Jack Finney was an American author, best known for his works in the science fiction and thriller genres. He was born on October 2, 1911, in Milwaukee and his original name was Walter Braden Finney. Finney attended Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, before moving to New York where he worked in the advertising industry. He began his writing career by publishing stories in popular magazines such as Collier's, The Saturday Evening Post, and McCall's.
Finney's first novel, Five Against the House, was published in 1954, followed by his breakthrough work, The Body Snatchers, in 1955. The Body Snatchers, which was later reissued as Invasion of the Body Snatchers, is a chilling tale of aliens who take over humans, and it was adapted into a film in 1956, with two remakes following. Many critics interpreted the novel as a cold-war allegory, but Finney maintained that it was nothing more than popular entertainment.
Finney's writing was not limited to the thriller genre. He also wrote comedy and explored the possibilities of time travel. His short-story collection, The Third Level, included stories about time travel, and he returned to the theme in his later novels, such as The Woodrow Wilson Dime and From Time to Time. Finney's novel, Time and Again, won him critical praise and attention for its blend of science fiction, nostalgia, mystery, and social commentary. The novel, about an advertising artist who travels back in time to 1882, quickly became a cult favorite, particularly among New Yorkers for its rich descriptions of life in the city during that era.
Finney's other notable works include Good Neighbor Sam, The House of Numbers, Marion's Wall, and The Night People. He also wrote non-fiction, such as Forgotten News: The Crime of the Century and Other Lost Stories, which chronicled sensational events of the 19th century. Finney died on November 14, 1995, leaving behind a legacy of imaginative and thought-provoking stories.