Noted film critic and historian Bill Warren was one of the leading authorities on horror, fantasy, and science fiction cinema. Born William Bond Warren on April 26, 1943 in North Bend, Oregon, Warren grew up in Gardiner, Oregon, where he developed an interest in science fiction films after seeing the iconic 1951 film "The Day the Earth Stood Still".
Avidly reading and contributing by mail to the legendary genre publication "Famous Monsters of Filmland", Warren's passion for the genre only grew stronger with time. In 1966, Warren and his wife Beverly made the move to Los Angeles, California, where he worked as an assistant to the renowned Forrest J. Ackerman before becoming an active member of the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society.
Warren's literary talents soon came to the forefront, as his 1968 short story "Death Is a Lonely Place" was published in the inaugural issue of the magazine "Worlds of Fantasy". His writing skills continued to flourish, as he went on to author several notable books, including "Keep Watching the Skies! American Science Fiction Movies of the Fifties Volumes I & II", "Set Visits: Interviews with 32 Horror and Science Fiction Filmmakers", and "The Evil Dead Companion".
In addition to his written work, Warren was also a prolific film critic, having written for a newspaper in Simi Valley, California in the 1980s. He also contributed stories to the horror comic books "Creepy", "Eerie", and "Vampirella", and conducted interviews for top genre publications such as "Starlog" and "Fangoria". Furthermore, Warren was a regular contributor to Leonard Maltin's annual Movie Guide.
Tragically, Bill Warren passed away at the age of 73 on October 7, 2016, after a long illness. Despite his passing, his legacy as a leading authority on horror, fantasy, and science fiction cinema continues to be celebrated by fans and scholars alike.
