Eric Shapiro
Encyclopedia
Eric Shapiro is an American author
of novel
s, short stories
, and essays, as well as a feature filmmaker.
. He graduated from Boston's Emerson College
and lives in Los Angeles, California
.
Shapiro's novel "The Devoted" is due for publication by Literary Partners Group's horror/thriller e-publishing imprint Ravenous Shadows at the end of 2011. The novel documents the last day in the life of a suicide cult.
In 2011, Shapiro wrote and directed a short film adaptation of Jack Ketchum
's short story "Mail Order."
Shapiro produced and directed a feature film titled "Rule of Three," which had its world premiere in July 2008 at the Fantasia Festival
, and its U.S. premiere in September 2008 at Fantastic Fest
. The film's North American DVD release was in October, 2010, and it began streaming on Netflix
Instant in May, 2011.
Collected novels and short fiction from Eric Shapiro are compiled in a volume titled "Stories for the End of the World," released by Permuted Press in October, 2010. Other short fiction by Eric Shapiro appeared in "Zombies: Encounters with the Hungry Dead" (2009) and "Werewolves and Shape Shifters: Encounters with the Beast Within" (2010), both edited by John Skipp
. A short essay about scary movies written by Shapiro appeared in Harper Collins' "The Book of Lists: Horror" (Bram Stoker Award
Nominee for Nonfiction, 2008).
Shapiro's short apocalyptic novel, It's Only Temporary (2005), depicts the world before it is destroyed by a meteorite, and was on the Preliminary Nominee ballot for the 2006 Bram Stoker Award
in Long Fiction. Shapiro's novella "Days of Allison" addresses technology and human relationships and was released by Crowswing Books in November, 2006. The book's introduction was written by Kealan Patrick Burke
. Another short novel by the author, titled "Strawberry Man," depicts apocalyptic happenings and was released by Insidious Publications in 2007. The book's introduction was written by John Skipp
.
Short fiction by Eric Shapiro can be found in the fiction anthologies "The Elastic Book of Numbers" (British Fantasy Award
Winner for Best Anthology, 2006), "Daikaiju!" (Ditmar Award
Winner for Collected Work, 2006), and "Corpse Blossoms" (Bram Stoker Award
Nominee for Anthology, 2006), among other speculative fiction
anthologies.
, and explores themes involving karma along with Shapiro's more familiar revelatory content.
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
of novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s, short stories
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
, and essays, as well as a feature filmmaker.
Biography
Eric Shapiro was born in Freehold Borough, New JerseyFreehold Borough, New Jersey
Freehold is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 12,052. It is the county seat of Monmouth County....
. He graduated from Boston's Emerson College
Emerson College
Emerson College is a private coeducational university located in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a "school of oratory," Emerson is "the only comprehensive college or university in America dedicated exclusively to communication and the arts in a liberal arts...
and lives in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
.
Shapiro's novel "The Devoted" is due for publication by Literary Partners Group's horror/thriller e-publishing imprint Ravenous Shadows at the end of 2011. The novel documents the last day in the life of a suicide cult.
In 2011, Shapiro wrote and directed a short film adaptation of Jack Ketchum
Jack Ketchum
Jack Ketchum is the pseudonym for American author Dallas Mayr . He is the recipient of four Bram Stoker Awards and three further nominations. Many of his novels have been adapted to film, including The Girl Next Door and Red...
's short story "Mail Order."
Shapiro produced and directed a feature film titled "Rule of Three," which had its world premiere in July 2008 at the Fantasia Festival
Fantasia Festival
Fantasia International Film Festival is a genre film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996...
, and its U.S. premiere in September 2008 at Fantastic Fest
Fantastic Fest
Fantastic Fest is an annual film festival in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 2005 by Tim League of Alamo Drafthouse, Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News, Paul Alvarado-Dykstra, and Tim McCanlies, writer of The Iron Giant and Secondhand Lions. The festival focuses on genre films such as horror,...
. The film's North American DVD release was in October, 2010, and it began streaming on Netflix
Netflix
Netflix, Inc., is an American provider of on-demand internet streaming media in the United States, Canada, and Latin America and flat rate DVD-by-mail in the United States. The company was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California...
Instant in May, 2011.
Collected novels and short fiction from Eric Shapiro are compiled in a volume titled "Stories for the End of the World," released by Permuted Press in October, 2010. Other short fiction by Eric Shapiro appeared in "Zombies: Encounters with the Hungry Dead" (2009) and "Werewolves and Shape Shifters: Encounters with the Beast Within" (2010), both edited by John Skipp
John Skipp
John Skipp is a splatterpunk horror and fantasy author and anthology editor, as well as a songwriter, screenwriter, film director, and film producer. He collaborated with Craig Spector on the 1989 anthology Book of the Dead, and has also collaborated with Marc Levinthal and Cody Goodfellow...
. A short essay about scary movies written by Shapiro appeared in Harper Collins' "The Book of Lists: Horror" (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...
Nominee for Nonfiction, 2008).
Shapiro's short apocalyptic novel, It's Only Temporary (2005), depicts the world before it is destroyed by a meteorite, and was on the Preliminary Nominee ballot for the 2006 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...
in Long Fiction. Shapiro's novella "Days of Allison" addresses technology and human relationships and was released by Crowswing Books in November, 2006. The book's introduction was written by Kealan Patrick Burke
Kealan Patrick Burke
Kealan Patrick Burke was born and raised in Dungarvan, Ireland. He is best known as an award-winning author described as "a newcomer worth watching" by Publishers Weekly...
. Another short novel by the author, titled "Strawberry Man," depicts apocalyptic happenings and was released by Insidious Publications in 2007. The book's introduction was written by John Skipp
John Skipp
John Skipp is a splatterpunk horror and fantasy author and anthology editor, as well as a songwriter, screenwriter, film director, and film producer. He collaborated with Craig Spector on the 1989 anthology Book of the Dead, and has also collaborated with Marc Levinthal and Cody Goodfellow...
.
Short fiction by Eric Shapiro can be found in the fiction anthologies "The Elastic Book of Numbers" (British Fantasy Award
British Fantasy Award
The British Fantasy Awards are administered annually by the British Fantasy Society and were first awarded in 1971. The membership of the BFS vote to determine recommendations, short-lists and winners of the awards...
Winner for Best Anthology, 2006), "Daikaiju!" (Ditmar Award
Ditmar Award
The Ditmar Award has been awarded annually since 1969 at the Australian National Science Fiction Convention to recognise achievement in Australian science fiction and science fiction fandom...
Winner for Collected Work, 2006), and "Corpse Blossoms" (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...
Nominee for Anthology, 2006), among other speculative fiction
Speculative fiction
Speculative fiction is an umbrella term encompassing the more fantastical fiction genres, specifically science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural fiction, superhero fiction, utopian and dystopian fiction, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, and alternate history in literature as well as...
anthologies.
Style
Shapiro writes genre fiction with an emphasis on the characters' personal psychology and inner lives. His novels are all written in the first-person and in the present tense, with characters who are often in a state of nervous breakdown, revelation, and/or sexual dysfunction. In "It's Only Temporary," "Days of Allison," and "Strawberry Man," the protagonists gain awareness of their true natures amidst violent and taxing circumstances. The screenplay for "Rule of Three" was penned by Rhoda JordanRhoda Jordan
Rhoda Jordan is an actor and screenwriter from Los Angeles, California, who has appeared in Never Die Alone with DMX, Aquanoids, and Death Factory with Tiffany Shepis...
, and explores themes involving karma along with Shapiro's more familiar revelatory content.
Fiction collections
- Stories for the End of the World (2010)
- Short of a Picnic (2002) (out of print)
Anthologies
- HELP! Wanted: Tales of On-the-Job Terror (2011)
- Werewolves and Shape Shifters: Encounters with the Beast Within (2010)
- Zombies: Encounters with the Hungry Dead (2009)
- The Book of Lists: Horror (2008)
- The Undead: Skin and Bones (2007)
- The Elastic Book of Numbers (2005)
- Daikaiju! (2005)
- Corpse Blossoms (2005)
- The Undead: Zombie Anthology (2005)
Short fiction
- "Newborn" (2005) in Daikaiju! Giant Monster TalesDaikaiju! Giant Monster TalesDaikaiju! Giant Monster Tales is a 2005 speculative fiction anthology edited by Robert Hood and Robin Pen.-Background:Daikaiju! Giant Monster Tales was first published in Australia in 2005 by Agog! Press in hardback format. It won the 2006 Ditmar Award for best collected work. Daikaiju! Giant...
(ed. Robert HoodRob HoodRobert Hood is an Australian writer and editor recognised as one of Australia's leading horror writers. He has published five young adult novels, three collections of his short fiction, fifteen children's books and over 100 short stories in anthologies and magazines in Australia and overseas...
, Robin Pen)
External links
- Eric Shapiro at the Internet Movie Database
- Total Quality Reading Interview
- One Woman's Writing Retreat Interview