Goodbye, William Nolan

Award-winning writer William F. Nolan, has left us. He was an author and editor. He was the co-author, with George Clayton Johnson (1929-2015), of Logan’s Run, which was made into a movie and a TV series. Nolan co-wrote the scripts for the horror movies Trilogy of Terror(1975) and Burnt Offerings (1976).

William Francis Nolan was born March 6, 1928 in Kansas City, Missouri. On his birthday, March 6, 1970, he married Marilyn Kam Seal. He died July 15, 2021 in Vancouver, Washington. He was 93.

Awards and Honors

Nolan won the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Allan Poe Award twice. The Internatuional Horror Guild [roclaumed Nolan a Living Legend of Dark Fantasy in 2002. In 2010, Nolan received the Lifetime Achievement Bram Stoker Award from the Horror Writers Association (HWA). In 2015, he was named a World Horror Society Grand Master.

He and his writing partner, George Clayton Johnson, both appeared in the William Shatner film The Intruder (1962). It was Nolan’s only acting role, although he had seventeen writing credits for TV and movies, ranging from the Steve McQueen western Wanted Dead or Alive to 240-Robert to Terror at London Bridge (1985).

Logan’s Run and Other Books

The last news anybody had on the *Logan’s Run* remake was that
it had picked up Simon Kinsberg to direct, and *Hunger Games* screenwriter Peter Craig to write it. That was in 2018, and nobody’s heard a peep from the production since.

William F. Nolan co-wrote Logan’s Run in 1967 (his co-author George Clayton Johnson passed away in 2015). He wrote two sequels, Logan’s World (1977) and Logan’s Search (1980). There was also a novella, Logan’s Return (2001). Nolan co-wrote two other Logan books, Logan’s Journey with Paul McComas, and Logan Falls with Jason V. Brock. The latter two have not been published yet; they are being saved to coincide with the release of the remake of the Logan’s Run movie, assuming it ever gets made.

Nolan wrote mysteries, horror, science fiction, fantasy, and biographies. His biography of Ray Bradbuty, Nolan on Bradbury: Sixty Years of Writing about the Master of Science Fiction, won him the Bram Stoker Award, for Superior Achievement in Nonfiction, He also wrote biographies of racecar drivers Barney Oldfield and Philip Hill, writers Ernest Hemingway and Max Brand. director John Huston, and actor Steve McQueen, Nolan also edited several anthologies of short stories and poetry, and wrote hundreds of stories himself.

His frequent writing partner, Jason V. Brock, said “William Francis Nolan passed away without pain on July 15, 2021, during a brief stay in the hospital following complications from an infection.” He had no living relatives, but his words will be his legacy.

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Susan Macdonald

Susan Macdonald is the author of the children’s book “R is for Renaissance Faire”, as well as 26 short stories, mostly fantasy in “Alternative Truths”, “Swords and Sorceress #30”, Swords &Sorceries Vols. 1, 2, & 5, “Cat Tails” “Under Western Stars”, and “Knee-High Drummond and the Durango Kid”. Her articles have appeared on SCIFI.radio’s web site, in The Inquisitr, and in The Millington Star. She enjoys Renaissance Faires (see book above), science fiction conventions, Highland Games, and Native American pow-wows.

Susan Macdonald

Susan Macdonald is the author of the children's book "R is for Renaissance Faire", as well as 26 short stories, mostly fantasy in "Alternative Truths", "Swords and Sorceress #30", Swords &Sorceries Vols. 1, 2, & 5, "Cat Tails" "Under Western Stars", and "Knee-High Drummond and the Durango Kid". Her articles have appeared on SCIFI.radio's web site, in The Inquisitr, and in The Millington Star. She enjoys Renaissance Faires (see book above), science fiction conventions, Highland Games, and Native American pow-wows.