Joseph S. Pulver Sr. facts for kids
Joseph S. Pulver Sr. (born July 5, 1955 – died April 24, 2020) was an American writer and poet. He was known for his stories in the horror fiction (scary stories), noir fiction (dark detective stories), and dark fantasy (fantasy with a spooky twist) styles. He lived in Germany and passed away in a German hospital.
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Joseph Pulver's Writing Career
Joseph Pulver started writing and publishing in the early 1990s. His first short stories appeared in small magazines in America. One important magazine was Crypt of Cthulhu, run by Robert M. Price.
Pulver's stories often explored interesting topics. These included the classic horror film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and the spooky worlds created by authors like H. P. Lovecraft and Robert W. Chambers.
His first big novel was called "Nightmare's Disciple". It was a Lovecraftian story, meaning it was inspired by H.P. Lovecraft's unique style of horror.
Where Pulver's Stories Appeared
Besides small magazines, Joseph Pulver's work was featured in many anthologies. Anthologies are collections of stories by different authors. His stories appeared in books published in the US, UK, France, and Japan.
Some of these collections include:
- "Black Wings: New Tales of Lovecraftian Horror"
- "The Tindalos Mythos"
- "Spawn of the Green Abyss"
- "The Book of Eibon"
- Lin Carter's "Anton Zarnak: Supernatural Sleuth"
- "Rehearsals For Oblivion"
Many of his short stories, almost two dozen, were translated into French and Japanese.
Joseph Pulver's Work as an Editor
Joseph Pulver also worked as an editor, helping to put together books and magazines. He was the editor for magazines like Midnight Shambler and Tales of Lovecraftian Horror. He also helped edit Crypt of Cthulhu with other writers.
He edited collections of stories by other authors too. These included The Worms Remember by Ann K. Schwader and Dark Shadows on the Moon by John B. Ford.
Notable Anthologies Edited by Pulver
In 2012, Pulver edited A Season in Carcosa. This was a collection of new stories based on Robert W. Chambers' famous "The King in Yellow" tales. A year later, he edited The Grimscribe's Puppets, which won an award. This book was a tribute to the writer Thomas Ligotti.
Mr. Pulver was also a special guest editor for a Lovecraft eZine issue about The King in Yellow in 2014.
In 2015, he edited Cassilda's Song for Chaosium. This was another anthology based on Robert W. Chambers's King in Yellow, but all the new stories were written by female writers.
For the Necronomicon Providence event, Mr. Pulver edited a special "Round Robin" project. This included stories, artwork, and accounts from people who attended the event in 2013 and 2015.
More anthologies edited by Joseph S. Pulver were published in 2016 and 2017. These included:
- The Madness of Dr. Caligari (2016)
- Darker Companions (2016), a tribute to Ramsey Campbell, which he co-edited
- Born under a Bad Sign (2016)
- The Leaves of a Necronomicon (2016/2017)
Mr. Pulver also helped release the short novel Knife Dance by Michael Cisco in 2016.
Awards and Recognitions
Joseph S. Pulver's work as an editor earned him several important awards and nominations.
- 2013 Shirley Jackson Award: He won this award for his excellent work as an editor on the anthology The Grimscribe's Puppets.
- 2013 Bram Stoker Award: He was a finalist for this award in the "Superior Achievement in the Anthology Category" for The Grimscribe's Puppets.
- 2016 World Fantasy Award: Cassilda's Song was a finalist for the "Best Anthology" award.
- 2016 Shirley Jackson Award: His edited anthology The Madness of Dr. Caligari was nominated for this award.