Jack Finney facts for kids

Walter Braden "Jack" Finney (born John Finney; October 2, 1911 – November 14, 1995) was a famous American writer. He was best known for his exciting science fiction and thriller stories. His most popular books include The Body Snatchers and Time and Again. The Body Snatchers was even made into a movie called Invasion of the Body Snatchers in 1956, and it had many remakes later on.

About Jack Finney's Life

Finney was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His birth name was John Finney. When he was three years old, his father passed away. He was then renamed Walter Braden Finney, after his father. However, everyone still called him "Jack."

He went to Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois. He graduated from there in 1934. Jack Finney married Marguerite Guest, and they had two children, Kenneth and Marguerite.

After living in New York City for a while, where he worked for an advertising agency, he moved his family to California in the early 1950s. He lived in Mill Valley, California. Jack Finney passed away in Greenbrae, California, at 84 years old. He died from lung problems like pneumonia and emphysema.

Jack Finney's Writing Journey

Jack Finney started his writing career by publishing an article in Cosmopolitan magazine in 1943. This article was about how important it was to keep secrets during World War II. As an advertising writer, he helped spread the message that careless talk could help the enemy.

His short story "The Widow's Walk" won a writing contest in 1946. His first novel, 5 Against the House, came out in 1954. It was quickly turned into a movie the next year.

Famous Books and Movies

One of Finney's most famous novels is The Body Snatchers, published in 1955. This book became the basis for the 1956 movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers. This movie was so popular that it led to several remakes over the years.

Another one of his novels, Assault on a Queen (1959), was also made into a film. This movie starred Frank Sinatra. He played the leader of a group planning a daring robbery of the famous ship, the RMS Queen Mary.

Time Travel Adventures

Jack Finney's biggest success was his science fiction novel Time and Again, published in 1970. This book is all about time travel to the past. He had explored this idea in some of his earlier short stories.

In Time and Again, the main character, Simon Morley, works in advertising in New York City. He is asked to join a secret government project to try time travel. Morley travels back to New York City in 1882. The book is special because Finney describes life in the city back then in amazing detail. The book even includes drawings and photos that Morley supposedly took during his adventures. Morley visits many real historical places, some of which are no longer there today. Others, like St. Patrick's Cathedral, still stand tall.

In 1987, Jack Finney received the World Fantasy Award for his lifetime achievements in writing.

Stories on Screen

Finney's short story "Such Interesting Neighbors" was adapted for television twice. First, it was an episode of Science Fiction Theatre in 1955. Later, it became an episode of the Amazing Stories TV series, created by Steven Spielberg, in 1987.

In 1995, twenty-five years after Time and Again, Finney wrote a sequel called From Time to Time. This book continues Simon Morley's adventures, this time in Manhattan in 1912. Jack Finney finished this book not long before he passed away at 84.

His short story "The Love Letter" was also made into a television movie in 1998.

Jack Finney's Works

Short Stories

• "The Widow's Walk" (1947)
• "Such Interesting Neighbors" (1951)
• "I'm Scared" (1951)
• "The Third Level" (1952)
• "Of Missing Persons" (1955)
• "The Love Letter" (1959)

Novels

• 5 Against the House (1954)
• The Body Snatchers (1955)
• The House of Numbers (1957)
• Assault on a Queen (1959)
• Good Neighbor Sam (1963)
• The Woodrow Wilson Dime (1968)
• Time and Again (1970)
• Marion's Wall (1973)
• The Night People (1977)
• From Time to Time (1995) – a sequel to Time and Again

Collections

• The Third Level (1957)
• I Love Galesburg in the Springtime (1963)
• About Time (1986)

Plays

• Telephone Roulette: A Comedy in One Act (1956)
• This Winter's Hobby: A Play (1966)

Film Adaptations

Many of Jack Finney's books and stories have been made into movies:

• 5 Against the House (1955)
• Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
• House of Numbers (1957)
• Good Neighbor Sam (1964)
• Assault on a Queen (1966)
• Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978 remake)
• Maxie (1985, based on Marion's Wall)
• Body Snatchers (1993 remake)
• The Love Letter (1998 TV movie)
• The Invasion (2007 remake)

See also

In Spanish: Jack Finney para niños