John Michael "Jack" Sharkey was an American author and playwright who built a diverse career across speculative fiction and theatrical comedy. Born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1931, Sharkey first entered the publishing world in the late 1950s. He made his literary debut with the science fiction short story "The Captain of His Soul," which appeared in the magazine Fantastic in 1959. Over the next several decades, he became a frequent contributor to the science fiction genre, publishing around fifty short stories in notable publications such as Galaxy Science Fiction.
During the 1960s, Sharkey balanced his creative writing with professional editorial roles. He wrote articles for Playboy and served as the editor for Allstate Insurance's company magazine. However, he is perhaps best remembered for his prolific contributions to the theater. Sharkey authored more than eighty plays throughout his lifetime. To accommodate this massive output, he adopted several pen names, publishing works under the pseudonyms Rick Abbot, Mark Chandler, Monk Ferris, and Mike Johnson. He continued writing until his death in 1992.
