John Peyton Cooke (born March 7, 1967) is an American novelist. He is most notable as a short story writer known for thrillers, often with gay male protagonists and including themes of male homosexuality and psychological suspense.
Reviews
His novel Torsos, a fictionalized account of the Cleveland Torso Murderer, was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Best Gay MenâÂÂs Mystery for 1993, and was noted by Marilyn Stasio in The New York Times Book Review for its atmospheric depiction of Cleveland, Ohio, during the Great Depression. His short story "After YouâÂÂve Gone" was selected for The Best American Mystery Stories 2003, edited by Michael Connelly and Otto Penzler.
Cooke's 1991 gay vampire novel Out for Blood, originally published by Avon Books, was reprinted in 2019 by Valancourt Books (also issued in audiobook) and Cooke was interviewed about his novel by the audiobook's narrator Sean C. Duregger on his podcast Audiobooks from Hell.
Awards and honors
Publications
Books
- The Lake (1989), Avon Books, New York
- Out for Blood (1991), Avon Books, New York
- Torso (1993), Headline Books, London .
- Torsos (1994), The Mysterious Press/Warner Books, New York
- Torsos (1994), translated into Spanish by MarÃÂa del Mar Moya, Planeta, Barcelona
- The Chimney Sweeper (1994), Headline Books, London
- The Chimney Sweeper (1995), The Mysterious Press/Warner Books, New York
- Haven (1996), The Mysterious Press/Warner Books, New York
- The Rape of Ganymede (2008), ÃÂditions Cuir Noir, Toronto
- The Fall of Lucifer (2008), ÃÂditions Cuir Noir, Toronto
- After YouâÂÂve Gone and Other Outré Tales (2011), ÃÂditions Cuir Noir, London
- Out for Blood (2019), Valancourt Books, Richmond, Virginia
Short fiction
- âÂÂThe CatâÂÂs MeowâÂÂ, in Eldritch Tales, No. 12, 1986.
- âÂÂSweet Chariotâ (with Catherine Cooke), Space and Time, No. 72, Summer 1987.
- âÂÂA DollâÂÂs TaleâÂÂ, in Weird Tales, No. 295, Winter 1989/90.
- âÂÂThe Strawberry ManâÂÂ, in Embracing the Dark, edited by Eric Garber, Alyson Books, Boston, 1991.
- âÂÂThe Naked ToothâÂÂ, in Christopher Street, No. 185, August 17, 1992.
- âÂÂSpoiled RottenâÂÂ, in Eldritch Tales, No. 28, 1993.
- âÂÂTelling TalesâÂÂ, in The Mystery Zone, 1995.
- âÂÂThe PenitentâÂÂ, in Dark Love, edited by Nancy A. Collins, Edward E. Kramer, and Martin H. Greenberg, Roc Books, 1995.
- âÂÂAfter YouâÂÂve GoneâÂÂ, in Stranger: Dark Tales of Eerie Encounters, edited by Michelle Slung, Harper Perennial, New York, 2002. Reprinted in The Best American Mystery Stories 2003, edited by Otto Penzler and Michael Connelly, Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 2003.
- âÂÂSerostatusâÂÂ, in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, No. 624, January 2004.
- âÂÂLetâÂÂs Make a FaceâÂÂ, in The Valancourt Book of Horror Stories, Vol. 4, edited by James D. Jenkins & Ryan Cagle, Valancourt Books, 2020.
- âÂÂThe Man Who Hated FoleyâÂÂ, in The Pulp Horror Book of Phobias, Vol. II, edited by M. J. Sydney, Lycan Valley Press, 2020.
- âÂÂThe Open HouseâÂÂ, in Night Terrors, Vol. 21, Scare Street, 2022.
- âÂÂElectric PinkâÂÂ, in Pink Triangle Rhapsody, Lycan Valley Press, 2022.
Other
- Cooke, John Peyton (1989). The Lake. Avon Books, New York
- Cooke, John Peyton (1991). Out for Blood. Avon Books, New York .
- Cooke, John Peyton (2013). Out for Blood. Reprinted by ÃÂditions Cuir Noir, London. .
- Cooke, John Peyton (2019). Out for Blood. Reprinted by Valancourt Books, Richmond, Virginia
- Cooke, John Peyton (1993). Torso. Headline, London. .
- Cooke, John Peyton (1994). Torsos. The Mysterious Press/Warner Books, New York. .
- Cooke, John Peyton (1994). Torsos. Translated into Spanish by MarÃÂa del Mar Moya. Planeta, Barcelona. .
- Cooke, John Peyton (1994). The Chimney Sweeper. Headline, London. .
- Cooke, John Peyton (1995). The Chimney Sweeper. The Mysterious Press/Warner Books, New York. .
- Cooke, John Peyton (1996). Haven. The Mysterious Press/Warner Books, New York. .
- Cooke, John Peyton (2008). The Rape of Ganymede. ÃÂditions Cuir Noir, Toronto. .
- Cooke, John Peyton (2008). The Fall of Lucifer. ÃÂditions Cuir Noir, Toronto
- Cooke, John Peyton (2011). After YouâÂÂve Gone and Other Outré Tales. ÃÂditions Cuir Noir, London
Personal life
He was born in Amarillo, Texas, and grew up in Laramie, Wyoming. He has also lived in New York City, Toronto, London, and currently lives in Los Angeles.
References