Karl Alexander

Karl Alexander (1938-2015) was an American science fiction novelist born and raised in Los Angeles, the son of screenwriter William Tunberg and nephew of Ben-Hur screenwriter Karl Tunberg. His debut novel, Time After Time (1979), imagined H. G. Wells pursuing Jack the Ripper through time into 1979 San Francisco; it was adapted into a well-received 1979 film, a 2010 stage musical, and a 2016 television series. Alexander returned to the premise decades later with the sequel Jaclyn the Ripper, in which Wells's granddaughter takes up the chase, and with Time-Crossed Lovers. He also wrote The Curse of the Vampire and worked on films during his career, remaining best known for creating one of science fiction's enduring time-travel premises.