Alexander Hill Key (September 21, 1904 – July 25, 1979) was an American science fiction/fantasy writer. His books, published mainly in the 1960s and 1970s, often featured orphaned or ostracized children who discover an innate psychic power. As his books were sold almost exclusively to libraries, and rarely earned a second printing, they have become rare to the point of obscurity. Despite the dearth of available copies, several of his novels have been adapted to various media. His novel
Escape to Witch Mountain has been turned into a Disney movie several times.
The Incredible Tide became
Future Boy Conan, one of
Hayao Miyazaki's earlier works. Perhaps Key's most famous book is
The Forgotten Door, which was adapted as
canon for several elementary school districts.
Key lived in the mountainous region of the Carolinas, which often featured in his work. After his death, the copyrights to his books became a somewhat muddled affair, and anyone with knowledge of who, exactly, owns the rights is welcome to edit this entry. As of now, some of his less-available work has been posted online in full, in an effort to keep the work of this barely famous but beloved author available to fans new and nostalgic alike.
Works by Alexander Key with their own pages:
