Simpson, George E
Entry updated 8 December 2025. Tagged: Author.
(1944-2009) US author, film scriptwriter and sound effects editor who worked with Universal Studios for several years. With Neal R Burger he wrote three sf novels, all with a strong espionage-thriller flavour. Ghostboat (1976) centres on the submarine USS Candlefish, believed lost during World War Two, which reappears in modern times minus her crew. The solution of this mystery involves an uneasy mix of Timeslip and supernatural elements, leading to a grim but predictable resolution. A UK Television film adaptation, Ghostboat (2006), made such changes to the story as the submarine being the British HMS Scorpion. Thin Air (1978) is based on the supposed 1943 "Philadelphia Experiment" attempt to render a US warship invisible (see Invisibility); decades later, the protagonist's investigation uncovers secret ongoing Matter Transmission experiments that began during the war years. Charles Berlitz (1914-2003) and William L Moore seemingly borrowed elements of this novel for their "nonfiction" The Philadelphia Experiment (1979); this in turn was filmed as The Philadelphia Experiment (1984). Fair Warning (1980) is an Alternate History tale involving efforts by US General George Marshall and US Secretary of State Henry Stimson (without President Harry Truman's knowledge) to avoid the use of the atomic bomb against Japan by convincing them to surrender; Josef Stalin becomes involved in an effort to steal the weapon for the USSR. Together, Simpson and Burger wrote the screenplay for The Disappearance of Flight 412 (1974).
Simpson's film credits as sound effects editor include Total Recall (1990), Virus (1999) and The Mist (2007). [GSt/DRL]
George E Simpson
born New York City, New York: 10 November 1944
died Los Angeles, California: 1 November 2009
works
- Ghostboat (New York: Dell Books, 1975) with Neal R Burger [pb/]
- Thin Air (New York: Dell Books, 1978) with Neal R Burger [pb/]
- Fair Warning (New York: Dell Books, 1980) with Neal R Burger [pb/]
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