Sullivan, Tim
Entry updated 12 September 2022. Tagged: Author, Critic, Editor.
(1948- ) US actor, editor and author who began publishing sf with stories like "Tachyon Rag" for Unearth in Spring 1977 as Timothy Robert Sullivan, "My Father's Head" for Chrysalis 5 (anth 1979) edited by Roy Torgeson and "The Rauncher Goes to Tinker Town" for New Dimensions 9 (anth 1979) edited by Robert Silverberg, tales whose sophistication led to some disappointment when his first-published novels turned out to be three Ties to the "V" (1983-1985) Television series, a series of exercises in easy Paranoia set in an America taken over by Aliens: "V": The Florida Project (1985), "V": The New England Resistance (1985) and "V": To Conquer the Throne (1987). The published order of Sullivan's books was, however, deceptive, as his first-written novel, Destiny's End (1988), had suffered delays and modifications at the hands of the publisher to which it had fist been contracted. The book proved to be a complexly moody depiction of humanity at the end of its tether in an array of Dying-Earth venues, as Secret Masters from the stars with quasimagical Technologies manipulate the course of events. Other sf of interest included The Parasite War (1989), which garishly intensifies the premises of "V" with a few scattered humans engaged in guerrilla warfare against the Aliens who have nearly destroyed the planet; The Martian Viking (1991), in which a prisoner escapes from Mars and roams space and time with stern but rowdy Vikings; and Lords of Creation (1992), which combines palaeontological fantasy including dinosaur eggs and another alien Invasion. Sullivan then concentrated for almost a decade on an acting career, though he began to publish short stories again in 2000.
Two anthologies, Tropical Chills (anth 1988) and Cold Shocks (anth 1991), composed of carefully selected original and reprinted material, mostly horror, demonstrate Sullivan's editorial acuteness. [JC]
Timothy Robert Sullivan
born Bangor, Maine: 9 June 1948
works
series
"V"
- "V": The Florida Project (New York: Pinnacle Books, 1985) [tie to the "V" universe: "V": pb/]
- "V": The New England Resistance (New York: Pinnacle Books, 1985) [tie to the "V" universe: "V": pb/]
- "V": To Conquer the Throne (New York: Tor, 1987) [tie to the "V" universe: "V": pb/]
individual titles
- Destiny's End (New York: Avon Books, 1988) [pb/Ron Walotsky]
- The Parasite War (New York: Avon Books, 1989) [pb/Doug Beekman]
- The Martian Viking (New York: Avon Books, 1991) [pb/Ron Walotsky]
- Lords of Creation (New York: AvoNova, 1992) [pb/Joe DeVito]
works as editor
- Tropical Chills (New York: Avon Books, 1988) [anth: pb/]
- Cold Shocks (New York: Avon Books, 1991) [anth: pb/Robert Goldstrom]
links
previous versions of this entry