Robert Rick McCammon (born July 17, 1952) is an American
novelist
A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others aspi ...
from
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...
. One of the influential names in the late 1970s–early 1990s American
horror literature boom, by 1991 McCammon had three ''New York Times'' bestsellers (''
The Wolf's Hour'', ''Stinger'', and''
Swan Song
The swan song ( grc, κύκνειον ᾆσμα; la, carmen cygni) is a metaphorical phrase for a final gesture, effort, or performance given just before death or retirement. The phrase refers to an ancient belief that swans sing a beautiful so ...
'') and around 5 million books in print.
Personal life
His parents are Jack, a musician, and Barbara Bundy McCammon. After his parents' divorce, McCammon lived with his grandparents in Birmingham. He received a
B.A. in
Journalism
Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the " news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree. The word, a noun, applies to the occupation (prof ...
from the
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and largest of the public ...
in 1974. McCammon lives in Birmingham.
[http://www.nightmare-magazine.com/nonfiction/interview-robert-mccammon/] He has a daughter, Skye, with his former wife, Sally Sanders.
McCammon is a practicing
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι� ...
.
Career
McCammon has published multiple award-winning books, including ''Mine'' in 1990 and ''Boy's Life'' in 1991.
After the release of'' Gone South'', McCammon chose to leave his publisher. After clashing with an editor at a new publisher over the direction for his historical fiction novel ''Speaks the Nightbird'', he retired from writing. After a long hiatus which resulted from the reorganization of the publishing industry and McCammon's personal depression and soul searching, he returned to the publishing world with ''Speaks the Nightbird'', the first book in the Matthew Corbett series. ''Publishers Weekly'' called it a "compulsively readable yarn," and said, "McCammon's loyal fans will find his resurfacing reason to rejoice." Since 2002, thirteen new books have been published, including seven, so far, in the Matthew Corbett series.
In 1985, McCammon's story "Nightcrawlers" was adapted into
an episode of
''The Twilight Zone'' (1985).
Like
Dean Koontz
Dean Ray Koontz (born July 9, 1945) is an American author. His novels are billed as suspense thrillers, but frequently incorporate elements of horror, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and satire. Many of his books have appeared on ''The New ...
, McCammon for a while refused to let his first novels (up to and including ''They Thirst'') be republished because, while not disliking the books, he did not feel that they were up to the standards of his later works. He wrote that he feels he was allowed to learn how to write in public, and therefore had decided to officially retire his earlier works.
Why are some of McCammon's novels out-of-print?
/ref> However, ''Baal'', ''Bethany's Sin'', ''The Night Boat'', and ''They Thirst'' were recently re-released by Subterranean Press
Subterranean Press is a small press publisher in Burton, Michigan. Subterranean is best known for publishing genre fiction, primarily horror, suspense and dark mystery, fantasy, and science fiction. In addition to publishing novels, short stor ...
as 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 ...
novels. In a 2013 interview, McCammon acknowledged that some readers would like to have a complete collection of his work, and said "reading back over those books I find they’re not as poorly written as I recall them to be." They have also all been released as ebooks and audiobooks.
Bibliography
*''Baal'' (1978)
*''Bethany's Sin'' (1980) - second published novel, but actually third written
*'' The Night Boat'' (1980) - third published novel, but actually second written
*'' They Thirst'' (1981)
*''Mystery Walk
''Mystery Walk'' is a 1984 album by M + M (also known as Martha And The Muffins), produced by Daniel Lanois. The opening tracks, " Black Stations/White Stations" and "Cooling The Medium" were both released as singles, with the first track being ...
'' (1983) – first novel published in hardcover
*'' Usher's Passing'' (1984) - Winner of the 1985 Alabama Library Association Alabama Author Award
*''Swan Song
The swan song ( grc, κύκνειον ᾆσμα; la, carmen cygni) is a metaphorical phrase for a final gesture, effort, or performance given just before death or retirement. The phrase refers to an ancient belief that swans sing a beautiful so ...
'' (1987) - Co-winner of the 1987 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 ...
and nominated for the 1988 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel; the first of his novels to appear on the New York Times Bestseller List
''The New York Times'' Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. John Bear, ''The #1 New York Times Best Seller: intriguing facts about the 484 books that have been #1 New York Times ...
*''Stinger'' (1988) - Nominated for the 1988 Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel; New York Times Bestseller
''The New York Times'' Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. John Bear, ''The #1 New York Times Best Seller: intriguing facts about the 484 books that have been #1 New York Times ...
*''Blue World'' (1990) – Short Story Collection; Nominated for the 1989 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 ...
and the 1990 World Fantasy Award for Best Collection
*'' Mine'' (1990) - Winner of the 1990 Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel
*'' Boy's Life'' (1991) - Winner of the 1991 Bram Stoker Award and the 1992 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel
*''Gone South'' (1992) - Later published in an omnibus edition with '' Boy's Life''.
*''The Five'' (2011)
*''The Border'' (May 2015)
*''The Listener'' (February 2018)
Michael Gallatin books
*'' The Wolf's Hour'' (1989) - Nominated for the 1989 Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel; New York Times Bestseller
*''The Hunter from the Woods'' ollection(2011)
Matthew Corbett series
*''Speaks the Nightbird'' (2002) - Later published as two paperback volumes, ''Judgement of the Witch'' and ''Evil Unveiled''
*''The Queen of Bedlam'' (2007)
*''Mister Slaughter'' (2010)
*''The Providence Rider'' (2012)
*''The River of Souls'' (2014)
*''Freedom of the Mask'' (May 2016)
*''Cardinal Black'' (April 2019)
*''The King of Shadows'' (Forthcoming)
*''Leviathan'' (Forthcoming)
''Seven Shades of Evil'' hort story collection(forthcoming)
Trevor Lawson series
*''I Travel by Night'' (2013) - Novella
*''I Travel by Night 2: Last Train from Perdition'' (Fall 2016)
References
External links
Robert McCammon's official site
Robert McCammon: Matthew Corbett's World
Robert McCammon @ Facebook
Robert McCammon @ Twitter
Inkwell Newswatch McCammon Interview
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCammon, Robert R.
Writers from Birmingham, Alabama
20th-century American novelists
21st-century American novelists
American horror writers
American male novelists
American Christians
1952 births
Living people
World Fantasy Award-winning writers
20th-century American male writers
21st-century American male writers
Novelists from Alabama