Gary Brandner Explained

Gary Brandner
Birth Date:31 May 1930
Birth Place:Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, United States
Death Place:Reno, Nevada, United States
Occupation:Author, screenwriter
Language:English
Genre:Horror
Yearsactive:1977–2012
Spouse:Martine Wood Brandner

Gary Phil Brandner (May 31, 1930 – September 22, 2013) was an American horror fiction author best known for his werewolf themed trilogy of novels, The Howling.[1] [2] The first book of the series was adapted loosely as a motion picture in 1981. Brandner's second and third Howling novels, published in 1979 and 1985 respectively, have no association with the film series, though he was involved with writing the screenplay for the second Howling film, . The fourth film of the Howling series, , is actually the closest adaptation of Brandner's original novel, though this too varies to some degree.

Brandner's novel Walkers was adapted and filmed for television as From The Dead Of Night.[3] He also wrote the screenplay for the 1988 horror film Cameron's Closet.

Life and career

Born in the Midwest and much traveled during his formative years, Brandner published more than 30 novels, more than 100 short stories, and also wrote a few screenplays. He attended college at the University of Washington where he was a member of fraternity Phi Sigma Kappa. After graduating in 1955, he worked as an amateur boxer, bartender, surveyor, loan company investigator, advertising copywriter, and technical writer before turning to fiction writing. Brandner lived with his wife, Martine Wood Brandner, and several cats in Reno, Nevada.

He died of esophageal cancer in 2013.[4] [5]

Novels

The Big Brain series

Title Year Type Pages Notes
The Aardvark Affair 1975 novel a.k.a. The Big Brain
The Beelzebub Business 1975 novel
Energy Zero 1976 novel

The Howling series

Title Year Type Notes
The Howling 1977 novel made into the 1981 film The Howling
The Howling II 1979 novel a.k.a. Return of the Howling
1985 novel a.k.a. The Howling III

Standalones

Title Year Type Pages Notes
The Players 1975 novel
Offshore 1978 novel
Walkers 1980 novel made into the television film From the Dead of Night
A Rage in Paradise 1981 novel
Hellborn 1981 novel
Cat People 1982 film novelization based on the story by DeWitt Bodeen & screenplay by Alan Ormsby
Quintana Roo 1984 novel a.k.a. Tribe of the Dead
The Brain Eaters 1985 novel
The Wet Good-Bye 1986 novel
Carrion 1986 novel
Cameron's Closet 1986 novel a.k.a. Cameron's Terror; made into the film Cameron's Closet
Floater 1988 novel optioned by Empire Pictures with director Tobe Hooper attached
Doomstalker 1989 novel
The Boiling Pool 1995 novel
Mind Grabber 1999 novel
The Experiment 1999 novella
Rot 1999 novel
Billy Lives 2012 novel
The Sterling Standard 2012 novel

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Howling VI - The Freaks (1991). https://web.archive.org/web/20071205223241/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/23760/Howling-VI-The-Freaks/overview. dead. 5 December 2007. Binion. Cavett. Movies & TV Dept.. The New York Times. Baseline & All Movie Guide. 2007. 16 February 2011.
  2. News: Gary Brandner (1933-2013) . 26 September 2013 . . 2014-05-27.
  3. News: McArdle. Terence. Horror novelist Gary Brandner dies at 83. The Washington Post. 3 October 2013. en-US.
  4. News: Rest in Peace Author Gary Brandner . Barton . Steve . 23 September 2013 . . 2014-05-27.
  5. News: Books . The Washington Post . Terence . McArdle . 2013-10-04.