F. Paul Wilson
Encyclopedia
Francis Paul Wilson is an American
author
, primarily in the science fiction
and horror
genres. His debut novel
was Healer (1976). Wilson is also a part-time practicing family physician
. He made his first sales in 1970 to Analog
while still in medical school (graduating in 1973), and continued to write science fiction throughout the seventies. In 1981 he ventured into the horror genre with the international bestseller, The Keep, and helped define the field throughout the rest of the decade. In the 1990s he became a true genre hopper, moving from science fiction to horror to medical thrillers and branching into interactive scripting for Disney Interactive and other multimedia companies. He, along with Matthew J. Costello
, created and scripted FTL Newsfeed
which ran daily on the Sci-Fi Channel
from 1992-1996.
Among Wilson's best-known characters is the anti-hero
Repairman Jack
, an urban mercenary introduced in the 1984 New York Times bestseller, The Tomb
. Unwilling to start a series character at the time, Wilson refused to write a second Repairman Jack novel until Legacies
in 1998. Since then he has written one per year along with side trips into vampire fiction (the retro Midnight Mass), science fiction (Sims
), and even a New Age thriller (The Fifth Harmonic). Current books sales are around six million.
Throughout his writing – especially in his earlier science fiction works (most notably An Enemy of the State) – Wilson has included explicitly libertarian
political philosophy which extends to his "Repairman Jack" series. He won the first Prometheus Award
in 1979 for his novel Wheels Within Wheels and another in 2004 for Sims. The Libertarian Futurist Society has also honored Wilson with their Hall of Fame Award for Healer (in 1990) and An Enemy of the State (in 1991).
Wilson is a noted fan of H. P. Lovecraft
In answer to a claim that Tolkien
's Lord of the Rings was an influence on The Keep, Wilson responded:
Like most American science fiction writers directly or indirectly influenced by Campbell's
view of the genre as a literature of ideas http://www.andrew-may.com/asf/quotes.htm, Wilson makes use of his work to speculatively explore trends and technologies as they manifest. A prominent example is his novel An Enemy of the State (published in 1980), which was written during the 1970s, an era that saw stagflation
develop in the U.S. economy. In that period, inflation
in the United States
reached its highest level since World War II, due to the issue of fiat money by the Federal Reserve. In Wilson's novel, he extends the "squeeze" of confiscatory taxation and currency debauchment to a conclusion involving a Weimar Republic
-style hyperinflation
that brings down a galactic empire – and from which humanity's only hope of rescue arrives in the form of an anarchist conspiracy to complete the Empire's downfall and replace that government's "official counterfeit" with honest money. Throughout the book, Wilson runs chapter headings quoting from economic works such as Fiat Money Inflation in France.
The Keep
was later made into a movie and there is much talk of a Repairman Jack film based on one of Wilson's novels. http://www.wotmania.com/fantasymessageboardshowmessage.asp?MessageID=45889
His short stories "Foet," "Traps" and "Lipidleggin'
" were filmed as short films and collected on the DVD "OTHERS: The Tales of F. Paul Wilson."
His short story "Pelts
" was made into an episode of Masters of Horror
.
Wilson has been a resident of Wall Township, New Jersey
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author
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:...
, primarily in the science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and horror
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
genres. His debut novel
Debut novel
A debut novel is the first novel an author publishes. Debut novels are the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to publish in the future...
was Healer (1976). Wilson is also a part-time practicing family physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
. He made his first sales in 1970 to Analog
Analog Science Fiction and Fact
Analog Science Fiction and Fact is an American science fiction magazine. As of 2011, it is the longest running continuously published magazine of that genre...
while still in medical school (graduating in 1973), and continued to write science fiction throughout the seventies. In 1981 he ventured into the horror genre with the international bestseller, The Keep, and helped define the field throughout the rest of the decade. In the 1990s he became a true genre hopper, moving from science fiction to horror to medical thrillers and branching into interactive scripting for Disney Interactive and other multimedia companies. He, along with Matthew J. Costello
Matthew J. Costello
Matthew J. Costello is the author or coauthor of numerous novels and nonfiction works. His articles have appeared in publications including the Los Angeles Times and Sports Illustrated. He scripted Trilobyte's bestselling CD-ROM interactive dramas The 7th Guest and its sequel The 11th Hour, as...
, created and scripted FTL Newsfeed
FTL Newsfeed
FTL Newsfeeds, shown on the Sci-Fi Channel, was the channel's first original program and was the first show seen on the channel before the movie Star Wars a New Hope was aired. The micro series format gave viewers 30 second snippets of fictitious news info that were supposed to have come from the...
which ran daily on the Sci-Fi Channel
Sci Fi Channel (United States)
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
from 1992-1996.
Among Wilson's best-known characters is the anti-hero
Anti-hero
In fiction, an antihero is generally considered to be a protagonist whose character is at least in some regards conspicuously contrary to that of the archetypal hero, and is in some instances its antithesis in which the character is generally useless at being a hero or heroine when they're...
Repairman Jack
Repairman Jack
This series of novels uses realistic, thriller-like situations to tell a story with a broad supernatural theme. It is technically a spin-off branch of the aforementioned larger, overarching supernatural horror series, The Adversary Cycle.- Introduction :...
, an urban mercenary introduced in the 1984 New York Times bestseller, The Tomb
The Tomb (novel)
The Tomb is the first volume in a series of Repairman Jack books written by American author F. Paul Wilson. It is also the second volume in a series of six novels known as The Adversary Cycle. It was recently updated for 2004, in order to tie in chronologically with the following Repairman Jack...
. Unwilling to start a series character at the time, Wilson refused to write a second Repairman Jack novel until Legacies
Legacies (novel)
Legacies is the second volume in a series of Repairman Jack books written by American author F. Paul Wilson. The book was first published in 1998 by Headline in England and by Forge in the US .-Reception:...
in 1998. Since then he has written one per year along with side trips into vampire fiction (the retro Midnight Mass), science fiction (Sims
Sims (novel)
Sims is a science fiction novel by F. Paul Wilson that explores a near-future event where Humanzees are created as a de facto slave race....
), and even a New Age thriller (The Fifth Harmonic). Current books sales are around six million.
Throughout his writing – especially in his earlier science fiction works (most notably An Enemy of the State) – Wilson has included explicitly libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
political philosophy which extends to his "Repairman Jack" series. He won the first Prometheus Award
Prometheus Award
The Prometheus Award is an award for libertarian science fiction novels given annually by the Libertarian Futurist Society, which also publishes a quarterly journal Prometheus. L. Neil Smith established the award in 1979, but it was not awarded regularly until the newly founded Libertarian Futurist...
in 1979 for his novel Wheels Within Wheels and another in 2004 for Sims. The Libertarian Futurist Society has also honored Wilson with their Hall of Fame Award for Healer (in 1990) and An Enemy of the State (in 1991).
Wilson is a noted fan of H. P. Lovecraft
H. P. Lovecraft
Howard Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
Why? Because HPL is special to me.
Donald A. Wollheim is to blame. He started me on Lovecraft. It was 1959. I was just a kid, a mere thirteen years old when he slipped me my first fix. I was a good kid up till then, reading Ace Doubles and clean, wholesome science fiction stories by the likes of Heinlein, E.E. Smith, Poul Anderson, Fred Pohl, and the rest. But he brought me down with one anthology. He knew what he was doing. He called it THE MACABRE READER and slapped this lurid neato cool Ed Emshwiller cover on it. I couldn't resist. I bought it.
I read it. And that was it. The beginning of my end.
In answer to a claim that Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's Lord of the Rings was an influence on The Keep, Wilson responded:
First off, I'm not a fan of LOtR – I struggled through it once as a teen (skimming a lot) and never looked back. ... The influences on The Keep were Ludlum, R. E. Howard, and Lovecraft.
Like most American science fiction writers directly or indirectly influenced by Campbell's
John W. Campbell
John Wood Campbell, Jr. was an influential figure in American science fiction. As editor of Astounding Science Fiction , from late 1937 until his death, he is generally credited with shaping the so-called Golden Age of Science Fiction.Isaac Asimov called Campbell "the most powerful force in...
view of the genre as a literature of ideas http://www.andrew-may.com/asf/quotes.htm, Wilson makes use of his work to speculatively explore trends and technologies as they manifest. A prominent example is his novel An Enemy of the State (published in 1980), which was written during the 1970s, an era that saw stagflation
Stagflation
In economics, stagflation is a situation in which the inflation rate is high and the economic growth rate slows down and unemployment remains steadily high...
develop in the U.S. economy. In that period, inflation
Inflation
In economics, inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time.When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. Consequently, inflation also reflects an erosion in the purchasing power of money – a...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
reached its highest level since World War II, due to the issue of fiat money by the Federal Reserve. In Wilson's novel, he extends the "squeeze" of confiscatory taxation and currency debauchment to a conclusion involving a Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
-style hyperinflation
Hyperinflation
In economics, hyperinflation is inflation that is very high or out of control. While the real values of the specific economic items generally stay the same in terms of relatively stable foreign currencies, in hyperinflationary conditions the general price level within a specific economy increases...
that brings down a galactic empire – and from which humanity's only hope of rescue arrives in the form of an anarchist conspiracy to complete the Empire's downfall and replace that government's "official counterfeit" with honest money. Throughout the book, Wilson runs chapter headings quoting from economic works such as Fiat Money Inflation in France.
The Keep
The Keep (film)
The Keep is a 1983 horror film directed by Michael Mann and starring Scott Glenn, Gabriel Byrne, Jürgen Prochnow, Alberta Watson and Ian McKellen. It was released by Paramount Pictures. The story is based on the F...
was later made into a movie and there is much talk of a Repairman Jack film based on one of Wilson's novels. http://www.wotmania.com/fantasymessageboardshowmessage.asp?MessageID=45889
Hate to say it (being a devout believer in Murphy’s law), but The Tomb looks like it’s on its way to being filmed this year. Last October, after seven years of development, numerous options, five screenwriters, and eight scripts, Beacon Films ("Air Force One," "Thirteen Days," "Spy Game," etc) finally bought film rights. Disney/Touchstone/Buena Vista will be partnering and distributing the film here and abroad.The film will be called "Repairman Jack" (the idea is to make him a franchise character).
His short stories "Foet," "Traps" and "Lipidleggin'
Lipidleggin'
"Lipidleggin'" is a science fiction short story by F Paul Wilson. It was first published in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine in 1978.-Plot:The United States government has outlawed butter and eggs because of their high cholesterol content...
" were filmed as short films and collected on the DVD "OTHERS: The Tales of F. Paul Wilson."
His short story "Pelts
Pelts (Masters of Horror episode)
Pelts is the sixth episode of the second season of Masters of Horror, first aired December 1, 2006, based on a short story by F. Paul Wilson.-Plot:...
" was made into an episode of Masters of Horror
Masters of Horror
Masters of Horror is an informal social group of international film writers and directors specializing in horror movies and an American television series created by director Mick Garris for the Showtime cable network.- Origin :...
.
Wilson has been a resident of Wall Township, New Jersey
Wall Township, New Jersey
Wall Township is a township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 26,164.Wall Township was formally incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 7, 1851...
.
The Adversary Cycle
- The Keep (1981), ISBN 0-688-00626-4
- The TombThe Tomb (novel)The Tomb is the first volume in a series of Repairman Jack books written by American author F. Paul Wilson. It is also the second volume in a series of six novels known as The Adversary Cycle. It was recently updated for 2004, in order to tie in chronologically with the following Repairman Jack...
(1984), ISBN 0-918372-11-9 (re-released in 2004 under its original title, Rakoshi, by Borderlands Press) - The Touch (1986), ISBN 0-515-08733-5
- RebornReborn (novel)Reborn is the fourth volume in a series of six novels known as The Adversary Cycle written by American author F. Paul Wilson. First published in March 1990 by Dark Harvest.In 2009, a revised edition was published.-Plot summary:...
(1990), ISBN 0-913165-52-2 (revised edition in 2009) - ReprisalReprisal (novel)Reprisal is the fifth volume in a series of six novels known as The Adversary Cycle written by American author F. Paul Wilson. First published in July 1991 by Dark Harvest....
(1991), ISBN 0-913165-59-X (revised edition in 2011) - NightworldNightworld (novel)Nightworld is the sixth and final volume in a series of novels known as The Adversary Cycle written by American author F. Paul Wilson. First published in 1992 by New English Library in England and Dark Harvest in US...
(1992), ISBN 0-913165-71-9 (revised edition in 2012)
Repairman Jack
- The TombThe Tomb (novel)The Tomb is the first volume in a series of Repairman Jack books written by American author F. Paul Wilson. It is also the second volume in a series of six novels known as The Adversary Cycle. It was recently updated for 2004, in order to tie in chronologically with the following Repairman Jack...
(1984), ISBN 0-918372-11-9 (re-released in 2004 under its original title, Rakoshi, by Borderlands Press) - "A Day in the Life" (short story) (1989) (available in The Barrens and Others)
- "The Long Way Home" (short story) (1992)
- "Home Repairs" (short story) (1996) (later incorporated into ConspiraciesConspiracies (novel)Conspiracies is the third volume in a series of Repairman Jack books written by American author F. Paul Wilson. The book was first published in March 1999 by Gauntlet Press as a signed, limited edition...
) - "The Wringer" (short story) (1996) (later incorporated into Fatal Error)
- "The Last Rakosh" (1990) (later incorporated into All The RageAll The Rage (novel)All The Rage is the fourth volume in a series of Repairman Jack books written by American author F. Paul Wilson. The book was first published by Gauntlet Press in a signed limited first edition then later as a trade hardcover from Forge and as a mass market paperback from Forge .Reviewer Charles...
, then in 2006 as revised hardcover and paperback editions) - LegaciesLegacies (novel)Legacies is the second volume in a series of Repairman Jack books written by American author F. Paul Wilson. The book was first published in 1998 by Headline in England and by Forge in the US .-Reception:...
(1998), ISBN 0-312-86414-0 - ConspiraciesConspiracies (novel)Conspiracies is the third volume in a series of Repairman Jack books written by American author F. Paul Wilson. The book was first published in March 1999 by Gauntlet Press as a signed, limited edition...
(1999), ISBN 0-312-86797-2 - All The RageAll The Rage (novel)All The Rage is the fourth volume in a series of Repairman Jack books written by American author F. Paul Wilson. The book was first published by Gauntlet Press in a signed limited first edition then later as a trade hardcover from Forge and as a mass market paperback from Forge .Reviewer Charles...
(2000), ISBN 0-312-86796-4 - HostsHosts (novel)Hosts is the fifth volume in a series of Repairman Jack books written by American author F. Paul Wilson. The book was first published by Gauntlet Press in a signed limited first edition then later as a trade hardcover from Forge and a mass market paperback from Forge ....
(2001), ISBN 0-312-87866-4 - The Haunted AirThe Haunted Air (novel)The Haunted Air is the sixth volume in a series of Repairman Jack books written by American author F. Paul Wilson. The book was first published by Gauntlet Press in a signed limited first edition then later as a trade hardcover from Forge and a mass market paperback from Forge ....
(2002), ISBN 0-312-87868-0 - GatewaysGateways (novel)Gateways is the seventh volume in a series of Repairman Jack books written by American author F. Paul Wilson. The book was first published by Gauntlet Press in a signed limited first edition then later as a trade hardcover from Forge and a mass market paperback from Forge ....
(2003), ISBN 0-7653-0690-5 - CrisscrossCrisscross (novel)Crisscross is the eighth volume in a series of Repairman Jack books written by American author F. Paul Wilson. The book was first published by Gauntlet Press in a signed limited first edition then later as a trade hardcover from Forge and a mass market paperback from Forge ....
(2004), ISBN 0-7653-0691-3 - InfernalInfernal (novel)Infernal is the ninth volume in a series of Repairman Jack books written by American author F. Paul Wilson. The book was first published by Gauntlet Press in a signed limited first edition then later as a trade hardcover from Forge and a mass market paperback from Forge ....
(2005), ISBN 0-7653-1275-1 - HarbingersHarbingers (novel)Harbingers is the tenth volume in a series of Repairman Jack books written by American author F. Paul Wilson. The book was first published by Gauntlet Press in a signed limited first edition , later as a trade hardcover from Forge , and finally as a mass market paperback from Forge ....
(2006), ISBN 0-7653-1276-X - "Interlude at Duane's" (short story) (2006) (available in the James Patterson-edited anthology Thriller and Aftershock and Others)
- BloodlineBloodline (Repairman Jack novel)Bloodline is the eleventh volume in a series of Repairman Jack books written by American author F. Paul Wilson. The book was first published by Gauntlet Press in a signed limited first edition and later as a trade hardcover from Forge .-Plot summary:The novel begins a bit after Gia and Vicky...
(2007), ISBN 0-7653-1706-0 - "Do-Gooder" (short short) (2007) (a 200-copy limited one-sheet "short short")
- By The Sword (2008), ISBN 0-7653-1707-9
- Ground Zero (2009), ISBN 978-0765322814
- Fatal Error (2010), ISBN 978-1934267189
- The Dark at the End (final Repairman Jack novel) (TBP Oct 11, 2011)
Young Repairman Jack
- Secret Histories (young adult novel) (2008)
- Secret Circles (young adult novel) (2010)
- Secret Vengeance (young adult novel) (2011)
LaNague Federation
- An Enemy of the State (1980), ISBN 0-385-15422-4 (reprinted in 2005, includes "Lipidleggin'" and "Ratman" ISBN 0-9766544-2-3)
- Wheels Within Wheels (1978), ISBN 0-385-14397-4 (revised/reprinted in 2005, includes "Higher Centers" and "The Man with the Anteater" ISBN 0-9766544-3-1)
- Healer (1976), ISBN 0-385-11548-2 (reprinted in 2005, includes "To Fill the Sea and Air" ISBN 0-9766544-1-5)
- Dydeetown World (1989), ISBN 0-671-69828-1
- The Tery (1990), ISBN 0-671-69855-9 (revised in 2006, ISBN 1-892950-32-4)
- LaNague Chronicles (1992), ISBN 0-671-72139-9 (includes An Enemy of the State, Wheels Within Wheels and Healer)
Other Books
- Black Wind (1988), ISBN 0-312-93064-X
- Soft and Others (1989), ISBN 0-312-93117-4 (short story collection)
- Sibs (1991), ISBN 0812531248
- Freak Show (1992), ISBN 0-671-69574-6 (contributor and editor)
- The SelectThe SelectThe Select is a 1994 novel written by American author F. Paul Wilson. It was first published in England as The Foundation and uses British-style punctuation....
(1994), ISBN 0-688-04618-5 - Implant (1995) (writing as Colin Andrews), ISBN 0-312-89034-6
- Virgin (1996) (writing as Mary Elizabeth Murphy), ISBN 0-425-15124-7 (as Mary Elizabeth Murphy)
- Mirage (1996), ISBN 0-446-51976-6 (with Matthew J. Costello)
- Deep as the Marrow (1997) (writing as Colin Andrews), ISBN 0-312-86264-4
- Nightkill (1997), ISBN 0-312-85910-4 (with Steven Spruill) (some editions show "Steve Lyon")
- Masque (1998), ISBN 0-446-51977-4 (with Matthew J. Costello)
- The Barrens and Others (1998), ISBN 0-312-86416-7 (short story collection)
- The Christmas Thingy (2004), ISBN 1-58767-031-3 (children's story illustrated by Alan M. ClarkAlan M. ClarkAlan Marshall Clark is an author and an artist who is best known as the illustrator and book cover painter of many pieces of horror fiction. He was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel for his 2005 book Siren Promised .He has won the World Fantasy Award for his illustrations ,...
) - The Fifth Harmonic (2003), ISBN 1-57174-386-3
- SimsSims (novel)Sims is a science fiction novel by F. Paul Wilson that explores a near-future event where Humanzees are created as a de facto slave race....
(2003), ISBN 0-7653-0551-8 - Artifact (2003), ISBN 0-7653-0063-X (with Kevin J. Anderson, Janet Berlinger and Matthew J. Costello)
- Midnight Mass (2004), ISBN 0-7653-0705-7
- The Peabody-Ozymandias Traveling Circus & Oddity Emporium (2007)
- Aftershock and Others (2009), (short story collection)
External links
- Official Repairman Jack site
- Unofficial F. Paul Wilson FAQ
- F. Paul Wilson at Tor BooksTor BooksTor Books is one of two imprints of Tom Doherty Associates LLC, based in New York City. It is noted for its science fiction and fantasy titles. Tom Doherty Associates also publishes mainstream fiction, mystery, and occasional military history titles under its Forge imprint. The company was founded...
- Black Wind (1988) – book review
- A fan-created Wiki
Interviews
Film version of The Keep
- The Keep – Includes interviews with F. Paul Wilson, Michael Mann and Enki BilalEnki BilalEnes Bilal is a French comic book creator, comics artist and film director.-Biography:Born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, to a Slovak mother and a Bosnian father who had been Josip Broz Tito's tailor, he moved to Paris at the age of 9. At age 14, he met René Goscinny and with his encouragement applied...
, creator of the visual given to "Molasar," the film version of The Keep's villain. - The alternative endings of the movie.
- A comical parody page about the movie adaptation of The Keep