At the
close of 2015, we remember some of those individuals from the world of books.
Prolific, popular, either of a mainstream or literary bent; let’s review their
accomplishments.
Jackie
Collins was a romance novelist who focused on the loves, marriages, and
divorces of Hollywood’s
finest. And she knew her subject; she had relatives and friends in the
industry. Born in London in 1937, she relocated
to Los Angeles
in the 1960s. Her thirty-two novels all appeared on the New York Times Bestsellers List. Her books include: Lady Boss; Hollywood
Wives; and The Santangelos.
E.L. (Edgar
Lawrence) Doctorow, born in New York
in 1931, was a critically acclaimed author who wrote historical fiction, often
featuring actual historic individuals. He wrote twelve novels, among them Billy Bathgate, Ragtime, World’s Fair, and
The March; he also wrote short
stories and drama. Before beginning his writing career, Doctorow was an editor.
He also taught writing courses at several colleges.
Although
Leonard Nimoy was a television and film actor by trade (Star Trek, Mission Impossible,
In Search Of . . .), he also was a
writer. His two autobiographies are I am
Not Spock and I am Spock. Nimoy
was born in 1931 in Boston.
He also directed films and had a lifetime interest in photography.
Terry
Pratchett was a writer of fantasy novels, with a humorous bent; he was born in
1948 and lived in England
for his entire life. He is most famous for his Discworld series, which began in 1983 and also influenced
television programs, video games, and board games. Pratchett also wrote
children’s books.
Ruth
Rendell was a writer of thrillers and psychological murder mysteries. She was born
in England
in 1930 and began a writing career first as a news writer and then as a novelist.
Her most famous series features the character Inspector Wexford; she also wrote
several standalone novels under her name and that of her pen name Barbara Vine.
Rendell won many awards and was appointed a life peer of the Order of the British Empire.
Ann Rule
was a prolific writer of true crime non-fiction. Born in Michigan in 1931, she received an
associate’s degree and then worked in law enforcement for awhile. She wrote
articles for True Detective magazine
under a nom de plume; then she wrote her first book The Stranger Beside Me, based on her real-life encounter with
murderer Ted Bundy. Other true crime books followed; many based in her home
region of the Pacific Northwest.
Oliver
Sacks was a neurologist, naturalist and writer; he was born in London in 1933. Completing school in England, Sacks continued his professional career
in the United States.
His lifelong interest in case studies of people with neurological disorders
also led to a successful career as a writer, beginning with The Man who Mistook his Wife for a Hat and
other Clinical Tales and other bestselling non-fiction. Recent biographical
works include On the Move: a Life and
Gratitude.
