Manly Wade Wellman
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Manly Wade Wellman (May 21, 1903 – April 5, 1986) was an American writer. While his
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
and
fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...
stories appeared in such pulps as ''
Astounding Stories ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' is an American science fiction magazine published under various titles since 1930. Originally titled ''Astounding Stories of Super-Science'', the first issue was dated January 1930, published by William Cl ...
'', ''
Startling Stories ''Startling Stories'' was an American pulp science fiction magazine, published from 1939 to 1955 by publisher Ned Pines' Standard Magazines. It was initially edited by Mort Weisinger, who was also the editor of ''Thrilling Wonder Stories'', S ...
'', ''
Unknown Unknown or The Unknown may refer to: Film * The Unknown (1915 comedy film), ''The Unknown'' (1915 comedy film), a silent boxing film * The Unknown (1915 drama film), ''The Unknown'' (1915 drama film) * The Unknown (1927 film), ''The Unknown'' (1 ...
'' and ''
Strange Stories ''Strange Stories'' was a pulp magazine which ran for thirteen issues from 1939 to 1941. It was edited by Mort Weisinger, who was not credited. Contributors included Robert Bloch, Eric Frank Russell, C. L. Moore, August Derleth, and ...
'', Wellman is best remembered as one of the most popular contributors to the legendary ''
Weird Tales ''Weird Tales'' is an American fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine founded by J. C. Henneberger and J. M. Lansinger in late 1922. The first issue, dated March 1923, appeared on newsstands February 18. The first editor, Edwin Baird, prin ...
'', and for his fantasy and horror stories set in the
Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...
, which draw on the native folklore of that region.
Karl Edward Wagner Karl Edward Wagner (12 December 1945 – 14 October 1994) was an American writer, poet, editor, and publisher of horror, science fiction, and heroic fantasy, who was born in Knoxville, Tennessee and originally trained as a psychiatrist. He ...
referred to him as "the dean of fantasy writers." Wellman also wrote in a wide variety of other genres, including
historical fiction Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other ty ...
,
detective fiction Detective fiction is a subgenre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator or a detective—whether professional, amateur or retired—investigates a crime, often murder. The detective genre began around the same time as s ...
,
western fiction Western fiction is a genre of literature set in the American Old West frontier and typically set from the late eighteenth to the late nineteenth century. Well-known writers of Western fiction include Zane Grey from the early 20th century and ...
,
juvenile fiction Young adult fiction (YA) is a category of fiction written for readers from 12 to 18 years of age. While the genre is primarily targeted at adolescents, approximately half of YA readers are adults. The subject matter and genres of YA correlate ...
, and
non-fiction Nonfiction, or non-fiction, is any document or media content that attempts, in good faith, to provide information (and sometimes opinions) grounded only in facts and real life, rather than in imagination. Nonfiction is often associated with be ...
. Wellman was a long-time resident of
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
. He received many awards, including the
World Fantasy Award The World Fantasy Awards are a set of awards given each year for the best fantasy literature, fantasy fiction published during the previous calendar year. Organized and overseen by the World Fantasy Convention, the awards are given each year a ...
and
Edgar Allan Poe Award The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, popularly called the Edgars, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America, based in New York City. Named after American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), a pioneer in the genre, the awards honor the bes ...
. In 2013, the North Carolina Speculative Fiction Foundation inaugurated an award named after him to honor other North Carolina authors of science fiction and fantasy. Three of Wellman's most famous recurring protagonists are John, a.k.a. John the Balladeer, a.k.a. "Silver John", a wandering backwoods minstrel with a silver-stringed guitar; the elderly "
occult detective Occult detective fiction is a subgenre of detective fiction that combines the tropes of the main genre with those of supernatural, fantasy and/or horror fiction. Unlike the traditional detective who investigates murder and other common crimes ...
" Judge Pursuivant; and John Thunstone, also an occult investigator. Wellman wrote under a number of different pseudonyms, including Gabriel Barclay, Levi Crow, Gans T. Field, Hampton Wells, and Wade Wells.


Biography


Early years

Wellman was born in the village of Kamundongo in
Portuguese West Africa Portuguese Angola refers to Angola during the historic period when it was a territory under Portuguese rule in southwestern Africa. In the same context, it was known until 1951 as Portuguese West Africa (officially the State of West Africa). I ...
(now
Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...
), where his father,
Frederick Creighton Wellman Frederick Creighton Wellman (January 3, 1873, near Kansas City, Missouri – September 3, 1960, Chapel Hill, North Carolina) was an American physician specialising in tropical medicine, scientist, author, playwright, teacher, artist and engine ...
, was stationed as a medical officer. He spoke the native dialect before he learned English, and became an adopted son of a powerful chief whose vision Dr Wellman restored. As a small child, Manly twice visited London, where the family stayed in Torrington Square (obliterated during the
Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...
). When he was still a young boy, his family moved to the United States, where he attended school in
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, prep school in
Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
, and college at Wichita Municipal University (now
Wichita State University Wichita State University (WSU) is a public research university in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate degree programs in more than 200 areas of study in ...
) in
Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
. After graduating from Wichita State with his BA in English in 1926, he went on to receive a
Bachelor of Laws Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...
degree from
Columbia Law School Columbia Law School (Columbia Law or CLS) is the law school of Columbia University, a private Ivy League university in New York City. Columbia Law is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious law schools in the world and has always ranked i ...
. A distinguished football player, he received little encouragement from either family or teachers with his plans to become a writer. An early story, "Back to the Beast", resulted in one teacher remarking "Your work is impossible!" Yet this same story became his first professional sale when editor
Farnsworth Wright Farnsworth Wright (July 29, 1888 – June 12, 1940) was the editor of the pulp magazine ''Weird Tales'' during the magazine's heyday, editing 179 issues from November 1924 to March 1940. Jack Williamson called Wright "the first great fantasy ...
bought it and published it in ''
Weird Tales ''Weird Tales'' is an American fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine founded by J. C. Henneberger and J. M. Lansinger in late 1922. The first issue, dated March 1923, appeared on newsstands February 18. The first editor, Edwin Baird, prin ...
'' (November 1927). He was of partial Native American ancestry. According to the author note by Gahan Wilson in
Gahan Wilson Gahan Allen Wilson (February 18, 1930 – November 21, 2019) was an American author, cartoonist and illustrator known for his cartoons depicting horror-fantasy situations. Biography Wilson was born in Evanston, Illinois, and was inspired by th ...
, ed. ''First World Fantasy Awards'' (NY: Doubleday, 1977, p. 253), Wellman's "ancestry reaches back through the Confederate South to colonial Virginia, with the potent infusion of Gascon French and American Indian." One of Wellman's brothers, Paul Wellman, was also a well published author, another Frederick Lovejoy Wellman, was a noted plant pathologist.


The 1920s and '30s

His first story published, "The Lion Roared" (''Thrilling Tales'', 1927), was based on the stories told to him in his African childhood upbringing. Wellman's first science fiction novel was published in 1929 (''The Invading Asteroid'') but he would not work at full length again until 1941. Around that time he started a friendship with
Vance Randolph Vance Randolph (February 23, 1892 – November 1, 1980) was a folklorist who studied the folklore of the Ozarks in particular. He wrote a number of books on the Ozarks, as well as ''Little Blue Books'' and juvenile fiction. Early life Randolph ...
, an acclaimed folklorist and expert on Ozark mountain magic and traditions. Randolf took Wellman on trips through the Arkansas
Ozarks The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and the extreme southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover a significant port ...
, learning folk traditions and meeting the secluded people of the American back country. It was through Randolph that Wellman met folk music legend Obray Ramsey, whose music would have a profound effect on Wellman and his writing. In the late 1920s, during the silent film era, Wellman wrote movie reviews for the ''Wichita Beacon'' and also worked for ''The Wichita Eagle'' as a court and crime reporter. He sold many stories in this period to ''Ozark Stories'' and ''Thrilling Tales''. He married Frances Obrist "Garfield" (her pen name), who was a horror writer in her own right; she sold her first story to ''Weird Tales'' in 1939. During the Depression, Wellman's newspaper work started to dwindle, so in 1934 he moved from Kansas to
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
where he became Assistant Director of the WPA's New York Folklore Project.
Alfred Bester Alfred Bester (December 18, 1913 – September 30, 1987) was an American science fiction author, TV and radio scriptwriter, magazine editor and scripter for comic strips and comic books. He is best remembered for his science fiction, inclu ...
described meeting Wellman in about 1939: "
Mort Weisinger Mortimer Weisinger (; April 25, 1915 – May 7, 1978) was an American magazine and comic book editor best known for editing DC Comics' ''Superman'' during the mid-1950s to 1960s, in the Silver Age of comic books. He also co-created such features a ...
introduced me to the informal luncheon gatherings of the working science fiction authors of the late thirties... The vivacious ''compère'' of those luncheons was Manley icWade Wellman, a professional Southerner full of regional anecdotes. It's my recollection that one of his hands was slightly shriveled, which may have been why he came on so strong for the Confederate cause. We were all very patient with that; after all, our side won the
war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
. Wellman was quite the man-of-the-world for the innocent thirties; he always ordered wine with his lunch." Moving from New York to New Jersey in 1939, Wellman wrote countless stories for the new field of comic books as well as for the pulps. During the war he served in New Jersey as a first lieutenant.


The 1940s: New York, Weird Tales, Occult Detectives and Comic Books

In the 1930s and 1940s, Wellman began selling to the bigger publications such as ''Weird Tales'', ''Wonder Stories'' and ''Astounding Stories''. At this time, when Wellman was living in New York, ''Weird Tales'' published numerous stories based on three of his most famous characters: Judge Keith Hilary Pursuivant, John Thunstone, and Professor Nathan Enderby. Judge Keith Hilary Pursuivant (written under the pen name Gans T. Fields) is described as "a renowned scholar and retired judge, hero of World War I, and now hero of darker, more dangerous battles. Huge of frame, an epicure, an authority on the occult, Pursuivant strides forth from his reclusive home in West Virginia to confront evil wherever it appears".Jacket flap, Manly Wade Wellman, ''Lonely Vigils'', Carcosa, 1981 John Thunstone is "a hulking Manhattanite playboy and dilettante, a serious student of the occult and a two-fisted brawler ready to take on any enemy. Armed with potent charms and a silver swordcane, Thunstone stalks supernatural perils in the posh night clubs and seedy hotels of New York, or in backwater towns lost in the countryside-- seeking out deadly sorcery as a hunter pursues a man-killer beast". Thunstone's arch-nemesis was the evil sorcerer, Rowley Thorne. Thorne was based on real-life occultist
Aleister Crowley Aleister Crowley (; born Edward Alexander Crowley; 12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947) was an English occultist, ceremonial magician, poet, painter, novelist, and mountaineer. He founded the religion of Thelema, identifying himself as the pro ...
, the self-proclaimed "wickedest man in the world". The lesser-known character Professor Nathan Enderby is a "slender savant and unassuming authority on the supernatural, aided by his sharp wits and his Chinese servant, Quong. His cabin in rural Pennsylvania is a retreat from the frenetic social life of New York City – and a fortress against the powers of black magic". While the
Edmond Hamilton Edmond Moore Hamilton (October 21, 1904 – February 1, 1977) was an American writer of science fiction during the mid-twentieth century. Early life Born in Youngstown, Ohio, he was raised there and in nearby New Castle, Pennsylvania. So ...
-led pulp
Captain Future Captain Future is a pulp science fiction hero — a space-traveling scientist and adventurer —originally published in his namesake pulp magazine from 1940 to 1944. The character was created by editors Mort Weisinger and Leo Margulies. The maj ...
was a going concern, Wellman wrote one novel for it, ''The Solar Invasion''. When ''Captain Future'' was cancelled due to wartime paper shortages, the novel was instead published in
Startling Stories ''Startling Stories'' was an American pulp science fiction magazine, published from 1939 to 1955 by publisher Ned Pines' Standard Magazines. It was initially edited by Mort Weisinger, who was also the editor of ''Thrilling Wonder Stories'', S ...
(fall of 1946). Following a similar path to such pulp writers as
Frank Belknap Long Frank Belknap Long (April 27, 1901 – January 3, 1994) was an American writer of horror fiction, fantasy, science fiction, poetry, gothic romance, comic books, and non-fiction. Though his writing career spanned seven decades, he is best known ...
, Wellman also wrote for various comic books (what he called "squinkies") and wrote the first issue of ''Captain Marvel Adventures'' for Fawcett Publishers. Later he would be called into court to testify against Fawcett in a lawsuit by National (DC Comics) about plagiarism of
Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
by the creators of Captain Marvel. Wellman testified that his editors had encouraged their writers to use Superman as the model for Captain Marvel. Though it took three years, National won their case. He also contributed to the writing of the comic book ''
The Spirit The Spirit is a fictional masked crimefighter created by cartoonist Will Eisner. He first appeared June 2, 1940, as the main feature of a 16-page, tabloid (paper size), tabloid-sized, newsprint comic book insert distributed in the Sunday editio ...
'' while the franchise's creator,
Will Eisner William Erwin Eisner (March 6, 1917 – January 3, 2005) was an American cartoonist, writer, and entrepreneur. He was one of the earliest cartoonists to work in the American comic book industry, and his series ''The Spirit'' (1940–1952) was no ...
, was serving in the US military during World War II. Wellman also wrote for the comic ''Blackhawk''. Wellman made a return to novel-writing in the 1940s, publishing two science fiction full-length works, ''Sojarr of Titan'' and ''The Devil's Asteroid''. In this decade he published several mystery novels, one a film tie-in. Amongst Wellman's writer friends during the ''Weird Tales'' years were
Malcolm Jameson Malcolm Routh Jameson (December 21, 1891 – April 16, 1945), commonly known as Malcolm Jameson, was an American science fiction author. An officer in the US Navy, he was active in American pulp magazines during the Golden Age of Science Fic ...
,
Seabury Quinn Seabury Grandin Quinn (also known as Jerome Burke; December 1889 – December 24, 1969) was an American government lawyer, journalist, and pulp magazine author, most famous for his stories of the occult detective Jules de Grandin, published in '' ...
,
Henry Kuttner Henry Kuttner (April 7, 1915 – February 3, 1958) was an American author of science fiction, fantasy and horror. Early life Henry Kuttner was born in Los Angeles, California in 1915. Kuttner (1829–1903) and Amelia Bush (c. 1834–1911), the ...
, and
Otto Binder Otto Oscar Binder (; August 26, 1911 – October 13, 1974) was an American author of science fiction and non-fiction books and stories, and comic books. He is best known as the co-creator of Supergirl and for his many scripts for '' Captain Ma ...
. Wellman used to meet with these writers in a German restaurant in Times Square on a regular basis. He described these friendships as being "like a brotherhood".Stephen Jones, "Better Things Waiting: An Interview with Manly Wade Wellman", ''Fantasy Media'', 2, No 2 (May/June 1980), pp. 14–16 In 1946 Wellman won the
Ellery Queen Ellery Queen is a pseudonym created in 1929 by American crime fiction writers Frederic Dannay and Manfred Bennington Lee and the name of their main fictional character, a mystery writer in New York City who helps his police inspector father solve ...
Mystery Magazine Award over
William Faulkner William Cuthbert Faulkner (; September 25, 1897 – July 6, 1962) was an American writer known for his novels and short stories set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, based on Lafayette County, Mississippi, where Faulkner spent most of ...
for his Native American detective tale "A Star For A Warrior". Apparently Faulkner was quite upset to be placed as second fiddle to a science fiction and horror writer. Faulkner indignantly wrote to the editors of the magazine, proclaiming that he was the father of the French literary movement and the most important American writer in Europe. Wellman's 1956 nonfiction historical work ''Rebel Boast'' was nominated for the
Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...
. Throughout this period Wellman worked as a harvest hand, cowboy, roadhouse bouncer and newspaperman.


The 1950s: North Carolina, Juveniles, Science Fiction and NonFiction

After serving as a lieutenant in World War II, in 1951 Wellman moved his family to Pinebluff, North Carolina. There he immersed himself in American southern mountain folklore and history, becoming an expert on the
Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
and the historic regions and peoples of the
Old South Geographically, the U.S. states known as the Old South are those in the Southern United States that were among the original Thirteen Colonies. The region term is differentiated from the Deep South and Upper South. From a cultural and social s ...
. Later in 1951, he made his final move to the college town of
Chapel Hill, North Carolina Chapel Hill is a town in Orange, Durham and Chatham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Its population was 61,960 in the 2020 census, making Chapel Hill the 17th-largest municipality in the state. Chapel Hill, Durham, and the state ca ...
. Wellman built a vacation cabin on what he called Yandro Mountain in the
Great Smoky Mountains The Great Smoky Mountains (, ''Equa Dutsusdu Dodalv'') are a mountain range rising along the Tennessee–North Carolina border in the southeastern United States. They are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains, and form part of the Blue Ridge ...
next to his friend Obray Ramsey's home. Wellman worked at many jobs to support himself while he wrote, though he sold many stories and books. His jobs included working on farms, in
cotton gins A cotton gin—meaning "cotton engine"—is a machine that quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds, enabling much greater productivity than manual cotton separation.. Reprinted by McGraw-Hill, New York and London, 1926 (); a ...
, and working as a bouncer in a dance hall. During this time, Wellman wrote a number of books that are considered regional classics today. Such books, drawn from his rich knowledge of Southern history, include the critically-acclaimed account of the great steamboat race between the ''Robert E. Lee'' and the ''Natchez''. Wellman's best-known biographical work, ''Giant in Gray'' (1949), was based on his namesake, Confederate General
Wade Hampton Wade Hampton may refer to the following people: People * Wade Hampton I (1752–1835), American soldier in Revolutionary War and War of 1812 and U.S. congressman *Wade Hampton II (1791–1858), American plantation owner and soldier in War of 1812 * ...
. Wellman wrote and published significant nonfiction works about the
Old South Geographically, the U.S. states known as the Old South are those in the Southern United States that were among the original Thirteen Colonies. The region term is differentiated from the Deep South and Upper South. From a cultural and social s ...
, including county histories, throughout the 1950s and would continue to do so through to the 1970s. Most of Wellman's work in the 1950s was devoted to young adult stories and science fiction novels. He produced no fewer than five science fiction novels in this decade, though one was a version of a long story previously published in the pulps. Two of his short stories were filmed in this decade for the television show '' Lights Out''. He also wrote a western novel, ''Fort Sun Dance'' (1955), apparently his only venture into that genre.


The 1960s: Science Fiction and Silver John

Wellman wrote two science fiction novels in the sixties – ''Island in the Sky'' and also ''Candle of the Wicked'' (1960); which novelized the events leading up to the discovery of the Bender killings. His
Captain Future Captain Future is a pulp science fiction hero — a space-traveling scientist and adventurer —originally published in his namesake pulp magazine from 1940 to 1944. The character was created by editors Mort Weisinger and Leo Margulies. The maj ...
novel ''The Solar Invasion'' was reprinted in paperback. His best-known series dates from this period and is composed of stories featuring the Appalachian woodsman and minstrel hero known as "John". These were first published in ''
The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'' (usually referred to as ''F&SF'') is a U.S. fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House, a subsidiary of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Press. Editors Anthony Boucher ...
''. The first stories of John were collected in ''
Who Fears the Devil? ''Who Fears the Devil?'' is a collection of fantasy and horror short stories by American author Manly Wade Wellman. It was released in 1963 by Arkham House in an edition of 2,058 copies and was Wellman's only book released by Arkham House. The c ...
'' (1963), based on the personal enthusiasm of
August Derleth August William Derleth (February 24, 1909 – July 4, 1971) was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first book publisher of the writings of H. P. Lovecraft, and for his own contributions to the Cthulhu Mythos and the ...
. Although Wellman only ever called the character "John" or "John the guitar picker", his later publishers Doubleday and Dell labelled the series
Silver John Silver John is a fictional character from a series of fantasy stories (1963–84) by American author Manly Wade Wellman (1903–1986). Though fans refer to him as ''Silver John'' or as ''John the Balladeer'', the stories simply call him John. He ...
as they felt the name was a better way of marketing the books.


The 1970s and '80s: Resurgence and Twilight Years

The 1970s and 1980s marked a resurgence in Wellman's output and an increased attention to his legacy. Much of his best short general fantasy work over the years was collected by
Karl Edward Wagner Karl Edward Wagner (12 December 1945 – 14 October 1994) was an American writer, poet, editor, and publisher of horror, science fiction, and heroic fantasy, who was born in Knoxville, Tennessee and originally trained as a psychiatrist. He ...
in ''
Worse Things Waiting ''Worse Things Waiting'' is a collection of fantasy and horror short stories by author Manly Wade Wellman, with illustrations by Lee Brown Coye. It was released in 1973 by Carcosa in an edition of 2,867 copies, of which 536 pre-ordered copies we ...
'' (1973), which won Wellman a
World Fantasy Award The World Fantasy Awards are a set of awards given each year for the best fantasy literature, fantasy fiction published during the previous calendar year. Organized and overseen by the World Fantasy Convention, the awards are given each year a ...
and revived interest in his work. His 1975 novel ''
Sherlock Holmes' War of the Worlds ''Sherlock Holmes's War of the Worlds'' is a sequel to H. G. Wells's science fiction novel ''The War of the Worlds'', written by Manly Wade Wellman and his son Wade Wellman, and published in 1975. It is a pastiche crossover which combines H. G. ...
'' was collected from a series of
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...
pastiches stories co-written with his son Wade Wellman and originally published in ''
The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'' (usually referred to as ''F&SF'') is a U.S. fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House, a subsidiary of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Press. Editors Anthony Boucher ...
'' Between 1979 and 1984 Wellman wrote five new novels featuring
Silver John Silver John is a fictional character from a series of fantasy stories (1963–84) by American author Manly Wade Wellman (1903–1986). Though fans refer to him as ''Silver John'' or as ''John the Balladeer'', the stories simply call him John. He ...
and in roughly the same period produced two full length novels featuring his character John Thunstone, as well as seeing Thunstone's short adventures, and those of characters such as Judge Pursuivant, collected from the pulps in '' Lonely Vigils'' (1981). A movie based on the Silver John stories, ''The Legend of Hillbilly John'', was released in 1973. In 1980 Wellman received the
World Fantasy Award The World Fantasy Awards are a set of awards given each year for the best fantasy literature, fantasy fiction published during the previous calendar year. Organized and overseen by the World Fantasy Convention, the awards are given each year a ...
for Lifetime Achievement. Wellman was Guest of Honour (with
Gene Wolfe Gene Rodman Wolfe (May 7, 1931 – April 14, 2019) was an American science fiction and fantasy writer. He was noted for his dense, allusive prose as well as the strong influence of his Catholic faith. He was a prolific short story writer and nove ...
and Rowena Merrill) at the
World Fantasy Convention The World Fantasy Convention is an annual science fiction convention, convention of professionals, collectors, and others interested in the field of fantasy. The World Fantasy Awards are presented at the event. Other features include an art sh ...
1983 in
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
. At age 82, Wellman suffered a serious fall on June 15, 1985 and sustained severe fractures of his left elbow and shoulder which made him an invalid. A benefit auction for the ailing author was held in London at the annual Christmas Party of the
British Fantasy Society The British Fantasy Society (BFS) was founded in 1971 as the British Weird Fantasy Society, an offshoot of the British Science Fiction Association. The society is dedicated to promoting the best in the fantasy, science fiction and horror genres. ...
and the funds raised sent to Wellman and his wife in a Christmas card. Due to the onset of gangrene in his legs following double amputation, Wellman's health failed further and he died at his home in
Chapel Hill Chapel Hill or Chapelhill may refer to: Places Antarctica * Chapel Hill (Antarctica) Australia *Chapel Hill, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane *Chapel Hill, South Australia, in the Mount Barker council area Canada * Chapel Hill, Ottawa, a neighbo ...
, North Carolina on April 5, 1986. Before passing on he had been able to finish his historical novel ''Cahena'', about an African warrior princess (see
Kahina Al-Kahina ( ar, الكاهنة, , the diviner), also known as Dihya, was a Berber queen of the Aurès and a religious and military leader who led indigenous resistance to the Muslim conquest of the Maghreb, the region then known as Numidia notably ...
) published in 1986, and the final John the Balladeer short story "Where Did She Wander". The agent for his literary estate was his friend, the writer and editor
Karl Edward Wagner Karl Edward Wagner (12 December 1945 – 14 October 1994) was an American writer, poet, editor, and publisher of horror, science fiction, and heroic fantasy, who was born in Knoxville, Tennessee and originally trained as a psychiatrist. He ...
, who edited the posthumous collections ''Valley So Low: Southern Mountain Stories'' and ''John the Balladeer''. A benefit auction was held for Wellman's widow Frances, arranged by Southern fans Beth Gwinn and Sheri Morton, which raised $28,300 in funds.
Harlan Ellison Harlan Jay Ellison (May 27, 1934 – June 28, 2018) was an American writer, known for his prolific and influential work in New Wave speculative fiction and for his outspoken, combative personality. Robert Bloch, the author of '' Psycho'' ...
was the auctioneer. Included in the auction were such items as a mug owned by both H.P. Lovecraft and
Fritz Leiber Fritz Reuter Leiber Jr. ( ; December 24, 1910 – September 5, 1992) was an American writer of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He was also a poet, actor in theater and films, playwright, and chess expert. With writers such as Robert ...
, a coin from
Mel Brooks Mel Brooks (born Melvin James Kaminsky; June 28, 1926) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodies. He began h ...
and the shirt which Ellison wore while writing his story "Maggie Money-Eyes". Frances Wellman died on May 7, 2000. She was cremated and her ashes spread on the lawn of their home at Dogwood Acres in Chapel Hill, NC. A son, Wade Wellman, died January 25, 2018, in Waukesha, Wisconsin.


Works

Wellman once estimated his output of stories and articles at about 500, of which about 80 were in the fantasy & science fiction genres.


Science fiction and fantasy

* ''The Invading Asteroid'' (1929) * ''Sojarr of Titan'' (1941) * ''The Devil's Asteroid'' (1941) * "Find My Killer" (1948 - as Manly Wellman). * ''The Solar Invasion'' (
Captain Future Captain Future is a pulp science fiction hero — a space-traveling scientist and adventurer —originally published in his namesake pulp magazine from 1940 to 1944. The character was created by editors Mort Weisinger and Leo Margulies. The maj ...
novel,
Startling Stories ''Startling Stories'' was an American pulp science fiction magazine, published from 1939 to 1955 by publisher Ned Pines' Standard Magazines. It was initially edited by Mort Weisinger, who was also the editor of ''Thrilling Wonder Stories'', S ...
Fall/46; reprinted in paperback in 1968) * ''Devil's Planet'' (1951) * ''The Beasts from Beyond'' (1950) lso known as ''Strangers on the Heights''* ''Twice in Time'' (1957) * ''The Dark Destroyers'' (1959) [short version of ''Nuisance Value''
parts one
an
two
(1938/39)] * ''Giants from Eternity'' (1959) * ''Island in the Sky'' (1961) * ''
Worse Things Waiting ''Worse Things Waiting'' is a collection of fantasy and horror short stories by author Manly Wade Wellman, with illustrations by Lee Brown Coye. It was released in 1973 by Carcosa in an edition of 2,867 copies, of which 536 pre-ordered copies we ...
'' (
Carcosa Carcosa is a fictional city in Ambrose Bierce's short story " An Inhabitant of Carcosa" (1886). The ancient and mysterious city is barely described and is viewed only in hindsight (after its destruction) by a character who once lived there. Ameri ...
,1973) (short story collection) (Winner,
World Fantasy Award The World Fantasy Awards are a set of awards given each year for the best fantasy literature, fantasy fiction published during the previous calendar year. Organized and overseen by the World Fantasy Convention, the awards are given each year a ...
for Best Collection, 1975) * ''
Sherlock Holmes's War of the Worlds ''Sherlock Holmes's War of the Worlds'' is a sequel to H. G. Wells's science fiction novel ''The War of the Worlds'', written by Manly Wade Wellman and his son Wade Wellman, and published in 1975. It is a pastiche crossover which combines H. G. ...
''
ith Wade Wellman The Ith () is a ridge in Germany's Central Uplands which is up to 439 m high. It lies about 40 km southwest of Hanover and, at 22 kilometres, is the longest line of crags in North Germany. Geography Location The Ith is immediatel ...
(1975) * ''The Beyonders'' (1977) * ''The Valley So Low: Southern Mountain Stories'' (1987) (Ed. Karl E. Wagner, collection) Note: Wellman originally intended ''Valley So Low'' to be the title of a sixth
Silver John Silver John is a fictional character from a series of fantasy stories (1963–84) by American author Manly Wade Wellman (1903–1986). Though fans refer to him as ''Silver John'' or as ''John the Balladeer'', the stories simply call him John. He ...
novel, but his intervening death prevented him writing it. The title was applied instead to this collection of short stories. * ''The Collected Stories of Manly Wade Wellman'': # ''The Third Cry to Legba and Other Invocations'' (2000) (John Thunstone and Lee Cobbett stories) # ''The Devil is Not Mocked and Other Warnings'' (2001) # ''Fearful Rock and Other Precarious Locales'' (2001) (Judge Pursuivant and Sergeant Jaeger stories) # ''Sin's Doorway and Other Ominous Entrances'' (2003) # ''Owls Hoot in the Daytime and Other Omens'' (2003) (John the Balladeer stories)


Silver John collections and novels

*''
Who Fears the Devil? ''Who Fears the Devil?'' is a collection of fantasy and horror short stories by American author Manly Wade Wellman. It was released in 1963 by Arkham House in an edition of 2,058 copies and was Wellman's only book released by Arkham House. The c ...
'' (
Arkham House Arkham House is an American publishing house specializing in weird fiction. It was founded in Sauk City, Wisconsin, in 1939 by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei to publish hardcover collections of H. P. Lovecraft's best works, which had pr ...
, 1963) (short stories) **''John the Balladeer'' (1988) (Ed. Karl E. Wagner, revised collection containing all Silver John short stories) **''Owls Hoot In The Daytime And Other Omens'' (2003) (Ed. Night Shade Press, also contains all Silver John short stories) **''Who Fears the Devil?'' (Paizo Publishing, 2010) (reprint of AH edition with two additional stories) *''The Old Gods Waken'' (1979) *''After Dark '' (1980) *''The Lost and the Lurking'' (1981) *''The Hanging Stones'' (1982) *''The Voice of the Mountain'' (1984)


John Thunstone collections and novels

*'' Lonely Vigils'' (
Carcosa Carcosa is a fictional city in Ambrose Bierce's short story " An Inhabitant of Carcosa" (1886). The ancient and mysterious city is barely described and is viewed only in hindsight (after its destruction) by a character who once lived there. Ameri ...
,1981) (Thunstone and Judge Pursuivant short stories) *'' What Dreams May Come'' (1983) *''The School of Darkness '' (1985) *''The Complete John Thunstone '' (2012)


Hok stories and collections

*"Battle in the Dawn" (1939) *"Hok Goes to Atlantis" (1939) *"The Day of the Conquerors" (1940) *"Hok Draws the Bow" *"Hok and the Gift of Heaven" (1941) *"Hok Visits the Land of Legends" (1942) *"The Love of Oloana" (1986) *"Untitled Hok Fragment" (1989) *''Battle in the Dawn: The Complete Hok the Mighty'' (2010)


Young Adult stories

*The Lion Roared. (Thrilling Tales) 1927. *The Sleuth Patrol. 1947. *The Mystery of Lost Valley. 1948. *The Raiders of Beaver Lake. 1950. *The Haunts of Drowning Creek. 1951. *Wild Dogs of Drowning Creek. 1952. *The Last Mammoth. 1953. *Gray Riders: Jeb Stuart and His Men. 1954. *Rebel Mail Runner. 1954. *Flag on the Levee. 1955. *To Lands Unknown. 1956. *Young Squire Morgan. 1956. *Lights over Skelton Ridge. 1957. *The Master of Scare Hollow. 1957. *''Iron Scouts Trilogy'' **The Ghost Battalion: A Story of the Iron Scouts. 1958. **Ride, Rebels!: Adventures of the Iron Scouts. 1959. **Appomattox Road: Final Adventures of the Iron Scouts. 1960. *Third String Center. 1960. *Rifles at Ramsour's Mill: A Tale of the Revolutionary War. 1961. *Battle for King's Mountain. 1962. *Clash on the Catawba. 1962. *The South Fork Rangers. 1963. *The River Pirates. 1963. *Settlement on Shocco: Adventures in Colonial Carolina. 1963. *Mystery at Bear Paw Gap. 1964. *The Specter of Bear Paw Creek. 1966. *Battle at Bear Paw Gap. 1966. *Jamestown Adventure. 1967. *Brave Horse: The Story of Janus. 1968. *Carolina Pirate. 1968. *Frontier Reporter. 1969. *Mountain Feud. 1969. *Fast Break Five. 1971.


Other Novels

* ''Cahena'' (1986) (historical novel) * ''Candle of the Wicked'' (1960) * ''A Double Life'' (movie tie-in) (Century Book Publications, 1947) Based on the screenplay by
Garson Kanin Garson Kanin (November 24, 1912 – March 13, 1999) was an American writer and director of plays and films. Early life Garson Kanin was born in Rochester, New York; his family later relocated to Detroit then to New York City. He attended ...
and
Ruth Gordon Ruth Gordon Jones (October 30, 1896 – August 28, 1985) was an American actress, screenwriter, and playwright. She began her career performing on Broadway at age 19. Known for her nasal voice and distinctive personality, Gordon gained internati ...
for the
George Cukor George Dewey Cukor (; July 7, 1899 – January 24, 1983) was an American film director and film producer. He mainly concentrated on comedies and literary adaptations. His career flourished at RKO when David O. Selznick, the studio's Head of ...
movie starring
Ronald Colman Ronald Charles Colman (9 February 1891 – 19 May 1958) was an English-born actor, starting his career in theatre and silent film in his native country, then immigrating to the United States and having a successful Hollywood film career. He wa ...
. * ''Find My Killer'' (
mystery Mystery, The Mystery, Mysteries or The Mysteries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters *Mystery, a cat character in ''Emily the Strange'' Films * ''Mystery'' (2012 film), a 2012 Chinese drama film * ''Mystery'' ( ...
) (Farrar, Straus and Giroux,1947)(as by Manly Wellman) * ''Fort Sun Dance'' (
western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...
) (1955) * ''Not At These Hands'' (mystery) (1962) * ''Romance in Black'' (as by 'Gans T. Field'). (UK: Utopian Publications, 1945)


Plays

*''Whom He May Devour''. Written in the 1930s. Published in ''Whispers'', 11/12 (1978).


Non-Fiction

*"Everybody's a Character," ''
The Writer ''The Writer'' is a magazine for writers, published monthly by Madavor Media. History ''The Writer'' was first established by William H. Hills and Robert Luce, two ''Boston Globe'' reporters, as "a monthly magazine to interest and help all lit ...
'', August 1948 *Giant in Gray: A Biography of
Wade Hampton III Wade Hampton III (March 28, 1818April 11, 1902) was an American military officer who served the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War and later a politician from South Carolina. He came from a wealthy planter family, and ...
of South Carolina. 1949. *Dead and Gone: Classic Crimes of North Carolina. 1954. (Winner,
Edgar Award The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, popularly called the Edgars, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America, based in New York City. Named after American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), a pioneer in the genre, the awards honor the bes ...
for Best Fact Crime, 1956) *Rebel Boast: First at Bethel, Last at Apppomattox. 1956. *Fastest on the River: The Great Race Between the Natchez and the Robert E. Lee. 1957. *The Life and Times of Sir Archie. With Elizabeth A. C. Blanchard. 1958. *The County of Warren, 1586–1917. 1959. *They Took Their Stand: The Founders of the Confederacy. 1959. *The Rebel Songster: Songs the Confederates Sang. 1959. *Harpers Ferry, Prize of War. 1960. *The County of Gaston. With Robert F. Cope. 1961. *The County of Moore, 1947-1947. 1962. *Winston-Salem:The Founders. 1966. *Napoleon of the West: A Story of the Aaron Burr Conspiracy. 1970. *The Kingdom of Madison: A Southern Mountain Fastness And Its People. 1971. *The Story of Moore County. 1974. *Winston-Salem In History, Vol. 7: Industry And Commerce 1766–1896. With Larry Edward Tise. 1976. *A City's Culture: Painting, Music, Literature. 1976.


Awards and honors

Wellman has been nominated for or won the following awards.


Adaptations

The Silver John stories were the inspiration for "Who Fears the Devil?", a 1994 recording by Joe Bethancourt that featured both traditional Appalachian folk songs that Silver John would have known, and Wellman's original lyrics that were in many of the Silver John stories, set to the traditional melodies that Wellman used as models. Additionally, the progressive bluegrass band,
The Dixie Bee-Liners The Dixie Bee-Liners are an American Bluegrass group, formed in New York City in 2002 by Buddy Woodward and Brandi Hart. Their music has been called Bluegrass, Americana, alt-country, Folk, and "Bible Belt Noir". The Bee-Liners have release ...
, recorded an original song inspired by the Silver John stories titled "Yellow-Haired Girl" on their 2008 album "RIPE." Much of the following information is taken from Mark Cannon's bibliography of Wellman. ''Larroes Catch Meddlers'':
Adapted for television for Lights Out as "The Meddlers", aired 7 July 1951
Director: Unknown
Screenwriter: Douglas Wood Gibson, Richard E Davis
Starring:
John Carradine John Carradine ( ; born Richmond Reed Carradine; February 5, 1906 – November 27, 1988) was an American actor, considered one of the greatest character actors in American cinema. He was a member of Cecil B. DeMille's stock company and later Jo ...
, E G Marshall, Dan Morgan ''School for the Unspeakable'':
Adapted for television for Lights Out as "The School for the Unspeakable", aired 7 January 1952
Director: Unknown
Screenwriter: Richard E Davis
Starring: Donald Buka, Don Hanmer, Leon Tokatyan, Dick Kallman, Maurice Kenney, Jason Jonson, John Gerstad, Harold Webster ''The Valley Was Still'':
Adapted for television for
The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, su ...
as " Still Valley," aired 24 November 1961
Director:
James Sheldon Leonard James Schleifer (November 12, 1920 – March 12, 2016) was an American television director. Sheldon directed for television programs including ''The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series), The Twilight Zone'', ''The Fugitive (1963 TV series), T ...

Screenwriter:
Rod Serling Rodman Edward Serling (December 25, 1924 – June 28, 1975) was an American screenwriter, playwright, television producer, and narrator/on-screen host, best known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his anthology television series ' ...

Starring:
Gary Merrill Gary Fred Merrill (August 2, 1915 – March 5, 1990) was an American film and television actor whose credits included more than 50 feature films, a half-dozen mostly short-lived TV series, and dozens of television guest appearances. He starr ...
(Paradine), Vaughn Taylor (Old Man), Ben Cooper (Dauger), Addison Myers (Sentry); Mark Tapscott (Lieutenant), Jack Mann (Mallory) ''The Devil is Not Mocked'':
Adapted for television for
Night Gallery ''Night Gallery'' is an American anthology television series that aired on NBC from December 16, 1970, to May 27, 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, ''The Twilight Zone'', ...
, aired 27 October 1971
Director: Gene Kearney
Screenwriter: Gene Kearney
Starring:
Helmut Dantine Helmut Dantine (7 October 1918 – 2 May 1982) was an Austrian-American actor who often played Nazis in thriller films of the 1940s. His best-known performances are perhaps the German pilot in '' Mrs. Miniver'' and the desperate refugee in '' ...
(General), Francis Lederer (Master),
Hank Brandt Hank Brandt (born Henry William Haar Jr.; June 4, 1934 – December 4, 2004) was an American film and television actor. He was known for playing Leonard Waggedorn in the American sitcom television series ''Julia'' from 1968 to 1971. Brandt was ...
(Kranz) ''Rouse Him Not'':
Adapted for TV for
Monsters A monster is a type of fictional creature found in horror, fantasy, science fiction, folklore, mythology and religion. Monsters are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive with a strange, grotesque appearance that causes terror and fe ...
, aired December 1988
Director: Mark Shostrom
Writer: Michael Parry
Starring:
Laraine Newman Laraine Newman (born March 2, 1952) is an American actress, writer and comedian. She was part of the original cast of NBC's ''Saturday Night Live''. She took an interest at improv in high school. After graduating, she studied mime with Marcel M ...
, Terrance Evans and
Alex Cord Alexander Viespi Jr. (May 3, 1933 – August 9, 2021), known professionally as Alex Cord, was an American actor, best known for his portrayal of Michael Coldsmith Briggs III, better known as Archangel, in 55 episodes of the television series ''A ...
as John Thunstone. ''Who Fears The Devil?''
1972 feature film, edited and re-released in 1973 as ''The Legend of Hillbilly John''
Producer: Barney Rosenzweig
Director: John Newland
Screenwriter: Melvin Levy
Starring: Hedge Capers (John),
Susan Strasberg Susan Elizabeth Strasberg (May 22, 1938 – January 21, 1999) was an American stage, film, and television actress. Imagined to be the next Hepburn-type ingenue, she was nominated for a Tony Award at age 18, playing the title role in ''The Diary ...
(Poly Wiltse),
Denver Pyle Denver Dell Pyle (May 11, 1920 – December 25, 1997) was an American film and television actor and director. He was well known for a number of TV roles from the 1960s through the 1980s, including his portrayal of Briscoe Darling Jr. in se ...
(Grandpappy John), Severn Darden (Mr Marduke), Percy Rodriguez (Capt Lojoie H Desplain IV), R G Armstrong (Bristowe); Sharon Henesy (Lily); Sidney Clute (Charles); William Traynor (Rev. Millen);
Harris Yulin Harris Yulin (born November 5, 1937) is an American actor who has appeared in over a hundred film and television series roles, such as '' Scarface'' (1983), ''Ghostbusters II'' (1989), '' Clear and Present Danger'' (1994), '' Looking for Richard' ...
(Zebulon Yandro); Alfred Ryder (O J Onselm); Chester Jones (Uncle Anansi); Val Avery (Cobart); "White Lightnin'" (themselves); "Honor Hound" (himself). Film based on the character of Silver John. Two segments of the film were based on the stories ''O Ugly Bird'' and ''The Desrick on Yandro''. ''School for the Unspeakable''
(on audiotape with Unfortunate Obsession by
Matthew Costello Matthew John Costello (born 1948) is an American writer specializing in the genres of horror, gothic, and science fiction. His articles have appeared in publications including the ''Los Angeles Times'' and ''Sports Illustrated''. He has scripted ...
)
Brilliance Corp 1997 ''Up Under the Roof''
2010 short film (35mm, 20 minutes)
Producer: Danielle Stallings & Darin Read
Director: Darin Read
Screenwriter: Danielle Stallings & Darin Read
Starring: Jonathan Milliken, Shawnna Youngquist, Geoff Elliot, Jill Hill, Vince Froio, Alice Taylor and voice of Greg Finley Based on Wellman's short story entitled "Up Under the Roof"


Legacy

Karl Edward Wagner Karl Edward Wagner (12 December 1945 – 14 October 1994) was an American writer, poet, editor, and publisher of horror, science fiction, and heroic fantasy, who was born in Knoxville, Tennessee and originally trained as a psychiatrist. He ...
referred to him as "the dean of fantasy writers."Stephen Jones, "Better Things Waiting: An Interview with Manly Wade Wellman", ''Fantasy Media,'' 2, No 2 (May/June 1980), pp. 14–16


Manly Wade Wellman Award

The Manly Wade Wellman Award, named in his honor, is given out annually since 2013 by the North Carolina Speculative Fiction Foundation for "outstanding achievement in science fiction and fantasy novels written by North Carolina authors". The winners of the award are listed below. *2014 - ''The Shambling Guide to New York City'' by
Mur Lafferty Mur Lafferty (born July 25, 1973) is an American podcaster and writer based in Durham, North Carolina. She was the editor and host of ''Escape Pod (podcast), Escape Pod'' from 2010, when she took over from Steve Eley, until 2012, when she was rep ...
*2015 - ''Ghost Train to New Orleans'' by
Mur Lafferty Mur Lafferty (born July 25, 1973) is an American podcaster and writer based in Durham, North Carolina. She was the editor and host of ''Escape Pod (podcast), Escape Pod'' from 2010, when she took over from Steve Eley, until 2012, when she was rep ...
*2016 - ''Raising Hell'' by John G. Hartness *2017 - ''Steeplejack'' by A. J. Hartley *2018 - ''Scourge'' by Gail Z. Martin *2019 - ''Empire of Silence'' by
Christopher Ruocchio Christopher Ruocchio is an American space opera and fantasy writer and an assistant editor at Baen Books. He is best known for his ''Sun Eater'' series, the first of which earned him the 2019 Manly Wade Wellman Award. The second book in the ser ...
*2020 - ''A Fall in Autumn'' by Michael G. Williams *2021 - ''Queen of None'' by Natania Barron


Notes


Further reading

*Robert Coulson. "The Recent Fantasies of Manly Wade Wellman". In Darrell Schweitzer (ed). ''Discovering Modern Horror Fiction''. Mercer Island, WA: Starmont House, 1985, pp,. 99-105. *
Karl Edward Wagner Karl Edward Wagner (12 December 1945 – 14 October 1994) was an American writer, poet, editor, and publisher of horror, science fiction, and heroic fantasy, who was born in Knoxville, Tennessee and originally trained as a psychiatrist. He ...
. "About Manly Wade Wellman". ''World Fantasy 1983: Sixty years of Weird Tales'' (convention program book), pp. 3, 5-6. *
Karl Edward Wagner Karl Edward Wagner (12 December 1945 – 14 October 1994) was an American writer, poet, editor, and publisher of horror, science fiction, and heroic fantasy, who was born in Knoxville, Tennessee and originally trained as a psychiatrist. He ...
. "Manly Wade Wellman: A Biography". ''The Horror Show'' (Spring 1987), 29–31. Accompanied by a Wellman story, "These Doth the Lord Hate" (pp. 24–28). *''Dictionary of North Carolina Biography'', Vol. 6, William S. Powell, Ed. (1996) at 160–161 (Article by William S. Powell) *''Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers: A Bibliography of First Printings of Their Fiction'', L. W. Currey, G. K. Hall & Co., 1979


External links


Voice of the Mountains
– fan site



* * * * *
Audio recording
of Mr. Wellman participating in author panel discussion during the First World Fantasy Convention in 1975 at ''archive.org'' * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wellman, Manly Wade 1903 births 1986 deaths 20th-century American Episcopalians American people of Native American descent American fantasy writers American science fiction writers American horror writers 20th-century American novelists Columbia Law School alumni Edgar Award winners World Fantasy Award-winning writers American male novelists Appalachian music 20th-century American male writers Weird fiction writers American expatriates in Angola