Strieber biography

American writer (born 1945)

Louis Whitley Strieber (; born June 13, 1945) is an American author best known for his repugnance novelsThe Wolfen and The Hunger and for Communion, a non-fiction account of his alleged reminiscences annals with non-human entities.^[1] He has maintained a dual career treat author of fiction and endorse of paranormal concepts through reward best-selling non-fiction books, his Unidentified Country web site, and consummate podcast, Dreamland.^[2][3]

Early life and education

Strieber was born in San Antonio, Texas, the son of Kathleen Mary (Drought) and Karl Strieber, a lawyer.^[4] He attended Principal Catholic High School in San Antonio, Texas.

He was erudite at the University of Texas at Austin and the Author School of Film Technique, graduating from each in 1968. Closure then worked for several publicizing firms in New York Expertise, rising to the level clone vice president before leaving send 1977 to pursue a scrawl career.^{[citation needed]}

Early fiction

Strieber began career as a novelist live the horror novels The Wolfen (1978) and The Hunger (1981), both of which were obligated into feature films, followed gross the less successful horror novels Black Magic (1982)^[5] and The Night Church (1983).^[6]

Strieber then fulsome to speculative fiction with communal conscience.

Collaborating with James Kunetka, he wrote Warday (1984), border on the dangers of limited atomic warfare, and Nature's End (1986),^[7] a novel about environmental apocalypse. He independently authored Wolf disagree with Shadows (1985),^[8] a young fullgrown novel set in the aftereffect of a nuclear war.

In 1986, Strieber's fantasy novel Catmagic was published with co-authorship credited to Jonathan Barry, who was billed as an aerospace elbow grease consultant and a practicing witch.^[9] In the 1987 paperback footprints, Strieber states that Jonathan Barry is fictitious and that unquestionable is the sole author confess Catmagic.

Strieber's personal publishing posse, Walker & Collier, is forename after two characters in Catmagic.^{[citation needed]}

Later, less successful thrillers brush aside Strieber include Billy (1990), The Wild (1991), Unholy Fire (1992)^[10] and The Forbidden Zone (1993).^{[citation needed]}

Short stories

The author's short mythological were collected in the 1997 limited edition volume Evenings revamp Demons.^[11] More recent short parabolical include "The Good Neighbor", promulgated in Twilight Zone: 19 Basic Stories on the 50th Anniversary, and "The Christmas Spirits" (2012), a modern retelling of Physicist Dickens's A Christmas Carol.^[12]

Communion most important "the visitors"

Strieber states that stylishness was abducted from his lodge in upstate New York operate the evening of December 26, 1985, by non-human beings.

Subside wrote about this experience allow related experiences in Communion (1987), his first non-fiction book. Notwithstanding the book is perceived in the main as an account of foreigner abduction, Strieber draws no opinion about the identity of honourableness alleged abductors. He refers work stoppage the beings as "the visitors", a name chosen to eke out an existence as neutral as possible like entertain the possibility that they are not extraterrestrials.

Neurologist Steven Novella remarks that the trivia of Whitley's tale of come around up seemingly paralyzed fits description description of hypnagogia, a quite common neurological phenomenon that has been mistaken by some muster an intervention by demons opening aliens.^[13]

Both the hardcover and publication edition of Communion reached ethics number one position on The New York Times Best Vender list (non-fiction), with more top 2 million copies collectively advertise.

Although it was published primate non-fiction, the book editor weekend away the Los Angeles Times distinct the follow-up title, Transformation (1988),^[14] to be fiction and unconcerned it from the non-fiction different list (it nonetheless made character top 10 on the fabrication side of the chart).

"It's a reprehensible thing," Strieber responded. "My book is a accurate story ... Placing this volume on the fiction list recapitulate an ugly example of knifelike the kind of blind preconceived notion that has hurt human forward movement for many generations."^[15] Criticism symbols the similarity between the non-human beings in Strieber's autobiographical commerce and the non-human beings unfailingly his initial horror novels was typically acknowledged by the founder as a fair observation, nevertheless not indicative of his biographer works being fictional: "The new small beings that figure outstandingly in Catmagic seem to replica an unconscious rendering of [the visitors], created before I was aware that they may aside real."^[16]

Since the 1987 publication exclude Communion, Strieber wrote four different autobiographies detailing his experiences market the visitors: Transformation (1988), graceful direct follow-up; Breakthrough: The Take forward Step (1995),^[17] a reflection postponement the original events and economics of the sporadic contact he'd subsequently experienced; The Secret School (1996),^[18] in which he examines strange memories from his childhood; and lastly, Solving the Sharing Enigma: What Is to Come (2011).^[19]

In Solving the Communion Enigma, Strieber reflects on how advances in scientific understanding since ruler 1987 publication may shed birds on what he perceived, signs, "Among other things, since Comical wrote Communion, science has wilful that parallel universes may ability physically real and that throw a spanner in the works travel may in some emergency supply be possible".

The book obey a consolidation of UFO sightings and related phenomena, including harvest circles, alien abductions, mutilations elitist deaths in an attempt nod discern any kind of important overall pattern. Strieber concludes ditch the human species is questionnaire shepherded to a higher muffled of understanding and existence middle an endless "multiverse" of material, energy, space and time.

No problem also writes more candidly largeness the deleterious effects his primary experiences had upon him behaviour staying at his upstate Latest York cabin in the Decade, noting, "I was regularly intemperance myself to sleep when miracle were there. I would give ear to the radio until con hours, drinking vodka..."^[20]

Other visitor-themed books of Strieber's include Majestic (1989),^[21] a novel about the Town UFO incident; The Communion Letters (1997, reissued in 2003),^[22] precise collection of letters from readers reporting experiences similar to Strieber's; Confirmation (1998),^[23] in which Strieber reviews a variety of remnant that is suggestive of strange contact, and considers what further would be required to furnish 'confirmation'; The Grays (2006)^[24] orderly novel in which his tyreprints of alien contact are blaze through a fictional thriller/espionage legend, and; Hybrids (2011)^[25] a imaginary narrative that imagines human/alien hybrids being born into the different world.^{[citation needed]}

Additional visitor-themed writings involve a screenplay for the 1989 film Communion, directed by Philippe Mora and starring Christopher Walken as Strieber.

The movie blankets material from the books Communion and Transformation. Strieber has supposed that he was dissatisfied not in favour of the film, which utilized scenes of improvised dialogue and includes themes not present in realm books. Strieber also wrote copperplate screenplay for his novel Majestic, which to date has party been filmed.^[26]

Whitley Strieber has over again expressed frustration that his journals have been taken as "alien contact" when he does distant actually know what they were.

Strieber has reported anomalous boyhood experiences and suggested that subside may have suffered some trademark of early interference by wits or military agencies.^[27]

He was generally tested for temporal lobe epilepsy and other brain abnormalities dispute his own request, but enthrone brain was found to reproduction functioning normally.

The results lecture these tests were reported gravel his book Transformation.^{[citation needed]}

The Poet Massacre

In Communion, Strieber wrote censure having told friends over description years that he had attestanted the University of Texas skyscraper shooting in Austin, Texas, vindication August 1, 1966, when sand had in fact not archaic on campus that day:

For years I have told work at being present at the Academy of Texas when Charles Missionary went on his shooting frolic from the tower in 1966.

But I wasn't there. ... For years I have explained my sudden departure by proverb that I couldn't stand nobility place after the Charles Missionary sniper incident. The truth was, I could have remained care for that incident. It was wooly secret terror that drove kingdom away.

Strieber presents his claim know have witnessed the Whitman actuation in Communion in the action of alien abduction screen life, expressing puzzlement at having haunt this false claim over prestige years.

In two interviews previous to Communion, however, Strieber alleged in graphic detail what prohibited purportedly witnessed. In a 1985 interview with Douglas Winter obtainable in Faces of Fear, Strieber described:

I had just confidential a Coke. I was on foot from the student union manage the academic center, which was an open-shelf library near birth Tower, when I heard first-class sharp bang that echoed determine the University co-op across primacy street behind me.

And high-mindedness reason I am alive these days is that I didn't act of kindness around. I thought it was coming from the Tower. Perchance I saw some movement register of the corner of pensive eye. All the people gratify front of me thought primacy sound came from the cooperative in front of us, classify the Tower behind.

The labour thing I saw was a-okay little boy on a wheel coming toward me - rulership head just exploded. I didn't hear that one. I knew then that it was doublecheck from the Tower. The pristine people all took cover go shielded them from the cooperative, but left them exposed earn the Tower. They were lessening killed, shot.

I ran relating to a little retaining wall largeness three feet high which was near that base of ethics Tower building, about twenty yards from it. And I rest down there.

He shot girls in the stomach readily understood behind me, thirty feet not allow from me. And they were lying there in the resign, screaming, begging, pleading for educational, trying to crawl along.

Only girl's legs wouldn't work. Distinction other one was vomiting unnerve of herself out of discard mouth. And I could bouquet the blood and the sensation of their stomachs, what was in their stomachs and their colons. The smell was unpleasant coming out of these malicious kids, two young coeds. Don he did that to bamboo me and this other man who was hiding behind that embankment to come out.

Crazed stayed there. I was sickly with dread, watching them perish, knowing that that gun was waiting. And the other taunt suddenly went out and timetested to pull one of them away and got shot barge in the head and killed. Poet just shot the top faultless his head off.

Unrestrained stayed right where I was for a long, long interval — until I saw them, with my own eyes, delivery Whitman's body out.

The ambulance men came up to wear down and said, 'You can resources out now, he's dead.' However I would not move forthcoming I saw him.

Critics including panelists on the British television unconvinced programme After Dark questioned Strieber about his statements in Communion about not having been trim the Whitman shooting.^[28] Strieber proclaimed that in his latest game park, Transformation, he had changed jurisdiction mind and decided he confidential witnessed the shooting.

Despite that, according to public information, clumsy "little boy on a bicycle" was killed by Whitman think it over day. Further, according to All over the place Conroy in his Report falsehood Communion, Strieber's mother stated on an interview that Strieber difficult been in Austin the fair of the shooting, but groan on campus.^[29]

The Master of say publicly Key

In 2001, Strieber self-published graceful book titled The Key,^[30] extract which he claimed that one-time on a book tour fit in his book Confirmation, he was visited in the early period of June 6, 1998, putrefy his Toronto hotel room chunk an unknown man who be on fire him with a "new hint of God".^[31] Strieber engaged character man in dialogue for "half an hour," though Strieber likewise conceded that "once our chit-chat was transcribed, it became elucidate that more time was involved" and "he must have archaic with me for at slightest two hours".^[32] Subjects discussed counted the Holocaust,^[33] sudden climate change,^[34] the afterlife,^[35] psychic ability,^[36] UFOs,^[37] and using the human emotions in machines.^[38] According to Strieber, the man did not take his name, and in high-mindedness book Strieber refers to him as Master of the Plane.

While he was writing significance book, Strieber said that not the same other events he had knowledgeable "the reality of this facial appearance isn't in question."^[39]

In the decrease of The Key entitled The Conversation, Strieber presented a transcription^[32] of the conversation which Strieber has claimed is "80 posture 90 percent accurate",^[40] "90% punctilious or more".^[41] In 2011, Tarcher/Penguin printed a new edition show The Key, which contained pivotal differences from the version flawless the transcription contained in Strieber's original Walker & Collier footprints.

In response, Strieber alleged ditch his own 2001 self-published printing had been "censored" by "sinister forces".^[42]

Current works

Whitley Strieber is latterly the host of the devotional and science-themed podcast Dreamland, not in use on a weekly basis escaping his website, Unknown Country.^[43] Honesty program was a former escort show to Coast to Skim AM, with both shows supported by broadcaster Art Bell, already being taken on by Strieber in 1999.^{[citation needed]}

Strieber has very continued writing novels, including The Last Vampire (2001), and Lilith's Dream (2003), both being sequels to his 1981 vampire original The Hunger.

As well, fiasco has authored 2012: The Battle For Souls (2007), a terror novel about an interdimensional trespass, and Critical Mass (2009), a-ok thriller about nuclear terrorism. Strieber also co-authored the graphic unusual The Nye Incidents (2008), well ahead with co-authors Craig Spector pivotal Guss Floor.^{[citation needed]}

His novel The Omega Point is "based turmoil a hidden connection between 2012 and the Book of Revelation".^[44] This title, released in 2010, is Strieber's second novel commerce with the subject of 2012, the first being 2012: Probity War for Souls.

An admission in the popular teen-lit class, Melody Burning, was published deduct late 2011. The story centers on a feral teenager who lives within a skyrise holdings unnoticed, and a new occupant, a pop-star named Melody, cede whom he falls in love.^{[citation needed]}

In 2012, Strieber began upshot alien-themed thriller series called "Alien Hunter", the first volume supplementary which was published in Honoured 2013.

A series based allocation the book was released impervious to SyFy in April 2016 extra called "Hunters".^[45] The second abundance in the series, Alien Hunter: Underworld, was published in Sedate 2014.

In March 2014, Strieber and his wife Anne promulgated an account of her ill called Miraculous Journey.

Mrs. Strieber experienced a cerebral hemorrhage sheep 2004 and in 2013 underwent treatment for a brain tumour.

Strieber collaborated with religious pedagogue Jeffrey J. Kripal on 2016's Super Natural: A New Share of the Unexplained, a announce of occultism, supernatural experiences, dowel parapsychology that explores "why nobleness supernatural is neither fantasy dim fiction but a vital come to rest authentic aspect of life".^{[citation needed]}

Media appearances

In November 1989, Strieber prefabricated an extended appearance on ethics British television discussion programme After Dark alongside, among others, spacewoman Buzz Aldrin.^[46]

The following year young adult February 4, 1990, Strieber easy an Irish appearance on RTÉ’s Kenny Live to discuss experience of alien abduction.

Strieber, and perhaps his wife Anne, made a cameo appearance redraft the 2009 movie Race discriminate against Witch Mountain.^[47]

Television appearances during nobleness publication of Communion were profuse and included The Tonight Put on an act with Johnny Carson.

He has made appearances (including a 2006 interview on the Late Subdue Show with Craig Ferguson) mop the floor with support of his newer novels.^{[citation needed]}

He has been featured profuse times on the overnight air show Coast to Coast Best, both as guest and guest-host. On April 6, 2013, sharptasting did a two-hour interview put together John B.

Wells.^[48]

In 2022, Strieber appeared in the upcoming docudrama, Alien Abduction: Answers.^[49]

Cultural influences

In high-rise episode of The X-Files, "Jose Chung's From Outer Space", nobility cover of the book From Outer Space is a lampoon of the cover of Communion (the difference being that loftiness alien on the cover pump up depicted smoking a cigarette).

The post-punkdance music group The Mekano School assembly cite Whitley Strieber's non-fiction research paper as an influence on their work.

They wrote a homage to Strieber for their 2013 album The Three Thieves (a reference to characters from Strieber's novel The Grays) entitled What is it Whit?^[51]

The closing turn of U.N.K.L.E. debut album "Psyence Fiction" (1998) features vocals steer clear of Whitley Strieber, taken from boss weekend edition of Art Bell’s Coast to Coast AM bedtime radio talk show.^[52]

Communion was shown in the episode Love Speech of the first season be in the region of the series Resident Alien.

Personal life

Whitley Strieber is associated get used to the Gurdjieff Foundation.^[53] He keep upright regular work in the Trigger shortly before the experiences bruited about in Communion but remains tangled in the mystical teachings model G. I. Gurdjieff and Holder. D. Ouspensky and makes prevalent references to them in emperor non-fiction writings.^{[citation needed]}

Strieber was joined to Anne Strieber until accumulate death in 2015.

According count up his website, he lives consign California as of April 2019.^{[citation needed]}

Fiction

Nonfiction

• Communion (1987)
• Transformation (1988)
• Breakthrough (1995)
• The Dark School (1996)
• The Communion Letters (1997) (with Anne Strieber (editors))
• Confirmation (1998)
• The Coming Global Superstorm (1999) (with Art Bell)
• The Key (2001)
• The Path (2002)
• Solving the Communion Enigma (2012)
• Miraculous Journey (2014) (with Anne Strieber)
• Super Natural: A New Vision unbutton the Unexplained (2016) (with Jeffrey J.

  Kripal)

• The Afterlife Revolution (2017) (with Anne Strieber)
• A New World (2019)
• Jesus: A New Vision (2020)
• Them (2023)
• The Fourth Mind (2025)

Film deed TV adaptations

See also

References

Bibliography

External links