Al Sarrantonio (May 25, 1952 – January 27, 2025) was an American
horror and
science fiction
Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
writer, editor, and publisher who authored more than 50 books and 90 short stories. He also edited numerous anthologies.
Background and education
Sarrantonio was born in New York City on May 25, 1952, and grew up on
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...
. He was of Italian and Scots-Irish descent. He began his career at the age of 16 with a nonfiction appearance in one of editor
Ray Palmer's publications. He continued to write throughout university, and in 1974, after graduation from
Manhattan College
Manhattan University (previously Manhattan College) is a private, Catholic university in New York City. Originally established in 1853 by the De La Salle Christian Brothers (Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools) as an academy fo ...
with a
B.A.
A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree ...
in English, he attended the
Clarion Science Fiction Writers Workshop at
Michigan State University
Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State o ...
.
Sarrantonio died on January 27, 2025, at the age of 72.
Career
In 1976 Sarrantonio began an editing career at a major New York publishing house. His first short fiction, "Ahead of the Joneses," appeared in ''
Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
''Asimov's Science Fiction'' is an American science fiction magazine edited by Sheila Williams and published by Dell Magazines, which is owned by Penny Press. It was launched as a quarterly by Davis Publications in 1977, after obtaining Isaac ...
'' in 1979, followed by a story in ''
Heavy Metal'' magazine the following year. In 1980 he published 14 short stories. In 1982, after leaving publishing to become a full-time writer, he began his first novel, ''The Worms'', followed by ''Campbell Wood'', ''Totentanz'' and ''The Boy with Penny Eyes''. He established himself in the horror field with such much-anthologized stories as "Pumpkin Head", "The Man With Legs", "Father Dear," "Wish", and "Richard's Head," (all of which appear in his first short story collection, ''Toybox''). "Richard's Head" brought him his first
Bram Stoker Award
The Bram Stoker Award is a recognition presented annually by the Horror Writers Association (HWA) for "superior achievement" in dark fantasy and horror writing.
History
The Awards were established in 1987 and have been presented annually since ...
nomination.
Sarrantonio was writing a horror saga revolving around
Halloween
Halloween, or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve), is a celebration geography of Halloween, observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christianity, Western Christian f ...
, which takes place in the fictional
upstate New York
Upstate New York is a geographic region of New York (state), New York that lies north and northwest of the New York metropolitan area, New York City metropolitan area of downstate New York. Upstate includes the middle and upper Hudson Valley, ...
town of Orangefield (novels: ''Halloweenland'', ''Hallows Eve'' and ''Horrorween'', the last of which incorporates three shorter Orangefield pieces: the short novel ''Orangefield'', and
novelettes
''Hornets'' and ''The Pumpkin Boy''). Other horror novels include ''Moonbane'', ''October'', ''House Haunted'' and ''Skeletons''. He has also written
Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
s (''West Texas'' and ''Kitt Peak''),
mysteries (''Cold Night'' and ''Summer Cool'') and
science fiction
Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
(the
Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American writer, best known for his prolific output in the adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres. Best known for creating the characters Tarzan (who appeared in ...
-influenced trilogy ''Haydn of Mars'', ''Sebastian of Mars'' and ''Queen of Mars'', omnibused as ''Masters of Mars'' by the
Science Fiction Book Club
Bookspan LLC is a New York–based online bookseller, founded in 2000.
Bookspan began as a joint endeavor by Bertelsmann and Time Warner. Bertelsmann took over control in 2007, and a year later, sold its interest to Najafi Companies, an Arizon ...
, 2006).
Sarrantonio was book reviewer for ''
Night Cry'' magazine, the short-lived
digest-sized
Digest size is a magazine size, smaller than a conventional or "journal size" magazine, but larger than a standard paperback book, approximately . It is also a and format, similar to the size of a DVD case. These sizes evolved from the printing ...
offshoot of the ''
Twilight Zone Magazine'', and had been a critic and columnist for other publications.
Select awards and honors
Select bibliography
Novels
* ''Underground'' (Crossroad Press, 2013, e-book)
* ''Sisters in Mystery'' (Crossroad Press, 2012, e-book)
* ''Summer Cool'' (Walker, 1993; Crossroad Press, 2011, e-book)
* ''Kitt Peak'' (Evans, 1993; Leisure, 2006; Crossroad Press, 2011, e-book)
* ''Skeletons (novel) Skeletons'' (Bantam, 1992; Crossroad Press, 2011, e-book)
* ''House Haunted'' (Bantam, 1991; Crossroad Press, 2011, e-book)
* ''West Texas'' (Evans, 1990; Leisure, 2006; Crossroad Press, 2011, e-book)
* ''October'' (Bantam, 1990; Crossroad Press, 2011, e-book)
* ''Moonbane'' (Bantam, 1989, paperback; Cemetery Dance, 2009; Crossroad Press, 2011, e-book)
* ''Cold Night'' (TOR, 1989; Crossroad Press, 2011, e-book)
* ''The Boy with Penny Eyes'' (TOR, 1987; Crossroad Press, 2011, e-book)
* ''Totentanz'' (TOR, 1985; Crossroad Press, 2011, e-book)
* ''Campbell Wood'' (Doubleday, 1986; Berkley, 1987; Crossroad Press, 2011, e-book)
* ''The Worms'' (Doubleday, 1985; Berkley, 1988; Crossroad Press, 2011, e-book)
The Orangefield Cycle
* "Orange Lake" (novelette), ''
Impossible Monsters'', edited by Kasey Lansdale (Subterranean Press, 2013; Crossroad Press, e-book, 2015)
* "All Souls Day" (Mark Sieber's ''Horror Drive-In'' exclusive Orangefield short story featuring original art by Keith Minnion
(October 2009)
* ''Halloweenland'' (
Leisure Books Mass Market Paperback 2007;
Cemetery Dance limited edition hardcover, 2009;
Crossroad Press e-book, 2012) - A novel length book that includes elements of ''The Baby'' and much more new material (the Leisure paperback also includes the original version of ''The Baby'' as a bonus).
* ''Horrorween'' (Leisure, 2006;
Crossroad Press e-book, 2012) - A retelling of "Hornets," ''The Pumpkin Boy,'' and ''Orangefield''.
* ''The Baby'' (
Cemetery Dance Publications
Cemetery Dance is an American company known for their specialty press publisher of horror and dark suspense and their horror magazine of the same name. Cemetery Dance was founded by Richard Chizmar, a horror author, while he was in college. Ce ...
, 2006) - A limited edition novelette
* ''The Pumpkin Boy'' (Endeavor, 2005) - A limited edition novelette
* ''Hallows Eve'' (Leisure, 2004;
Cemetery Dance Publications
Cemetery Dance is an American company known for their specialty press publisher of horror and dark suspense and their horror magazine of the same name. Cemetery Dance was founded by Richard Chizmar, a horror author, while he was in college. Ce ...
, 2006;
Crossroad Press e-book, 2012)
* ''Orangefield'' (Cemetery Dance, 2002)
* "Hornets" (a short work that first appeared in ''Trick or Treat: A Collection of Halloween Novellas'' edited by
Richard Chizmar) (Cemetery Dance, 2001)
The "Five Worlds" science fiction trilogy
* ''Return'' (ROC, 1997; Crossroad Press, 2012, e-book)
* ''Journey'' (ROC, 1997; Crossroad Press, 2012, e-book)
* ''Exile'' (ROC, 1996; Crossroad Press, 2012, e-book)
The "Masters of Mars" science fiction trilogy
* ''Masters of Mars'' (
Science Fiction Book Club
Bookspan LLC is a New York–based online bookseller, founded in 2000.
Bookspan began as a joint endeavor by Bertelsmann and Time Warner. Bertelsmann took over control in 2007, and a year later, sold its interest to Najafi Companies, an Arizon ...
collection of all three titles in one hardcover, 2006; Crossroad Press, 2011, e-book)
* ''Queen of Mars'' (Ace, 2006; Crossroad Press, 2011, e-book)
* ''Sebastian of Mars'' (Ace, 2005; Crossroad Press, 2011, e-book)
* ''Haydn of Mars'' (Ace, 2005; Crossroad Press, 2011, e-book)
Babylon 5 series
* ''
Babylon 5: Personal Agendas'' (
Dell
Dell Inc. is an American technology company that develops, sells, repairs, and supports personal computers (PCs), Server (computing), servers, data storage devices, network switches, software, computer peripherals including printers and webcam ...
, 1997)
Short story collections
* ''Halloween and Other Seasons'' (Cemetery Dance, 2008; Crossroad Press, 2011, e-book). Includes:
:"Summer"
:"Sleepover"
:"Eels"
:"Letters From Camp"
:"Roger in the Womb"
:"The Return of Mad Santa"
:"Baby Boss and the Underground Hamsters"
:"Trail of the Chromium Bandits"
:"The Man in the Other Car"
:"Hedges"
:"The Silly Stuff"
:"The New Kid"
:"Ahead of the Jonses"
:"The Artist in the Small Room Above"
:"The Dancing Foot"
:"Liberty"
:"Dust"
:"The Pumpkin Boy"
* ''Hornets and Others'' (Cemetery Dance, 2005; Crossroad Press, 2011, e-book). Includes:
:"The Ropy Thing"
:"The Only"
:"The Beat"
:"In the Corn"
:"Two"
:"The Coat"
:"The Haunting of Y-12"
:"Billy the Fetus"
:"Stars"
:"Bags"
:"The Red Wind"
:"The Green Face"
:"White Lightning"
:"The Glass Man"
:"Violets"
:"The Quiet Ones"
:"Hornets"
* ''A Little Yellow Book of Fevered Stories'' (Borderlands Press, 2004). Includes:
:"Preface"
:"Father Dear"
:"The Ropy Thing"
:"The Electric Fat Boy"
:"Sleepover"
:"In the Corn"
:"Stars"
:"The New Kid"
:"Pumpkin Head"
* ''Toybox'' (Cemetery Dance, 1999; Leisure, 2003; Crossroad Press, 2011, e-book). Includes:
:"Pumpkin Head"
:"The Man With Legs"
:"The Spook Man"
:"Wish"
:"Under My Bed"
:"The Big House"
:"Bogy"
:"The Corn Dolly"
:"The Electric Fat Boy"
:"Snow"
:"Garden of Eden"
:"The Dust"
:"Father Dear"
:"Children of Cain"
:"Red Eve"
:"Pigs"
:"Richard's Head"
:"Boxes"
Anthologies containing stories by Sarrantonio
* ''Chrysalis 7,'' edited by Roy Torgeson (
Doubleday, 1981). Contains the short story, "The Artist in the Small Room Above"
* ''Chrysalis 9,'' edited by Roy Torgeson (
Doubleday, 1981). Contains the short story, "That They Be Saved"
* ''
Shadows 4'' edited By
Charles L. Grant. (Doubleday Science Fiction 1981). Includes the short story, "Under My Bed"
* ''
Shadows 5'' edited By
Charles L. Grant. (Doubleday Science Fiction 1982). Includes the short story, "Boxes"
* ''
Shadows 6'' edited By
Charles L. Grant. (Doubleday Science Fiction 1983). Includes the short story, "The Man With Legs"
* ''Weirdbook 18,'' published by W. Paul Ganley, 1983. Includes the short story "The Quiet Ones"
* ''
Shadows 8'' edited By
Charles L. Grant. (Doubleday Science Fiction 1985). Includes the short story, "Wish"
* ''
Shadows 10'' edited By
Charles L. Grant. (Doubleday Science Fiction 1987). Includes the short story, "Pigs"
* ''Weirdbook 23/24,'' (Double issue) published by W. Paul Ganley, 1988. Includes the short story, "The Red Wind"
* ''Stalkers'', edited by
Ed Gorman and
Martin H. Greenberg. (Dark Harvest Books 1989). Includes the short story, "Children of Cain"
* ''Razored Saddles'' edited by
Joe R. Lansdale and
Pat LoBrutto Patrick LoBrutto (born 1948) is an editor, author, and anthologist. He received a World Fantasy Award for editing.
Early life
LoBrutto was born in Brooklyn, NY. His father was an attorney, and he grew up in a home with over many books.
Publishing ...
. (Dark Harvest, 1989). Includes the short story, "Trail of the Chromium Bandits"
* ''Under the Fang'', edited by
Robert R. McCammon (
Pocket Books
Pocket Books is a division of Simon & Schuster that primarily publishes paperback books.
History
Pocket Books produced the first Paperback#Mass market paperback, mass-market, pocket-sized paperback books in the United States in early 1939 and ...
, Aug. 1991). Includes the short story "Red Eve"
* ''Bruce Coville's Book of Spine Tinglers: Tales to Make You Shiver,'' edited by
Bruce Coville (Apple Paperbacks 1996). Includes the short story, "Letters From Camp"
* ''The Mammoth Book of Comic Fantasy'', edited by Mike Ashley. (Carroll & Graf Pub 1998). Includes the short story, "The Return of Mad Santa"
* ''Trick or Treat: A Collection of Halloween Novellas'' edited by Richard Chizmar. (Cemetery Dance 2001). Includes the short story "Hornets"
* ''Shivers'', edited by
Richard Chizmar. (Cemetery Dance 2002). Includes the short story, "The Green Face"
* ''The Ultimate Halloween,'' edited by
Marvin Kaye
Marvin Nathan Kaye (March 10, 1938 – May 13, 2021) was an American mystery, fantasy, science fiction, horror author, anthologist, and editor. He was also a magician and theater actor. Kaye was a World Fantasy Award winner and served as co-pu ...
. (I Books 2003). Includes the short story, "Pumpkin Head"
* ''Shivers II'', edited by
Richard Chizmar (Cemetery Dance 2003). Includes the short story, "The New Kid"
* ''Shivers III'', edited by
Richard Chizmar (Cemetery Dance 2004). Includes the short story, "Hedges"
* ''Quietly Now'' (a tribute to
Charles L. Grant), edited by Kealan Patrick Burke (Borderlands 2004). Includes the short story, "Dust"
* ''
Retro-Pulp Tales'', edited by
Joe R. Lansdale (Subterranean Press, 2006). Includes the short story, "Summer"
* ''Shivers IV'', edited by
Richard Chizmar (Cemetery Dance 2006). Includes the short story, "The Man in the Other Car"
* ''Midnight Premiere'', edited by
Tom Piccirilli (Cemetery Dance Publications 2007). Includes the short story, "Baby Boss and the Underground Hamsters"
* ''Shivers V'', edited by
Richard Chizmar (Cemetery Dance 2009). Includes the short story "Cookies"
* ''Cemetery Dance: a Fifteen Year Celebration'', edited by
Richard Chizmar. (Cemetery Dance Publications, 2010). May include the short story, "Landing Earl"
* ''Shivers VI'', edited by
Richard Chizmar (Cemetery Dance 2010). Includes the short story "Last"
* ''
Impossible Monsters'', edited by
Kasey Lansdale (
Subterranean Press
Subterranean Press is a small press publisher in Burton, Michigan. Subterranean is best known for publishing genre fiction, primarily Horror fiction, horror, suspense and dark mystery, fantasy, and science fiction. In addition to publishing novel ...
, 2013). Includes the Orangefield novelette "Orange Lake"
Books edited by Sarrantonio
* ''Portents'' - signed original anthology published in 2011.
* ''Stories'' - co-edited with
Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard MacKinnon Gaiman (; born Neil Richard Gaiman; 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, audio theatre, and screenplays. His works include the comic series ''The Sandman (comic book), The Sandma ...
. Published June 2010.
* ''Halloween: New Poems'' (anthology of original poems by Al Sarrantonio,
James A. Moore,
T. M. Wright,
Joe R. Lansdale,
Brian Freeman,
Gary A. Braunbeck, and more) (May 2010, Cemetery Dance)
* ''Flights: Extreme Visions of Fantasy'' (ROC, 2004). Includes his short story "Sleepover."
* ''Redshift: Extreme Visions of Speculative Fiction'' (ROC, 2001)
* ''
999: New Stories of Horror and Suspense'' (Avon, 1999; Perennial, 2001)
* ''100 Hair-Raising Little Horror Stories'' (with Martin H. Greenberg, Barnes & Noble, 1993)
* ''The National Lampoon Treasury of Humor'' (Fireside/Simon & Schuster, 1991)
* ''The Fireside Treasury of New Humor'' (Fireside/Simon & Schuster, 1989)
* ''The Fireside Treasury of Great Humor'' (Fireside/Simon & Schuster, 1987)
Magazine appearances
* ''
Cemetery Dance'', #46. Features the short story "Eels."
* ''Cemetery Dance'', #35, 2001. Features the short story "Violets."
* ''Cemetery Dance'', #22 Winter 1995 (Volume Six, Issue Four). Features the short story "Garden of Eden."
* ''Cemetery Dance'', #4 Spring 1990 (Volume 2 issue 2). Features the short story "The Meek."
* ''Spiderwebs'', Volume 1, Number 2; Spring 1982. Contains the short story "Sherlocks."
* ''Fantasy Book'', #3; February 1982. Contains the short story "The Return of Mad Santa."
* ''
Analog Science Fiction and Fact
''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' is an American science fiction magazine published under various titles since 1930. Originally titled ''Astounding Stories of Super-Science'', the first issue was dated January 1930, published by William Cla ...
'' Volume 101 #13; December 1981. Features the short story "There is a Home."
* ''
Heavy Metal'' May 1979. Features the short story "Roger in the Womb."
* ''
Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
''Asimov's Science Fiction'' is an American science fiction magazine edited by Sheila Williams and published by Dell Magazines, which is owned by Penny Press. It was launched as a quarterly by Davis Publications in 1977, after obtaining Isaac ...
'' Volume 3 #3; March 1979. Features the short story "Ahead of the Joneses."
Comic book adaptations
* ''Cemetery Dance Presents: Grave Tales'' issue #2 (May 2000). Features "The Corn Dolly" adapted by
Glenn Chadbourne
Glenn Chadbourne (born October 19, 1959) is an American artist. He lives in Newcastle, Maine. He is best known for his work in the horror and fantasy genres, having created covers and illustrated books and magazines for publishers such as Ce ...
.
* ''Weird Business'' edited by Joe R. Lansdale and Richard Klaw (1995). Features "The Man with Legs."
References
External links
Robert McCammon interview
Cemetery Dance Publications
HarperCollins Publishers
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sarrantonio, Al
1952 births
2025 deaths
20th-century American novelists
21st-century American novelists
American horror writers
American male novelists
American mystery writers
American science fiction writers
American people of Scotch-Irish descent
American writers of Italian descent
People from Long Island
Novelists from New York City
Western (genre) writers
Manhattan College alumni
American male short story writers
20th-century American short story writers
21st-century American short story writers
20th-century American male writers
21st-century American male writers