Whitley Strieber
- Writer
- Additional Crew
- Actor
Whitley Strieber began his writing career with a pair of modern-Gothic
horror novels, The Wolfen (1981) and The Hunger (1983), for which he earned renown as
one of the best of the "new wave" of horror writers. Both of these
novels were made into films.
In the mid-eighties his novels of nuclear destruction, Warday and Wolf
of Shadows, became a New York Times bestseller (co-authored by James
Kunetka) and an award winning young-adult novel, respectively. Costa-Gavras
was briefly attached to a planned feature film adaptation of Warday.
Whitley Strieber is perhaps best known for the third phase of his
career, which began with Communion (1989), an autobiographical account of his
experiences with strange alien "visitors" who he says came to his cabin
in the New York countryside. This Number 1 New York Times Non-Fiction
Bestseller (on the list for 15 weeks) was also turned into a film. He
appeared on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson (6 May 1987) to defend
his sincerity.
After leaving New York, he returned to the vampire saga that began with
The Hunger (1983), adding the novels The Last Vampire and Lilith's Dream to the
mythology. When Columbia Pictures' option on The Last Vampire expired,
the SciFi Channel considered a mini-series based on the last two novels
of the trilogy.
He has written several other thrillers, and two novels about
environmental apocalypse, Nature's End and The Coming Global
Superstorm. Superstorm served as an inspiration for Fox's The Day After Tomorrow (2004), and
Strieber later penned the novelization of that film.
His 2006 novel, The Grays, is a fictional narrative about "an alien
presence struggling with humanity for control of the earth" that is, he
says, informed by his personal experiences. Sony Pictures secured the
film rights, with Ken Nolan writing the treatment.
horror novels, The Wolfen (1981) and The Hunger (1983), for which he earned renown as
one of the best of the "new wave" of horror writers. Both of these
novels were made into films.
In the mid-eighties his novels of nuclear destruction, Warday and Wolf
of Shadows, became a New York Times bestseller (co-authored by James
Kunetka) and an award winning young-adult novel, respectively. Costa-Gavras
was briefly attached to a planned feature film adaptation of Warday.
Whitley Strieber is perhaps best known for the third phase of his
career, which began with Communion (1989), an autobiographical account of his
experiences with strange alien "visitors" who he says came to his cabin
in the New York countryside. This Number 1 New York Times Non-Fiction
Bestseller (on the list for 15 weeks) was also turned into a film. He
appeared on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson (6 May 1987) to defend
his sincerity.
After leaving New York, he returned to the vampire saga that began with
The Hunger (1983), adding the novels The Last Vampire and Lilith's Dream to the
mythology. When Columbia Pictures' option on The Last Vampire expired,
the SciFi Channel considered a mini-series based on the last two novels
of the trilogy.
He has written several other thrillers, and two novels about
environmental apocalypse, Nature's End and The Coming Global
Superstorm. Superstorm served as an inspiration for Fox's The Day After Tomorrow (2004), and
Strieber later penned the novelization of that film.
His 2006 novel, The Grays, is a fictional narrative about "an alien
presence struggling with humanity for control of the earth" that is, he
says, informed by his personal experiences. Sony Pictures secured the
film rights, with Ken Nolan writing the treatment.