BIOGRAPHY


Richard Orson Benton was born in 1938 and raised in Hartford, Connecticut. Fascinated by Orson Welles presence on the American radio stage at the time, his mother honored Mr. Welles by giving Richard his middle name. Perhaps that was prophetic, given this author's predilection for science fiction and fantasy. Living through the discomforts of World War II with its rationing, blackouts and gnawing fear - constantly communicated to him by his elders - he was a child of the times. Following high school, he spent four years in the United States Air Force. He received his BA in1967.

 Richard O. Benton

Dick started a book he called Outlaw at the age of fifteen. Life got in the way and he never finished it. Later he wrote travelogues and campfire stories to capture the essence of memory on paper. In the early 1990's he started filling bound blank journal books, a gift from his first daughter, with little stories he gleaned from life's little junctures. In 1999, before retiring from the business sector, he started work on his first novel, I Wish I May, A Tale of the Fourth Millennium, After finishing it, he let it simmer for two years while learning more about the craft, then rewrote it, had it professionally edited and self-published in 2002.

Moonlight Man, his action driven second fiction novel, began in June of 2001. His current book project is The Mission, a story of post apocalypse. Dick has several book projects waiting, among them, The Master's Yoke, (sci-fi), The Screen Door, (horror), and The Alley, (alternate reality), along with several short story collections. If he has any complaint, it is a small one. The days no longer contain enough time to do the things he wants to. Life is fuller now as he works for himself than it was when he worked for others. Happier, too!

Dick is President of The Litchfield Writer's Guild, member of the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association (CAPA), and is Secretary, Historian, Past President, member of the Board of Directors and active singing member of the almost one hundred year old Choral Club of Hartford. He lives with his wife, two cats and a story producing dog, Maxxy, in the northwest hills of Connecticut.

So much time in front of the computer requires activity for balance. Dick loves tennis, golf, cross-country skiing, and refreshingly long aerobic walks. He loves ocean cruising, island hopping and forays into the outbacks of any fascinating place.
Dick believes that life is just life and that it owes him nothing. He also believes that what he puts into it without expectation will come back in some positive form. Finally, he believes that at the end of life, if he can look back on it and can say, "Damn, that was interesting!" then it was all worthwhile!