James Sallis

Once described as “the best crime writer you’ve never heard of,” James Sallis is a largely underexplored figure in contemporary American literature. Best known for his thriller novel Drive—later adapted into the acclaimed 2011 movie of the same name starring Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan—Sallis has written across a range of genres and forms, including short fiction, poetry, musicology, science fiction, biography, nonfiction essays, literary reviews, and criticism.
This companion, the first comprehensive examination of Sallis’ writings, locates him as a vital voice within mystery fiction. In addition to an alphabetized analysis of his works, it includes a biography, career chronology, and an interview with the author. Readers will gain a deeper understanding of Sallis’ extraordinary life and career, as well as insight into the recurrent themes and motifs of his rich and varied writings. This book is both an introduction to Sallis’ work for new readers and a thorough reference guide for established fans and scholars.

Nathan Ashman is a lecturer in crime writing at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England. His research spans the fields of crime fiction, contemporary American fiction and ecocriticism, with a particular specialism in the works of James Ellroy.

Nathan Ashman. Series Editor Elizabeth Foxwell
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 311
Bibliographic Info: 4 photos, appendix, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2024
pISBN: 978-1-4766-8548-9
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5161-3
Imprint: McFarland
Series: McFarland Companions to Mystery Fiction

Acknowledgments  vii
Preface  1
Organization of the Companion  5
Sallis’ Works in Chronological Order  7
Sallis’ Works in Alphabetical Order  11
A Brief Biography  15
A Career Chronology  18
The Companion  21
Appendix: An Interview with James Sallis  279
Annotated Bibliography  287
Index  299