Look and Listen

Biography

Jeffrey Thomas (born 1957) is a prolific writer of science fiction and horror, best known for his stories set in the nightmarish future city called Punktown, such as the novels DEADSTOCK and BLUE WAR (Solaris Books), HEALTH AGENT and EVERYBODY SCREAM! (Raw Dog Screaming Press), MONSTROCITY (Prime Books) and the collection PUNKTOWN (Prime Books), from which a story was reprinted in "St. Martin's The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror #14." His fiction has also been reprinted in Daw's "The Year's Best Horror Stories XXII," "The Year's Best Fantastic Fiction" and "Quick Chills II: The Best Horror Fiction from the Specialty Press." He has received numerous Honorable Mentions in "The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror," and in 2000 both TERROR INCOGNITA (Delirium Books) and PUNKTOWN appeared on the preliminary ballot for the Bram Stoker Award (Best Collection). He has been a finalist for the Bram Stoker Award (Best First Novel) for MONSTROCITY, and a finalist for the John W. Campbell Award for DEADSTOCK. Some of his books have been published in translated form in Germany, Russia, Poland, Greece and Taiwan. The hardcover German edition of PUNKTOWN had cover art by famed artist H. R. Giger (designer of the creature for the film "Alien"). Other books by Thomas include the horror novels LETTERS FROM HADES (Bedlam Press) and THOUGHT FORMS (Dark Regions Press), and the collections UNHOLY DIMENSIONS (Mythos Books), THIRTEEN SPECIMENS (Delirium Books), VOICES FROM PUNKTOWN, VOICES FROM HADES and DOOMSDAYS (these three from Dark Regions Press). Jeffrey Thomas has spent all of his life in Massachusetts, though he has traveled frequently to Vietnam, where he met his wife Hong in 2005. He has a daughter by Hong, and a son from his pevious marriage. Thomas is also an accomplished artist and illustrator, and the founder of the small press publishing imprint Necropolitan Press. His brother Scott Thomas is also an accomplished short story writer, collected in such books as COBWEBS AND WHISPERS, WESTERMEAD, SHADOWS OF FLESH, OVER THE DARKENING FIELDS, THE GARDEN OF GHOSTS and QUILL AND CANDLE

Inspiration

Jeffrey Thomas grew up in a very creative family; his mother Lorraine wrote a newspaper poetry and review column as a young woman, his father Robert Thomas was a graphic artist, painter, and locally published poet, his older sister Wendy published a newspaper column as a teenager and runs a web-based quilting supply company called Simple Folk, his brother Scott has already been discussed, and his brother Craig has studied music and multiple languages in college, and sings in a choir. Thomas' wonderful autistic son Colin keeps up the tradition, by drawing and writing his own stories. An environment where reading is encouraged and creativity celebrated and nourished brings out gifts and abilities that might not otherwise have had the chance to appear and flourish!