Charles Lewis Grant (September 12, 1942 – September 15, 2006) was an American novelist and short story writer specializing in what he called "dark fantasy" and "quiet horror". He also wrote under the pseudonyms of Geoffrey Marsh, Lionel Fenn, Simon Lake, Felicia Andrews, Deborah Lewis, Timothy Boggs, Mark Rivers, and Steven Charles.

Biography

Early life

Charles L. Grant was born in Newark, New Jersey. He received a B.A. from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1964, and taught for four years. Then, from 1968 to 1970, Grant served in the U.S. Army military police in Vietnam and was awarded a Bronze Star.

Career

From 1973 to 1977, Grant was Secretary of Science Fiction Writers of America. In 1987-1988, he served as President of the Horror Writers Association. Grant won a World Fantasy Award for his novella collection Nightmare Seasons, a Nebula Award in 1976 for his short story "A Crowd of Shadows", and another Nebula Award in 1978 for his novella A Glow of Candles, a Unicorn's Eye, the latter telling of an actor's dilemma in a post-literate future. Grant also edited the award-winning Shadows anthology se, running eleven volumes from 1978 to 1991. Contributors include Stephen King, Ramsey Campbell, Al Sarrantonio, R. A. Lafferty, Avram Davidson, and Steve Rasnic Tem and Melanie Tem. Grant was a former Executive Secretary and Eastern Regional Director of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and president of the Horror Writers Association. His story "Temperature Days on Hawthorne Street" was adapted into an episode of Tales from the Darkside titled "The Milkman Cometh" in 1987, the same year he wrote the Introduction and Afterward to Tor Books' publication of Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Grant's favorite Irving story. Grant wrote twelve books (eight novels and four collections of four related novellas each, with interstitial material) set in the fictional Connecticut town of Oxrun Station. Three of these were intentionally pastiches of classic Universal and Hammer horror films, and feature a vampire, a werewolf, and an animated mummy.

Personal life

Grant's first wife is Debbie Voss, with whom he had two children. Ian Matthew and Emily Kathryn. Ian has two sons Payton and Logan; Emily has three children, sons Aaron and William, and daughter, Ella In February, 1982, Grant married writer and editor Kathryn Ptacek.

Death

Suffering ill health in his later years, Grant died on September 15, 2006, from a heart attack.

Critical reception

Stephen King expressed admiration for Grant's work, stating that Grant was "One of the premier horror writers of his or any generation". This quote was usually placed on the front of Grant's books. Discussing Grant's fiction, Jess Nevins said that "Grant excelled at building foreboding atmosphere and mounting dramatic tension, at characterization and pacing."

Horror novels

Science fiction

As "Geoffrey Marsh"

As "Lionel Fenn"

As "Simon Lake"

As "Mark Rivers"

As "Timothy Boggs"

As "Felicia Andrews"

As "Deborah Lewis"

As "Steven Charles"

Anthologies edited

Greystone Bay series

Shadows series

Other anthologies

Non-fiction

Collections

Short fiction