Chet Williamson
Encyclopedia
Chet Williamson is the author of nearly twenty books and over a hundred short stories published in The New Yorker
, Playboy
, Esquire
, and many other magazines and anthologies.
. He attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania
, receiving a B.S. in 1970, and went on to be a teacher at public schools in Cleveland, Ohio
, then he became a professional actor
before becoming a freelance writer in 1986. His earlier novels include Second Chance, an ecological thriller/romance, Ash Wednesday, Reign and Dreamthorp. His story, "Gandhi at the Bat", was made into a short film by Stephanie Argy and Alec Boehm. Figures in Rain, a collection of Williamson's short stories, won the International Horror Guild Award
. He has been shortlisted twice for the World Fantasy Award
, six times for the Horror Writers Association
's Bram Stoker Award
, and once for the Mystery Writers of America
's Edgar Award
. His books have been translated and published in many languages and countries, including France
, Germany
, Russia
, Italy
and Japan
. Many of his out of print books have been reprinted as e-books by Crossroad Press.
Williamson has also worked in the field of theatre, and a ghost story/psychological thriller, "Revenant," was produced at Theater of the Seventh Sister in Lancaster PA. From 2001 to 2007, he was the lead singer and guitarist for the Irish duo Fire in the Glen, in which he was partnered with fiddler and bodhranist Tom Knapp. A lifelong member of Actors' Equity Association, he eventually resumed his acting career, and has performed in plays and musicals at Lancaster's Fulton Opera House and Theater of the Seventh Sister. In 2010 he began recording performances of Andrew Vachss's short stories, as well as some of his own, for the MPformance.com website (www.MPformance.com). He has also recorded unabridged audiobooks of several of his novels, as well as works by Michael Moorcock, Tom Piccirilli, and Zoe Winters for Crossroad Press/Springbook Audio.
Williamson is the author of one of the horror and fantasy field's true rarities, Kaikon, a chapbook published by Phantasmagoria Publications of Toronto. The chapbook, consisting of one previously published story, "The Pebbles of Sai-No-Kawara," and one new story, "Blanket Man," was printed in 2006, but the publisher did not release the book because of production difficulties with the accompanying wooden and resin box. Of the edition of 200 copies, the publisher sent a number of copies to the author. There are no plans to further distribute the book.
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
, Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
, Esquire
Esquire (magazine)
Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:...
, and many other magazines and anthologies.
Biography
Chet Williamson was born in 1948 in Lancaster, PennsylvaniaLancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
. He attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana University of Pennsylvania is a public university in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, USA. The university is northeast of Pittsburgh. It is the largest university in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and is the commonwealth's fifth largest university...
, receiving a B.S. in 1970, and went on to be a teacher at public schools in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, then he became a professional actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
before becoming a freelance writer in 1986. His earlier novels include Second Chance, an ecological thriller/romance, Ash Wednesday, Reign and Dreamthorp. His story, "Gandhi at the Bat", was made into a short film by Stephanie Argy and Alec Boehm. Figures in Rain, a collection of Williamson's short stories, won the International Horror Guild Award
International Horror Guild Award
The International Horror Guild Award is a recognition presented by the International Horror Guild to recognize the achievements of those who create in the field of horror and dark fantasy. Nancy A. Collins, the founder of the award, felt there was a need for an award granted by a large,...
. He has been shortlisted twice for the World Fantasy Award
World Fantasy Award
The World Fantasy Awards are annual, international awards given to authors and artists who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of fantasy...
, six times for the Horror Writers Association
Horror Writers Association
The Horror Writers Association is a worldwide non-profit organization of professional writers and publishing professionals dedicated to promoting the interests of Horror and Dark Fantasy writers. It was formed in the 1980s with the help of many of the field's greats, including Joe Lansdale, Robert...
's Bram Stoker Award
Bram Stoker Award
The Bram Stoker Award is a recognition presented by the Horror Writers Association for "superior achievement" in horror writing. The awards have been presented annually since 1987, and the winners are selected by ballot of the Active members of the HWA...
, and once for the Mystery Writers of America
Mystery Writers of America
Mystery Writers of America is an organization for mystery writers, based in New York.The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday....
's Edgar Award
Edgar Award
The Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...
. His books have been translated and published in many languages and countries, including France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Many of his out of print books have been reprinted as e-books by Crossroad Press.
Williamson has also worked in the field of theatre, and a ghost story/psychological thriller, "Revenant," was produced at Theater of the Seventh Sister in Lancaster PA. From 2001 to 2007, he was the lead singer and guitarist for the Irish duo Fire in the Glen, in which he was partnered with fiddler and bodhranist Tom Knapp. A lifelong member of Actors' Equity Association, he eventually resumed his acting career, and has performed in plays and musicals at Lancaster's Fulton Opera House and Theater of the Seventh Sister. In 2010 he began recording performances of Andrew Vachss's short stories, as well as some of his own, for the MPformance.com website (www.MPformance.com). He has also recorded unabridged audiobooks of several of his novels, as well as works by Michael Moorcock, Tom Piccirilli, and Zoe Winters for Crossroad Press/Springbook Audio.
Williamson is the author of one of the horror and fantasy field's true rarities, Kaikon, a chapbook published by Phantasmagoria Publications of Toronto. The chapbook, consisting of one previously published story, "The Pebbles of Sai-No-Kawara," and one new story, "Blanket Man," was printed in 2006, but the publisher did not release the book because of production difficulties with the accompanying wooden and resin box. Of the edition of 200 copies, the publisher sent a number of copies to the author. There are no plans to further distribute the book.
Novels
- Soulstorm (1986)
- Ash Wednesday (1987)
- McKain's Dilemma (1988)
- Lowland Rider (1988)
- Dreamthorp (1989)
- Reign (1990)
- MordenheimVictor MordenheimVictor Mordenheim is a fictional character; from the Ravenloft campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Fictional character biography:...
(1994) - Second Chance (1994)
- Hell: A Cyberpunk Thriller (1995)
- The Crow: City of Angels (1996)
- Murder in Cormyr (1996)
- The Crow: Clash By Night (1998)
- Pennsylvania Dutch Night Before Christmas (2000)
- Uniting Work and Spirit: A Centennial History of Elizabethtown College (2001)
- The Story of Noichi the Blind (2007)
- Pennsylvania Dutch Alphabet (2007)
- Defenders of the Faith (2011)
Collections
- The House of Fear: A Study in Comparative Religions (1989)
- Figures in Rain: Weird And Ghostly Tales (2002)
- Kaikon (Remorse) (2006)
Series
Searchers- 1. City of Iron (1998)
- 2. Empire of Dust (1998)
- 3. Siege of Stone (1999)
External links
- Official website
- Chet Williamson's bibliography
- Interview with Chet Williamson on (re)Search my Trash