Al Sarrantonio RIP

[brlesh]

Just saw that Al Sarrantonio recently passed away.

Seemed like around 2000 he was a staple author from Cemetery Dance, releasing several collections and his Halloween themed Orangefield Cycle books.

Sadly, he hasn’t published much in recent years.

I know he tried to start his own small press publishing company with the Portents anthology, a throwback to the Shadows and Whispers anthologies of the ‘80’s, but it didn’t sell well and plans for future anthologies were scrapped.

His story Hornets, loosely connected to his Orangefield Cycle, remains my all-time favorite Halloween story.

Hornets was a throwback story to the quieter horror being told in the early 80’s, but the ending still packs a punch. Great story!

RIP Al.

B

[dannyboy121070]

So sad to hear this...He was, when I first got into the small press, THE go-to guy for Halloween stories. I bought it all, and I binged most of it a few Halloweens back, and found it all very enjoyable. A perfect way to read through the fall season. RIP, and thanks for some fun seasonal reading, sir.

[RonClinton]

I read that a couple days ago…I’m really sorry to hear it. I always enjoyed his work and also had the pleasure of communicating with him a time or two…he was a great, generous guy and, of course, a heckuva storyteller.

[Ben Staad]

May he rest in peace.

[goathunter]

Sad news, indeed. Al was great! I met him at the 1989 World Fantasy Convention in Seattle. I was unfamiliar with his work, and he told me about Moonbane, which sounded great. He then excused himself for a bit and returned with a copy of the then-new paperback and gave it to me. I loved that book, as well as several others of his that I read (Skeletons, I particularly enjoyed).

At the 1990 World Fantasy Convention, I arranged for Robert McCammon to interview Al for Lights Out! The Robert McCammon Newsletter that I published. You can read and/or listen to the interview here, if you're interested.

https://www.robertmccammon.com/from-...o-at-wfc-1990/