Mark Coggins facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mark Coggins
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Robert Crais and Mark Coggins
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| Born | 1957 (age 67–68) New Mexico, United States |
| Occupation | Author, photographer |
| Language | English |
| Nationality | American |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Education | Stanford University (MS) |
| Genre | crime fiction |
| Notable works | The Immortal Game The Big Wake-Up |
| Notable awards | Independent Publisher Book Awards 2010 The Big Wake-Up |
Mark Coggins (born 1957) is an American author and photographer. He is a member of the Choctaw Nation. He is well-known for his series of mystery novels. These books feature a private detective character named August Riordan.
Contents
About Mark Coggins
Mark Coggins was born in New Mexico in 1957. He went to Stanford University. There, he studied International Relations and Computer Science. He also became a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, which is an honor society for smart students. Mark Coggins is an official member of the Choctaw Nation.
Early Writing
While at Stanford, Coggins took classes to learn how to write creatively. His teachers included famous authors like Tobias Wolff and Ron Hansen. In one of Hansen's classes, Coggins wrote his very first short story about August Riordan. This story was published in 1986. It appeared in The New Black Mask, a magazine that brought back the style of old "pulp" magazines. These magazines helped start the careers of famous mystery writers like Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler.
Work in Technology
Coggins has also worked in Silicon Valley. This is a famous area in California known for its many technology companies. He worked for big companies like Hewlett Packard and Netscape. Even though his detective character, August Riordan, isn't very good with technology, Coggins' novels often explore themes about high-tech and the culture of Silicon Valley.
Mark Coggins' Books
Mark Coggins has written several interesting books. Many of them are mystery stories.
Mystery Novels
His first book was The Immortal Game. It was about someone stealing computer software that could play chess, much like the famous Deep Blue chess computer. This book was nominated for two awards: the Shamus Award and the Barry Award.
Another book, Runoff, tells a story about a made-up mayoral election in San Francisco. In the story, hackers change the results by messing with the city's electronic voting machines.
The Big Wake-Up is a book that imagines a different version of the strange history of Eva Perón. She was a very famous first lady from Argentina. This book won a Gold Medal in the Mystery/Suspense/Thriller category at the Independent Publisher Book Awards.
Other Writings
Prom Night and Other Man-made Disasters is a different kind of book from Coggins. It's a collection of funny stories about his own life. These stories cover his time in school, his career, and his relationships. The book includes many funny memories from his childhood in Phoenix, Arizona. The main story, "Prom Night," is a funny tale about how a shy Mark Coggins ended up taking the homecoming queen to his senior prom.
List of Works
Novels
- The Immortal Game (1999). ISBN: 978-0918395177
- Vulture Capital (2002). ISBN: 978-0918395214
- Candy From Strangers (2006). ISBN: 978-1932557169
- Runoff (2007). ISBN: 978-1932557534
- The Big Wake-Up (2009). ISBN: 978-1606480557
- No Hard Feelings (2015). ISBN: 978-1937495909
- The Dead Beat Scroll (2019). ISBN: 978-1643960319
- Geisha Confidential (2024). ISBN: 978-1643963570
Non-fiction
- Prom Night and Other Man-made Disasters (2012). ISBN: 978-0982948453
Photography Monographs
- Street Stories (2021). ISBN: 978-0918395375
