Gary Phil Brandner was an American horror author, best known for his werewolf-themed "Howling" trilogy. Born on May 31, 1930, in the Midwest, Brandner had a peripatetic childhood that exposed him to various experiences, which would later reflect in his writing. He attended the University of Washington, where he was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity, and graduated in 1955. Before turning to fiction writing, Brandner worked in various professions, including an amateur boxer, bartender, surveyor, loan company investigator, advertising copywriter, and technical writer.
The "Howling" trilogy, for which Brandner is most famous, consists of three novels: The Howling (1977), The Howling II (1979), and The Howling III: Echoes (1985). The first book in the series was loosely adapted as a motion picture in 1981, while the fourth film in the series, Howling IV: The Original Nightmare, is the closest adaptation of Brandner's original novel. The second and third books in the series have no connection to the film series, though Brandner was involved in writing the screenplay for the second Howling film, Howling II: Your Sister Is a Werewolf. Brandner's novel Walkers was also adapted and filmed for television as From The Dead Of Night, and he wrote the screenplay for the 1988 horror film Cameron's Closet.
Brandner published more than 30 novels, over 100 short stories, and wrote a handful of screenplays throughout his career. He was a prolific writer who lived with his wife, Martine Wood Brandner, and several cats in Reno, Nevada. Brandner was diagnosed with esophageal cancer and passed away on September 22, 2013. His work continues to inspire and entertain horror fans worldwide, and his legacy as a master of the genre lives on.