Marcus Sakey

{{short description|American novelist}} {{infobox writer  | name = Marcus Sakey | image = Marcus Sakey (author).jpg | alt = | caption = | pseudonym = | birth_name = | birth_date =  | birth_place = Flint, Michigan, U.S. | occupation = Novelist | language = | nationality = American | ethnicity = | citizenship = | education = | alma_mater = University of Michigan<br>Columbia College Chicago | period = | genre = Crime fiction | subject = | movement = | notableworks = {{plainlist| * ''The Blade Itself'' * ''Good People'' * ''At the City’s Edge'' * ''The Amateurs'' * ''The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes'' * ''Brilliance'' trilogy }} | spouse(s) = | partner(s) = | children = | relative(s) = | awards = | signature = | signature_alt = | website = {{URL|http://www.marcussakey.com/}} | portaldisp = }}

'''Marcus Sakey''' is an American author and host of the Travel Channel show ''Hidden City''.

==Personal life== Sakey was born in Flint, Michigan, and after marriage he settled in Chicago.<ref name="macmillan" /> Before becoming a writer, Sakey ran a graphic design company, Hingepoint Productions, in Atlanta.<ref name="chicagomag" />

Mr. Sakey attended the University of Michigan from 1992 to 1996 with a double major in communication and political science. He also attended Columbia College Chicago for approximately one year in an MFA program with a focus in creative writing.

==Career== Sakey writes crime novels set in the blue collar world of the south side of Chicago. To conduct research for his plots, he has shadowed homicide detectives, gang cops, and interviewed soldiers. His debut novel, ''The Blade Itself'', was featured as a ''New York Times'' Editor's Pick and named one of ''Esquire'' Magazine's 5 Best Reads of 2007.<ref name="blade" />

Ben Affleck bought the film rights to ''The Blade Itself'' in 2008 for his production company.<ref name="journal" /> The film rights to his second and third novels, ''Good People'' and ''At the City’s Edge'', have also been bought.<ref name="journal" />

In March 2013, Sakey sold the screen rights to his then-forthcoming science fiction thriller ''Brilliance'' to Legendary Pictures for $1.25 million.<ref name="deadline2013" /><ref name="deadline2017" /> The novel was published in July 2013, and as of March 2017 had sold over 1 million copies.<ref name="deadline2017" /> A potential film adaptation had Will Smith attached to star, David Koepp to write, and Joe Roth to produce, but never made it out of development.<ref name="deadline2017" /> The rights reverted to Sakey, who wrote the sequels ''A Better World'' (2014) and ''Written in Fire'' (2016).<ref name="deadline2017" /> Sakey has licensed the ''Brilliance'' franchise to Kindle Worlds, a commercial venue for fan fiction, as ''The Abnorm Chronicles''. Works written by other authors but set in the ''Brilliance'' continuity include ''Twist'' by Kevin J. Anderson.

In March 2017, Sakey sold the screen rights to another forthcoming sci-fi novel, ''Afterlife'', to Imagine Entertainment.<ref name="deadline2017" /> The novel was published in July 2017.<ref name="deadline2017" /> Sakey has been contracted to write the screenplay for the film adaptation, which will be produced by Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Erica Huggins, and Shane Salerno.<ref name="deadline2017" />

==Bibliography== * ''The Blade Itself'' (2007) * ''Good People'' (2009) * ''At the City's Edge'' (2009) * ''The Amateurs'' (2009) * ''The Desert here and the Desert Far Away'' (2010) * ''No One'' (2010) * ''Gravity and Need'' (2010) * ''The Days Where You Were Anything Else'' (2010) * ''As Breathing'' (2010) * ''No Turning Back'' (2011) * ''Scar Tissue: Seven Stories of Love and Wounds'' (2012) * ''The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes'' (2012) * ''Brilliance'' trilogy: ** ''Brilliance'' (2013) ** ''A Better World'' (2014) ** ''Written in Fire'' (2016) * ''Afterlife'' (2017)

==External links== * [http://www.livescience.com/46883-how-autism-inspired-brilliance-saga.html Autism, Bourbon and Lies: Inspiring ''The Brilliance Saga'']

==References== <references>

<ref name="blade">{{cite web|url=http://www.marcussakey.com/bk_tbi.php |title=Marcus Sakey, award-winning author of The Blade Itself, At The City's Edge, and Good People |publisher=Marcussakey.com |date= |accessdate=2012-07-05}}</ref> <ref name="chicagomag">{{cite web|last=Johnson |first=Geoffrey |url=http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/August-2009/You-Should-Know-Marcus-Sakey/ |title=You Should Know … Marcus Sakey - Chicago magazine - August 2009 - Chicago |publisher=Chicagomag.com |date=2009-07-21 |accessdate=2012-07-05}}</ref> <ref name="deadline2013">{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2013/03/legendary-pictures-zeroing-in-on-brilliance-deal-452181/|title=Legendary Pictures Seals Acquisition Of Sci-Fi Novel ''Brilliance''; ''Oz''{{'s}} Joe Roth And Palak Patel To Produce|first=Mike|last=Fleming Jr|date=March 13, 2013|website=Deadline Hollywood|accessdate=August 22, 2017}}</ref> <ref name="deadline2017">{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2017/03/afterlife-marcus-sakey-imagine-entertainment-movie-deal-1202045216/|title=Imagine Lands Marcus Sakey Novel ''Afterlife''|first=Mike Jr. |last=Fleming|date=March 16, 2017|website=Deadline Hollywood|accessdate=August 22, 2017}}</ref> <ref name="journal">{{cite web|author=|url=http://www.journalstandard.com/news/x289803576/THE-READERS-WRITERS-Interview-with-Marcus-Sakey |title=THE READERS' WRITERS: Interview with Marcus Sakey - Freeport, IL |publisher=The Journal-Standard |date=2010-05-06 |accessdate=2012-07-05}}</ref> <ref name="macmillan">{{cite web|url=http://us.macmillan.com/search/4553281/Marcus+Sakey |title=Macmillan: All books by Marcus Sakey |publisher=Us.macmillan.com |date=2009-12-04 |accessdate=2012-07-05}}</ref>

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sakey, Marcus}} Category:21st-century American novelists Category:American crime fiction writers Category:American male novelists Category:Living people Category:Writers from Flint, Michigan Category:Novelists from Chicago Category:Novelists from Michigan Category:University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts alumni Category:21st-century American male writers Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Columbia College Chicago alumni