Essay About Work Of Colin Wilson And Colin Stanley

Samantha Nevals
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I am extremely indebted to both Colin Stanleys The Work of Colin Wilson and Howard F. Dossors Colin Wilson: The Man
and His Mind.
This is a fairly comprehensive list of all of Colin Wilsons major works, although those seeking an impeccably complete
reference should consult with Colin Stanleys book, and its recent supplement. I have also appended a list of his shorter fiction.
Wilson has also penned literally hundreds of articles in newspapers and magazines, and he has provided introductions to dozens
of other authors books. If you are interested in these writings, I again strongly recommend Colin Stanleys exhaustive reference
book, which lists EVERYTHING.
Each section is arranged chronologically. I have included the title of the work, any alternate US titles, its date of first
publication, any notes of interest, translations, and a subject category. This latter bit is merely a stopgap, as many of Wilsons
works are difficult to classify. For example, I have labelled most of the “Outsider” books philosophy, but this is barely accurate;
rather, they are combinations of philosophy, literary criticism/theory, psychology, theology, and sociology. So the labels are
merely intended as a guide.
1. BOOKS
1. The Outsider. 1956. The first book in the “Outsider” cycle of books by Wilson, intended to outline his concept of the New
Existentialism (the idea which underlies all of his work), and probably still his most famous work. Probably also the best starting
place. It has also been translated into Spanish, French, German, Italian, Finnish, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Dutch, Norwegian,
Polish, Chinese and Swedish. Philosophy.
2. Religion and the Rebel. 1957. The second book in the “Outsider” cycle. Translated into Arabic and Japanese. Philosophy.
3. The Age of Defeat (US: The Stature of Man). 1959. The third book in the “Outsider” cycle. Translated into Japanese.
Philosophy.
4. Ritual in the Dark. 1960. Wilson first wrote this book in 1949 and then revised it prior to publication. Many still consider it
to be his best work of fiction. It is the first volume in the “Gerard Sorme” trilogy. Translated into French, Dutch, Spanish,
Danish, German, Italian, Japanese and Norwegian. Fiction.
5. Encyclopedia of Murder. With Patricia Pitman. 1961. The first in Wilsons trilogy on the subject of murder. Translated into
Italian, Japanese and Spanish. Criminology.
6. Adrift in Soho. 1961. Translated into Dutch, French and Spanish. Fiction.
7. The Strength to Dream: Literature and the Imagination. 1961. The fourth book in the “Outsider” cycle. Translated into
Spanish, Korean, and Japanese. Philosophy.
8. Origins of the Sexual Impulse. 1963. The fifth book in the “Outsider” cycle. Translated into Spanish and Italian.
Psychology.
9. The World of Violence (US: The Violent World of Hugh Greene). 1963. Translated into Spanish. Fiction.
10. Man Without a Shadow (US: The Sex Diary of Gerard Sorme). 1963. The second book in the “Gerard Sorme” trilogy.
Translated into French, Dutch, Korean, Italian and Japanese. Fiction.
11. Rasputin and the Fall of the Romanovs. 1964. Translated into Spanish and Japanese. Biography.