Sarrantonio, Al
Entry updated 18 November 2024. Tagged: Author, Editor.
(1952- ) US editor and author who began publishing work of genre interest with "Ahead of the Joneses" in Asimov's for March 1979, and much of whose work is horror, sometimes tinged with sf (see Horror in SF), including his first novel, The Worms (1985), a Gothic tale set in Massachusetts with hints of H P Lovecraft; and Moonbane (1989), in which Werewolves use nuclear weapons to smash the Moon so that its fragments' reflected light will empower them at all hours. He has also written considerable sf, beginning with the Five Worlds Saga comprising Exile (1996), Journey (1997) and Return (1998) (see Checklist for full titles). The story, heavily tinged with horror tropes, involves a war between humanity, centred on Mars and a Terraformed Venus, and Alien forces, the latter having quickly wiped out all life in the Outer Planets. The Masters of Mars sequence beginning with Haydn of Mars (2005) is a flamboyant Planetary Romance set in an undetermined but distant future, with dynasty dilemmas gradually subsiding as Mars itself threatens to become uninhabitable. A singleton contribution to the Babylon 5 universe, Personal Agendas (1997) is told at Sarrantonio's usual swift pace. Of his anthologies, Redshift: Extreme Visions of Speculative Fiction (anth 2001), in the Extreme Visions sequence, contains strong work; as do 999: New Tales of Horror and Suspense (anth 1999), which won a Locus Award, and Stories: All-New Tales (anth 2010) with Neil Gaiman. [JC]
Albert A Sarrantonio
born New York: 25 May 1952
works
series
Jack Paine
- Cold Night (New York: Tor, 1989) [Jack Paine: pb/Jim Thiessen]
- Summer Cool (New York: Walker and Company, 1993) [Jack Paine: hb/Daniel F Richards]
Five Worlds Saga
- Exile: The Five Worlds Saga (New York: New American Library/Roc, 1996) [Five Worlds Saga: pb/Donato Giancola]
- Five Worlds #2: Journey (New York: New American Library/Roc, 1997) [Five Worlds Saga: pb/Donato Giancola]
- Five Worlds #3: Return (New York: New American Library/Roc, 1998) [Five Worlds Saga: pb/Donato Giancola]
The Orangefield Cycle
- Orangefield (Baltimore, Maryland: Cemetery Dance Publications, 2002) [Orangefield Cycle: hb/]
- Hallows Eve (New York: Leisure Books, 2004) [Orangefield Cycle: pb/Judy York]
- Horrorween (New York: Leisure Books, 2006) [Orangefield Cycle: pb/Judy York]
- The Baby (Baltimore, Maryland: Cemetery Dance Publications, 2006) [Orangefield Cycle: hb/Keith Minnion]
- Halloweenland (New York: Leisure Books, 2007) [exp vt of the above: Orangefield Cycle: pb/Judy York]
Masters of Mars
- Haydn of Mars (New York: Ace Books, 2005) [Masters of Mars: pb/Matt Stawicki]
- Sebastian of Mars (New York: Ace Books, 2005) [Masters of Mars: pb/Matt Stawicki]
- Queen of Mars (New York: Ace Books, 2006) [Masters of Mars: pb/Matt Stawicki]
- Masters of Mars (New York: Science Fiction Book Club, 2006) [omni of the above three: Masters of Mars: hb/Matt Stawicki]
individual titles
- The Worms (Garden City, New York: Doubleday and Company, 1985) [hb/Tom Sarrantonio]
- Totentanz (New York: Tor, 1985) [pb/uncredited]
- Campbell Wood (Garden City, New York: Doubleday and Company, 1986) [hb/William Naegels]
- The Boy with Penny Eyes (New York: Tor, 1987) [pb/uncredited]
- Moonbane (New York: Bantam Spectra, 1989) [pb/uncredited]
- October (New York: Bantam Books, 1990) [pb/Gary Smith]
- House Haunted (New York: Bantam Books, 1991) [pb/Jim Thiessen]
- Skeletons (New York: Bantam Books/Bantam Falcon, 1992) [pb/Alan Ayers]
- Personal Agendas (New York: Dell, 1997) [tie to the Babylon 5 Television series: pb/Bob Larkin]
collections and stories
- Toybox (Baltimore, Maryland: Cemetery Dance Publications, 1999) [coll: hb/Alan M Clark]
- Hornets and Others (Baltimore, Maryland: Cemetery Dance Publications, 2004) [coll: hb/Alan M Clark]
- A Little Yellow Book of Fevered Stories (Grantham, New Hampshire: Borderlands Press, 2004) [coll: hb/]
- Halloween and Other Seasons (Baltimore, Maryland: Cemetery Dance Publications, 2008) [coll: hb/Alan M Clark]
- Bad Candy (Anaheim, California: Bad Moon Books, 2009) with Paul Melniczek [coll: chap: pb/]
works as editor
series
Extreme Visions
- Redshift: Extreme Visions of Speculative Fiction (New York: New American Library/Roc, 2001) [anth: Extreme Visions: hb/Ray Lundgren]
- Flights: Extreme Visions of Fantasy (New York: New American Library/Roc, 2001) [anth: Extreme Visions: hb/Steve Stone]
- Flights: Extreme Visions of Fantasy, Volume 1 (New York: New American Library/Roc, 2006) [anth: cut vt of the above: first half only: Extreme Visions: hb/Steve Stone]
- Flights: Extreme Visions of Fantasy, Volume 2 (New York: New American Library/Roc, 2006) [anth: cut vt of the above: second half only: Extreme Visions: hb/Steve Stone]
individual titles (selected)
- 100 Hair-Raising Little Horror Stories (New York: Barnes and Noble Books, 1993) with Martin H Greenberg [anth: hb/Jack Eckstein]
- 999: New Tales of Horror and Suspense (New York: Avon Books, 1999) [anth: hb/Amy Halperin]
- Stories: All-New Tales (New York: The Mysterious Bookshop, 2010) with Neil Gaiman [anth: hb/Tom Gauld]
- Portents (Newburgh, New York: Flying Fox Publishers, 2011) [anth: hb/Alan M Clark]
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