Dan Simmons

Dan Simmons
Born (1948-04-04) April 4, 1948
Peoria, Illinois
Occupation Novelist
Nationality American
Period 1983–present
Genre Science fiction, horror, fantasy
Notable works Novel: Song of Kali (1985) Novel: Hyperion (1989)
Website
dansimmons.com

Dan Simmons (born April 4, 1948) is an American science fiction and horror writer and author of the Hugo Award-winning science fiction series, the Hyperion Cantos, and the Locus-winning Ilium/Olympos cycle.

His work spans the science fiction, horror and fantasy genres, sometimes within a single novel: a typical example of Simmons' intermingling of genres is Song of Kali (1985), winner of World Fantasy Award.[1] He also writes mysteries and thrillers, some of which feature the continuing character Joe Kurtz.

Biography

Born in Peoria, Illinois, Simmons received a B.A. in English from Wabash College in 1970, and, in 1971, a Masters in Education from Washington University in St. Louis.

He soon started to write short stories, although his career did not take off until 1982, when, through Harlan Ellison's help, his short story "The River Styx Runs Upstream" was published and awarded first prize in a Twilight Zone Magazine story competition. His first novel, Song of Kali, was released in 1985.

He worked in elementary education until 1989.

Horror fiction

Summer of Night (1991) recounts the childhood of a group of pre-teens who band together in the 1960s to defeat a centuries-old evil that terrorizes their hometown of Elm Haven, Illinois. The novel, which was praised by Stephen King, is similar to King's It in its focus on small town life, the corruption of innocence, the return of an ancient evil, and the responsibility for others that emerges with the transition from youth to adulthood.

In the sequel to Summer of Night, A Winter Haunting, Dale Stewart (one of the first book's protagonists, and now an adult), revisits his boyhood home to come to grips with mysteries that have disrupted his adult life. Children of the Night, another loose sequel, features Mike O'Rourke, now much older and a Roman Catholic priest, who is sent on a mission to investigate bizarre events in a European city. Another Summer of Night character, Dale's younger brother, Lawrence Stewart, appears as a minor character in Simmons' thriller Darwin's Blade, while the adult Cordie Cooke appears in Fires of Eden.

Soon after Summer of Night, Simmons, who had written mostly horror fiction, began to focus on writing science fiction, although in 2007 he returned with a work of historical fiction and horror, The Terror. In 2009 he also wrote a book, Drood, based on the last years of Charles Dickens' life, those leading up to the writing of The Mystery of Edwin Drood, which Dickens had partially completed at the time of his death.[2]

Historical fiction

The Terror (2007) crosses the bridge between horror and historical fiction. It is a fictionalized account of Captain Sir John Franklin's expedition to find the Northwest Passage. The two ships HMS Erebus and HMS Terror become icebound the first winter, and the captains and crew struggle to survive while being stalked across an Arctic landscape by a monster.

The Abominable (2013) recounts a late 1920s attempt on Mount Everest by five climbers—two English, one French, one Sherpa, and one American, the narrator—to recover the body of the cousin of one of the English characters. What follows is a tale of the early days of mountain climbing, a history of the early assaults on Everest, intrigue, espionage, and human dedication and willpower.

Literary references

Simmons became famous in 1989 for Hyperion, winner of Hugo and Locus Awards for the best science fiction novel.[3] This novel deals with a space war, and is inspired in its structure by Boccaccio's Decameron and Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.

Many of his works have similarly strong ties with classic literature:

Screen adaptations

In 2009, Scott Derrickson was set to direct "Hyperion Cantos" for Warner Bros. and Graham King, with Trevor Sands penning the script to blend the first two cantos "Hyperion" and "The Fall of Hyperion" into one film.[4] In 2011, actor Bradley Cooper expressed interest in taking over the adaptation.[5] It was recently announced that TV channel Syfy will produce a mini-series based on the Hyperion Cantos with the involvement of Cooper and King.[6]

Works

Hyperion Cantos

  1. Hyperion (1989) – Hugo and Locus Awards winner, BSFA nominee, 1990;[3] Arthur C. Clarke Award nominee, 1992[7]
  2. The Fall of Hyperion (1990) – Nebula Award nominee, 1990;[3] BSFA and Locus Awards winner, Hugo Award nominee, 1991;[8]
  3. Endymion (1996) – Locus Award shortlist, 1997[9]
  4. The Rise of Endymion (1997) – Locus Award winner, Hugo Award nominee 1998[10]

Ilium/Olympos

  1. Ilium (2003) – Locus Award winner, Hugo Award nominee, 2004[11]
  2. Olympos (2005) – Locus Award shortlist, 2006[12]

Joe Kurtz

  1. Hardcase (2001)
  2. Hard Freeze (2002)
  3. Hard as Nails (2003)

Summer of Night

Other books

Awards

Wins

Bram Stoker Award

British Fantasy Society Award

British Science Fiction Award

Hugo Award

International Horror Guild Award

Locus Award

Nocte Award

Seiun Award

World Fantasy Award

Nominations

Dan Simmons has been nominated on numerous occasions in a range of categories for his fiction, including the Arthur C. Clarke Award, Bram Stoker Award, British Fantasy Society Award, Hugo Award, Nebula Award, and World Fantasy Award.[19]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "1986 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
  2. ↑ Gwinn, Mary Ann (February 15, 2009). "Q&A: Dan Simmons, author of "Drood"". The Seattle Times.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "1990 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
  4. ↑ Fleming, Michael (Jan 29, 2009). "Scott Derrickson to direct 'Hyperion'". variety.com. Archived from the original on 2012-12-10. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  5. ↑ Falconer, Robert (May 27, 2011). "Bradley Cooper Anxious to Adapt Dan Simmons’s Hyperion for the Screen". cinemaspy.com. Archived from the original on 2012-12-10. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  6. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (June 10, 2015). "Bradley Cooper, Graham King, Todd Phillips Adapting Dan Simmons' 'Hyperion' for Syfy". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2015-08-05.
  7. 1 2 "1992 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
  8. 1 2 3 "1991 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
  9. ↑ "1997 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
  10. 1 2 "1998 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
  11. 1 2 "2004 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
  12. ↑ "2006 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
  13. ↑ "2003 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
  14. ↑ "1993 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
  15. ↑ Rafferty, Terrence (March 18, 2007). "Ice Men". The New York Times. Retrieved March 31, 2010.
  16. ↑ "2008 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
  17. ↑ "Dan Simmons The Abominable cover art reveal!". Upcoming4.me. 14 March 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  18. ↑ "Dan Simmons To Release 'The Fifth Heart', His Next Book After 'The Abominable'". Kernel's Corner. 10 March 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  19. ↑ Works in the WWEnd Database for Dan Simmons.

External links

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