Al Sarrantonio (born May 25, 1952) is an American horror and science fictionwriter, editor and publisher who has authored more than 50 books and 90 short stories. He has also edited numerous anthologies and has been called "brilliant" and "a master anthologist" by Booklist.
In 1976 Sarrantonio began an editing career at a major New York publishing house. His first short fiction, "Ahead of the Joneses," appeared in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine in 1979, followed by a story in Heavy Metal magazine the following year. In 1980 he published 14 short stories. In 1982, after leaving publishing to become a full-time writer, he began his first novel, The Worms, followed by Campbell Wood, Totentanz and The Boy with Penny Eyes. He established himself in the horror field with such much-anthologized stories as "Pumpkin Head", "The Man With Legs", "Father Dear," "Wish", and "Richard's Head," (all of which appear in his first short story collection, Toybox). "Richard's Head" brought him his first Bram Stoker Award nomination.
Sarrantonio is writing a horror saga revolving around Halloween, which takes place in the fictional upstate New York town of Orangefield (novels: Halloweenland, Hallows Eve and Horrorween, the last of which incorporates three shorter Orangefield pieces: the short novel Orangefield, and novelettesHornets and The Pumpkin Boy). Other horror novels include Moonbane, October, House Haunted and Skeletons. He has also written Westerns (West Texas and Kitt Peak), mysteries (Cold Night and Summer Cool) and science fiction (the Edgar Rice Burroughs-inflected trilogy Haydn of Mars, Sebastian of Mars and Queen of Mars, omnibused as Masters of Mars by the Science Fiction Book Club, 2006).
Sarrantonio was book reviewer for Night Cry magazine, the short-lived digest-sized offshoot of the Twilight Zone Magazine, and has been a critic and columnist for other publications.
"All Souls Day" (Mark Sieber's Horror Drive-In exclusive Orangefield short story featuring original art by Keith Minnion) [1] (October 2009)
Halloweenland (Leisure Books Mass Market Paperback 2007; Cemetery Dance limited edition hardcover, 2009; Crossroad Press e-book, 2012) - A novel length book that includes elements of The Baby and much more new material (the Leisure paperback also includes the original version of The Baby as a bonus).
Horrorween (Leisure, 2006; Crossroad Press e-book, 2012) - A retelling of "Hornets," The Pumpkin Boy, and Orangefield.
Midnight Premiere, edited by Tom Piccirilli (Cemetery Dance Publications 2007). Includes the short story, "Baby Boss and the Underground Hamsters."
Stalkers, edited by Ed Gorman and Martin H. Greenberg. (Dark Harvest Books 1989). Includes the short story, "Children of Cain."
Cemetery Dance: a Fifteen Year Celebration, edited by Richard Chizmar. (Cemetery Dance Publications, 2010). May include the short story, "Landing Earl."
Trick or Treat: A Collection of Halloween Novellas edited by Richard Chizmar. (Cemetery Dance 2001). Includes the short story "Hornets"
Shivers, edited by Richard Chizmar. (Cemetery Dance 2002). Includes the short story, "The Green Face."
Shivers II, edited by Richard Chizmar (Cemetery Dance 2003). Includes the short story, "The New Kid."
Shivers III, edited by Richard Chizmar (Cemetery Dance 2004). Includes the short story, "Hedges."
Shivers IV, edited by Richard Chizmar (Cemetery Dance 2006). Includes the short story, "The Man in the Other Car."
Shivers V, edited by Richard Chizmar (Cemetery Dance 2009). Includes the short story "Cookies."
Shivers VI, edited by Richard Chizmar (Cemetery Dance 2010). Includes the short story "Last."
The Ultimate Halloween, edited by Marvin Kaye. (I Books 2003). Includes the short story, "Pumpkin Head."
Razored Saddles edited by Joe R. Lansdale and Pat LoBrutto. (Dark Harvest, 1989). Includes the short story, "Trail of the Chromium Bandits."
Bruce Coville's Book of Spine Tinglers: Tales to Make You Shiver, edited by Bruce Coville (Apple Paperbacks 1996). Includes the short story, "Letters From Camp."
The Mammoth Book of Comic Fantasy, edited by Mike Ashley. (Carroll & Graf Pub 1998). Includes the short story, "The Return of Mad Santa."
Shadows 4 edited By Charles L. Grant. (Doubleday Science Fiction 1981). Includes the short story, "Under My Bed"
Shadows 5 edited By Charles L. Grant. (Doubleday Science Fiction 1982). Includes the short story, "Boxes"
Shadows 6 edited By Charles L. Grant. (Doubleday Science Fiction 1983). Includes the short story, "The Man With Legs"
Shadows 8 edited By Charles L. Grant. (Doubleday Science Fiction 1985). Includes the short story, "Wish"
Shadows 10 edited By Charles L. Grant. (Doubleday Science Fiction 1987). Includes the short story, "Pigs"
Chrysalis 7, edited by Roy Torgeson (Doubleday, 1981). Contains the short story, "The Artist in the Small Room Above."
Chrysalis 9, edited by Roy Torgeson (Doubleday, 1981). Contains the short story, "That They Be Saved."
Weirdbook 18, published by W. Paul Ganley, 1983. Includes the short story "The Quiet Ones."
Weirdbook 23/24, (Double issue) published by W. Paul Ganley, 1988. Includes the short story, "The Red Wind."
