Jack Finney
Jack Finney is a legendary American author who has captured readers imaginations for decades. He wrote some of the most influential sci-fi and science fiction stories of the twentieth century, with memorable classics such as The Body Snatchers and The Night People from Time and Again. Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1911, Finney was raised throughout the midwest and California, with his family eventually settling in Santa Barbara, California, in 1925. He studied journalism at the University of California and later worked as an editor for a variety of newspapers and magazines, including Colliers and Good Housekeeping.
Finney’s first novel, written while living in California, was Five Against the House--a crime thriller set in Reno. Finney was never happy with this initial take on the genre, however, finding the tropes of criminal grift to be uninspiring. He instead looked to the realm of science fiction and the borderline surreal, with his bestselling works such as Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Time and Again reflecting his newfound fascination and exploration of the weird.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) posed questions about the nature of humanity and identity, depicting a small California town that suddenly finds its residents replaced by emotionless, plant-like aliens. Finney wrote the novel with 'alien invader' metaphors intended to allude to the ways in which the impact of McCarthyism threatened individual freedom and autonomy. The novel has seen numerous film, television and radio adaptations over the years, and is still popular today.
The Night People (1963) saw Finney playfully exploring ideas about time travel, combining elements of fantasy, horror, science fiction and romance. This novel also featured a strong sense of nostalgia, with Finney's main protagonist longing for a different era, a time when life seemed simpler. This book also spawned numerous film adaptations and is a favorite amongst Finney's many devoted fans.
Time and Again (1970) is a science fiction novel that employs similar time-travel themes as those featured in The Night People. Finney's exceptional sense of creativity was in full effect in this novel, which features New York City in the late nineteenth century and a main character who must travel back in time in order to save his future. This book was warmly received as a classic among science fiction circles and helped to cement Finney's reputation as an influential and innovative author.
Jack Finney's influence on science fiction and fantasy literature is both deep and wide, with his influential works continuing to be read and adapted to new generations of readers. Finney's remarkable imagination, sharp eye for detail and playful exploration of the fantastic has earned him a place amongst the greatest science fiction authors of all time.
