Andrew Fox reading at the KGB Bar, 10/09; photo by Ellen Datlow
I’m a writer, a husband, a father, a public administrator, and a science fiction/horror geek since toddlerhood. Born in Miami Beach in 1964, my earliest exposure to the fantastic was watching the epic Japanese horror flick Destroy All Monsters at a drive-in movie theater at the age of three in the back of my parents’ convertible. In 1994, after writing an imposingly long (and failed) mainstream novel, I decided to return to my earliest love, and I joined award-winning science fiction author George Alec Effinger’s monthly writing workshop group in New Orleans. In 2003, I married Dara, and we now have three wonderful sons — Levi, Asher, and Judah. In 2009, we relocated to Northern Virginia so that I could take a job with a federal crime prevention agency. Prior to this, I’d worked many years for the Louisiana Office of Public Health and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. I’ve also bagged groceries, sold Saturn cars, taught musical theater to summer campers, been a traveling mime, worked as an adjunct to a rabbi at a Hillel Center, done mindless data entry, sung in a choir, organized a public advocacy campaign against holiday gunfire, and collected more than 250 vintage laptop and palmtop computers.
My first novel, Fat White Vampire Blues, published by Del Rey/Ballantine Books in 2003, was widely described as “Anne Rice meets A Confederacy of Dunces.” It won the Ruthven Award for Best Vampire Fiction of 2003. Its sequel, Bride of the Fat White Vampire, was published in 2004. My most recent book to hit print, The Good Humor Man, or, Calorie 3501, was published by Tachyon Publications in April, 2009. It was selected by Booklist as one of the Ten Best SF/Fantasy Novels of the Year and is being republished by Ridan Books as an e-book.
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For those of you who wish to delve deeper into moi, here are a few links to check out:
Andrew Fox: the Self-Conducted Interview
December, 2010 interview in The Green Man Review
A 2005, post-Hurricane Katrina interview with me, Poppy Z. Brite, and Albert Cowdrey, three New Orleans-based writers
The folks at Del Rey Books interviewed me in 2004 when Bride of the Fat White Vampire came out
For those of you who’d like to do some “deep diving,” here’s the in-depth story of twenty years of my writing life, intertwined with my fascination, then obsession with vintage laptop computers. Death! Divorce! Oddball romances! Blowing scads of money on eBay! A novella-length thriller in six parts!
Want to know why I’ve reestablished a website after a long hiatus, coming out of the shadows of online silence?
Want to know what I’m working on now?
Andrew! It’s been a long time since we last met, in Long Island and Manhattan. When we went to Maury’s apartment, I read Cyrano. It’s been even longer since “The Crucible (an improv in 3 acts)”. (Your words, not mine.)
One day, I was in New Orleans. It was the mid 1990′s. I was across the street from Jackson Square, just down the street from Cafe du Monde. There was a street mime performing. I stared at him for the longest time, as I thought it was you. I dared not mention your name, but was hoping it was you and you would break your silence. Alas, the mime never broke silence, nor did he act like he recognized me. Was it you? It would not surprise me in the least.
I wish I was a better person to you. You did so much for me. Of course that last night visiting the school, and our present for Mr. Duncan was one of the absolute highlights of my life. The few times I recount that story, I am always careful to change names to protect the guilty.
I look back at high school, and most of the laugh’s were because of you. So many quotes from Monty Python, the Brain Olympics, drama performances, the Crucible after party at Mario’s the Baker, the aforementioned Mr. Duncan’s office coupled with the whole parking lot fiasco, you writing in my yearbook “Feeling up the tree”, and most of all you being an eccentric and outstanding person.
I haven’t looked in a few months, but you have an entry on wikipedia. But whoever wrote the article seems to think you were born in the 1950′s. I asked Maury to correct it, but he didn’t have enough information. Perhaps you can go, look yourself up, and correct (and even add to) the article about you. You must be important! But if only 80% of wikipedia is accurate, this is a good example. Make it 80.0005% accurate!
Take care, my friend,
Nathan
Hi, Nathan. It’s been a long time. Sorry I had to edit down your comment some. I hope you’ll forgive me (I read the whole thing, of course).
This is great!…
Greetings to a fellow Pioneer Player! Go Green and Gray!
If you happen to own an Apple Newton, you really are the MAN!
hey Andrew my friend,
long time no speak and hope all is well!! I am sorry I didn’t “Friend” you when you requested it on fb…didn’t realize that was you lol. I was just getting rid of too many requests…. let’s stay in touch
Pei
Good to hear from you, too, Pei. Shoot me an email to let me know what you’ve been up to the last couple of years.
totally. send me an email if you can Andrew
I don’t think I have your newest one.