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Soon after ''[[Summer of Night]]'', Simmons, who had written mostly horror fiction, began to focus on writing science fiction, although in 2007 he returned with a work of [[historical fiction]] and horror, ''[[The Terror (novel)|The Terror]]''. In 2009 he also wrote a book, ''[[Drood (novel)|Drood]]'', based on the last years of [[Charles Dickens]]' life, those leading up to the writing of ''[[The Mystery of Edwin Drood]]'', which Dickens had partially completed at the time of his death.<ref name="st090215"/> In 2013 Simmons will release ''The Abominable'',<ref name="abominablereveal" /> a supernatural horror adventure, set on the snowy peaks of Mount Everest.
Soon after ''[[Summer of Night]]'', Simmons, who had written mostly horror fiction, began to focus on writing science fiction, although in 2007 he returned with a work of [[historical fiction]] and horror, ''[[The Terror (novel)|The Terror]]''. In 2009 he also wrote a book, ''[[Drood (novel)|Drood]]'', based on the last years of [[Charles Dickens]]' life, those leading up to the writing of ''[[The Mystery of Edwin Drood]]'', which Dickens had partially completed at the time of his death.<ref name="st090215"/> In 2013 Simmons will release ''The Abominable'',<ref name="abominablereveal" /> a supernatural horror adventure, set on the snowy peaks of Mount Everest.


⚫
Simmons became famous in [[1989 in literature|1989]] for ''Hyperion'', winner of Hugo and [[Locus Award]]s for the best science fiction novel.<ref name="WWE-1990"/>
==Literary references==
⚫
Simmons became famous in [[1989 in literature|1989]] for ''Hyperion'', winner of Hugo and [[Locus Award]]s for the best science fiction novel.<ref name="WWE-1990"/> This novel deals with a space war, and is inspired in its structure by [[Giovanni Boccaccio|Boccaccio's]] ''[[Decameron]]'' and [[Chaucer]]'s ''[[Canterbury Tales]]''.

Many of his works have similarly strong ties with classic literature{{citation needed|date=September 2011}}:
* ''[[Carrion Comfort]]'' derives its title and many of its themes from a poem by [[Gerard Manley Hopkins]]
* "Vanni Fucci Is Alive and Well and Living In Hell", a 1988 short story lampooning [[televangelist]]s included in ''[[Prayers to Broken Stones]]'', is about a brief return to earth by the title character, an inhabitant of [[Dante]]'s ''[[The Divine Comedy|Inferno]]''
* The [[Hyperion Cantos]] take their titles from poems by the English Romantic, [[John Keats]].
* The basic structure of ''[[Hyperion (Simmons novel)|Hyperion]]'' is taken from the Middle-English cycle of stories ''[[The Canterbury Tales]]''. A varied group of individuals are on a pilgrimage to solicit a kind of demon-god called "the Shrike" on the planet "Hyperion" in a universe on the edge of the apocalypse. Each pilgrim tells his or her tale of why they are going to see the Shrike. ''The Fall of Hyperion'' is the conclusion to the story of the pilgrims rather than a stand-alone sequel. ''Hyperion'' and ''Fall of Hyperion'' are essentially one work in two volumes.
* ''[[The Hollow Man (1992 novel)|The Hollow Man]]'' (1992) is influenced by Dante's ''Inferno'' and [[T. S. Eliot]]
* A short story from [[1993 in literature|1993]], "The Great Lover", is inspired by the [[World War I]] [[War Poets]].
* In ''[[The Fall of Hyperion]]'', [[John Keats]] appears as one of the main characters, with references to characters in ''[[Forbidden Planet]]'' and ''[[The Time Machine]]''.
* His ''[[Ilium/Olympos]]'' cycle is inspired by [[Homer]]'s works. Both Shakespeare and Proust are mentioned as well.
* The character of Ada and her home Ardis Hall in the ''Ilium'' cycle are inspired by [[Vladimir Nabokov]]'s novel ''[[Ada or Ardor: A Family Chronicle|Ada or Ardor]]'', which was Nabokov's foray into the science fiction genre and alternate history.
* His collection of short stories, "Worlds Enough & Time", takes its name from the first line of the poem ''[[His Coy Mistress|To His Coy Mistress]]'' by British poet Andrew Marvell: 'Had we but world enough, and time,'.


==Movie adaptations==
==Movie adaptations==

Revision as of 07:09, 28 April 2013

Dan Simmons
Born (1948-04-04) April 4, 1948 (age 76)
Peoria, Illinois
OccupationNovelist
NationalityAmerican
Period1983–present
GenreScience fiction, Horror and Fantasy
Notable worksNovel: Song of Kali (1985), Novel: Hyperion (1989)
Website
http://www.dansimmons.com

Dan Simmons (born April 4, 1948) is an American author most widely known for his Hugo Award-winning science fiction series, known as the Hyperion Cantos, and for his Locus-winning Ilium/Olympos cycle.

He spans genres such as science fiction, horror and fantasy, sometimes within the same novel: a typical example of Simmons' ability to intermingle genres is Song of Kali (1985), winner of World Fantasy Award.[1] He is also a respected author of mysteries and thrillers, some of which feature the continuing character Joe Kurtz.

Biography

Born in Peoria, Illinois, Simmons received an A.B. in English from Wabash College in 1970, and, in 1971, a Masters in Education from Washington University in St. Louis. He subsequently worked in elementary education until 1989.

He soon started to write short stories, although his career did not take off until 1982, when, through Harlan Ellison's help, his short story "The River Styx Runs Upstream" was published and awarded first prize in a Twilight Zone Magazine story competition. His first novel, Song of Kali, was released in 1985.

Horror fiction

Summer of Night (1991) recounts the childhood of a group of pre-teens who band together in the 1960s to defeat a centuries-old evil that terrorizes their hometown of Elm Haven, Illinois. The novel, which was praised by Stephen King, is similar to King's It in its focus on small town life, the corruption of innocence, the return of an ancient evil, and the responsibility for others that emerges with the transition from youth to adulthood.

In the sequel to Summer of Night, A Winter Haunting, Dale Stewart (one of the first book's protagonists, and now an adult), revisits his boyhood home to come to grips with mysteries that have disrupted his adult life. Children of the Night, another loose sequel, features a much older Mike O'Rourke, now a Roman Catholic priest, who is sent on a mission to investigate bizarre events in a European city. Another Summer of Night character, Dale's younger brother, Lawrence Stewart, appears as a minor character in Simmons' thriller Darwin's Blade, while the adult Cordie Cooke appears in Fires of Eden.

Soon after Summer of Night, Simmons, who had written mostly horror fiction, began to focus on writing science fiction, although in 2007 he returned with a work of historical fiction and horror, The Terror. In 2009 he also wrote a book, Drood, based on the last years of Charles Dickens' life, those leading up to the writing of The Mystery of Edwin Drood, which Dickens had partially completed at the time of his death.[2] In 2013 Simmons will release The Abominable,[3] a supernatural horror adventure, set on the snowy peaks of Mount Everest.

Simmons became famous in 1989 for Hyperion, winner of Hugo and Locus Awards for the best science fiction novel.[4]

Movie adaptations

In January 2004, it was announced that the screenplay he wrote for his novels Ilium and Olympos would be made into a film by Digital Domain and Barnet Bain Films, with Simmons acting as executive producer.[citation needed]

In 2009, Scott Derrickson was set to direct "Hyperion Cantos" for Warner Bros. and GK Films, with Trevor Sands penning the script to blend the first two cantos "Hyperion" and "The Fall of Hyperion" into one film.[5] In 2011, actor Bradley Cooper expressed interest in taking over the adaptation.[6]

His novel Drood was set to be adapted into a movie by Guillermo del Toro for Universal Pictures.[citation needed] The adaptation, originally thought to begin filming in 2012, seems to be on hold.[citation needed]

Works

Hyperion Cantos

  1. Hyperion (1989) – Hugo and Locus Awards winner, BSFA nominee, 1990;[4] Arthur C. Clarke Award nominee, 1992[7]
  2. The Fall of Hyperion (1990) – Nebula Award nominee, 1990;[4] BSFA and Locus Awards winner, Hugo Award nominee, 1991;[8]
  3. Endymion (1996) – Locus Award shortlist, 1997[9]
  4. The Rise of Endymion (1997) – Locus Award winner, Hugo Award nominee 1998[10]

Ilium/Olympos

  1. Ilium (2003) – Locus Award winner, Hugo Award nominee, 2004[11]
  2. Olympos (2005) – Locus Award shortlist, 2006[12]

Joe Kurtz

  1. Hardcase (2001)
  2. Hard Freeze (2002)
  3. Hard as Nails (2003)

Other books

Awards

Wins

Bram Stoker Award

  • Best Collection (1992): Prayers to Broken Stones
  • Best Novel (1990): Carrion Comfort
  • Best Novellette (1994): "Dying in Bangkok"
  • Best Short Story (1993): "This Year's Class Picture"

British Fantasy Society Award

  • Best Novel (1990): Carrion Comfort[4]

British Science Fiction Award

  • Best Novel (1991): The Fall of Hyperion[8]

Hugo Award

  • Best Novel (1990): Hyperion[4]

International Horror Guild Award

  • Best Novel (2003): A Winter Haunting

Locus Award

  • Best Horror Novel (1990): Carrion Comfort[4]
  • Best Science Fiction Novel (1990): Hyperion[4]
  • Best Novelette (1991): "Entropy's Bed at Midnight"
  • Best Science Fiction Novel (1991): The Fall of Hyperion[8]
  • Best Horror/Dark Fantasy Novel (1992): Summer of Night
  • Best Horror/Dark Fantasy Novel (1993): Children of the Night
  • Best Novelette (1994): "Dying in Bangkok"
  • Best Horror/Dark Fantasy Novel (1995): Fires of Eden
  • Best Science Fiction Novel (1998): The Rise of Endymion[10]
  • Best Novelette (2000): "Orphans of the Helix"
  • Best Science Fiction Novel (2004): Ilium[11]

Nocte Award

Readercon Award

Science Fiction Chronicle Reader Awards

Seiun Award

  • Best Foreign Novel (1995): Hyperion
  • Best Novel (1996): The Fall of Hyperion (tied with Timelike Infinity by Stephen Baxter)
  • Best Foreign Short Story (1999): "This Year's Class Picture"

World Fantasy Award

  • Best Novel (1986): Song of Kali[1]
  • Best Short story (1993): "This Year's Class Picture"

Nominations

Dan Simmons has been nominated on numerous occasions in a range of categories for his fiction, including the Arthur C. Clarke Award, Bram Stoker Award, British Fantasy Society Award, Hugo Award, Nebula Award, and World Fantasy Award.[17]

References

  1. ^ a b c "1986 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved July 16, 2009.
  2. ^ Gwinn, Mary Ann (February 15, 2009). "Q&A: Dan Simmons, author of "Drood"". The Seattle Times.
  3. ^ a b "Dan Simmons The Abominable cover art reveal!". Upcoming4.me. March 14, 2013. Retrieved March 14, 2013.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h "1990 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved July 16, 2009.
  5. ^ Fleming, Michael (Jan. 29, 2009). "Scott Derrickson to direct 'Hyperion'". variety.com. Archived from the original on 2012-12-10. Retrieved 2012-12-10. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ Falconer, Robert (May 27, 2011). "Bradley Cooper Anxious to Adapt Dan Simmons's Hyperion for the Screen". cinemaspy.com. Archived from the original on December 10, 2012. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  7. ^ a b "1992 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved July 16, 2009.
  8. ^ a b c "1991 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved July 16, 2009.
  9. ^ "1997 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved July 16, 2009.
  10. ^ a b "1998 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved July 16, 2009.
  11. ^ a b "2004 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved July 16, 2009.
  12. ^ "2006 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved July 16, 2009.
  13. ^ "1993 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved July 16, 2009.
  14. ^ "2003 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved July 16, 2009.
  15. ^ Rafferty, Terrence (March 18, 2007). "Ice Men". The New York Times. Retrieved March 31, 2010.
  16. ^ "2008 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved July 16, 2009.
  17. ^ Works in the WWEnd Database for Dan Simmons.

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