Michael McDowell

Michael McDowell (1950–1999) was an American writer and screenwriter born in Alabama. He published his first novel, *The Amulet*, in 1979 and went on to write more than 30 novels, including crime fiction, comedies, and horror. His best-known works include *Cold Moon Over Babylon* (1980), *The Elementals* (1981), and the *Blackwater* saga (1983), which was originally published in six separate volumes. From 1985 onward, McDowell also wrote for television, contributing episodes to *Tales from the Crypt* and *Alfred Hitchcock Presents*. He also worked on the screenplays for Tim Burton’s films *Beetlejuice* and *The Nightmare Before Christmas*. His unfinished novel *Candles Burning* was completed and published in 2006 by Tabitha King.