William F. Nolan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William F. Nolan
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William F. Nolan in 2008
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| Born | William Francis Nolan March 6, 1928 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | July 15, 2021 (aged 93) Vancouver, Washington, U.S. |
| Occupation | Writer |
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| Years active | 1952–2021 |
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William Francis Nolan (born March 6, 1928 – died July 15, 2021) was an American writer. He wrote hundreds of stories in exciting genres like science fiction, fantasy, horror, and crime fiction. He was known for his creative imagination and his work on famous stories like Logan's Run.
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A Writer's Journey
William F. Nolan started his writing career in the 1950s. He loved science fiction and even made his own fan magazines. During this time, he became friends with many other famous science fiction and fantasy writers. These friends included Ray Bradbury, Robert Bloch, and Richard Matheson. Nolan became a professional author in 1956.
Books and Movies
Nolan wrote many mystery novels, including a series called "Challis." He also worked a lot in the movie industry. He helped write the script for the 1976 horror film Burnt Offerings. This movie starred famous actors like Karen Black and Bette Davis.
Nolan also helped put together many collections of stories by other writers. He worked with his friend, filmmaker Jason V Brock, on two collections: The Bleeding Edge (2009) and The Devil's Coattails (2012). These books featured stories from many talented authors.
In 2010, Nolan worked with Bluewater Productions to create a comic book series. It was based on his famous story Logan's Run and was called Logan's Run: Last Day. He also developed other comics based on his ideas, like Tales from William F. Nolan's Dark Universe.
Awards and Honors
William F. Nolan received many important awards for his writing.
- He was nominated for the Edgar Allan Poe Award for mystery writing.
- In 2002, he was named a Living Legend in Dark Fantasy.
- The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America honored him as an Author Emeritus in 2006.
- In 2010, he received a Lifetime Achievement Bram Stoker Award from the Horror Writers Association. This award is for writers who have made a big impact on horror fiction.
- He also received the World Fantasy Convention Award in 2013.
- In 2015, he was named a World Horror Society Grand Master. This shows how much his work was respected in the horror world.
About His Life
William F. Nolan was born in Kansas City, Missouri. His family was Irish Catholic. He briefly studied at the Kansas City Art Institute. Before becoming a full-time writer, he worked for Hallmark Cards, writing verses for greeting cards.
After moving to California, he met Charles Beaumont, who became a close friend. Beaumont played a big part in Nolan becoming an author. Nolan was also good friends with other famous writers like Ray Bradbury. He was part of a group of writers in Southern California who wrote for popular TV shows. These shows included Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Twilight Zone, and Star Trek.
Nolan was a vegetarian and loved animals very much. Even in his later years, he continued to write new stories and attend literary events. He passed away in July 2021 at the age of 93 due to an infection. He once said about his work, "I get excited about something, and I want to write about it."
On Screen: Films and TV
William F. Nolan also appeared in some films and documentaries:
- The Intruder (1962) – He played a character named "Bart Carey."
- Charles Beaumont: The Life of Twilight Zone’s Magic Man (2010) – He appeared as himself in this documentary.
- The AckerMonster Chronicles! (2012) – He also appeared as himself in this documentary.
