Richard Aellen is an

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author of

novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...

s and

plays Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...

. In 2006, his ''Farmers of Men'' won the Stanley Drama Award. His most recent play, ''NOBODY'', was performed at the

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, in 2008 and was read again there, in a revised version, in May 2009.

Novels

Aellen is the author of five thrillers. ''Redeye'' (1988) is a

thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...

about two identical twins raised in different environments; one is responsible for the killing of

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operatives, while the other helps the agency tracking him down. The book was well received by reviewers; Robert Masello, in ''

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'', praised its "strong and compelling narrative drive" and said that Aellen could give

Harold Robbins Harold Robbins (May 21, 1916 – October 14, 1997) was an American author. One of the best-selling writers of all time, he wrote over 25 best-sellers, selling over 750 million copies in 32 languages. Early life Robbins was born Harold Rubin i ...

"a run for his money." The topic of

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drives the plot of ''The Cain Conversion'' (1993), a plot device which Chris Petrakos, in the ''

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'', called "good for keeping the reader off-balance and introducing an endless number of arcane plot twists."

Drama

Aellen's ''Square One'' (1985), a one-act comedy, was performed at a festival of one-act comedies in the Intar Theater in

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as part of the Manhattan Punch Line Festival but did not generate much excitement. More successful was his ''Farmers of Men'', which won the 2006 Stanley Drama Award. ''NOBODY'' premiered in 2008 at the Southern Writers' Project Festival of New Plays, presented by the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, to critical acclaim. Revised after comments by audience and critics, a reading of the play with the addition of music was restaged in 2009. The play examines

racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one Race (human categorization), race or ethnicity over another. It may also me ...

in the United States of the early twentieth century, portraying

Bert Williams Bert Williams (November 12, 1874 – March 4, 1922) was a Bahamian-born American entertainer, one of the pre-eminent entertainers of the vaudeville era and one of the most popular comedians for all audiences of his time. While some sources have ...

and

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, two African-American

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

performers. The reading was praised by audience and critics.

Bibliography

Novels

*''No Sanctuary''. New York: Random House. 1986. . *''Redeye''. Donald I. Fine, 1988. . *''Crux: A Novel''. New York: Donald I. Fine, 1989. . *''Flashpoint''. 1991. New York: Donald I. Fine. . *''The Cain Conversion''. New York: Donald I. Fine, 1993. .

Drama

*''Square One''. 1985. *''Right to Remain Silent''. *''Farmers of Men''. 2006. *''NOBODY''. 2006.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aellen, Richard Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American male dramatists and playwrights American male novelists 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American dramatists and playwrights 21st-century American male writers