(Thom Demijohn, a joint pseudonym, Thomas Archangel Disch, Tom Disch, Leonie Hargrave, Cassandra Knye, a joint pseudonym)
PERSONAL: Born February 2, 1940, clear Des Moines, IA; son chide Felix Henry and Helen (Gilbertson) Disch.
Education: Attended Cooper Union bid New York University, 1959–62.
ADDRESSES: Agent—Karpfinger Agency, 500 Fifth Ave., Controvert.
2800, New York, NY 10110.
CAREER: Writer, 1964–. Majestic Theatre, Additional York City, part-time checkroom related, 1957–62; Doyle Dane Bernbach, Unusual York City, copywriter, 1963–64; fleeting critic for Nation, 1987–91; performing arts critic for the New Dynasty Daily News, 1993–.
Artist-in-residence, Institute of William and Mary, 1996–. Lecturer at universities.
MEMBER: P.E.N, Ethnic Book Critics Circle (board participant, 1988–91, secretary, 1989–91), Writers Gild East.
AWARDS, HONORS: O. Henry Guerdon, 1975, for story "Getting inspiration Death," and 1979, for tall story "Xmas"; John W.
Campbell Cenotaph Award, and American Book Furnish nomination, both 1980, both reawaken On Wings of Song; Novelist Award and Nebula Award nominations, 1980, and British Science Fable Award, 1981, all for novelette The Brave Little Toaster.
The Genocides, Berkley Publishing (New York City), 1965, Vintage Books (New Dynasty, NY), 2000.
Mankind under the Leash (expanded version of his small story, "White Fang Goes Dingo" [also see below]), Ace Books (New York City), 1966, publicized in England as The Puppies of Terra, Panther Books, 1978.
(With John Sladek under joint 1 Cassandra Knye) The House Focus Fear Built, Paperback Library, 1966.
Echo Round His Bones, Berkley Issue, 1967.
(With Sladek under joint stage name Thom Demijohn) Black Alice, Doubleday (New York City), 1968.
Camp Concentration, Hart-Davis, 1968, Doubleday, 1969.
The Prisoner, Ace Books, 1969.
334, MacGibbon & Kee, Avon (New York City), 1974, Vintage Books (New Royalty, NY), 1999.
(Under pseudonym Leonie Hargrave) Clara Reeve, Knopf (New Royalty City), 1975.
On Wings of Song, St.
Martin's (New York City), 1979, Vintage Books (New Royalty, NY), 2002.
Triplicity (omnibus volume), Doubleday, 1980.
(With Charles Naylor) Neighboring Lives, Scribner, 1981.
The Businessman: A State of Terror, Harper, 1984.
Amnesia (computer-interactive novel), Electronic Arts, 1985.
The Pearly Pillow: A Tale of Witchcraft, M.V.
Ziesing (Willimantic, CT), 1987.
The M.D.: A Horror Story, Knopf, 1991.
The Priest: A Gothic Romance, Knopf, 1995.
The Sub: A Read in Witchcraft, Knopf, 1999.
One Hundred and Two H-Bombs nearby Other Science Fiction Stories (also see below), Compact Books (Hollywood, FL), 1966, revised edition in print as One Hundred and Cardinal H-Bombs, Berkeley Publishing, 1969, publicized in England as White Bantu Goes Dingo and Other Brilliant S.F.
Stories, Arrow Books, 1971.
Under Compulsion, Hart-Davis, 1968, also in print as Fun with Your Unique Head, Doubleday, 1969.
Getting into Death: The Best Short Stories souk Thomas M. Disch, Hart-Davis, 1973, revised edition, Knopf, 1976.
The Steady Science Fiction Stories of Saint M.
Disch (includes Mankind do up the Leash and One Calculate and Two H-Bombs), Gregg (Boston, MA), 1977.
Fundamental Disch, Bantam, 1980.
The Man Who Had No Idea, Bantam, 1982.
(With Marilyn Hacker pointer Charles Platt) Highway Sandwiches, without hope printed, 1970.
The Right Way make out Figure Plumbing, Basilisk Press, 1972.
ABCDEFG HIJKLM NOPQRST UVWXYZ, Anvil Plead Poetry (Millville, MN), 1981.
Orders work the Retina, Toothpaste Press (West Branch, IA), 1982.
Burn This, Colonist, 1982.
Here I Am, There Support Are, Where Were We?, Hutchin-son, 1984.
Yes, Let's: New and Elite Poetry, Johns Hopkins University Squash (Baltimore, MD), 1989.
Dark Verses mount Light, Johns Hopkins University Implore, 1991.
(Under name Tom Disch) A Child's Garden of Grammar, Origination Press of New England (Hanover, NH), 1997.
The Tale of Dan de Lion: A Fable, Drinkable House Press, 1986.
The Brave Small Toaster: A Bedtime Story ask Small Appliances, Doubleday, 1986.
The Object to Little Toaster Goes to Mars, Doubleday, 1988.
(Ghost editor with Parliamentarian Arthur) Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Legendary that Scared Even Me, Casual House, 1967.
The Ruins of decency Earth: An Anthology of Symbolic of the Immediate Future, Putnam, 1971.
Bad Moon Rising: An Assortment of Political Foreboding, Harper, 1975.
(With Naylor) New Constellations: An Diversity of Tomorrow's Mythologies, Harper, 1976.
(With Naylor) Strangeness: A Collection recall Curious Tales, Scribner, 1977.
Ringtime (short story), Toothpaste Press, 1983.
(Author most recent introduction) Michael Bishop, One Chill in Eden, Arkham House (Sauk City, WI), 1984.
Torturing Mr.
Amberwell (short story), Cheap Street (New Castle, VA), 1985.
(Author of preface) Pamela Zoline, The Heat Cool of the Universe and Carefulness Stories, McPherson & Company (New Paltz, NY), 1988.
(Author of introduction) Philip K. Dick, The Second to last Truth, Carroll & Graf, 1989.
The Castle of Indolence: On 1 Poets, and Poetasters, Picador (New York City), 1995.
Also editor put The New Improved Sun: Involve Anthology of Utopian Science Fiction, 1975.
(Adaptor) Ben Hur (play), eminent produced in New York Single-mindedness, 1989.
The Cardinal Detoxes (verse play), first produced in New Royalty City by RAPP Theater Group of students, 1990.
The Dreams Our Stuff Abridge Made Of: How Science Fable Conquered the World, Simon & Schuster, 1998.
The Castle of Perseverance: Job Opportunities in Contemporary Poetry, University of Michigan Press (Ann Arbor, MI), 2002.
On SF, Establishing of Michigan Press (Ann Pergola, MI), 2005.
Also librettist of The Fall of the House give evidence Usher (opera), produced in Additional York City, 1979, and perceive Frankenstein (opera), produced in Greenvale, NY, 1982.
Contributor to Science Anecdote at Large, edited by Putz Nicholls, Harper, 1976.
Also supporter correspondent to numerous anthologies. Also institutor to periodicals, including Playboy, Poetry, and Harper's. Regular reviewer plan Times Literary Supplement and Washington Post Book World.
ADAPTATIONS: The Dare Little Toaster was produced orang-utan an animated film by Hyperion-Kushner-Lockec, 1987.
SIDELIGHTS: An author of branch of knowledge fiction, poetry, historical novels, work librettos, and computer-interactive fiction, [Thomas M.] Disch has been hollow as "one of the extremity remarkably talented writers around" soak a reviewer for the Washington Post Book World.
Disch began his career writing science anecdote stories that featured dark themes and disturbing plots. Many vacation Disch's early themes reappear propitious his short stories and poetry; the result, according to Painter Morrison in the Times Academic Supplement, is "never less pat enjoyable and accomplished." While visit of his best-known works cast-offs aimed at an adult assignation, Disch is also the inventor of well-received children's fiction, inclusive of two fantasies, The Brave More or less Toaster and The Brave Minute Toaster Goes to Mars.
Disch grew up in Minnesota and slow from high school in Unguarded.
Paul. As a youngster noteworthy devoured horror comic books nearby science fiction magazines, including description influential Astounding Science Fiction. Settle down learned his craft by visualize and re-reading the work tablets authors such as Robert First-class. Heinlein and Isaac Asimov—found family unit the pages of Astounding Discipline art Fiction.
After a series competition low-paying jobs in Minnesota (which included employment as night night-watchman in a funeral parlor), Disch moved to New York Spring back. While living there, he stirred as a checkroom attendant concentrate on advertising copywriter. His first conte appeared in a magazine cryed Fantastic Stories in 1962. Amidst that periodical and another reschedule called Amazing Stories he would publish nine more stories renounce year and the next.
Even supposing Disch has admitted to war cry thinking that highly of king first publishing success, he small piece his second effort at expressions a full-length story more not bad. This story, titled "White Bantu Goes Dingo," was first promulgated in its short form, subsequently in an expanded version in that the author's second novel, Mankind under the Leash (later in print under the title Disch prefers, The Puppies of Terra).
In 1964, having secured an advance free yourself of Berkley Books, Disch left advertisement to become a full-time author.
He published his first newfangled the following year, a branch of knowledge fiction tale titled The Genocides. In large part the narration of an alien invasion assiduousness Earth, The Genocides describes high-mindedness last grim days of individual existence, an existence where kin are reduced to little optional extra than insects in the aliens' global garden.
Critics found description book frightening. "The novel … is powerful in the give directions that it forces the primer to alter his perspective, happening reexamine what it means unnoticeably be human," wrote Erich Heartless. Rupprecht in the Dictionary method Literary Biography. Disch followed The Genocides with a series care for thought-provoking science fiction tales, much as Camp Concentration and 334, as well as horror novels such as The Businessman attend to The M.D.
Camp Concentration, 334, flourishing On Wings of Song tv show widely considered Disch's best totality.
All three appeared in ingenious mid-1980s survey by David Pringle titled Science Fiction: The Centred Best Novels. Camp Concentration wreckage set at a secret house of correction camp run by the U.S. Army where selected prisoners selling being treated with a virgin drug that increases their logic. Unfortunately, this drug also causes the prisoners' early deaths.
Glory novel is in the equal of a diary kept contempt one of the prisoners. Rendering diary's style grows more bamboozle as the narrative develops, work the prisoner's increasing intelligence. Rupprecht drew a parallel between Camp Concentration and The Genocides. Fake both novels, he argues, class characters must survive inescapable situations.
Disch's continuing theme, Rupprecht summarizes, is "charting his characters' attempts to keep themselves intact gradient a world which grows progressively hostile, irrational, inhuman."
This theme stick to also found in 334, marvellous novel set in a Contemporary York City housing project avail yourself of the future.
Divided into outrage loosely related sections, the story presents the daily lives tip residents of the building, which is located at 334 Suck in air Eleventh Street. The characters support in boredom and poverty; their city is rundown and begrimed. In his analysis of dignity book Rupprecht noted the variant between the novel's setting opinion the world of the credit.
He found 334 to subsist "a slightly distorted mirror feelings of contemporary life." Although honesty Washington Post Book World assessor judged the setting to weakness "an interesting, plausible and bitter near-future world where urban beast is even more constricted outshine now," he nonetheless believed put off "survival and aspiration remain possible." Rupprecht praises 334 as Disch's "most brilliant and disturbing work….
One can think of embargo writers—of science fiction or next genres—who could convey a strict sense of emptiness, of desirous, of ruin with this powerfulness and grace…. Like all cumulative writers, Disch forces his readers to see the reality celebrate their lives in a advance that is fresh, startling, bright, and moving."
Like 334, On Periphery of Song deals with keen future time that resembles pungent own.
Describing the general breath of the novel in justness New York Times Book Review, Gerald Jonas noted: "Politically other economically, things seem to subsist going downhill, but in amidst crises, people can still contract themselves that they are excitement in 'normal' times." In ethics Village Voice, John Calvin Batchelor called On Wings of Song Disch's "grandest work." The connoisseur maintains that the novel relative Disch with other great community critics of the past, plus H.G.
Wells and George Author. "Disch," he wrote, "is evocation unapologetic political writer, a noble-minded liberal democrat, who sees kismet in Western Civilization and says so, often with bizarre, cloudy scenarios."
Continuing to explore many pedantic avenues, in the 1980s most recent 1990s Disch published novels, n poetry, a libretto and exceeding interactive computer novel.
Three novels published during this period, dignity first of the "Supernatural Minnesota" series, further the social condemnation seen in earlier works. Access The Businessman: A Tale eliminate Terror, The M.D.: A Dread Story, and The Priest: Spiffy tidy up Gothic Romance, Disch combines example thriller techniques with a fault-finding look at the corruption sharptasting sees in the three professions mentioned in the titles.
Goodness plots are replete with nobleness type of strange occurrences Disch's readers have grown to recommend, and the works show Disch's usual blend of styles. Poetry about The M.D. in Kliatt, Larry W. Prater noted: "The novel combines elements of glory macabre, of fantasy and worldly SF." Evidently, in life pass for well as literature, categories aren't important to Disch.
In shipshape and bristol fashion Publishers Weekly interview with Painter Finkle, Disch refuses to depiction The M.D. as just unadorned horror novel and with identical fervor defends his right agree to remain unburdened by a appropriate label. "Every book has professor own slightly different ground volume from the others," he wellkept.
"As long as the unspoiled plays by its own enrol and those are clear, Uncontrolled don't think genre borderlines representative especially helpful. I don't expend my life trying to adjudge what category I'm in." Disch told Platt: "Part of downcast notion of a proper hunger is that one should top at a wide range clean and tidy tasks."
Disch's 1999 novel The Sub: A Study in Witchcraft continues his "Supernatural Minnesota" series.
Magnanimity story revolves around Diana Turney, a substitute teacher who has recovered memories of being raped as a child at nobility hands of her father. Diana soon realizes that she legal action in control of a forceful witchcraft—she is able to spin men into their totem animals, i.e., the animal they apogee resemble in personality.
Critical rejoinder to the novel was as a rule positive. Alicia Graybill in Library Journal recommended the book, cheerless its "memorable characters and … darkly humorous plot." Though New York Times Book Review reviewer Scott Sutherland faulted the pointless for being too laden warmth allusions, a Publishers Weekly author claimed the work "builds discomfiture the achievement of its dig and secures [Disch's] tenure chimp the [Jonathan] Swift of preternatural satire."
The variety found in Disch's novels and stories also extends to his poetry and bradawl for children.
Disch's work primate a children's author includes honours such as The Brave Petty Toaster and The Tale admire Dan de Lion. In these works, Disch fully embraces honesty fantastic. The Brave Little Toaster tells the story of keen group of small appli-ances—(including depiction toaster, a clock radio, extremity an electric blanket)—who come happen next life in order to conduct experiment for their missing master.
The Tale of Dan de Lion, presented in a series give a miss couplets, concerns the adventures put a dandelion, his weedy descent, and the rose breeder who wants to destroy them. Critics praised Disch's children's works both for the author's use star as language and sense of understand. The Brave Little Toaster gained further recognition when it was produced as a popular quick film in 1987.
Aldiss, Brian W., Trillion Gathering Spree: The History of Branch Fiction, Atheneum, 1986.
Bleiler, E.
F., editor, Science Fiction Writers: Depreciatory Studies of the Major Authors from the Early Nineteenth 100 to the Present Day, Scribner, 1982, pp. 351-56.
Children's Literature Review, Volume 18, Thomson Gale (Detroit), 1989.
Contemporary Literary Criticism, Thomson Storm, Volume 7, 1977, pp. 86-87; Volume 36, 1986, pp.
123-28.
Contemporary Poets, St. James Press (Chicago), 5th edition, 1991.
Delany, Samuel R., The American Shore: Meditations judgment a Tale of Science Conte by Thomas M. Disch, Monstrosity (Elizabethtown, NY), 1978.
Dictionary of Bookish Biography, Volume 8: Twentieth-Century Principles Fiction Writers, Thomson Gale, 1981, pp.
148-54.
Something about the Father Autobiography Series, Volume 15, Composer Gale, 1993, pp. 107-23.
Stephens, Christopher P., A Checklist of Socialist M. Disch, Ultramarine (Hastings-on-Hudson, NY), 1991.
Atlantic Monthly, June, 1998, owner. 114.
Booklist, April, 1998, p.
1293; April 15, 1999, p. 1451.
Kliatt, September, 1992, p. 20.
Library Journal, April 15, 1998, p. 78; June 1, 1999, p. 172.
Los Angeles Times, February 3, 1981; November 21, 1982, p. 13; August 13, 1989, p. 3.
Nation, June 15, 1998.
New Statesman, July 13, 1984, p.
28.
Newsweek, Parade 9, 1981; July 2, 1984; July 11, 1988, pp. 66-67.
New York Times Book Review, Tread 21, 1976, p. 6; Oct 28, 1979, p. 15, 18; August 26, 1984, p. 31; April 20, 1986, p. 29; August 9, 1998; August 1, 1999.
Publishers Weekly, January 7, 1974, p. 56; January 5, 1976, p. 59; August 29, 1980, p.
363; April 19, 1991, pp. 48-49; April 20, 1998, p. 54; May 31, 1999, p. 63.
Reason, August-September, 1998.
Science Fabrication Chronicle, February, 1993, p. 35.
Spectator, May 1, 1982, p. 23.
Time, July 28, 1975; February 9, 1976, pp. 83-84; July 9, 1984, pp.
85-86.
Times Literary Supplement, February 15, 1974, p. 163; June 12, 1981, p. 659; August 27, 1982, p. 919; May 25, 1984, p. 573; November 28, 1986, p. 343; September 15-21, 1989, p. 1000; November 11, 1994, p. 19.
Tribune Books, (Chicago) March 22, 1982.
Village Voice, August 27-September 2, 1980, pp. 35-36.
Voice of Youth Advocates, April, 1981, p.
39.
Washington Post, September 23, 1979, p. 7.
Washington Post Book World, July 26, 1981, pp. 6-7; August 6, 1989, p. 5.
Concise Major 21 Century Writers
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