John Lee Farris (born 1936) is an American writer, known largely for his work in the southern Gothic genre. He was born in Jefferson City, Missouri, to parents John Linder Farris (1909–1982) and Eleanor Carter Farris (1905–1984). Raised in Tennessee, he graduated from Central High School in Memphis and attended Southwestern College (now Rhodes College) also in Memphis. His first wife, Kathleen, was the mother of Julie Marie, John C. and Jeff Farris; his second wife, Mary Ann Pasante, was the mother of Peter John (P.J.) Farris.
Apart from his substantial body of fiction, his work includes motion picture screenplays of his own books (i.e., The Fury), original scripts and adaptations of the works of others (such as Alfred Bester's The Demolished Man). He also wrote and directed the film Dear Dead Delilah in 1973. He has had several plays produced off-Broadway, and also paints and writes poetry. At various times he has made his home in New York, southern California and Puerto Rico and most recently near Atlanta, Georgia.
Three of his works have been made into film: first Harrison High became Because They're Young (1960), followed by When Michael Calls (1972), and then The Fury (1978) which was directed by Brian De Palma.
His short story I Scream. You Scream. We All Scream for Ice Cream. was adapted for the Showtime anthology series Masters of Horror in 2007.