With more than 83 books and some 750 magazine and newspaper pieces to his credit, as well as having had his work selected for over 325 anthologies and textbooks, William Francis Nolan is a one-man word factory. He is famous as the creator and co-author (with George Clayton Johnson) of LOGAN’S RUN – a best-selling SF classic that has become a part of our popular culture as a hit MGM film.
Nolan has written two sequel novels, LOGAN’S WORLD and LOGAN’S SEARCH, and is into a third novle, LOGAN’S JOURNEY. He also wrote the pilot show for the Logan TV series. He plans a fourth Logan novel, to be written with Jason V Brock.
Although he is the author of 13 novels, it is in his role as a short fiction writer for over 50 years that Nolan has helped craft modern horror. Joe R. Lansdale has called him “one of the greats of the horror-suspense field.” Stephen King has acknowledged Nolan as “an expert in the art and science of scaring the hell out of people,” and Ray Bradbury has spoken of Nolan’s ability “to create an atmosphere of ultimate terror.” Nolan has also written extensively for TV and films. He is the screenplay co-writer of Burnt Offerings – and has scripted such classics as The Turn of the Screw and Trilogy of Terror.
Copyright 2009 William F. Nolan
Dear Bill,
I’m glad to see you’re still up and around. So am I; I’m about two months older than you. Your accomplishments are most impressive. I’m about to start reading your biography of Hammett, which I’ve tried to get hold of for years. Do you remember me? I’m in the Ray Bradbury Review, and you and I used to visit Ray together. I’d like to get in touch with you.
Best wishes,
Sam
Dear Bill,
I just read your book “McQueen” translated into Japanese! and enjoyed it.
There were a lot more McQueen’s dialogue than other biographies.
I am currently working on a documentary about McQueen for Japanese TV.
I would like to contact you.
I am trying to reach Mr. Nolan about writing a quote for William Touponce for a 3-volume criticial edition of Bradbury’s stories. Could you please contact me at the email I’ve supplied?
thank you.
Dear Mr Nolan,
I am trying to find a copy of “The Brothers Challis” I have tried Abebooks, Bookfinder, & Elibris all without any luck.
Can you tell me how is the best way to go about this.
Also I love the Black Mask series I hope that you do more ASAP.
Hi Patrick,
This is Mr. Nolan’s webmaster. I found a copy at the following bookstore: http://www.dpbooks.com/cat95.htm
I will pass your comments about Black Mask along.
Dear Jasunni,
I tried clicking on the website which you mentioned to me in your reply letter but it has temporaily unvailble. If Mr Nolan has any copies of Brothers Challis I will gladly buy a copy from him directly.
I stumbled across a copy of Mr. Nolan’s book, How to write Horror Fiction, and wanted to thank him for it. It was an impulse buy at a thrift store, I hadn’t even really looked at who the author was, only the title but as I cracked it open it was like finding an old friend. The manner in which it is written, and as he describes it, is truly like sitting down with a friend and discussing the genre, its history and the finer points in storytelling.
Just wanted to pass on my admiration.
~Ray
I read your comment after posting my own and I’m so glad I’m not the only one who felt that way about that book! I admire your admiration. It is well placed.
Dear Mr. Nolan,
I had once seen Logan’s Run and loved it but I was never curious enough to find out that it had been a novel before a movie. I recently picked up your book “How to Write Horror Fiction” and fell head over heels for both your personal writing style and your horror narrative as displayed in the book. I haven’t looked yet (I’m scared I won’t find anything) but I hope you wrote more by way of how-to and please count me in as a fan of your fiction. I’ll be at my library finding and reading more in your bibliography! Thank you for being an important and interesting writer. I wish I’d found you earlier!
Jenny
Dear Mr Nolan,
I am a British author writing a biography of Christine Granville, the Polish woman who worked as a secret agent for the British during WW2. I have read that you met Ian Fleming in Chicago in 1959, and he mentioned that Granville was (at least part of) the inspiration for Tatiana Romanov in From Russia With Love? Donald McCormick’s biography of Fleming went into some detail about how Granville was also the inspiration for Vesper Lynd, but his sources have since been questioned and more recent biographers of Fleming have dropped reference to Granville. I would be extremely grateful if you might be able to shed any light on this, and perhaps very kindly confirm your own conversation with Fleming?
I have a website which could give you some background on me by way of introduction – http://www.claremulley.com.
Thank you so much for any help you might be able to give me, I really appreciate it.
Best wishes, Clare
claremulley@btinternet.com
Happy 83rd Birthday!
Reading “McQueen.” I’m only 3 chapters in and loving it. Not a dry biography… the writing speaks for itself and i can sense the real connection you and Steve McQueen had. Thanks Mr. Nolan.
Mr. Nolan,
First of all, it is an honor to meet you. I’ve been a fan of “Logan’s Run” ever since I was a teen and have remained so since. I am in the 1400 member strong “Science Fiction Group” on Yahoo. In addition I write a weekly “SciFi News” blog for the group and for anyone else to view.
Also occasionally I will arrange for short, 10-question Q&A sessions with prominent people in science fiction.
So far we’ve talked to Syd Mead, Ben Bova and Nick Sagan. I was wondering if you would do us the honor of doing a Q&A session? I think you’ll find that we have some great minds in our group, and it ends up being a truly wonderful experience for both parties when we share information and ideas together.
We work through basic email. If you agree, I post an email to my group saying we have so and so as a guest and to please submit to me, 10 intelligent questions which I then pass on to you. When I receive them back, at your convenience I post them back to our group.
Please let me know if you would be interested and I completely understand if you decline. I await your response
Sincerly
Jan LaFata
The Science Fiction Group on Yahoo