Tim Sullivan (writer)
An American storyteller who blended science fiction with Hollywood sensibilities, crafting novels and screenplays filled with dark humor and technological dread.
1948–2024 (age 76)·American novelist·Birthday: June 9·Baby Boomers
Biography
Tim Sullivan operated in the vibrant, pulpy intersection of paperback novels and B-movie cinema. Based in Los Angeles, his work embodied a specific West Coast genre energy, where futuristic concepts collided with the gritty realities of film production. As a novelist, he delivered propulsive sci-fi thrillers like "The Blood of Others," but his true niche was as a adaptable screenwriter and director within the independent and horror spheres. He understood the mechanics of visual storytelling, which lent his prose a cinematic immediacy. Sullivan’s career reflected a DIY ethos; he acted in, wrote, and directed his projects, contributing to the ecosystem of cult filmmaking that thrived on video store shelves and late-night cable. His stories often explored the dark side of technology and media, a theme no doubt informed by his firsthand experience in the industry's trenches.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Tim was born in 1948, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Tim Was Born
The biggest hits of 1948
#1 Movie
The Red Shoes
Best Picture
Hamlet
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Tim's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1948Born
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1953Started school
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1961Became a teenager
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1964Could drive
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1966Could vote
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1969Turned 21
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1978Turned 30
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 40
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 50
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 60
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 70
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2024Died at 76
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
Key Achievements
- Wrote the science fiction horror novel "The Blood of Others," which was praised for its tense atmosphere.
- Directed and wrote the 1998 horror film "Jack Frost," a cult classic about a murderous snowman.
- Had a recurring acting role as the Sleestak Leader in the 1990s TV series "Land of the Lost."
- Authored multiple novels that were optioned for film, bridging the gap between literary and cinematic sci-fi.
Did You Know?
He played the iconic Sleestak creatures in the 1990s revival of "Land of the Lost."
His film "Jack Frost" (1998) has gained a significant following as a so-bad-it's-good holiday horror movie.
He was a member of the Writers Guild of America and often worked on genre projects for television.
Sullivan was also a published short story writer, with works appearing in various science fiction anthologies.
“My books are like a movie treatment, a blueprint for the mind's eye.”
