Bradbury, called Nolan on Bradbury: Sixty Years of Writing about the Master of Science Fiction. In 2015, Nolan was named a World Horror Society Grand Master; the award was presented at the World Horror Convention in Atlanta in May of that year.

Personal life

Nolan was born in Kansas City, Missouri, the son of Bernadette Mariana Kelly, a stenographer, and Michael Cahill Nolan, an adventurer, and sportsman. His family was Irish Catholic.

Though estranged for more than ten years, he had been married since 1970. He resided in Vancouver, Washington. With regard to his work, he said: "I get excited about something, and I want to write about it."

Nolan died from complications of an infection in July 2021 at the age of 93.

Appearances: films, TV and documentaries

  • The Intruder (1962) as villain "Bart Carey"
  • Charles Beaumont: The Life of Twilight Zone’s Magic Man (JaSunni Productions, LLC; 2010) as himself
  • The AckerMonster Chronicles! (JaSunni Productions, LLC; 2012) as himself

Bibliography (partial)

Novels

Logan

  • Logan's Run (1967) – Novel (with George Clayton Johnson)
  • Logan's World (1977) – Second novel in the original "Logan Trilogy"
  • Logan's Search (1980) – Third novel in the "Logan Trilogy"
  • Logan's Return (2001) – Novella, released as an e-book

The Black Mask

  • The Black Mask Murders (1994) – Novel
  • The Marble Orchard (1996) – Novel
  • Sharks Never Sleep (1998) – Novel

Sam Space

  • Space for Hire (1971) – Novel
  • Look Out for Space (1985) – Novel
  • 3 For Space (1992) – Collection
  • Far Out (2004) – Collection
  • Seven for Space (2008) – Collection

Challis

  • Death Is For Losers (1968) – Novel
  • The White Cad Cross-Up (1969) – Novel
  • Helle on Wheels (1992) – Novella
  • The Brothers Challis (1996) – Collection

Kincaid

  • Pirate's Moon (1987) – Novella
  • Broxa (1991) - Novella
  • The Winchester Horror (1998) – Novella
  • Demon! [Reprint of Broxa] (2005) – Novella
  • Kincaid: A Paranormal Casebook (2011) – Collection

Biographies

On Max Brand

  • Max Brand's Best Western Stories (1981) – Brand Collection
  • Max Brand's Best Western Stories II (1985) – Brand Collection
  • Max Brand: Western Giant (1986) – Anthology/Bibliography
  • Max Brand's Best Western Stories III (1987) – Brand Collection
  • Tales of the Wild West (1997) – Brand Collection
  • More Tales of the Wild West (1999) – Brand Collection
  • Masquerade (2005) – Brand Collection
  • King of the Pulps (forthcoming) – Biography

On Dashiell Hammett

  • Dashiell Hammett: A Casebook (1969) – Critical study
  • Hammett: A Life at the Edge (1983) – Biography
  • Dash (2004) – Stage Play
  • A Man Called Dash: The Life and Times of Samuel Dashiell Hammett (Alfred A. Knopf) – Definitive biography. (unpublished )

On Ray Bradbury

  • Ray Bradbury Review (1952) – Anthology
  • The Ray Bradbury Index (1953) – Pamphlet
  • The Ray Bradbury Companion (1975) – Biography/bibliography
  • The Dandelion Chronicles (1984) – Pamphlet
  • The Bradbury Chronicles (1991) – Anthology (with Martin H. Greenberg)
  • Nolan On Bradbury: Sixty Years of Writing about the Master of Science Fiction (2013; Hippocampus Press) – Collected nonfiction book (Edited by S. T. Joshi)

Other biographies and nonfiction

  • Adventure on Wheels (1959) – John Fitch autobiography
  • Barney Oldfield (1961) – Biography
  • Phil Hill: Yankee Champion (1962) – Biography
  • John Huston: King Rebel (1965) - Biography
  • Sinners and Supermen (1965) – Nonfiction collection
  • Steve McQueen: Star on Wheels (1972) – Biography
  • Hemingway: Last Days of the Lion (1974) – Biographical chapbook
  • McQueen (1984) - Biography
  • The Black Mask Boys (1985) – Biography/Anthology
  • How to Write Horror Fiction (1990) – Reference
  • Let's Get Creative: Writing Fiction That Sells! (2006) - Reference

Bibliographies

  • The Work of Charles Beaumont (1986)
  • The Work of William F. Nolan (1988)

Anthologies and collections (as editor)

  • The Fiend in You (1962) – Anthology (with Charles Beaumont; Nolan is uncredited)
  • The Pseudo-People (1965)
  • Man Against Tomorrow (1965)
  • Il Meglio Della Fantascienza (1967)
  • 3 To the Highest Power (1968)
  • A Wilderness of Stars (1969)
  • A Sea of Space (1970)
  • The Edge of Forever (1971) – Collection of Chad Oliver stories
  • The Future is Now (1971)
  • The Human Equation: Four Science Fiction Novels of Tomorrow (1971)
  • Science Fiction Origins (1980) - Anthology (with Martin H. Greenberg)
  • Urban Horrors (1990) – Anthology (with Martin H. Greenberg)
  • California Sorcery, Edited by Nolan and William Schafer (1998)
  • Offbeat (2002) – Collection of Richard Matheson stories
  • The Bleeding Edge (2009) – Anthology (with Jason V Brock)
  • The Devil's Coattails (2012) – Anthology (with Jason V Brock)

Verse

  • The Mounties (1979) – Broadside
  • Dark Encounters (1986) – Collection
  • Have You Seen the Wind? (2003) – Collection, with prose
  • Ill Met by Moonlight (2004) – Collection, with prose and artwork
  • Soul Trips (2015) – Collection

Auto racing-specific works

  • Omnibus of Speed (1958) – Anthology (with Charles Beaumont)
  • Men of Thunder (1964) – Collection
  • When Engines Roar (1964) – Anthology (with Charles Beaumont)
  • Carnival of Speed (1973) – Collection

Horror works

  • Things Beyond Midnight (1984) – Collection
  • Blood Sky (1991) – Chapbook
  • Helltracks (1991) – Novel
  • Night Shapes (1995) – Collection
  • William F. Nolan's Dark Universe (2001) – Career retrospective
  • Nightworlds (2004) – Collection

Miscellaneous works

  • A Cross Section of Art in Science-Fantasy (1952) – Chapbook
  • Image Power (1988) – Pamphlet
  • Rio Renegades (1989) – Western novel
  • Simply An Ending (2002) – Pamphlet
  • With Marlowe in L.A. (2003) – Pamphlet

Other Nolan collections

  • Impact-20 (1963) – Short stories
  • Alien Horizons (1974)
  • Wonderworlds (1977)
  • Down the Long Night (2000)
  • Ships in the Night: And Other Stories (2003) – Collection of sci-fi, Western, etc.
  • Wild Galaxy: Selected Science Fiction Stories (2005)
  • Like a Dead Man Walking and Other Shadow Tales (edited by Jason V Brock; a mix of science fiction, horror, poetry, and literary stories; Centipede Press, 2014)

Screenplays

  • Burnt Offerings (1976)
  • Who Goes There? (a.k.a. The Thing) Screen treatment (1978), written for Universal Studios (not produced), published by Rocket Ride Books in "Who Goes There?: The Novella That Formed The Basis of THE THING" (2009)

Television scripts

  • ”Brain Wave” (1959) – One Step Beyond
  • ”Mental Lapse” (1959) – Wanted: Dead or Alive
  • ”Black Belt” (1960) – Wanted: Dead or Alive
  • ”The Joy of Living” (1971) – Norman Corwin Presents
  • The Norliss Tapes (1973) – NBC Movie of the Week
  • The Turn of the Screw (1974) – ABC Movie of the Week
  • Trilogy of Terror (Millicent and Therese; Julie) (1975) – ABC Movie of the Week
  • Melvin Purvis: G-Man (1975)
  • Sky Heist (1975) – NBC Movie of the Week
  • The Kansas City Massacre (1975) – ABC Movie of the Week
  • Logan's Run (1977) – Pilot for CBS series
  • ”First Loss” (1981) – 240-Robert
  • ”The Partnership” (1981) – Darkroom
  • Bridge Across Time, a.k.a. Terror at London Bridge (1985) – NBC Movie of the Week
  • Trilogy of Terror II (The Graveyard Rats; He Who Kills) (1996) – USA Movie of the Week

References

  • 2009 interview with Nolan about the Logan's Run: Last Day comics from Bluewater Productions