Michael Avallone
Encyclopedia
Michael Avallone was a prolific American
author of mystery
and secret agent
fiction, as well as many novel
s based upon various television series and films. His lifetime output is known to have exceeded 1,000 works, including novels, short stories
, and articles, published under his own name or numerous pseudonyms.
Avallone published his first novel, The Tall Dolores, in 1953 introducing the character of "Ed Noon", the private detective protagonist
of the story. Avallone went on to write three dozen Ed Noon novels, the most recent of which was published in 1989. The final volume, "Since Noon Yesterday" is, as of 2005, unpublished.
During his career, Avallone wrote many officially licensed novels tying-in with popular TV series and films of the time, including The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
, Hawaii Five-O
, Mannix
, Friday the 13th Part III, Beneath the Planet of the Apes
and even The Partridge Family
. He also wrote a series of novella
s in the late 1960s featuring an U.N.C.L.E.-like organization called INTREX. Avallone is sometimes cited incorrectly as the creator of Man from U.N.C.L.E. (as in the January 1967 issue of The Saint Magazine).
Avallone also wrote numerous entries in the Nick Carter
spy novel series beginning in the 1960s (these books are credited to the fictitious title character), and, under the pseudonym "Troy Conway" wrote a handful of entries in the tongue-in-cheek porn Rod Damon: The Coxeman novel series between 1967 and 1973, that parodied The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. One of the more unusual entries in his canon
was the novelization of the 1982 TV miniseries
, A Woman Called Golda
, based on the life of Golda Meir
.
Among the many pseudonyms that Michael Avallone used (male and female) were: Mile Avalione, Mike Avalone, Troy Conway, Mark Dane, Steve Michaels, Edwina Noone, Priscilla Dalton, John Patrick, Jeanne-Anne dePre, Dorothea Nile, Sidney Stuart, Dora Highland, Stuart Jason, Vance Stanton, Max Walker, and Lee Davis Willoughby.
From 1962 to 1965, Avallone edited the Mystery Writers of America
newsletter.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author of mystery
Mystery fiction
Mystery fiction is a loosely-defined term.1.It is often used as a synonym for detective fiction or crime fiction— in other words a novel or short story in which a detective investigates and solves a crime mystery. Sometimes mystery books are nonfiction...
and secret agent
Secret Agent
Secret Agent is a British film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, loosely based on two stories in Ashenden: Or the British Agent by W. Somerset Maugham. The film starred John Gielgud, Peter Lorre, Madeleine Carroll, and Robert Young...
fiction, as well as many novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s based upon various television series and films. His lifetime output is known to have exceeded 1,000 works, including novels, short stories
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
, and articles, published under his own name or numerous pseudonyms.
Avallone published his first novel, The Tall Dolores, in 1953 introducing the character of "Ed Noon", the private detective protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of the story. Avallone went on to write three dozen Ed Noon novels, the most recent of which was published in 1989. The final volume, "Since Noon Yesterday" is, as of 2005, unpublished.
During his career, Avallone wrote many officially licensed novels tying-in with popular TV series and films of the time, including The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is an American television series that was broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1964, to January 15, 1968. It follows the exploits of two secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a fictitious secret international espionage and law-enforcement...
, Hawaii Five-O
Hawaii Five-O
Hawaii Five-O is an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productions and Leonard Freeman. Set in Hawaii, the show originally aired for twelve seasons from 1968 to 1980, and continues in reruns. The show featured a fictional state police unit run by Detective Steve McGarrett,...
, Mannix
Mannix
Mannix is an American television detective series that ran from 1967 through 1975 on CBS. Created by Richard Levinson and William Link and developed by executive producer Bruce Geller, the title character, Joe Mannix, is a private investigator. He is played by Mike Connors...
, Friday the 13th Part III, Beneath the Planet of the Apes
Beneath the Planet of the Apes
Beneath the Planet of the Apes is a 1970 American science fiction film directed by Ted Post and written by Paul Dehn. It is the second of five films in the original Planet of the Apes series produced by Arthur P. Jacobs...
and even The Partridge Family
The Partridge Family
The Partridge Family is an American television sitcom about a widowed mother and her five children who embark on a music career. The series originally ran from September 25, 1970 until August 31, 1974, the last new episode airing on March 23, 1974, on the ABC network, as part of a Friday-night lineup...
. He also wrote a series of novella
Novella
A novella is a written, fictional, prose narrative usually longer than a novelette but shorter than a novel. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards for science fiction define the novella as having a word count between 17,500 and 40,000...
s in the late 1960s featuring an U.N.C.L.E.-like organization called INTREX. Avallone is sometimes cited incorrectly as the creator of Man from U.N.C.L.E. (as in the January 1967 issue of The Saint Magazine).
Avallone also wrote numerous entries in the Nick Carter
Nick Carter-Killmaster
Nick Carter-Killmaster is a series of spy adventures published from 1964 until the late 1990s, first by Award Books, then by Ace Books, and finally by Jove Books. At least 261 novels were published....
spy novel series beginning in the 1960s (these books are credited to the fictitious title character), and, under the pseudonym "Troy Conway" wrote a handful of entries in the tongue-in-cheek porn Rod Damon: The Coxeman novel series between 1967 and 1973, that parodied The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. One of the more unusual entries in his canon
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
was the novelization of the 1982 TV miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
, A Woman Called Golda
A Woman Called Golda
A Woman Called Golda is a 1982 made-for-television film biopic of Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir.Made by Paramount Television and directed by Alan Gibson, the film stars Ingrid Bergman in the title role...
, based on the life of Golda Meir
Golda Meir
Golda Meir ; May 3, 1898 – December 8, 1978) was a teacher, kibbutznik and politician who became the fourth Prime Minister of the State of Israel....
.
Among the many pseudonyms that Michael Avallone used (male and female) were: Mile Avalione, Mike Avalone, Troy Conway, Mark Dane, Steve Michaels, Edwina Noone, Priscilla Dalton, John Patrick, Jeanne-Anne dePre, Dorothea Nile, Sidney Stuart, Dora Highland, Stuart Jason, Vance Stanton, Max Walker, and Lee Davis Willoughby.
From 1962 to 1965, Avallone edited the Mystery Writers of America
Mystery Writers of America
Mystery Writers of America is an organization for mystery writers, based in New York.The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday....
newsletter.