John Steakley

John William Steakley, Jr. (July 26, 1951 – November 27, 2010)<ref name="dmnobit"/> was an American science fiction author.<ref name="dmn101130"/> He published two major novels, Armor (1984)<ref name="ta860208"/> and Vampire$ (1990); the latter was the basis for John Carpenter's Vampires movie.<ref name="hc981030"/> He published four short science fiction and fantasy stories.<ref name="ifsdb"/>

Personal life

Steakley was born in Cleburne, Texas. Aside from brief spells in South America and Hollywood, Steakley lived most of his life in Texas. Steakley's father owned a Chevrolet dealership in Dallas from 1962 until he sold it in 1999.<ref name="dmn021010"/><ref name="dmn990427"/> Steakley attended St. Mark's School and graduated from Colorado Academy, a boarding school in Denver. He then went on to study at Westminster College in Missouri, and at Southern Methodist University, where he received his BA in English.<ref name="dmn101130"/>

In 1988, Steakley married photographer Lori Jones; they held their wedding reception in the showroom of a local Subaru dealership.<ref name="dmn880405"/> He was an avid golfer and in the mid-1990s carried a single-digit handicap.<ref name="dmn940220"/> He died after a five-year battle with liver disease.

Career

Steakley's sister told the press that he went to Hollywood at the invitation of screenwriter L.M. "Kit" Carson. He sold a film treatment, and played a bit part ("Local 1") in at least one film, Don't Open the Door!, but "he stayed out there a few years and just hated it."<ref name="dmn101130"/> Following through on his childhood fantasy of becoming a science fiction writer, Steakley returned to Texas, and wrote.<ref name="dmn101130"/> He published his first professional short story, "The Bluenose Limit", in the March 1981 issue of Amazing Stories; and another, "Flyer", in the September 1982 issue.<ref>ISFDb listing for Steakley</ref> He published two major novels, Armor (1984)<ref name="ta860208"/> and Vampire$ (1990). According to his website, he worked on the incomplete Armor II for years.

Steakley wrote the screenplay for the 1997 film, Scary Texas Movie; he also played a nameless bit part in that film. Steakley also played a nameless bit part in the 2000 film Playing Dead.

In 1998, John Carpenter directed a screen adaptation of Vampire$ (retitled Vampires), which starred James Woods as the leader of a Catholic Church-sanctioned team of vampire hunters. That year Steakley was the Toastmaster for the World Horror Convention.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Selected works

• Armor (December 1984, DAW Books, Template:ISBN)
• Vampire$ (November 1990, Roc Books, Template:ISBN)

See also

• Notable alumni of St. Mark's School of Texas

External links

• Template:Isfdb name
• John Steakley entry at The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, 3rd edition (draft)
• Template:IMDb name
• Fantastic Fiction author page