Sharkey, Jack
Entry updated 12 September 2022. Tagged: Author, Theatre.
Working name of US playwright and author John Michael Sharkey (1931-1992) for all his sf, which he began publishing with "The Captain of his Soul" for Fantastic in 1959; he produced about fifty stories over the first five years or so of his career, including several in the 1960s for Galaxy on Ecology. His sf novels, including The Secret Martians (1960 dos) and Ultimatum in 2050 A.D. (June-July 1963 Amazing as "The Programmed People"; 1965 dos), were enjoyable contributions to the genre. The protagonist in the first book is a thoroughly likeable Superman; the second tale is by contrast downbeat. He subsequently focused on plays, some of which, including Dracula, the Musical?: Book, Music, and Lyrics (1984) and The Bride of Brackenloch! (1987), were as by Rick Abbot. Most of his dramatic work consists of spoofs with mild Satirical content. He was not related to the boxer Jack Sharkey (1902-1994). [JC]
John Michael Sharkey
born Chicago, Illinois: 6 May 1931
died Laguna Hills, California: 28 September 1992
works
- The Secret Martians (New York: Ace Books, 1960) [dos: pb/Ed Valigursky]
- Ultimatum in 2050 A.D. (New York: Ace Books, 1965) [dos: first appeared June-July 1963 Amazing as "The Programmed People": pb/John Schoenherr]
- The Programmed People (Medford, Oregon: Armchair Fiction, 2010) [dos: vt of the above: reverting to the magazine title: pb/Ed Emshwiller]
- The Addams Family (New York: Pyramid Books, 1965) [tie to the Television series: The Addams Family: pb/Harris Levine Studio]
- It's Magic, You Dope (San Francisco, California: Renaissance E Books/Pageturner, 2009) [ebook: first appeared November-December 1962 Fantastic: na/]
- The Crispin Affair (New York: Armchair Fiction, 2012) [dos: first appeared July-August 1960 Fantastic: pb/Ed Emshwiller]
- The Crispin Affair (New York: Armchair Fiction, 2012) [dos: first appeared July-August 1960 Fantastic: pb/Ed Emshwiller]
collections and stories
- The Dope on Mars (no place given: Project Gutenberg, 2008) [story: ebook: first appeared June 1960 Galaxy: na/]
- Minor Detail (no place given: Project Gutenberg, 2009) [story: ebook: first appeared November 1959 Amazing: na/]
- It's Magic, You Dope (San Francisco, California: Renaissance E Books/Pageturner, 2009) [ebook: first appeared November-December 1962 Fantastic: na/]
- Old Friends Are the Best (no place given: Project Gutenberg, 2010) [story: ebook: first appeared March 1960 Amazing: na/]
- Double or Nothing (no place given: Project Gutenberg, 2013) [novella: ebook: first appeared May 1962 Fantastic: na/]
- The Awakening (no place given: Project Gutenberg, 2016) [novella: ebook: first appeared February 1964 Galaxy: na/]
- The Business, As Usual (no place given: Project Gutenberg, 2016) [story: ebook: first appeared August 1960 Galaxy: na/]
- A Matter of Protocol (no place given: Project Gutenberg, 2016) [story: ebook: first appeared August 1962 Galaxy: na/]
- Big Baby (no place given: Project Gutenberg, 2016) [novelette: ebook: first appeared April 1962 Galaxy: na/]
- Arcturus Times Three (no place given: Project Gutenberg, 2016) [novelette: ebook: first appeared October 1961 Galaxy: na/]
- The Creature Inside (no place given: Project Gutenberg, 2016) [story: ebook: first appeared December 1963 Worlds of Tomorrow: na/]
- To Each His Own (no place given: Project Gutenberg, 2019) [story: ebook: first appeared January 1960 If: na/]
- The Contact Point (no place given: Project Gutenberg, 2019) [novelette: ebook: first appeared January 1961 If: na/]
- The Flying Tuskers of K'niik-K'naak (no place given: Project Gutenberg, 2019) [novelette: ebook: first appeared May 1961 If: na/]
plays (selected)
- How Green Was My Brownie (Support Your Local Elf): A Play (New York: Samuel French, 1972) [play: pb/]
- My Son the Astronaut (New York: Samuel French, 1982) [play: revised from an early version entitled "Pie in the Sky": pb/]
- Jekyll Rides Again!: A Screwball Musical (New York: Samuel French, 1984) [play: pb/]
- Dracula, the Musical?: Book, Music, and Lyrics (New York: Samuel French, 1984) as by Rick Abbot [play: pb/]
- The Bride of Brackenloch! (New York: Samuel French, 1987) as by Rick Abbot [play: pb/]
- The Pinchpenny Phantom of the Opera: An Affordable Musical Comedy (New York: Samuel French, 1988) [play: pb/]
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