William Novak

William Novak is an iconic American author and screenwriter who has made a name for himself over a career spanning five decades. Born in 1946, in Chicago, he is the author of more than 20 books and has written for numerous television shows, television movies, and films.

Novak attended University of Wisconsin-Madison, graduating in 1966. After college, he became a journalist, writing for numerous magazines across the country including Playboy, Esquire, and Los Angeles Times. He also wrote short stories, which were published in various literary journals. In 1975, Novak published his first book, The Republic of Dreams. The book was widely acclaimed and is generally considered Novak’s masterpiece. Written in a unique, semi-autobiographical style, the work narrates the poignant coming of age story of a young Czech-American boy who struggles to find his place in the United States after his family immigrates.

In 1980, Novak moved to Hollywood, where he continued to write books and began to write for television. After writing the teleplay for an adaptation of The Republic of Dreams in 1982, Novak wrote for a number of notable shows and films such as Miami Vice, Knots Landing, and Minority Report. He was nominated for multiple Emmy awards for his writing on Miami Vice, and won an Emmy for Outstanding Drama / Comedy Special for the 1984 teleplay, "The Thanksgiving Story".

In the late 1980s, Novak began to focus once again on writing novels and his fiction output has since covered a range of genres, from historical fiction to science fiction to satire. His novel The Razor’s Edge, a re-imagining of the classic Oscar Wilde tale, was a New York Times bestseller and was nominated for the National Book Award. His other notable works include High Strangeness, which follows a cynical lawyer as he becomes enmeshed in the enigmatic world of modern mysticism; Son of a Pink Giant, a semi-autobiographical look into Novak’s experience of growing up in the 1960s Chicago; and A Plague of Angels, a science fiction/fantasy tale about a vigilante whose mission is to restore peace to an oppressed planet.

Novak’s writings has been praised for being witty and clever, but also for its heartfelt honesty and insight into the human experience. His ability to write across various genres and eras is a testament to his versatility as an author and propelled him to be the celebrated writer he is today.

William Novak has left an indelible mark on American literature and his influence can be seen in the work of a new generation of authors. His legacy as a gifted storyteller and insightful observer of human nature will continue to entertain and inspire readers for years to come.