John Farris


John Lee Farris is an American novelist, screenwriter, and playwright. He first achieved best-seller status at age twenty-three and is most famous as the author of The Fury. He is also known largely for his work in the southern Gothic genre.

Life

Farris was born in Jefferson City, Missouri to John Linder Farris and Eleanor Carter Farris. Raised in Tennessee, he graduated from Central High School and attended Southwestern College, both in Memphis. His first wife, Kathleen, was the mother of Julie Marie, John and Jeff Farris; his second wife, Mary Ann Pasante, is the mother of Peter John Farris.
Beginning with his first publication at age 19, The Corpse Next Door, Farris published twelve novels from the mid-1950s through the 1960s. These included a series of hardboiled crime novels under the pseudonym Steve Brackeen. Farris's early "Harrison High" novels were a major influence on Stephen King. Farris assisted in the rejuvenation of the horror novel with When Michael Calls, published in 1967.
After a hiatus of several years, he returned to the horror field to write his best-known novel, The Fury, which was filmed the following year by Brian de Palma. Farris's horror novel, All Heads Turn When the Hunt Goes By, saw print in 1978. He then demonstrated a remarkable diversity with a suspense novel, Shatter ; the occult adventure Catacombs ; a subdued ghost story, The Uninvited ; and a flamboyant novel of possession, Son of the Endless Night. At the 1995 World Horror Convention, he was named Writer Guest of Honor, along with Neil Gaiman and R.L. Stine. In 2001 he was presented the Bram [Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement]. At the 2015 World Horror Convention he was an Author Guest of Honor.
Apart from his substantial body of fiction, his work includes motion picture screenplays of his own books, original scripts and adaptations of the works of others. He also wrote and directed the film Dear Dead Delilah in 1973. He has had several plays produced off-Broadway, and also paints and writes poetry. At various times he has made his home in New York, southern California, Puerto Rico, and most recently near Atlanta, Georgia.

Film adaptations

Three of his works have been made into film: first Harrison High became Because They're Young, followed by When Michael Calls, and then The Fury which was directed by Brian De Palma.

TV adaptations

Farris's short story "I Scream. You Scream. We All Scream for Ice Cream." was adapted for the Showtime anthology series Masters of Horror in 2007.

Novels (and other fiction)

  • The Corpse Next Door
  • The Body on the Beach
  • Baby Moll
  • Danger in My Blood
  • Harrison High
  • Delfina
  • The Long Light of Dawn
  • The Guardians
  • King Windom
  • When Michael Calls
  • The Girl from Harrison High
  • The Captors
  • A Sudden Stillness
  • The Trouble at Harrison High
  • Shadow on Harrison High
  • Happy Anniversary, Harrison High
  • Crisis at Harrison High
  • Sharp Practice
  • The Fury
  • Bad Blood
  • All Heads Turn When the Hunt Goes By
  • Shatter
  • Catacombs
  • The Uninvited
  • Son of the Endless Night
  • Minotaur
  • Wildwood
  • Nightfall
  • Scare Tactics, nominated for Bram Stoker Award for [Best Fiction Collection]
  • The Axeman Cometh
  • Fiends
  • Demonios
  • Sacrifice
  • Dragonfly
  • Soon She Will Be Gone
  • Solar Eclipse
  • The Fury and the Terror
  • The Fury and the Power
  • Phantom Nights'
  • Elvisland
  • Avenging Fury
  • You Don't Scare Me
  • ''High Bloods''

Short stories

Screenplays