Rick Hautala (February 3, 1949 – March 21, 2013) was an American
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, na ...
and
horror writer. He graduated from the
University of Maine
The University of Maine (UMaine or UMO) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Orono, Maine. It was established in 1865 as the land-grant college of Maine and is the Flagship universities, flagshi ...
in 1974,
where he received a
Master of Art in
English Literature
English literature is literature written in the English language from United Kingdom, its crown dependencies, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, and the countries of the former British Empire. ''The Encyclopaedia Britannica'' defines E ...
. Rick arrived on the horror scene in 1980 with many of his early novels published by Zebra books. He has written and published over 90 novels and short stories since the early 1980s. Many of his books have been translated to other languages and sold internationally. ''Cold Whisper'', published in October, 1991 by Zebra Books, Inc. was also published in Finnish as ''Haamu'' by
Werner Söderström,
Helsinki, Finland
Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the capital, primate, and most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of Uusimaa in southern Finland, and has a population of . The city' ...
, in August, 1994. Toward the end of his life, many of his works were published with specialty press and
small press
A small press is a publisher with annual sales below a certain level or below a certain number of titles published. The terms "indie publisher" and "independent press" and others are sometimes used interchangeably.
Independent press is general ...
publishers like
Cemetery Dance Publications
Cemetery Dance Publications is an American specialty press publisher of horror and dark suspense. Cemetery Dance was founded by Richard Chizmar, a horror author, while he was in college. It is associated with ''Cemetery Dance'' magazine, whic ...
and Dark Harvest. His novel ''The Wildman'' (2008), was chosen to be Full Moon Press' debut
limited edition
The terms special edition, limited edition, and variants such as deluxe edition, or collector's edition, are used as a marketing incentive for various kinds of products, originally published products related to the arts, such as books, prints, r ...
title.
Rick Hautala's third novel, 1986's ''Night Stone
was one of the first books to feature a
holographic
Holography is a technique that enables a wavefront to be recorded and later re-constructed. Holography is best known as a method of generating real three-dimensional images, but it also has a wide range of other Holography#Applications, applic ...
cover and it became an international best-seller, selling well over one million copies. "Knocking" was a part of the
Bram Stoker Award
The Bram Stoker Award is a recognition presented annually by the Horror Writers Association (HWA) for "superior achievement" in dark fantasy and horror writing.
History
The Awards were established in 1987 and have been presented annually since 1 ...
winning anthology ''999: New Stories of Horror and Suspense'' (
"Best Anthology of 1999"). His short story collection, ''Bedbugs'' (1999) was selected by
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble Booksellers is an American bookseller. It is a Fortune 1000 company and the bookseller with the largest number of retail outlets in the United States. As of July 7, 2020, the company operates 614 retail stores across all 50 U. ...
as one of the most distinguished horror publications of the year 2000.
Rick Hautala also wrote
screenplay
''ScreenPlay'' is a television drama anthology series broadcast on BBC2 between 9 July 1986 and 27 October 1993.
Background
After single-play anthology series went off the air, the BBC introduced several showcases for made-for-television, fe ...
s. His most recent 2008 adaptation of award-winning author
Kealan Patrick Burke
Kealan Patrick Burke (born in Dungarvan, Ireland) is an author. Some of his works include the novels ''Kin'', ''Currency of Souls'', ''Master of the Moors'', and ''The Hides'' (Bram Stoker Award nominee), the novellas ''The Turtle Boy'' (Bram S ...
's "Peekers" is currently on the film festival circuit. He also wrote the screenplay for the 2007 short film ''
Dead@17
''Dead@17'' is a series formerly published by Viper Comics. The latest mini-series is being published by Image Comics. It was created by Josh Howard and focuses on a girl, Nara Kilday, who is killed and then reborn to fight demons.
Publication hi ...
'' based on
Josh Howard
Joshua Jay Howard (born April 28, 1980) is an American basketball coach and former professional player who is the head coach of the UNT Dallas Trailblazers men's basketball team. He played college basketball for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. H ...
's
graphic novel
A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...
series of the same name, and ''The Ugly File'', directed by Mark Steensland, based on the short story by
Ed Gorman.
The
Horror Writers Association
The Horror Writers Association (HWA) is a worldwide non-profit organization of professional writers and publishing professionals dedicated to promoting the interests of Horror and Dark fantasy writers.
Overview
HWA was formed in 1985 with t ...
gave him and
Joe R. Lansdale
Joe Richard Lansdale (born October 28, 1951) is an American writer and martial arts instructor.
A prose writer in a variety of genres - Western, horror, science fiction, mystery, and suspense - he's also written comic books and screenplays. Se ...
the
Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement
The Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement annually recognizes one to three living artists for "superior achievement in an entire career" which has "substantially influenced the horror genre". It is conferred by the Horror Writers Association, ...
for 2011, which they received at the Bram Stoker Awards Banquet in Salt Lake City, Utah on 31 March 2012.
He died of a heart attack on March 21, 2013.
Selected bibliography
Novels and novellas
* ''Moondeath'' (
Zebra Books
Zebra Books is an imprint of American publisher Kensington Publishing Corp. As the company's flagship imprint until the late 80s, it currently publishes women's fiction, romantic suspense and bestselling historical, paranormal and contemporary ro ...
, 1980)
* ''Moonbog'' (Zebra Books, 1982)
* ''Night Stone'' (Zebra Books, 1986)
* ''Little Brothers'' (Zebra Books, 1988)
* ''Moon Walker'' (Zebra Books, 1989)
* ''Winter Wake'' (Zebra Books, 1989)
* ''Dead Voices'' (Zebra Books, 1990)
* ''Cold Whisper'' (Zebra Books, 1991)
* ''Dark Silence'' (Zebra Books, 1992)
* ''Ghost Light'' (Zebra Books, 1993)
* ''Twilight Time'' (Zebra Books, 1994)
* ''Shades of Night'' (Zebra Books, 1995)
* ''Beyond the Shroud'' (
White Wolf Publishing
White Wolf Publishing was an American roleplaying game and book publisher. The company was founded in 1991 as a merger between Lion Rampant , 1995)
* ''The Mountain King'' (
Cemetery Dance Publications
Cemetery Dance Publications is an American specialty press publisher of horror and dark suspense. Cemetery Dance was founded by Richard Chizmar, a horror author, while he was in college. It is associated with ''Cemetery Dance'' magazine, whic ...
, 1996)
* ''Impulse'' (
Kensington Publishing
Kensington Publishing Corp. is an American, New York-based publishing house founded in 1974 by Walter Zacharius (1923–2011)Grimes, William"Walter Zacharius, Romance Publisher, Dies at 87,"''New York Times'' (MARCH 7, 2011). and Roberta Bender ...
, 1996)
* ''
Poltergeist: The Legacy – The Hidden Saint'' (Berkley/Putnam, 1999)
* ''The Wildman'' (Full Moon Press, 2008) – artwork by
Alan M. Clark
* ''Reunion'' (
PS Publishing
PS Publishing is an independent book publisher based in Hornsea, UK.
Background
PS Publishing was founded in 1999 by Peter Crowther.[Cemetery Dance Publications
Cemetery Dance Publications is an American specialty press publisher of horror and dark suspense. Cemetery Dance was founded by Richard Chizmar, a horror author, while he was in college. It is associated with ''Cemetery Dance'' magazine, whic ...](_ ...<br></span></div>, 2009)
* ''Rough Winds'' (Necon ebooks, 2012)
* ''Indian Summer'' (<div class=)
, 2013)
* ''Chills'' (Cemetery Dance Publications, 2014)
* ''The Demon's Wife'' (JournalStone, 2013)
* ''Star Road'', with
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 ...
(
Thomas Dunne Books
Thomas Dunne Books was an imprint of St. Martin's Press, which is a division of Macmillan Publishers. From 1986 until April 2020, it published popular trade fiction and nonfiction.
History
The imprint signed David Irving, a scholar, for a Joseph ...
, 2014)
* ''Waiting'' (
Haverhill House Publishing, 2017)
Chapbooks
* ''Oilman'' (
Cemetery Dance Publications
Cemetery Dance Publications is an American specialty press publisher of horror and dark suspense. Cemetery Dance was founded by Richard Chizmar, a horror author, while he was in college. It is associated with ''Cemetery Dance'' magazine, whic ...
, 2005) -released as a double chapbook with
Gary A. Braunbeck's ''Our Things''
* ''Chrysalis'' (Ghostwriter Publications, 2010) – A ''Little Brothers'' related story.
* ''Scared Crows'' (Ghostwriter Publications, 2010) – with Jim Connolly. A ''HELLBOY'' story.
The Jenna Blake ''Body of Evidence'' series
All books in the ''Body of Evidence'' series are co-authored with
Christopher Golden
Christopher Golden (born July 15, 1967) is an American author of horror, fantasy, and suspense novels for adults and teens.
Early life
Golden was born and raised in Massachusetts, where he still lives with his family. He graduated from Tufts ...
# ''Skin Deep'' (
Pocket Books
Pocket Books is a division of Simon & Schuster that primarily publishes paperback books.
History
Pocket Books produced the first mass-market, pocket-sized paperback books in the United States in early 1939 and revolutionized the publishing in ...
, 2000)
# ''Burning Bones'' (Pocket, 2001)
# ''Brain Trust'' (Pocket, 2001)
# ''Last Breath'' (Pocket, 2004)
# ''Throat Culture'' (Pocket, 2005)
As A. J. Matthews
Books published under the pseudonym A. J. Matthews:
* ''The White Room'' (
Berkley Books
Berkley Books is an imprint of the Penguin Group.
History
Berkley Books began as an independent company in 1955. It was founded as "Chic News Company" by Charles Byrne and Frederick Klein, who had worked for Avon; they quickly renamed it Berk ...
, 2001)
* ''Looking Glass'' (Berkley/Putnam, 2003)
* ''Follow'' (Berkley/Putnam, 2005)
* ''Unbroken'' (Berkley/Putnam, 2007)
Screenplays
* ''Lovecraft's Pillow'' (2006) – based on a suggestion by
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...
* ''
Dead@17
''Dead@17'' is a series formerly published by Viper Comics. The latest mini-series is being published by Image Comics. It was created by Josh Howard and focuses on a girl, Nara Kilday, who is killed and then reborn to fight demons.
Publication hi ...
'' (2007) – based on
Josh Howard
Joshua Jay Howard (born April 28, 1980) is an American basketball coach and former professional player who is the head coach of the UNT Dallas Trailblazers men's basketball team. He played college basketball for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. H ...
's
graphic novel
A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...
series
* ''Peekers'' (2008) – based on the short story by
Kealan Patrick Burke
Kealan Patrick Burke (born in Dungarvan, Ireland) is an author. Some of his works include the novels ''Kin'', ''Currency of Souls'', ''Master of the Moors'', and ''The Hides'' (Bram Stoker Award nominee), the novellas ''The Turtle Boy'' (Bram S ...
* ''The Ugly File'' – based on the short story by
Ed Gorman
Collections
* ''Bedbugs'' (
Cemetery Dance Publications
Cemetery Dance Publications is an American specialty press publisher of horror and dark suspense. Cemetery Dance was founded by Richard Chizmar, a horror author, while he was in college. It is associated with ''Cemetery Dance'' magazine, whic ...
, 1999) – Short story collection illustrated by
Glenn Chadbourne
Glenn Chadbourne is an American artist. He lives in Newcastle, Maine. He is best known for his work in the horror and fantasy genres, having created covers and illustrated books and magazines for publishers such as Cemetery Dance Publications, ...
* ''Four Octobers'' (
Cemetery Dance Publications
Cemetery Dance Publications is an American specialty press publisher of horror and dark suspense. Cemetery Dance was founded by Richard Chizmar, a horror author, while he was in college. It is associated with ''Cemetery Dance'' magazine, whic ...
, 2006) – Novella collection that includes: ''Tin Can Telephone'', ''Miss Henry's Bottles'', ''Blood Ledge'', and ''Cold River''
* ''Untcigahunk: Stories and Myths of the Little Brothers'' (Delirium Books, 2007) – Contains the novel ''Little Brothers'' and collects all of the ''Little Brothers'' related short stories to date.
:*Also released as ''Untcigahunk: The Complete Little Brothers'' in
e-book
An ebook (short for electronic book), also known as an e-book or eBook, is a book publication made available in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, readable on the flat-panel display of computers or other electronic devices. Alt ...
format from Macabre Ink in 2012.
* ''Occasional Demons'' (
Cemetery Dance Publications
Cemetery Dance Publications is an American specialty press publisher of horror and dark suspense. Cemetery Dance was founded by Richard Chizmar, a horror author, while he was in college. It is associated with ''Cemetery Dance'' magazine, whic ...
, 2010) – Short story collection that includes some of his ''Little Brothers'' related stories
:*Also released in
e-book
An ebook (short for electronic book), also known as an e-book or eBook, is a book publication made available in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, readable on the flat-panel display of computers or other electronic devices. Alt ...
format from Macabre Ink in 2012.
* ''Glimpses: The Best Short Stories of Rick Hautala'' (Dark Regions Press, 2013)
Anthology appearances
* ''999'', edited by
Al Sarrantonio
Al Sarrantonio (born May 25, 1952) is an American horror and science fiction writer, editor and publisher who has authored more than 50 books and 90 short stories. He has also edited numerous anthologies and has been called "brilliant" and "a ...
(Cemetery Dance Publications, 1999) – Contains the short story "Knocking"
* ''Night Visions 9'' (
Dark Harvest, 1991) – Includes the short stories "The Birch Whistle", "Chrysalis", and "Deal with the Devils"
* ''Eulogies: A Horror World Yearbook'', edited by
Nanci Kalanta (
NYX Publications/HW Press, 2006) – Includes the Little Brothers Story "The Witch House"
* ''
Evermore'', edited by
James Robert Smith and Stephen Mark Rainey (Arkham House, 2006) – Contains the short story "They Call Me Eddie", co-authored with
Thomas F. Monteleone
Thomas Francis Monteleone (born April 14, 1946) is an American science fiction author and horror fiction author."Monteleone, Thomas F(rancis)", by Don D'Ammassa in David Pringle, ''St. James Guide to Horror, Ghost & Gothic Writers''. London : S ...
* ''
October Dreams: A Celebration of Halloween'', edited by
Richard Chizmar
Richard Thomas Chizmar (born 1965) is an American writer, the publisher and editor of '' Cemetery Dance'' magazine, and the owner of Cemetery Dance Publications. He also edits anthologies, produces films, writes screenplays, and teaches writin ...
(
Cemetery Dance Publications
Cemetery Dance Publications is an American specialty press publisher of horror and dark suspense. Cemetery Dance was founded by Richard Chizmar, a horror author, while he was in college. It is associated with ''Cemetery Dance'' magazine, whic ...
, 2000) – Contains the essay "My Favorite Halloween Memory"
* ''
Exotic Gothic ''Exotic Gothic'' is an anthology series of original short fiction and novel excerpts in the gothic, horror and fantasy genres. A recipient of the World Fantasy Award and Shirley Jackson Awards, it is conceptualized and edited by Danel Olson, a pr ...
'', edited by Danel Olson (
Ash-Tree Press
Ash-Tree Press is a Canadian company that publishes supernatural and horror literature.
The press has reprinted notable collections of ghostly stories by such writers as R. H. Malden, A. N. L. Munby, L. T. C. Rolt, Margery Lawrence, and Elea ...
, 2007). – Contains the short story co-authored with Mark Steensland and inspired by a comment from Stephen King, "Lovecraft's Pillow"
References
External links
Rick Hautala – February 3, 1949—March 21, 2013Biography on Cemetery Dance websiteBibliography on FantasticFiction.co.uk*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hautala, Rick
1949 births
2013 deaths
20th-century American novelists
21st-century American novelists
American horror writers
American male novelists
American people of Finnish descent
Novelists from Maine
Novelists from Massachusetts
University of Maine alumni
American male short story writers
20th-century American short story writers
21st-century American short story writers
20th-century American male writers
21st-century American male writers