Great books by comic book writers?

[Tigereyes]

I know alot of the current comic book writers started out writing novels (ie Marjorie Liu and Greg Rucka) but can someone recommend some books by comic writers who have also written books.

I know the obvious one is Neil Gaiman, everything I have read and loved, but anyone else??

[Roquefort Raider]

Gardner Fox wrote quite a few. Mickey Spillane wrote comics, so I guess he'd count too.

From Fox, I particularly liked the unapologetically pulpy Kothar series.

[T Hedge Coke]

Who started in comics and then moved to novels?

Warren Ellis and Alan Moore both have pretty good novels out.

In general, Rachel Pollack's always worth reading (along with those already mentioned). Dennis O'Neill. Devin Grayson's done a bang up novel set in the DCU. I have a lot of time for Jodi Picoult, Michael Moorcock, Leigh Brackett and her husband's works, but I know others feel differently. Denise Mina's alright. Chris Claremont and Grant Morrison have readable prose, which is better than saying "readable prose" makes it seem. I have slightly more time for Peter David's prose than his comics writing, but for those who love him woohooo! do they love him. Elliot S! Maggin's as good with prose as he is doing comics. James Thurber.

On the "books mostly, comics on the way way side" end of the pool, there's James Joyce, Norman Mailer, Sylvia Plath, Allen Ginsberg, and probably shedloads others.

[Inkthinker]

Peter David's been all over the place... TV, film, comics, and novels.

[MRP]

Steve Englehart has written a trio of books, the first was Point Man, the second Long Man and I cannot recall the third off the top of my head, but they all feature the same character. The first was written in the 70's the sequels in the past decade.

Jim Starlin has written two novels, the first Among Madman was released in paperback. A second, Pawns, was serialized in the Dreadstar comics but I am not sure if it was ever released as a novel afterwards.

A number of comic writers contributed novels, novellas, and short stories to the Weird Heroes anthologies published by Byron Preiss in the 70's in an attempt to create a new generation of American pulp heroes. Archie Goodwin was among the contributors and as a plus they include covers and spot illustrations by some comic greats such as Steranko.

Christopher Golden and Tom Sniegowski have written a number of novels as well as comics. Some in conjunction with the Hellboy universe and Mike Mignola, but several on their own in the horror and urban fantasy genres. I quite enjoyed Golden's Myth Hunters series and the first of the Lost Cities series (haven't gotten to the others yet). Sniegowski's Remy Chandler books are quite good as well, telling the story of an angel who has come to earth to become a PI.

Mike Carey has a series of novels in the urban fantasy genre featuring a character named Felix Castor that are very good. Castor is an exorcist in a world where the dead are returning and facing the consequences of his greatest mistake.

Denny O'Neil and Roger Stern have written novelizations of comic story lines as well.

David Michelinie and Marv Wolfman contributed to the Marvel Super-Heroes novel series of the 70's, which are a mixed bag of quality, but fairly good Bronze age super-hero fare.

I am sure there are more that I am forgetting.

-M

Edited to add China Mielville who writes Dial H for DC, he is an prolific and critically acclaimed novelist in the sci-fi field as well.

Also Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning who have written a number of novels for the Warhammer 40K novel tie in line.

[Slam_Bradley]

Gardner Fox wrote quite a few. Mickey Spillane wrote comics, so I guess he'd count too.

Spillane is probably the gold standard. Over 100 million in sales. One of the best-selling authors of all time. And he started out in comics.

[Roquefort Raider]

Spillane is probably the gold standard. Over 100 million in sales. One of the best-selling authors of all time. And he started out in comics.

Yup, and if Spillane ever said "Oh, yes, I did write comics but I'm not a comic-book writer per se" I'd take him more seriously than Dan Simmons who keeps claiming that he's not really a science-fiction writer.

[Slam_Bradley]

Yup, and if Spillane ever said "Oh, yes, I did write comics but I'm not a comic-book writer per se" I'd take him more seriously than Dan Simmons who keeps claiming that he's not really a science-fiction writer.

He was pretty forthright about his time in comics and the fact that Mike Hammer was originally developed as a comic book. He was pretty much pure commercialism. He wrote I, the Jury in about three weeks because he needed money to buy a house.

[dupersuper]

Most of mine were already given: I'll add - off the top of my head - Roger Stern, and I like Michael Jan Friedmans Star Trek novels.

[Tobias March]

The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester, who did Green Lantern I believe.

Patricia Highsmith was also in comics before the Ripley novels.

[Ish Kabbible]

Edmond Hamilton was a highly respected SF writer who also wrote Superman stories in the 1950s and 60s

[Chiasm]

Yup, and if Spillane ever said "Oh, yes, I did write comics but I'm not a comic-book writer per se" I'd take him more seriously than Dan Simmons who keeps claiming that he's not really a science-fiction writer.

Actually Dan Simmons has written far more non science fiction books than sci fi. Probably about a 3 to 1 ratio at least so truth is that he isn't a sci fi author, he is just a fiction author who occasionally dabbles in sci fi.

[Shellhead]

John Byrne wrote an okay horror novel called Fear Book. You can buy a used one for a penny on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/John-L-Byrnes-.../dp/0446348147

Don McGregor wrote a couple of books back in the '70s. A short story collection called Dragonflame and Other Bedtime Nightmares, and a science-fiction book titled Variable Syndrome. I still own both but haven't read either one in a long time. His dialogue and character development were good, but the stories were unmemorable. His stuff is available through Amazon as well, but the prices are more normal for used books.

Of all the books written by guys who mostly did comics, my favorite was The Point Man, by Steve Englehart. I've read the two sequels and they were decent but nowhere near as amazing as the original.

[JeffreyWKramer]

Mike Carey has a series of novels in the urban fantasy genre featuring a character named Felix Castor that are very good. Castor is an exorcist in a world where the dead are returning and facing the consequences of his greatest mistake.

I can put in a strong recommendation for Carey's Castor novels. Supernatural mystery/suspense stuff, with neat characters and a good bit of humor. Great stuff, really. I can't imagine anyone liking Jim Butcher's Dresden books not also enjoying Carey's books.

[jesse_custer]

That Mike Carey stuff does sound good.