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Jack O'Connell (author)
Jack O'Connell (December 25, 1959 – January 1, 2024) was an American author of noir crime fiction and speculative fiction novels. He lived in Worcester, Massachusetts, with his wife, Nancy, and two children. He was a student, and taught, at College of the Holy Cross in Worcester. O'Connell died on January 1, 2024, at the age of 64. Career O'Connell stated that the post-industrial urban decay of Worcester was an influence on Quinsigamond, the fictional city where his novels are set. From 1997 to 2008, he served as the editor of ''Holy Cross Magazine''. Bibliography Novels * ''Box Nine'' (Mysterious Press, 1992) * ''Wireless'' (Mysterious Press, 1993) * ''The Skin Palace'' (Mysterious Press, 1996) * ''Word Made Flesh'' (Mysterious Press, 1999) * ''The Resurrectionist'' (Algonquin Books, 2008) Anthologies (as editor) * ''Dark Alleys of Noir'' (Delta Productions, 2002) Awards * Shirley Jackson Award (2008, Finalist) * Prix Mystère de la critique The Prix Mystère de la crit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Noir Fiction
Noir fiction (or roman noir) is a subgenre of crime fiction. Definition In its modern form, noir has come to denote a marked darkness in theme and subject matter, generally featuring a disturbing mixture of sex and violence and death in some cases. While related to and frequently confused with hardboiled detective fiction—due to the regular adaptation of hardboiled detective stories in the film noir style—the two are not the same. Both regularly take place against a backdrop of systemic and institutional corruption. However, noir (French for "black") fiction is centred on protagonists that are either victims, suspects, or perpetrators—often self-destructive. A typical protagonist of noir fiction is forced to deal with a corrupt legal, political or other system, through which the protagonist is either victimized and/or has to victimize others, leading to a lose-lose situation. Otto Penzler argues that the traditional hardboiled detective story and noir story are "dia ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Speculative Fiction
Speculative fiction is a term that has been used with a variety of (sometimes contradictory) meanings. The broadest interpretation is as a category of fiction encompassing genres with elements that do not exist in reality, recorded history, nature, or the present universe. Such fiction covers various themes in the context of supernatural, futuristic, and other imaginative realms. The genres under this umbrella category include, but are not limited to, science fiction, fantasy, horror, superhero fiction, alternate history, utopian and dystopian fiction, and supernatural fiction, as well as combinations thereof (for example, science fantasy). History Speculative fiction as a category ranges from ancient works to paradigm-changing and neotraditional works of the 21st century. Characteristics of speculative fiction have been recognized in older works whose authors' intentions, or in the social contexts of the stories they portray, are now known. For example, the ancient Greek ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester ( , ) is a city and county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, the city's population was 206,518 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the second-List of cities in New England by population, most populous city in New England after Boston. Worcester is approximately west of Boston, east of Springfield, Massachusetts, Springfield and north-northwest of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence. Due to its location near the geographic center of Massachusetts, Worcester is known as the "Heart of the Commonwealth"; a heart is the official symbol of the city. Worcester developed as an industrial city in the 19th century due to the Blackstone Canal and rail transport, producing machinery, textiles and wire. Large numbers of European immigrants made up the city's growing population. However, the city's manufacturing base waned following World War II. Long-term economic and population decline was not reversed ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
College Of The Holy Cross
The College of the Holy Cross is a private, Jesuit liberal arts college in Worcester, Massachusetts, about 40 miles (64 km) west of Boston. Founded in 1843, Holy Cross is the oldest Catholic college in New England and one of the oldest in the United States. Opened as a school for boys under the auspices of the Society of Jesus, it was the first Jesuit college in New England. Holy Cross sports teams are called the Crusaders and their sole color is purple; they compete in NCAA Division I as members of the Patriot League. History Beginnings Holy Cross was founded by The Rt Rev. Benedict Joseph Fenwick, S.J., second Bishop of Boston, after his efforts to find a Catholic college in Boston were thwarted by the city's Protestant civic leaders. From the beginning of his tenure as bishop, Fenwick intended to establish a Catholic college within the boundaries of his diocese. Relations with Boston's civic leaders worsened such that, when a Jesuit faculty was finally secur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Quinsigamond
More than nine variations of the name have been seen in the records throughout history (Quinsigamond, Quansigemog, Quansigamaug, Quansigamug, Qunnosuog-amaug). In Native American Algonquian language, Quinsigamond is loosely translated as "the pickerel (or long nose) fishing place." Pickerel is a type of fresh water fish commonly native to inland lakes and ponds. Quinsigamond - Name references American Nipmuc Indians named the body of water between Worcester and Shrewsbury, "Quinsigamond", the largest lake in the East. Colonial settlers also adapted the name of the lake for a nearby village. Quinsigamond was also the name given to the area known today as "Worcester." The name for Quinsigamond Community College, was also chosen to honor the rich cultural heritage of Worcester County. Quinsigamond Lake - (Pre-Colonial times) During the early 1600s, more than 15,000 Nipmuc Native Americans roamed, in small clans, the areas known as; New England, Worcester County, Springfield, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shirley Jackson Award
The Shirley Jackson Awards are literary awards named after Shirley Jackson in recognition of her legacy in writing. These awards for outstanding achievement in the literature of psychological suspense, horror and the dark fantastic are presented at Readercon, an annual conference on imaginative literature. Writing in ''Salon'' in 2010, Laura Miller noted, "The awards are only 3 years old, but have already proved a fitting tribute to a writer who roamed freely over similar ground and has never quite gotten the respect she deserves." Award-winners are selected by a jury of professional writers, editors, critics and academics, with input from a Board of Advisors. The awards are given for the best work published in the preceding calendar year in the following categories: Novel, Novella, Novelette, Short Story, Single-Author Collection and Edited Anthology. The first annual Shirley Jackson Awards were presented July 20, 2007 at the Readercon Conference on Imaginative Literature in B ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Prix Mystère De La Critique
The Prix Mystère de la critique was established in 1972 by ', published by from 1948 to 1976, and is one of the oldest French awards for a detective novel. It continues to be awarded each year by its founder, Georges Rieben and his team, and has the characteristic of having survived the demise of the magazine. Since 2011, the award's ceremony takes place at the . The prize is divided into two categories: French novel and foreign novel. Laureates of the best French novel The prizewinners in the National category is reserved for the best French-language crime series published the previous year. The most successful in this category were the French Alain Demouzon (1979 and 2001), Pascal Dessaint (1997 and 2008), Thierry Jonquet (1994 and 1999), Dominique Manotti (2002 and 2007), Jean-Hugues Oppel (1995 and 2006), Fred Vargas (1996 and 2000) and Hervé Le Corre (2005 and 2010), who won the prize twice. Vargas was at the same time the first female criminal writer to be awarded the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1959 Births
Events January * January 1 - Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance. * January 2 - Lunar probe Luna 1 was the first man-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reached the vicinity of Earth's Moon, and was also the first spacecraft to be placed in heliocentric orbit. * January 3 ** The three southernmost atolls of the Maldive archipelago ( Addu Atoll, Huvadhu Atoll and Fuvahmulah island) declare independence. ** Alaska is admitted as the 49th U.S. state. * January 4 ** In Cuba, rebel troops led by Che Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos enter the city of Havana. ** Léopoldville riots: At least 49 people are killed during clashes between the police and participants of a meeting of the ABAKO Party in Léopoldville in the Belgian Congo. * January 6 ** Fidel Castro arrives in Havana. ** The International Maritime Organization is inaugurated. * January 7 – The United States recognizes the new Cuban government of F ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2024 Deaths
The following notable deaths occurred in 2024. Names are reported under the date of death, in alphabetical order. A typical entry reports information in the following sequence: * Name, age, country of citizenship at birth, subsequent nationality (if applicable), what subject was noted for, cause of death (if known), and reference. January 26 25 * Hari Shankar Bhabhra, 95, Indian politician, MP (1978–1984), speaker of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly (1990–1994) and deputy chief minister of Rajasthan (1994–1998). *Bhavatharini, 47, Indian composer ('' Bharathi'', ''Azhagai Irukkirai Bayamai Irukkirathu'') and music director ('' Mitr, My Friend''), cancer. *Roger Donlon, 89, American military officer, Medal of Honor recipient. * Sanath Nishantha, 48, Sri Lankan politician, minister of state for water supply (2020–2022, since 2022) and MP (since 2015), traffic collision. *Elahi Bux Soomro, 97, Pakistani politician, member (1985–2007) and speaker (1996–2001) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
American Speculative Fiction Writers
American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, people who self-identify their ancestry as "American" ** American English, the set of varieties of the English language native to the United States ** Native Americans in the United States, indigenous peoples of the United States * American, something of, from, or related to the Americas, also known as "America" ** Indigenous peoples of the Americas * American (word), for analysis and history of the meanings in various contexts Organizations * American Airlines, U.S.-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas * American Athletic Conference, an American college athletic conference * American Recordings (record label), a record label previously known as Def American * American University, in Washington, D.C. Sports teams Soccer * Ba ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
American Detective Fiction Writers
American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, people who self-identify their ancestry as "American" ** American English, the set of varieties of the English language native to the United States ** Native Americans in the United States, indigenous peoples of the United States * American, something of, from, or related to the Americas, also known as "America" ** Indigenous peoples of the Americas * American (word), for analysis and history of the meanings in various contexts Organizations * American Airlines, U.S.-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas * American Athletic Conference, an American college athletic conference * American Recordings (record label), a record label previously known as Def American * American University, in Washington, D.C. Sports teams Soccer * Ba ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
