Bill Pronzini
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Bill Pronzini (born April 13, 1943) is a highly-regarded and very prolific American writer of detective fiction. He is also an active anthologist, having compiled more than 100 collections, most of which focus on mystery, western, and science fiction short stories.
He published his first novel, The Stalker, in 1971. However, his best known works are the Nameless Detective (fictional detective) series, which he began in 1971. As of June, 2006 there are 30 books in the series, as well as a number of short stories. Over the life of the series, Nameless has gracefully grown and matured as an “everyman” character, aging along with his creator and audience. While the stories involve the usual range of crimes typical to mysteries, they depict relatively little violence. Pronzini’s style is more character driven than plot driven, giving his stories insights, depth, and durability atypical for the mystery field. Because Nameless develops over the run of the series, it's most effective to read them in sequence.
His books have been translated into nearly twenty languages, and have been published in more than thirty countries.
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[edit] Biography
William John Pronzini was born in Petaluma, California. He has been married three times. The first marriage was with Laura Patricia Adolphson, (1965 to 1967; divorce); the second was with Brunhilde Schier, July 28, 1972 (duration and cause of breakup unknown). He married Marcia Muller (also a mystery writer) in 1992. They have collaborated on three novels: Beyond the Grave (1986), The Lighthouse, (1987); and Double (1984), a Nameless Detective novel, as well as on numerous anthologies. In 1987 he won The Eye, which is the Lifetime Achievement Award presented by The Private Eye Writers of America. It is a more exclusive version of their Shamus Award. He has never won an Edgar Award, although he has been nominated three times.
[edit] Selected Bibliography
Bill Pronzini has written so many novels, and compiled so many anthologies, that space limitations prohibit a complete listing. Contemporary Authors and Books in Print (both available in print and online through most library systems) are the best resources for this information. CA includes an overview of Pronzini’s career and varied writings. The following is a list of his best-known fiction.
[edit] Nameless Detective Novels
- The Snatch, Random House, (1971).
- The Vanished, Random House, (1972).
- Undercurrent, Random House, (1973).
- Blowback, Random House, (1977).
- Twospot, (With Collin Wilcox), Putnam, (1978).
- Labyrinth, St. Martin's, (1980).
- Hoodwink, St. Martin's, (1981).
- Scattershot, St. Martin's, (1982).
- Dragonfire, St. Martin's, (1982).
- Bindlestiff, St. Martin's, (1983).
- Quicksilver, St. Martin's, (1984).
- Nightshades, St. Martin's, (1984).
- Double (With Marcia Muller), St. Martin's, (1984).
- Bones, St. Martin's, (1985).
- Deadfall, St. Martin's, (1986).
- Shackles, St. Martin's, (1988).
- Jackpot, Delacorte, (1990).
- Breakdown, Delacorte, (1991).
- Quarry, Delacorte, (1992).
- Epitaphs, Delacorte, (1992).
- Demons, Delacorte, (1993).
- Hardcase, Delacorte, (1995).
- Sentinels, Carroll & Graf, (1996).
- Illusions, Carroll & Graf, (1997).
- Boobytrap, Carroll & Graf, (1998).
- Crazybone, Carroll & Graf, (2000).
- Bleeders, Carroll & Graf, (2002).
- Spook, [Carroll & Graf, (2003).
- Scenarios (short stories), Forge Books, (2005).
- Nightcrawlers, Forge Books, (2005).
- Mourners, Forge Books, (2006).
[edit] Pseudonymous Works
- Jack Foxx (four novels)
- William Jeffrey (joint works with collaborator Jeffrey Wallmann) (three novels)
[edit] Anthologies
- alone (usually): twenty-three collections, mainly mystery.
- with Barry N. Malzberg: four science fiction collections.
- with Martin H. Greenberg: fifty-six collections, mainly mystery and western.
- with Marcia Muller: twenty collections, mainly mystery, suspense, and western.
[edit] Short Stories
More than three hundred, appearing in Argosy, generally considered the first American pulp magazine; Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine; The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction; and others.
[edit] Internet Resources
- Authors and Creators. Page from The Thrilling Detective Website – Brief essay and extensive bibliography.
- Thrilling Detective. Brief appreciation of “one of the most underrated fictional private eyes”. Cites Mr. Pronzini as stating that when imagines the Nameless Detective, he sees Bill Pronzini.
- Fantastic Fiction. British bibliography with many illustrations.
- Interview from Mystery One. From August, 2002.
- Internet Book List. Ongoing project that provides a comprehensive and easily accessible database of books, authors, and related information.
