Community hub
0 subscribers7 pages, 0 posts
Recent from talks
All channels
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Contribute something
Welcome to the community hub built to collect knowledge and have discussions related to John Saul.
Nothing was collected or created yet.
John Saul
View on Wikipediafrom Wikipedia
John Saul (born February 25, 1942) is an American author of suspense and horror novels. Most of his books have appeared on the New York Times Best Seller list.[1]
Biography
[edit]Born in Pasadena, Saul grew up in Whittier, California, and graduated from Whittier High School in 1959. He went on to several colleges, including Cerritos College, Antioch College, San Francisco State University and Montana State University, variously majoring in anthropology, liberal arts and theater, but remains degree-less. After leaving college, Saul decided to become a writer, and spent 15 years working in various jobs while learning his craft.[citation needed]
Prior to the start of his career writing thrillers, Saul had around 10 books published under pen names, the first of which he wrote in one weekend after unexpectedly losing his job. His first book sale earned him $200.[2] Today he has over 60 million books in print.[3]
In 1976, Dell Publishing contacted him about his writing a psychological thriller. The resulting novel, Suffer the Children, appeared on all the bestseller lists in the United States and reached the number one spot in Canada.[citation needed] His 1979 novel Cry for the Strangers was made into a 1982 TV movie starring Patrick Duffy and Cindy Pickett.[4][5] In addition to his novels, Saul has had several one-act plays produced in Los Angeles and Seattle.[citation needed]
Saul lives part-time in the Pacific Northwest, both in Seattle and in the San Juan Islands, and has a residence on the Big Island of Hawaii. Saul is openly gay. He lives with his partner of almost 50 years (since 1975) who has collaborated on several of his novels.[1] He is a frequent speaker at the Maui Writers' Conference.
In 2023, Saul received the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement.[6]
Works
[edit]Novels
[edit]| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 1977 | Suffer the Children |
| 1978 | Punish the Sinners |
| 1979 | Cry for the Strangers |
| 1980 | Comes the Blind Fury |
| 1981 | When the Wind Blows |
| 1982 | The God Project |
| 1984 | Nathaniel |
| 1985 | Brainchild |
| 1986 | Hellfire |
| 1987 | The Unwanted |
| 1988 | The Unloved |
| 1989 | Creature |
| 1990 | Second Child |
| 1991 | Sleepwalk |
| 1991 | Darkness |
| 1992 | Shadows |
| 1993 | Guardian |
| 1994 | The Homing |
| 1995 | Black Lightning |
| 1997 | The Blackstone Chronicles |
| 1 | An Eye for an Eye: The Doll (1996) |
| 2 | Twist of Fate: The Locket (1997) |
| 3 | Ashes to Ashes: The Dragon's Flame (1997) |
| 4 | In the Shadow of Evil: The Handkerchief (1997) |
| 5 | Day of Reckoning: The Stereoscope (1997) |
| 6 | Asylum (1997) |
| 1998 | The Presence |
| 1999 | The Right Hand of Evil |
| 2000 | Nightshade |
| 2001 | The Manhattan Hunt Club |
| 2002 | Midnight Voices |
| 2003 | Black Creek Crossing |
| 2005 | Perfect Nightmare |
| 2006 | In the Dark of the Night |
| 2007 | The Devil's Labyrinth |
| 2008 | Faces of Fear |
| 2009 | House of Reckoning |
References
[edit]- ^ a b Steele, Bruce C (August 28, 2001), "Fear and loving in the best-seller rack", The Advocate, archived from the original on March 26, 2005, retrieved August 30, 2007 .
- ^ "The Horror Zine Presents: an interview with John Saul", The Horror Zine, retrieved September 27, 2011.
- ^ "John Saul's Blackstone Chronicles", The Computer Show, retrieved September 27, 2011.
- ^ Sandra Brennan, "Cry for the Strangers (1982)", Movies & TV Dept., The New York Times, archived from the original on January 30, 2013, retrieved September 14, 2012
- ^ "Review of Cry for the Strangers (1982) at RottenTomatoes.com". Cry for the Strangers. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
- ^ "Lifetime Achievement Award – the Bram Stoker Awards".
- John Saul: A Critical Companion by Paul Bail
External links
[edit]
John Saul
View on Grokipediafrom Grokipedia
John Saul (born February 25, 1942) is an American author renowned for his suspense and horror novels, many of which have achieved commercial success as New York Times bestsellers.[1] Born in Pasadena, California, and raised in Whittier, Saul attended four colleges where he studied theater and anthropology but did not earn a degree.[2] His debut novel, Suffer the Children (1977), became an immediate million-copy bestseller and marked the first original paperback to appear on the New York Times Best Seller list, launching a career that has produced 37 New York Times bestselling novels, along with numerous collections and adaptations.[3]
Saul's works often explore themes of psychological terror, supernatural elements, and family dysfunction, with over 60 million copies sold worldwide in more than 35 languages.[2] Notable titles include Punish the Sinners (1978), Comes the Blind Fury (1980), and Cry for the Strangers (1979), the latter of which was adapted into a 1982 television film.[3] He pioneered the use of early computers for writing, employing a Lanier "No Problem" word processor for his manuscripts.[2] In addition to his literary output, Saul co-founded and co-directed the Maui Writers Conference and School with his husband, Michael Sack, fostering emerging writers until the program's conclusion.[2]
Throughout his nearly five-decade career, Saul has maintained a focus on crafting accessible, page-turning thrillers that blend horror with emotional depth, earning him a dedicated readership while avoiding overt gore in favor of suspenseful narratives. In 2023, he received the Horror Writers Association's Lifetime Achievement Award.[4] His books continue to be published and adapted, reflecting enduring popularity in the genre.[5]
Early life
Childhood and family
John Saul was born on February 25, 1942, in Pasadena, California.[6] He was raised in the nearby city of Whittier, California, in a middle-class suburban environment that provided a stable backdrop for his early years.[7] Saul graduated from Whittier High School in 1959.[8] Saul was the son of Jack Saul and Betty Saul, with a sister named Helen who was two years his senior.[2] The family dynamics fostered an interest in creativity from a young age; in seventh grade, an English teacher encouraged him to pursue writing, leading Saul to experiment with plays, short stories, and poetry that demonstrated his budding talent for storytelling.[2]Education
John Saul's formal education was marked by attendance at multiple institutions without the completion of a degree, reflecting an exploratory approach to learning across diverse fields. After graduating from Whittier High School in 1959, he enrolled at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, for one year (1959–1960). He then transferred to Montana State University in Bozeman, attending from 1961 to 1962. Saul also studied at Cerritos College, a community college in Norwalk, California, though specific dates for this period are not documented in available records. Finally, he spent two years (1963–1965) at San Francisco State University (then San Francisco State College), where his coursework included anthropology, liberal arts, and theater.[9][6][2][10] Throughout these intermittent studies, spanning roughly six years in the early 1960s, Saul pursued a broad curriculum driven by personal interests rather than a linear path toward graduation. His exposure to theater fostered an appreciation for narrative structure and character development, while anthropology introduced foundational concepts in human behavior and societal dynamics. These experiences, combined with financial pressures that necessitated part-time work to support his education, shaped an adaptable perspective unencumbered by formal credentials.[9][2][11] This diverse academic journey laid initial groundwork for Saul's later explorations of human psychology in his writing, as the interdisciplinary nature of his studies highlighted the complexities of the mind and social interactions without delving into specialized training. Ultimately, the lack of a degree did not hinder his career trajectory, allowing him to draw from a wide-ranging intellectual foundation.[2][9]Career
Early employment
After dropping out of college without a degree, John Saul supported himself through a series of odd jobs spanning approximately 15 years, from the early 1960s to the mid-1970s, while honing his writing skills. These roles provided financial stability amid frequent relocations and allowed flexible schedules conducive to creative pursuits. Among his early positions was as a rental agent for Airways Rent-A-Car, where he worked in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and later Seattle, a job that accommodated aspiring writers and actors with its variable hours.[12] He also took on temporary office work, including typing for Western Office Services in San Francisco, where he achieved speeds of up to 90 words per minute and even appeared in a Yellow Pages advertisement as a "Western Girl."[12] Additionally, Saul served as a technical writer and office helper in various capacities, contributing to his practical experience in communication and documentation.[9] In Seattle, where he relocated during this period, Saul found employment in a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program, further diversifying his professional background and exposing him to human experiences that would later inform his storytelling.[9] These jobs, often unstable and low-paying, underscored the challenges of pursuing writing without formal qualifications, as Saul navigated unemployment and unexpected job losses that heightened his determination to transition to full-time authorship. For instance, after losing a position without unemployment benefits, he committed to writing a novel over a single weekend, mirroring the approach of John O'Hara, which resulted in an early work sold for a modest $200 fee.[13] Throughout this era, Saul's employment coexisted with persistent but unsuccessful writing efforts, including short stories contributed to pulp magazines in the 1960s and several one-act plays produced in Los Angeles, reflecting his initial aspirations in theater and shorter-form fiction.[13] He produced around nine to fifteen unpublished novels during these years, often in genres like comedy murder mysteries, but faced repeated rejections that tested his resolve.[13][12] The instability of his career path ultimately motivated him to focus exclusively on writing, leveraging skills like rapid typing from his temping roles to complete manuscripts efficiently.[12]Writing career
John Saul's writing career began with the publication of his debut novel, Suffer the Children, in 1977 by Dell, which became an immediate million-copy bestseller and marked the first original paperback to reach the New York Times bestseller list.[14][2] During the 1980s and 1990s, Saul rose to prominence as a leading suspense author, achieving over 20 consecutive bestsellers, many of which appeared on the New York Times list, and amassing total sales exceeding 60 million books in print worldwide.[15][3] Saul collaborated extensively with his long-term partner throughout his career, following a workflow in which they jointly developed book ideas and plotting before Saul handled the writing and editing.[2] Between 1977 and 2009, Saul published 29 novels, after which he entered a hiatus with no new works announced as of 2025.[3] He also maintained an active presence in the literary community through frequent speaking engagements, including co-organizing and teaching at the Maui Writers' Conference, and mentoring emerging writers.[2]Awards and honors
In 2023, John Saul received the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Horror Writers Association, presented during a ceremony at StokerCon in Pittsburgh to honor his enduring contributions to the horror genre.[16][17] Saul was earlier awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Northwest Writers Conference in the early 2000s, recognizing his significant influence within the Pacific Northwest literary scene.[9] He has also earned ongoing honors through frequent invitations to speak at prominent writers' conferences, notably serving as a key organizer and lecturer at the Maui Writers' Conference since its inception in the 1990s.[2][11] Although Saul has not received major literary prizes for specific novels, his consistent commercial achievements in suspense and horror fiction have solidified his status as a genre mainstay.[16]Works
Novels
John Saul published 30 standalone novels between 1977 and 2009, with the first 23 appearing consecutively on the New York Times bestseller list starting from his debut.[3] His early novels frequently centered on horror narratives involving children, evolving in later works to thrillers focused on adult characters and psychological suspense.[18] No additional novels have been released since House of Reckoning in 2009.[19] In 1997, Saul produced The Blackstone Chronicles, a six-part limited serial novel released in monthly installments by Fawcett, chronicling interconnected mysteries among families in the fictional town of Blackstone and uncovering a shared legacy of evil; it also reached New York Times bestseller status.[14][20] The following table lists his standalone novels chronologically, including publication years, publishers, and brief non-spoiler summaries:| Year | Title | Publisher | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Suffer the Children | Dell | A family faces unsettling events in their home, exploring themes of fear and mystery.[20] |
| 1978 | Punish the Sinners | Dell | A series of disturbing incidents unfolds at a school, delving into suspense and tension.[20] |
| 1979 | Cry for the Strangers | Dell | A small coastal town harbors secrets that affect newcomers, blending intrigue and unease.[20] |
| 1980 | Comes the Blind Fury | Dell | A young girl encounters eerie occurrences tied to a tragic past, focusing on supernatural elements.[20] |
| 1981 | When the Wind Blows | Dell | A community grapples with strange happenings, emphasizing psychological suspense.[20] |
| 1982 | The God Project (also published as All Fall Down) | Bantam | A mysterious project impacts families, exploring conspiracy and fear.[20] |
| 1984 | Nathaniel | Bantam | A couple uncovers dark secrets in a new town, centered on suspense and discovery.[20] |
| 1985 | Brain Child | Bantam | A family deals with a child’s unusual abilities, focusing on science and mystery.[20] |
| 1986 | Hellfire | Bantam | A town faces a series of troubling events, highlighting horror and tension.[20] |
| 1987 | The Unwanted | Bantam | A family encounters disturbing circumstances in a new environment, emphasizing psychological thriller aspects.[20] |
| 1988 | The Unloved | Bantam | A woman returns to her family home, uncovering unsettling truths and suspense.[20] |
| 1989 | Creature | Bantam | A community is affected by a strange presence, blending horror and mystery.[20] |
| 1990 | Second Child | Bantam | A family navigates challenges with a new child, focusing on suspenseful family dynamics.[20] |
| 1990 | Sleepwalk | Bantam | A town experiences bizarre sleep-related incidents, exploring psychological horror.[20] |
| 1991 | Darkness | Bantam | A family faces eerie events in an isolated setting, emphasizing supernatural suspense.[20] |
| 1992 | Shadows | Bantam | A community is plagued by mysterious occurrences, delving into fear and intrigue.[20] |
| 1993 | Guardian | Fawcett | A family encounters a protective yet unsettling force, focusing on suspense and mystery.[20] |
| 1994 | The Homing | Fawcett | A woman returns home to face disturbing revelations, blending family secrets and tension.[20] |
| 1995 | Black Lightning | Fawcett | A journalist investigates a series of unsettling events, centered on crime and suspense.[20] |
| 1997 | The Presence | Ballantine | A family discovers strange happenings on an island, exploring mystery and fear.[20] |
| 1999 | The Right Hand of Evil | Ballantine | A family moves into a house with a dark history, focusing on horror and suspense.[20] |
| 2000 | Nightshade | Ballantine | A town is gripped by eerie events, emphasizing supernatural and psychological elements.[20] |
| 2001 | Black Creek Crossing | Ballantine | A family faces troubling circumstances in a new home, blending mystery and tension.[20] |
| 2001 | The Manhattan Hunt Club | Ballantine | A man becomes entangled in a dangerous urban game, focusing on thriller elements.[20] |
| 2002 | Midnight Voices | Ballantine | A family encounters unsettling phenomena in their apartment building, exploring horror.[20] |
| 2005 | Perfect Nightmare | Ballantine | A family deals with a series of disturbing events, emphasizing suspense and fear.[20] |
| 2006 | In the Dark of the Night | Ballantine | A family vacation turns eerie, focusing on mystery and psychological tension.[20] |
| 2007 | The Devil's Labyrinth | Ballantine | A school becomes the site of strange and troubling incidents, blending horror and suspense.[20] |
| 2008 | Faces of Fear | Ballantine | A family faces a series of unsettling events, exploring psychological thriller themes.[20] |
| 2009 | House of Reckoning | Ballantine | A girl uncovers dark secrets in a new town, focusing on suspense and mystery.[20] |