Timothy Robert Sullivan (June 9, 1948 – November 10, 2024) was an American

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 ...

novelist, screenwriter, actor, film director and short story writer. Many of his stories have been critically acknowledged and reprinted. His 1981 short story "Zeke," a tragedy about an extraterrestrial stranded on Earth, has been translated into German and was a finalist for the 1982

Nebula Award for Best Short Story The Nebula Award for Best Short Story is a literary award assigned each year by Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) for science fiction or fantasy short stories. A work of fiction is defined by the organization as a short sto ...

. "Under Glass" (2011), a well-reviewed semi-autobiographical short story with occult hints, has been translated into Chinese and is the basis for a screenplay by director/actor Ron Ford. "Yeshua's Dog" (2013) was also translated into Chinese.

Early life

Tim Sullivan was born in

Bangor, Maine Bangor ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The city proper has a population of 31,753, making it the state's List of municipalities in Maine, third-most populous city, behind Portland, Maine, Portland ...

, on June 9, 1948, the son of Charles Edward Sullivan, a

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the federal governmen ...

worker (born February 2, 1923), and Lillian Hope Fitzgerald Sullivan (b. March 31, 1924), a stay-at-home mother who raised their children, Charles Edward Sullivan, Jr., and Timothy, the younger son. Sullivan later wrote short stories about his father, including "Hawk on a Flagpole" (2000) and "The Memory Cage" (2014). Tim and Charlie developed a love of genre fiction from their father, who brought home for them books and comics ranging from

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 ...

Vladimir Nabokov Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov ( ; 2 July 1977), also known by the pen name Vladimir Sirin (), was a Russian and American novelist, poet, translator, and entomologist. Born in Imperial Russia in 1899, Nabokov wrote his first nine novels in Rus ...

to ''

Mad magazine ''Mad'' (stylized in all caps) is an American humor magazine which was launched in 1952 and currently published by DC Comics, a unit of the DC Entertainment subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. ''Mad'' was founded by editor Harvey Kurtzman an ...

''. Tim shared these with his neighbors, who included Richard Tozier (who has become a jazz radio personality at

Maine Public Broadcasting Network The Maine Public Broadcasting Network (abbreviated MPBN and branded as Maine Public) is a network of public television and radio stations located in the U.S. state of Maine. It is operated by the Maine Public Broadcasting Corporation, which h ...

, and who is featured in three

Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...

novels, '' It'', ''

Dreamcatcher In some Native Americans in the United States, Native American and First Nations in Canada, First Nations cultures, a dreamcatcher (, the Ojibwe language#Grammar, inanimate form of the word for 'spider') is a handmade willow hoop, on which is ...

'' and ''

11/22/63 ''11/22/63'' is a novel by American author Stephen King about a time traveler who attempts to prevent the assassination of United States President John F. Kennedy, which occurred on November 22, 1963 (the novel's titular date). It is the 60th b ...

''). These show the strong ties among friendships born in Bangor, and Sullivan and Tozier retain a lifelong friendship. The Sullivan brothers attended John Bapst Memorial High School in Bangor, as did Tozier. Charlie (1946–1967), a

corporal Corporal is a military rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The rank is usually the lowest ranking non-commissioned officer. In some militaries, the rank of corporal nominally corr ...

in the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

, died in battle in the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

. When Sullivan's father died in 1968, Sullivan and his mother moved to

Lake Worth, Florida Lake Worth Beach, previously named Lake Worth, is a city in east-central Palm Beach County, Florida, United States, located about north of Miami. The city's name is derived from the body of water along its eastern border known as the Lake Wort ...

. Tim Sullivan briefly attended

Miami Dade Community College Miami Dade College (MDC) is a public college located in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1959, MDC operates eight campuses and numerous outreach centers throughout Miami-Dade County. It is the largest institution in the Florida Colleg ...

. Later, while studying English literature at

Florida Atlantic University Florida Atlantic University (Florida Atlantic or FAU) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus in Boca Raton, Florida, United States. The university is a member of the State University System of Florida and has s ...

, he made a lifelong friendship with Professor Robert A. Collins. Sullivan earned a bachelor's degree while at FAU. Sullivan helped Dr. Collins create what has become the prestigious

International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts The International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts (IAFA), founded in 1982 is a nonprofit association of scholars, writers, and publishers of science fiction, fantasy, and horror in literature, film, and the other arts. Its principal ac ...

(ICFA; originally called Swanncon in honor of fantasy author and former FAU professor

Thomas Burnett Swann Thomas Burnett Swann (October 12, 1928 – May 5, 1976) was an American poet, critic and fantasy author. His criticism includes works on the poetry of H.D. and Christina Rossetti. Swann died of cancer and several of his novels were published po ...

). Sullivan began but did not complete

postgraduate education Postgraduate education, graduate education, or graduate school consists of Academic degree, academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications usually pursued by higher education, post-secondary students who have ...

. Sullivan lived in

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

from 1968 to 1983, then in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, and in the Washington, D.C. area. He moved to

southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...

in 1988, where he lived for the next twelve years.

Career

Sullivan has written several novels and many more short stories. He has scripted, directed, and starred in microbudget films in the genres of science fiction and horror, often with his friend Ron Ford. Among his day jobs, Sullivan has worked in construction, in a bookstore, in a library, in a liquor store and other retail sites, as a night guard, as a taxicab driver, and with helping and teaching the

mentally challenged Intellectual disability (ID), also known as general learning disability (in the United Kingdom), and formerly mental retardation (in the United States), Rosa's Law, Pub. L. 111-256124 Stat. 2643(2010).Archive is a generalized neurodevelopmental d ...

Writing

Sullivan edited a

horror Horror may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres *Horror fiction, a genre of fiction **Psychological horror, a subgenre of horror fiction **Christmas horror, a subgenre of horror fiction **Analog horror, a subgenre of horror fiction * ...

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs, or related fiction/non-fiction excerpts by different authors. There are also thematic and g ...

for

Avon Books Avon Publications is a leading publisher of romance fiction. At Avon's initial stages, it was an American paperback book and comic book publisher. The shift in content occurred in the early 1970s with multiple Avon romance titles reaching and ma ...

, ''Tropical Chills'', in 1988. Sullivan also published his first novel, ''Destiny's End'', in 1988. This science fiction novel was followed by ''The Parasite War'' in 1989, ''The Martian Viking'' in 1991, and ''Lords of Creation'' in 1992, and another horror anthology, ''Cold Shocks'' (Avon, 1991), among other books. He befriended

Michael Dirda Michael Dirda (born 1948) is an American book critic, working for the '' Washington Post''. He has been a Fulbright Fellow and won a Pulitzer Prize in 1993. Career Having studied at Oberlin College for his undergraduate degree in 1970, Dirda ea ...

, a chief book reviewer for ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' and, as a result of that friendship, in the 1980s and 1990s Sullivan wrote commissioned reviews of dozens of books for ''The Washington Post'', the ''Washington Post Book World'', and ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...

''. Among the fiction and nonfiction he reviewed are included:

Kathleen Ann Goonan Kathleen Ann Goonan (May 14, 1952 – January 28, 2021)Kathleen Ann Goonan (1952–2021)

's ''The Bones of Time''; a review of a novel by

Walter Jon Williams Walter Jon Williams (born October 28, 1953) is an American writer, primarily of science fiction. Previously he wrote nautical adventure fiction under the name Jon Williams, in particular, ''Privateers and Gentlemen'' (1981–1984), a series of hi ...

, ''

Metropolitan Metropolitan may refer to: Areas and governance (secular and ecclesiastical) * Metropolitan archdiocese, the jurisdiction of a metropolitan archbishop ** Metropolitan bishop or archbishop, leader of an ecclesiastical "mother see" * Metropolitan ar ...

'', which Sullivan characterized as highly readable "due largely to pungent characterization and persuasive dialogue"; and

Allen Steele Allen Mulherin Steele, Jr. (born January 19, 1958) is an American journalist and science fiction author. Background Steele was born in Nashville, Tennessee, on January 19, 1958. He was introduced to science fiction fandom attending meetings o ...

's novel '' The Tranquillity Alternative'' (1995), which he praised in the same issue of ''Book World''. He used different versions of his name while publishing fiction: Timothy Robert Sullivan, Timothy R. Sullivan, and Tim Sullivan.

Acting

Sullivan began his career in film in a collaboration with S. P. Somtow, entitled ''The Laughing Dead'' (1989); Sullivan plays a priest losing his faith, Father O'Sullivan, who becomes possessed by a Mayan god of death. Throughout the 1990s, he scripted, directed and acted in several low-budget science fiction and

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...

s, most notably ''Twilight of the Dogs'' (1995) and ''Hollywood Mortuary'' (1998), both of which have become cult favorites.

John Clute John Frederick Clute (born 12 September 1940) is a Canadian-born author and critic specializing in science fiction and fantasy literature who has lived in both England and the United States since 1969. He has been described as "an integral part ...

writes that Sullivan "concentrated for almost a decade on an acting career, though he began to publish short stories again in 2000."

Personal life and death

After graduating from college, Sullivan lived for many years in

Silver Lake, Los Angeles Silver Lake is a residential and commercial Neighbourhood, neighborhood in the east-Central Los Angeles, central region of Los Angeles, California, United States, originally home to a small community called Ivanhoe, so named in honor of Ivanhoe, ...

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...

. He never married and had no children. In 2000, Sullivan moved to

South Florida South Florida, sometimes colloquially shortened to SoFlo, is the Regions of the United States#Florida, southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the two others are ...

to care for his ailing mother who died in 2004. In 2003, he moved to

South Miami, Florida South Miami is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The city is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida. The population was 12,026 as of the 2020 census. History South Florida had been roamed by Native Americans ( ...

to share a house with Fiona Kelleghan. He left Florida in 2019 and settled in

Newport News, Virginia Newport News () is an Independent city (United States), independent city in southeastern Virginia, United States. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the List of c ...

. Sullivan was an

atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...

. He was a constant reader; his bookshelf was filled with science fiction favorites, but also with the works of science popularizers, biographies, and histories. He maintained a

Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...

page. Sullivan died from congestive heart failure at a hospice in Newport News, on November 10, 2024, at the age of 76.

Literary friendships

Sullivan was roommates with fantasy authors S. P. Somtow in

Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city (United States), independent city in Northern Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of Washington, D.C., D.C. The city's population of 159,467 at the 2020 ...

and

Gregory Frost Gregory Frost (born May 13, 1951) is an American author of science fiction and fantasy, and directs a fiction writing workshop at Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. He received his Bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa. A g ...

in Philadelphia. He became friends with several

Clarion Workshop The Clarion Workshop is an American six-week workshop for aspiring science fiction and fantasy writers. Originally an outgrowth of Damon Knight's and Kate Wilhelm's Milford Writer's Workshop, Milford Writer's Conference, held at their home in Milfo ...

graduates, such as

Kim Stanley Robinson Kim Stanley Robinson (born March 23, 1952) is an American science fiction writer best known for his ''Mars'' trilogy. Many of his novels and stories have ecological, cultural, and political themes and feature scientists as heroes. Robinson has ...

. He was long-time friends with

Gardner Dozois Gardner Raymond Dozois ( ; July 23, 1947 – May 27, 2018) was an American science fiction author and editor. He was the founding editor of '' The Year's Best Science Fiction'' anthologies (1984–2018) and was editor of '' Asimov's Science Fict ...

Jack Dann Jack Dann (born February 15, 1945) is an American writer best known for his science fiction, as well as an editor and a writing teacher, who has lived in Australia since 1994. He has published over seventy books, the majority being as editor or c ...

Pat Cadigan Patricia Oren Kearney Cadigan (born September 10, 1953) is a British-American science fiction author, whose work is most often identified with the cyberpunk movement. Her novels and short stories often explore the relationship between the human ...

John Kessel John Joseph Vincent Kessel (born September 24, 1950) is an American author of science fiction and fantasy. He is a prolific short story writer, and the author of four solo novels, '' Good News From Outer Space'' (1989), ''Corrupting Dr. Nice'' ...

James Patrick Kelly James Patrick Kelly (born April 11, 1951) is an American science fiction author who has won both the Hugo Award and the Nebula Award. Biography Kelly made his first fiction sale in 1975. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of N ...

, John Grant, and

Michael Swanwick Michael Swanwick (born November 18, 1950) is an American list of fantasy authors, fantasy and List of science-fiction authors, science fiction author who began publishing in the early 1980s. Writing career Swanwick's fiction writing began w ...

. He was part of a group of writers named the "Savage Humanists" by anthologist Fiona Kelleghan. Sullivan has been tuckerized in the novels of many science fiction writers, including

Sharon Webb Sharon Lynn Webb (born in Tampa, Florida on February 29, 1936; died in Blairsville, Georgia on April 29, 2010) was a science fiction writer and nurse. Biography Born on Tampa, Florida on February 29, 1936, Sharon Lynn Webb began her career as a p ...

Bibliography

Novels

Short fiction

;Anthologies edited Tropical Chills (1988) () *1. "Introduction" by Tim Sullivan *2. "Houston, 1943" by

Gene Wolfe Gene Rodman Wolfe (May 7, 1931 – April 14, 2019) was an American science fiction and fantasy writer. He was noted for his dense, allusive prose as well as the strong influence of his Catholic faith. He was a prolific short story writer and no ...

*3. "Mama Doah's Garden" by Susan Lilas Wiggs *4. "Grim Monkeys" by

Steve Rasnic Tem Steve Rasnic Tem (born 1950) is an American author. He was born in Jonesville, Virginia. Rasnic attended college at Virginia Tech, and also at Virginia Commonwealth University. He earned a B.A. in English education. In 1974, he moved to Colorado ...

*5. "The Flowers of the Forest" by

Brian Aldiss Brian Wilson Aldiss (; 18 August 1925 – 19 August 2017) was an English writer, artist and anthology editor, best known for science fiction novels and short stories. His byline reads either Brian W. Aldiss or simply Brian Aldiss, except for oc ...

*6. "White Socks" by Ian Watson *7. "Chrysalis" by

Edward Bryant Edward Winslow Bryant Jr. (August 27, 1945 – February 10, 2017) was an American science fiction and horror fiction, horror writer sometimes associated with the Dangerous Visions series of anthologies that bolstered New Wave (science fiction), ...

*8. "Night Fishing on the Caribbean Littoral of the Mutant Rain Forest" by

Bruce Boston Bruce Boston (July 16, 1943 – November 11, 2024) was an American speculative fiction writer and poet. Early years Boston was born in Chicago and grew up in Southern California.Diane SeversonInterview with Bruce Boston''Amazing Stories'' March ...

and Robert Frazier *9. "Dead Meat" by

Charles Sheffield Charles Sheffield (25 June 1935 – 2 November 2002), was an English-born mathematician, physicist, and science-fiction writer who served as a President of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and of the American Astronautical ...

*10. "Where Do You Live, Queen Esther?" by

Avram Davidson Avram Davidson (April 23, 1923 – May 8, 1993) was an American writer of fantasy fiction, science fiction, and crime fiction, as well as the author of many stories that do not fit into a genre niche. He won a Hugo Award and three World Fantasy ...

*11. "Talking Heads" by

George Alec Effinger George Alec Effinger (January 10, 1947 – April 27, 2002) was an American science fiction author, born in Cleveland, Ohio. Writing career Effinger was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on January 10, 1947. His father was a United States Navy vetera ...

*12. "Getting Up" by

Barry N. Malzberg Barry Nathaniel Malzberg (July 24, 1939 – December 19, 2024) was an American writer and editor, most often of science fiction and fantasy. Life and career Early life and family Malzberg originated from a Jewish family and graduated from Syra ...

and

*13. "It Was the Heat" by

*14. "A Part of Us" by

*15. "Zeke" by Timothy Robert Sullivan *16. "Graveyard Highway" by

Dean Koontz Dean Ray Koontz (born July 9, 1945) is an American author. His novels are billed as thriller (genre), suspense thrillers, but frequently incorporate elements of horror fiction, horror, fantasy, science fiction, Mystery fiction, mystery, and sati ...

The '' Locus Index to Science Fiction: 1984–1998'' described ''Tropical Chills'' as "Highly recommended." It was republished in German as ''Heisse Angst'' (

Droemer Knaur Droemer Knaur is a publishing group based in Munich. The group consists of the book publishers Droemer, Knaur, the Pattloch Publisher and O.W. Barth. Droemer Knaur belongs to the Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. Program Droemer Knaur Pu ...

, 1990), translated by Marcel Bieger. () Cold Shocks (1991) () *1. "Introduction" by Tim Sullivan *2. "The Ice Children" by Gary Brandner *3. "First Kill" by

Chet Williamson Chet Williamson is the author of nearly 20 books and over 100 short stories published in ''Esquire'', ''The New Yorker'', ''Playboy'', and many other magazines and anthologies. Biography Chet Williamson was born and raised in Elizabethtown, Penn ...

*4. "Colder Than by Hell" by

*5. "The Kikituk" by Michael Armstrong *6. "The Christmas Escape" by

Dean Wesley Smith Dean Wesley Smith (born November 10, 1950) is an American writer of science fiction, mystery, and fantasy. Smith has published nearly 200 novels and hundreds of short stories. Smith has also written novels for various media franchises includi ...

*7. "A Winter Memory" by Michael D. Toman *8. "The Sixth Man" by

Graham Masterton Graham Masterton (born 16 January 1946, in Edinburgh) is a British author known primarily for horror fiction. Originally editor of ''Mayfair'' and the British edition of '' Penthouse'', his debut novel, ''The Manitou'', was published in 1976. T ...

*9. "The Ice Downstream" by

Melanie Tem Melanie Tem (née Kubachko; April 11, 1949 – February 9, 2015) was an American horror and dark fantasy author. Early life and education Melanie Kubachko grew up in Saegertown, Pennsylvania. She attended Allegheny College as an undergraduat ...

*10. "Morning Light" by

*11. "Bring Me the Head of Timothy Leary" by

Nancy Holder Nancy Holder (born August 29, 1953) is an American writer and the author of several novels, including numerous tie-in books based on the TV series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. She has also written fiction related to several other science fict ...

*12. "The Bus" by

*13. "Adleparmeun" by

*14. " Close to the Earth" by Gregory Nicoll *15. "Snowbanks" by Tim Sullivan *16. "St. Jackaclaws" by

A. R. Morlan A. R. Morlan (January 3, 1958 – January 4/5, 2016; née, Arlette Renee Morlan, later, Ana Rose Morlan; pseudonyms Renee M. Charles, Ana Rose Morlan, and Karl-Rene Moore) was an American author of novels and short stories whose works of fiction ...

*17. "The Pavilion of Frozen Women" by S. P. Somtow

wrote that these two anthologies, "composed of carefully selected original and reprinted material, mostly horror, demonstrate Sullivan's editorial acuteness." ;Stories * "Doin' that Tachyon Rag" .k.a. "Tachyon Rag"(Spring, 1977) – As by Timothy Robert Sullivan; first appeared in ''Unearth''. * "Downward to Darkness (Part 1 of 2)" (Fall/October, 1977) – As by Timothy Robert Sullivan; first appeared in ''Unearth''; cover art by Tom Barber. * "Downward to Darkness (Part 2 of 2)" (Winter/January, 1978) As by Timothy Robert Sullivan; first appeared in ''Unearth''; cover art by

Clyde Caldwell Clyde Caldwell (born February 20, 1948) is an American artist. Self-described as a fantasy illustrator, he is best known for his portrayals of strong, sexy female characters. With his work at TSR in the 1980s, he is considered one of the artis ...

. * "The Rauncher Goes to Tinker Town" (1979) - As by Timothy Robert Sullivan; first appeared in ''New Dimensions Science Fiction Number 9'', edited by

Robert Silverberg Robert Silverberg (born January 15, 1935) is a prolific American science fiction author and editor. He is a multiple winner of both Hugo Award, Hugo and Nebula Awards, a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, and a SFWA Grand ...

; . * "My Father's Head" (1979) – As by Timothy R. Sullivan. Published in ''Chrysalis 5'', ed. Roy Torgeson,

Zebra Books Zebra Books is an imprint of American publisher Kensington Publishing Corp. As the company's flagship imprint until the late 80s, it currently publishes women's fiction, romantic suspense and bestselling historical, paranormal and contemporary r ...

, . * "Zeke" (October, 1981) – First appeared in '' Rod Serling's ''Twilight Zone Magazine'''', ed. T. E. D. Klein.
- Nominated for the 1982

.
- Translated as "Zeke" (in German) in ''Kopernikus 8'' (November 1982).
- Reprinted in ''Nebula Award Stories Seventeen'' (1983), ed.

Joe Haldeman Joe William Haldeman (born June 9, 1943) is an American people, American science fiction author and former college professor. He is best known for his novel ''The Forever War'' (1974), which was inspired by his experiences as a combat soldier ...

, .
- Reprinted in ''Nebula Award Stories 17'' (1985), ed. Joe Haldeman, .
- Reprinted in ''The Savage Humanists'' (2008), ed. Fiona Kelleghan, .
- Reprinted in ''The Eighth Science Fiction Megapack: 25 Modern and Classic Stories'',

Wildside Press Wildside Press is an independent publishing company in Cabin John, Maryland. It was founded in 1989 by John Betancourt and Kim Betancourt. While the press was originally conceived as a publisher of speculative fiction in both trade and limite ...

(2013) * "The Army of the Woods" (February, 1982) - ''

Fantasy Newsletter ''Fantasy Newsletter'', later renamed ''Fantasy Review'', was a major fantasy fanzine founded by Paul C. Allen and later issued by Robert A. Collins. Frequent contributors included Fritz Leiber and Gene Wolfe. Publication history The first issu ...

'' #45, ed. Robert A. Collins (

). * "The Comedian" (June 1982) - First 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 ...

''.
- Reprinted in: ''The 1983 Annual World's Best SF'', ed.

Donald A. Wollheim Donald Allen Wollheim (October 1, 1914 – November 2, 1990) was an American science fiction editor, publisher, writer, and fan. As an author, he published under his own name as well as under pseudonyms, including David Grinnell, Martin Pears ...

and Arthur W. Saha,

DAW Books DAW Books is an American science fiction and fantasy publisher, founded by Donald A. Wollheim, with his wife, Elsie B. Wollheim, following his departure from Ace Books in 1971. The company claims to be "the first publishing company ever devoted ...

(DAW Collectors #528), .
- Reprinted in ''Time Travelers: From Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine'' (1989), ed.

, .
- Nominated for the 1983 '' Locus'' Poll Award - Best Short Story. * "A Major Game of Hoople" (1984) - ''

Ares Ares (; , ''Árēs'' ) is the List of Greek deities, Greek god of war god, war and courage. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. The Greeks were ambivalent towards him. He embodies the physical valor necessary for ...

'' #17. A sports story, its title is a pun on Major Hoople. * "JuJu, Incorporated" (May, 1984) - As by Timothy Robert Sullivan; ''

Fantasy Review ''Fantasy Newsletter'', later renamed ''Fantasy Review'', was a major fantasy fanzine founded by Paul C. Allen and later issued by Robert A. Collins. Frequent contributors included Fritz Leiber and Gene Wolfe. Publication history The first iss ...

'', ed. Robert A. Collins and

Neil Barron Richard Neil Barron (23 March 1934 - 5 September 2010) was a science fiction bibliographer and scholar. His training was as a librarian. He is perhaps best known for his book '' Anatomy of Wonder: A Critical Guide to Science Fiction''. He won the ...

(Florida Atlantic University). * "Special Education" (January, 1986) - ''Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine''. * "Stop-Motion" (August, 1986) - ''Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine''.
- Placed #5 in the 1987 Asimov's Readers' Poll. * "Dinosaur on a Bicycle" (March, 1987) - ''Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine''.
- Reprinted in: '' Dinosaurs!'' (June, 1990), ed. Jack Dann, Gardner Dozois, . * "Knucklebones" (1988) - ''Ripper!'', ed. Gardner Dozois, Susan Casper,

Tor Books Tor Books is the primary imprint of Tor Publishing Group (previously Tom Doherty Associates), a publishing company based in New York City. It primarily publishes science fiction and fantasy titles. History Tor was founded by Tom Doherty, ...

, .
- Reprinted in: ''Jack the Ripper'' (1988), ed. Dozois and Casper, . * "Father to the Man" (October, 1988) - ''Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine''. * "Midnight Glider" (Autumn, 1990) - ''Iniquities''. * "Nox Sanguinis" (Spring, 1991) - '' Pulphouse: The Hardback Magazine Issue 11'', ed.

Kristine Kathryn Rusch Kristine Kathryn Rusch (born June 4, 1960) is an American writer and editor. She writes under various pseudonyms in multiple genres, including science fiction, fantasy, mystery, romance, and mainstream. Rusch won the Hugo Award for Best Nove ...

. * "Fantasies" (August, 1991) - Co-written with

, in ''

Amazing Stories ''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearance ...

''. A

unicorn The unicorn is a legendary creature that has been described since Classical antiquity, antiquity as a beast with a single large, pointed, spiraling horn (anatomy), horn projecting from its forehead. In European literature and art, the unico ...

tale with a twist. * "Snowbanks" (1991) - ''Cold Shocks'', . * "Los Niños de la Noche" (1991) - ''The Ultimate Dracula'', ed. Megan Miller, David Keller,

Byron Preiss Byron Preiss (April 11, 1953 – July 9, 2005)Byron Preiss
at the

Dell Publishing Dell Publishing Company, Inc. is an American publisher of books, magazines and comic books, that was founded in 1921 by George T. Delacorte Jr. with $10,000 (approx. $145,000 in 2021), two employees and one magazine title, ''I Confess'', and ...

, . Reprinted in: ''The Ultimate Dracula'' (2003), ed. Byron Preiss, ibooks Inc., . * "Hypnoteyes" (December 31, 1991) - ''Pulphouse: A Fiction Magazine'', ed.

. * "Anodyne" (November, 1992) - ''Pulphouse: A Fiction Magazine'', ed. Dean Wesley Smith. * "Atlas at Eight A.M." (Mid-December 1992) - ''

Asimov's Science Fiction ''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 ...

'' - a

time loop The time loop or temporal loop is a plot device in fiction whereby Character (arts), characters re-experience a span of time which is repeated, sometimes more than once, with some hope of breaking out of the cycle of repetition. Time loops are co ...

story. * "Mother and Child Reunion" (1993) - As by Timothy R. Sullivan; reprinted in ''The Ultimate Witch'', ed.

John Gregory Betancourt John Gregory Betancourt (born October 25, 1963) is an American writer of science fiction, fantasy and Mystery fiction, mystery novels, as well as short story, short stories. He is also known as the founder and publisher, with his wife Kim Betanco ...

and Byron Preiss,

Byron Preiss Visual Publications Byron Preiss (April 11, 1953 – July 9, 2005)Byron Preiss
at the

''. * "The Mouth of Hell" (August, 2003) - ''Asimov's Science Fiction''. * "The Nocturnal Adventure of Dr. O and Mr. D" (April, 2008) - ''

The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'' (usually referred to as ''F&SF'') is a U.S. fantasy fiction magazine, fantasy and science-fiction magazine, first published in 1949 by Mystery House, a subsidiary of Lawrence E. Spivak, Lawrence Spiv ...

''. A comedy about

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...

and Philip K. Dick in the

afterlife The afterlife or life after death is a purported existence in which the essential part of an individual's Stream of consciousness (psychology), stream of consciousness or Personal identity, identity continues to exist after the death of their ...

. * "Planetesimal Dawn" (October–November, 2008) - ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction''. * "Way Down East" (December, 2008) - ''Asimov's Science Fiction''. * "Inside Time" (December, 2009) - ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction''. * "Star-Crossed" (March–April, 2010) - ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction''. * "Under Glass" (November–December, 2011) - ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction''. * "Repairmen" (March–April, 2012) - ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction''. * "The Nambu Egg" (July–August, 2013) - ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction''. The title refers to the theories of

Yoichiro Nambu was a Japanese-American physicist and professor at the University of Chicago. Known for his groundbreaking contributions to theoretical physics, Nambu was the originator of the theory of spontaneous symmetry breaking, a concept that revoluti ...

. * "Yeshua's Dog" (2013) - ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction''. Sullivan gave a reading of this story at the 2013

Philcon Philcon, also known as the "Philadelphia Science Fiction Conference", is an annual three-day science fiction convention held at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel in Cherry Hill, New Jersey (formerly the Crowne Plaza Hotel). The convention is run by ...

science fiction convention. * "Through Mud One Picks a Way" (2013) - ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction''. (Sullivan chose the title from a line in

Robert Browning Robert Browning (7 May 1812 – 12 December 1889) was an English poet and playwright whose dramatic monologues put him high among the Victorian literature, Victorian poets. He was noted for irony, characterization, dark humour, social commentar ...

's poem "Red Cotton Night-Cap Country.") * "The Memory Cage" (May/June 2014) - ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction''.

Screenplays

* ''Twilight of the Dogs'' (1995) * ''Eyes of the Werewolf'' (1999) * ''Vampyre Femmes'' (1999) * ''V-World Matrix'' (1999) * ''Hunting Season'' (2000) * ''Demonicus'' (2001)

Non-fiction

* "Notables Gather (1980 ICFA)" (April, 1981) - As by Timothy Robert Sullivan; '' Locus'', #243. * "'' TZ'' is Year's Best Fantasy Film" (September, 1983) - As by Timothy Robert Sullivan; ''

'', #62. A film review of '' Twilight Zone: The Movie''. * "Holy Woody" (October–November, 1983) - As by Timothy Robert Sullivan; ''Fantasy Newsletter'', #63. An essay about the film ''

Zelig ''Zelig'' is a 1983 American satirical mockumentary comedy film written, directed by and starring Woody Allen as Leonard Zelig, a nondescript enigma, who, apparently out of his desire to fit in and be liked, unwittingly takes on the characteris ...

'' by

Woody Allen Heywood Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American filmmaker, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades. Allen has received many List of awards and nominations received by Woody Allen, accolade ...

. * Review of ''Lyrec'' by

(March, 1984) - As by Timothy Robert Sullivan; ''SF & Fantasy Review'', ed. Robert A. Collins and Neil Barron (

). * "A Clockwork

Worldcon Worldcon, officially the World Science Fiction Convention, the annual convention of the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS), is a science fiction convention. It has been held each year since 1939 (except for the years 1942 to 1945, during Wor ...

" (October, 1984) - As by Timothy Robert Sullivan; ''Fantasy Review''. * "Guest Editorial: The New Network Fantasy Series: 'Slick But Stupid'" (October, 1985) - ''Fantasy Review''. * "Interview: Gardner Dozois" (November, 1985) - ''Fantasy Review''. * "Right Off the Wall" (June, 1986) - ''Fantasy Review''. * "Atlanta's

: The View from the Catbird Suite" (September, 1986) - Co-written with

; ''Fantasy Review'', ed.

Rob Latham Rob Latham is a former professor of English at the University of California, Riverside and a science fiction critic. Career Latham was an English professor at the University of Iowa and the University of California, Riverside. Latham is the auth ...

and Robert A. Collins (Meckler Publishing Corporation). * "Magazine Fiction in Review" (March, 1987) - ''Fantasy Review''. * "Magazine Fiction in Review" (May, 1987) - ''Fantasy Review''. * "Magazine Fiction in Review" (June, 1987) - ''Fantasy Review''. * "Extra! Extra! Read All About It! Science Fiction Writer Visits Alien World!" (July 27, 1991) - ''Pulphouse: A Weekly Fiction Magazine'', ed. Dean Wesley Smith.

Filmography

Critical response

writes that Sullivan "began publishing sf with stories like "Tachyon Rag" ... "My Father's Head" ... and "The Rauncher Goes to Tinker Town" ... tales whose sophistication led to some disappointment when his first-published novels turned out to be three ties to the ''V'' Television series, a series of exercises in easy Paranoia set in an America taken over by Aliens... The published order of Sullivan's books was, however, deceptive, as his first-written novel, ''Destiny's End'' (1988), had suffered delays and modifications at the hands of the publisher to which it had first been contracted. The book proved to be a complexly moody depiction of humanity at the end of its tether in an array of Dying-Earth venues, as Secret Masters from the stars with quasimagical Technologies manipulate the course of events. Other sf of interest included ''The Parasite War'' (1989), which garishly intensifies the premises of ''V'' with a few scattered humans engaged in guerrilla warfare against the Aliens who have nearly destroyed the planet; ''The Martian Viking'' (1991), in which a prisoner escapes from Mars and roams space and time with stern but rowdy Vikings; and ''Lords of Creation'' (1992), which combines palaeontological fantasy including dinosaur eggs and another alien Invasion." Science fiction scholar Fiona Kelleghan has written that Sullivan "often turn to classical history and mythology to dramatize his concerns about contemporary American culture - although the historical settings suggest a Santayana-esque view of our so-called post-historical era. ... Sullivan cares deeply about his characters. His books are viciously funny in a deadpan way..." ''The Locus Index to Science Fiction: 1984–1998'' described ''Destiny's End'' as a "transcendental, philosophical space opera." Christine Hawkins, in her online ''Mars in Science Fiction Bibliography'', described ''The Martian Viking'' as "reminiscent of Philip K. Dick". The reviewer of the Schlock Value review website said, in a mostly positive review of the same novel:

It's a well-established fact that the two coolest things ever are
Vikings Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9� ...
and
Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. It is also known as the "Red Planet", because of its orange-red appearance. Mars is a desert-like rocky planet with a tenuous carbon dioxide () atmosphere. At the average surface level the atmosph ...
, and now, thanks to Tim Sullivan, we get both of them in one convenient package. How could this book be anything but great? Unfortunately, ''The Martian Viking'' deals a lot less with Vikings than we were promised, although Mars does feature quite prominently, and as far as crapsack future societies go, the book does present us with a pretty interesting one... The world we are presented with is a fairly interesting form of
dystopia A dystopia (lit. "bad place") is an imagined world or society in which people lead wretched, dehumanized, fearful lives. It is an imagined place (possibly state) in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmen ...
... All-in-all, ''The Martian Viking'' was a pretty fun read... Tim Sullivan managed to set up a really interesting future world.

''Raymond's Reviews'' said of ''The Martian Viking'', "it had some moments of warped originality that were hard to forget."

, who purchased Sullivan's early story "The Rauncher Goes to Tinker Town" for his '' New Dimensions'' series of science fiction anthologies, called it "vivid and energetic". A reviewer for the Dark Roasted Blend website wrote of Sullivan's short story "Stop-Motion": "Animation, dinosaurs, special effects, a little bit of murder mystery - not bad a combination, solid story in the pulp tradition." Sullivan's short story "Under Glass" has received much attention.

Lois Tilton Lois Tilton is an American science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, and horror writer who has won the Sidewise Award and been a finalist for the Nebula Award. She has also written a number of innovative vampire stories."Critical Mass" by Do ...

wrote, "This is a story of friendship and the duty we owe to our friends." Reviewer Sandra Scholes said in a review of the November/December 2011 ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'' that the issue "gets straight to it with a tasty novelette, "Under Glass" by Tim Sullivan; who sees everything with a writer's vision of the future we have never known yet or at least until it is too late." Sam Tomaino, another reviewer of the same issue of ''F&SF'', urgently wrote, "The fiction in the issue starts with "Under Glass" by Tim Sullivan... This was an imaginative, moving, wonderful novelette and one that will be on my Hugo short list for next year." Sullivan's 2013 story "The Nambu Egg" received praise from the SF CrowsNest website: "'The Nambu Egg' by Tim Sullivan is definitely Science Fiction. It is set in the distant future when the Tachtrans Authority can beam people to a distant planet,

Cet CET or cet may refer to: Places * Cet, Albania * Cet, standard astronomical abbreviation for the constellation Cetus * Colchester Town railway station (National Rail code CET), in Colchester, England Arts, entertainment, and media * Comcast En ...

Four in this case. Adam Naraya has returned to Earth because he has a Nambu egg to sell to the head of a rich corporation, one Mr. Genzler. To tell more of the plot would be to ruin it for it's the kind of tale where things are slowly revealed. Rest assured that the length of this paragraph does not reflect the very high esteem I have for the story." Colleen Chen, writing a review for ''Tangent'' magazine of "Through Mud One Picks a Way", said,

"Sullivan revisits a space and time he's written about before — a future in which main characters hail from Cet 4, a heavy-gravity planet tough to live on but with abundant natural resources. In this story, taking place on Earth, Uxanna Venz has been hired by a fellow named Hob to communicate with three Cetians whom he has illegally obtained and wants to use for his own benefit. The Cetians are amorphous, clammy creatures whose home is the bogs of Cet 4, and they communicate with Uxanna by touching her with squidlike tentacles they can form at will. Uxanna earns their trust at the same time as she feels guilty for doing so. They've been so abused on their home planet by humans encroaching on their territory, and she knows Hob can't have good intentions for them. There's more twists to the story, though, as Uxanna learns the truth about their appearance on Earth, and then unveils her own surprises as she tries to do what's best for the Cetians at the same time as earning her money. I've read one other story by Sullivan that takes place in this universe. I liked this one more — although maybe it's just that the author's particular style, which seems to develop both plot and characters mainly through dialogue, is growing on me. But this story has enough action to keep the story moving despite the lengthy dialogues, and thus it translates into a visual piece that I felt I could watch like a movie in my own head. The characters were likable, the world-building strong, and although the ending is left somewhat unresolved, it stops at a point which promises later continuation."

Eamonn Murphy, writing for the ''SF Crowsnest'', agreed:

"Through Mud One Picks A Way" by Tim Sullivan ... is genuine Science Fiction about three aliens from Cet Four who have been transported to Earth by a businessman for purposes unknown. He has hired Uxanna Venz to communicate with them by touch telepathy, which they do well. She worked on their home planet and is an expert on the species. A nice parable about colonialism with a couple of decent twists to keep you surprised. It was mostly written in dialogue with very little narration, but Sullivan managed to get all the background information across anyway. A neat trick."

References

External links

Fantastic Fiction Author Page
* *
Tim Sullivan Facebook page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sullivan, Tim 1948 births 2024 deaths 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American short story writers 21st-century American male actors 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American short story writers American male film actors American male novelists American male short story writers American science fiction writers Asimov's Science Fiction people Deaths from congestive heart failure in the United States Male actors from Maine The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction people Novelists from Maine People from South Miami, Florida Writers from Bangor, Maine