John Lee Farris is an American writer, known largely for his work in the southern Gothic

Southern Gothic

Southern Gothic is a subgenre of Gothic fiction unique to American literature that takes place exclusively in the American South. It resembles its parent genre in that it relies on supernatural, ironic, or unusual events to guide the plot...

 genre. He was born 1936 in Jefferson City, Missouri

Jefferson City, Missouri

Jefferson City is the capital of the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Cole County. Located in Callaway and Cole counties, it is the principal city of the Jefferson City metropolitan area, which encompasses the entirety of both counties. As of the 2010 census, the population was 43,079...

, to parents John Linder Farris (1909–1982) and Eleanor Carter Farris (1905–1984). Raised in Tennessee

Tennessee

Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...

, he graduated from Central High School

Central High School (Memphis, Tennessee)

Central High School is a public high school in Memphis, Tennessee. Since it was founded in the early 1900s and is considered the first high school in Memphis; Central is often called "THE" High School. It is a part of the Memphis City Schools Optional School system where it is recognized as a...

 in Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee

Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....

 and attended Southwestern University there. His first wife, Kathleen, was the mother of Julie Marie, John, and Jeff Farris; his second wife, Mary Ann Pasante, was the mother of Peter John ("P.J.") Farris.

Apart from his vast body of fiction

Fiction

Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...

, his work on motion picture screenplays includes adaptations of his own books (i.e., The Fury), original scripts, and adaptations of the works of others (such as Alfred Bester

Alfred Bester

Alfred Bester was an American science fiction author, TV and radio scriptwriter, magazine editor and scripter for comic strips and comic books...

's The Demolished Man

The Demolished Man

The Demolished Man, by Alfred Bester, is a science fiction novel that was the first Hugo Award winner in 1953. The story was first serialized in three parts, beginning with the January 1952 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction, followed by publication of the novel in 1953. The novel is dedicated to...

). He wrote and directed the film Dear Dead Delilah in 1973. He has had several plays produced off-Broadway, and also paints and writes poetry. At various times he has made his home in New York, southern California and Puerto Rico; he currently resides near Atlanta, Georgia.

Film adaptations

Three of his works have been made into film: first Harrison High became Because They're Young

Because They're Young

Because They're Young is a 1960 film from Columbia Pictures, starring Dick Clark as Neil Hendry, an American high school teacher who tries to make a difference in the lives of his students. The film co-starred Tuesday Weld, Warren Berlinger, Roberta Shore, Doug McClure, and Victoria Shaw. It was...

, then When Michael Calls

When Michael Calls

When Michael Calls is a Thriller-drama television movie directed by Philip Leacock and starred Elizabeth Ashley, Ben Gazzara and Michael Douglas.-Plot:...

, and then The Fury which was directed by Brian De Palma

Brian De Palma

Brian Russell De Palma is an American film director and writer. In a career spanning over 40 years, he is probably best known for his suspense and crime thriller films, including such box office successes as the horror film Carrie, Dressed to Kill, Scarface, The Untouchables, and Mission:...

.

TV adaptations

His short story I Scream. You Scream. We All Scream for Ice Cream. was adapted for the Showtime anthology series Masters of Horror

Masters of Horror

Masters of Horror is an informal social group of international film writers and directors specializing in horror movies and an American television series created by director Mick Garris for the Showtime cable network.- Origin :...

 in 2007.

Novels (and other fiction)

• The Corpse Next Door (Graphic Books, 1956) (as John Farris)
• The Body on the Beach (Bouregy & Curl, 1957, hc) (as Steve Brackeen)
• Baby Moll (Crest, 1958, pb) (as Steve Brackeen)
• Danger in My Blood (Crest, 1958, pb) (as Steve Brackeen)
• Harrison High (Rinehart & Co.,, 1959) (as John Farris)
• Delfina (Gold Medal, 1962, pb) (as Steve Brackeen)
• The Long Light of Dawn (Putnam, 1962) (as John Farris)
• Guardians, The (Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1964, hc) (as Steve Brackeen)
• King Windom (Trident, 1967) (as John Farris from here on)
• When Michael Calls (Trident, 1967)
• The Girl from Harrison High (Pocket Books, 1968, pb)
• The Captors (Trident, 1969)
• A Sudden Stillness (1970)
• Trouble at Harrison High, The (Pocket Books, 1970, pb)
• Shadow on Harrison High (Pocket Books, 1972, pb)
• Happy Anniversary, Harrison High (Pocket Books, 1973, pb)
• Crisis at Harrison High (Pocket Books, 1974, pb)
• Sharp Practice (Simon & Schuster, 1974)
• The Fury
  The Fury (novel)
  The Fury is a thriller/horror novel by John Farris. The novel was published in 1976 and became a feature film in 1978 starring Kirk Douglas and Amy Irving.-Plot summary:...
  
   (Playboy Press, 1976)
• Bad Blood (1977)
• All Heads Turn When the Hunt Goes By (Playboy Press, 1977; published in the UK as Bad Blood)
• Shatter (W. H. Allen [UK] 1980) (true first)
• Catacombs (Delacorte, 1981)
• The Uninvited (Delacorte, 1982)
• Son of the Endless Night (1984)
• Minotaur (Tor, 1985, pb)
• Wildwood (Tor, 1986, pb)
• Nightfall (Tor, 1987, pb)
• Scare Tactics (1988)
• The Axeman Cometh (Tor, 1989, pb)
• Fiends (Dark Harvest, 1990 [limited edition])
• Demonios (1991)
• Sacrifice (Tor, 1994)
• Dragonfly (Tor/Forge, 1995)
• Soon She Will Be Gone (Tor/Forge, 1997)
• Solar Eclipse (Forge, 1999)
• The Fury and the Terror (2001)
• The Fury and the Power (2003)
• Phantom Nights (2004)
• Elvisland (Babbage Press, 2004)
• Avenging Fury (2008)
• You Don't Scare Me (2007)
• High Bloods (2009)

Short stories

• I Scream. You Scream. We All Scream for Ice Cream.
• Story Time with the Bluefield Strangler
• Transgressions: Volume Two

External links

The official website courtesy and copyright of David J. Schow and John Scoleri:

• http://home.earthlink.net/~blackleatherrequired/