He was also interested in the future in his many speculative science fiction tales, often published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction eight of these stories were published under the title Unearthly Beasts. Jay Williams also wrote a number of successful historical novels for adults, including The Witches, a look at the eradication of the healing women in Scotland Solomon and Sheba The Siege, a tale of the 13th-century wars initiated by the against the Albigensian heresy Tomorrow's Fire (1964), set during the Third Crusade and The Rogue from Padua, a novel that takes place in the Renaissance. (This may be a reference to Michel Delving, a large hobbit-populated town in The Lord of the Rings.) One of his series of mysteries features the American rare book and manuscript collector Dave Cannon, and takes place in Britain. He also wrote adult crime fiction, using the pseudonym Michael Delving. Like his first novel, The Stolen Oracle, Williams wrote mysteries for young adults, including The Counterfeit African (1945) and The Roman Moon Mystery.

Williams was reported to personally reply to over 1,000 fan letters from his juvenile readers each year. Though Abrashkin died in 1960, Williams insisted Abrashkin should continue to receive credit as co-author of all 15 books of this series, which continued from 1956 until 1977. He is probably best known for his young adult ' Danny Dunn' science fiction/fantasy series which he co-authored with Raymond Abrashkin. In all, Williams authored at least 79 books including 11 picture books, 39 children's novels, 7 adult mysteries, 4 nonfiction books, 8 historical novels and a play. After his discharge from the military in 1945, he turned his attention to writing as a full-time career. While serving, he published his first book The Stolen Oracle in 1943. Williams served in the Army during World War II, receiving a Purple Heart. Williams even played a feature role in the Cannes prize winning film, Little Fugitive, produced in 1953. From 1936 until 1941, Jay Williams worked as a press agent for Dwight Deere Winman, Jed Harris and the Hollywood Theatre Alliance. Out of school and out of work during the end of the Great Depression, he worked as a comedian on the upstate New York Borscht Belt circuit. He attended both the University of Pennsylvania (1932–33) and Columbia University (1934), participating in amateur theatrical productions. He cited the experience of growing up as the son of a vaudeville show producer as leading him to pursue his acting career as early as college. Williams was born in Buffalo, New York, the son of Max and Lillian Jacobson. Jay Williams (– July 12, 1978) was an American author of science fiction (often for children), fantasy, historical fiction, non-fiction, and radical theatre.

The Cookie Tree by Jay Williams