Robert McCammon

In my opinion, Rick has always been one of our best storytellers, right up there with King and Koontz. He gives a little dignity to the field. Richard Chizmar

Life

In 1952, Birmingham, Alabama saw the birth of Robert McCammon (Rick), a storyteller who would be known for his exquisite prose, strong characterization and intriquing plots. He was raised in East Lake and attended the University of Alabama, seeking a journalism degree. He left the university just short of meeting the requirements for graduation and began doing odd jobs. He is credited for helping found the Horror Writers Association (HWA). Currently, he lives in Vestavia Hills with his wife, Sally. They have one child, a daughter named Skye.

Writing

McCammon's writing efforts paid off in the late 1970s when he learned his first novel, Baal, was going to be published. His prolific work during the 80s earned him many fans. His second published novel, Bethany's Sin was the third novel written by him due to difficulty finding a publisher for Night Boat. He published novels through several companies, including Avon and Pocket Books. Boy's Life, a coming of age novel filled with mystery, magic and mayhem, encouraged some readers who shied away from the horror genre to check out his darker fiction.

His short stories have been published in various magazines and anthologies, including "Halloween Horrors," "The Giant Book of Best New Horror" and "Under the Fang." Two of McCammon's short stories have been adapted for television. Makeup, the story of a young criminal and his supernatural find, appeared as an episode of "Darkroom." Nightcrawlers, an intense story of a Vietnam vet with dangerous dreams, appeared on "The Twilight Zone."

Awards

McCammon has won five Bram Stoker awards for his work, as well as one World Fantasy award. Additional awards include:

• Alabama Library Association Author Award (1985)
• Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire (1992)
• Independent Publisher Book Award (2003)

Semi-Retirement

I knew that he loved getting started. He loved the research, and when the writing was going well, he'd come downstairs and just be exuberant about it. Then at the end of each book, he'd just slow down because he didn't want to finish, didn't want to go through all that again.Sally McCammon

In 1992, after publication of Gone South, McCammon found that his interests differed from those of his publishers. His previous two novels were a step away from the horror genre and the publishing companies didn't want him to write the historical novel he was planning. Instead, they wanted to keep him in his previous genre for marketing reasons.

Although the historical novel, Speaks the Nightbird was completed around 1994, McCammon didn't publish the novel until 2002. Shortly thereafter, he vowed that he would no longer write. He cited difficulties with "mega-publishers," and disgust with the greed of the publishing world as his reason for retirement.

In a letter posted to his website, McCammon discusses his need to focus on his daughter, an infant at the time, and the depression that overcame him following Gone South's release. He became a hermit, trying to keep his depression from everyone but his family as he tried to determine what he would do if he could no longer be a writer.

McCammon is no longer writing as much as he did in the 80s, but he is working on a sequel to Speaks the Nightbird titled The Queen of Bedlam. He is considering writing several novels based on Matthew Corbett, the main character in Speaks the Nightbird.

Bibliography

Novels

• Baal (1978)
• Bethany's Sin (1980)
• Night Boat (1980)
• They Thirst (1981)
• Mystery Walk (1983)
• Usher's Passing (1985)
• Swan Song (1987)
• Stinger (1988)
• The Wolf's Hour (1989)
• MINE (1990)
• Boy's Life (1991)
• Gone South (1992)
• Speaks the Nightbird (2002)

Collection

• Blue World (1989)