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Lucius Shepard

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Lucius Shepard
Lucius Shepard, Utopiales 2011
Born(1943-08-21)August 21, 1943
Lynchburg, Virginia, USA
DiedMarch 18, 2014(2014-03-18) (aged 70)
Portland, Oregon, USA

Lucius Shepard (August 21, 1943 – March 18, 2014) was an American writer. Classified as a science fiction and fantasy writer, he often leaned into other genres, such as magical realism. His work is infused with a political and historical sensibility and an awareness of literary antecedents.

Career

A native of Lynchburg, Virginia where he was born in 1943,[1] Shepard's first short stories appeared in 1983, and his first novel, Green Eyes, appeared in 1984. At the time, he was considered part of the cyberpunk movement. Shepard came to writing late,[2] having first enjoyed a varied career, including a stint playing rock and roll in the Midwest and extensive travel throughout Europe and Asia. Algis Budrys, reviewing Green Eyes, praised Shepard's "ease of narrative style that comes only from a profound love and respect for the language and the literatures that have graced it."[3]

Lucius Shepard has won several awards for his science fiction: in 1985 he won John W. Campbell Award for best new writer, followed in 1986 with a best novella Nebula Award for his story "R&R", which later became part of his 1987 novel Life During Wartime. This novel won the Kurd-Laßwitz-Preis in 1990. His novella "Barnacle Bill the Spacer" won a Hugo in 1993. His poem "White Trains" won the Rhysling Award in 1988. Two early collections of short stories won the World Fantasy Award for best collection: The Jaguar Hunter in 1988 and The Ends of the Earth Collection in 1992.[4] His novella "Vacancy" won a Shirley Jackson Award in 2008.

Lucius Shepard resided in Portland, Oregon.

Themes and evolution

Shepard embraced many different themes throughout his career. In his early work, he wrote extensively about Central America. This included clearly science-fictional stories about near future high-tech jungle war (such as "R&R" and "Salvador"), as well as stories that seemed more in line with magic realism. Many of these, such as "Black Coral" (which concerns an American living on an island off of Honduras) and "The Jaguar Hunter" (the story of a man whose wife's debt forces him to hunt a mythical black jaguar, which his people consider sacred), explore cultural clashes. Shepard traveled extensively in Central America and lived there for a time.

Shepard stopped writing fiction for much of the 1990s.[why?] He returned near the end of that decade, producing such works as the novella Radiant Green Star, which won a Locus Award for Best Novella in 2001.[5] Though he still wrote Central American fiction, Shepard's interest seemed to be moving north: he published two short novels, "A Handbook of American Prayer" and "Viator", both set in North America. On that same note, he published many works where culture and geography were secondary (his novella "Jailwise" is a prime example), preferring to focus on wider questions such as the role of justice in society.

Much of Shepard's later work was non-fiction. He researched the Freight Train Riders of America and spent time riding the rails, writing both fiction and non-fiction based on those experiences. He was also a regular movie reviewer for The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction and electricstory.com.[6] His reviews are marked by general contempt for the current state of American film.

According to fellow author James Patrick Kelly, Shepard was an avid sports fan who has often used dramatic sports moments as inspiration to write.[7]

In the summer of 2008, Shepard moved to Neuchatel, Switzerland in order to work on several screenplays. He served on the jury of the Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival (NIFFF) with the American director Joe Dante.

He died in March 2014 at the age of 70 of complications from a stroke.[1][8]

Bibliography

Novels

  • Shepard, Lucius (1984). Green eyes. New York: Ace. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |1= and |authormask= (help)
  • Shepard, Lucius (1987). Life during wartime. New York: Bantam. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Unknown parameter |authormask= ignored (|author-mask= suggested) (help)
  • Shepard, Lucius (1993). The Golden. Shingletown, Calif.: Mark V. Ziesing. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Unknown parameter |authormask= ignored (|author-mask= suggested) (help)
  • Shepard, Lucius (2003). Floater. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Unknown parameter |authormask= ignored (|author-mask= suggested) (help)
  • Shepard, Lucius (2004). Viator. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Unknown parameter |authormask= ignored (|author-mask= suggested) (help)
  • Shepard, Lucius (2005). Trujillo. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Unknown parameter |authormask= ignored (|author-mask= suggested) (help)
  • Shepard, Lucius (2006). A handbook of American prayer. Thunder's Mouth Press. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Unknown parameter |authormask= ignored (|author-mask= suggested) (help)
  • Shepard, Lucius (2007). Softspoken. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Unknown parameter |authormask= ignored (|author-mask= suggested) (help)
  • Shepard, Lucius (2014). Beautiful blood : a novel of the Dragon Griaule. Subterranean Press. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Unknown parameter |authormask= ignored (|author-mask= suggested) (help)

Short fiction

Collections
  • Shepard, Lucius (1987). The jaguar hunter. Sauk City, Wisc.: Arkham House. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |1= and |authormask= (help)
  • Shepard, Lucius; Robert Frazier (1989). Nantucket slayrides : three short novels. Nantucket, Mass.: Eel Grass Press. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Unknown parameter |last-author-amp= ignored (|name-list-style= suggested) (help)
  • Shepard, Lucius (1991). The ends of the Earth. Sauk City, Wisc.: Arkham House. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |1= and |authormask= (help)
  • Shepard, Lucius (1994). Sports & music. Shingletown, Calif.: Mark V. Ziesing. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Unknown parameter |authormask= ignored (|author-mask= suggested) (help)
  • Shepard, Lucius (1997). Barnacle Bill the Spacer and other stories. London: Orion. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Unknown parameter |authormask= ignored (|author-mask= suggested) (help)[9]
  • Shepard, Lucius (1999). Beast of the heartland and other stories. New York: Four Walls Eight Windows. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Unknown parameter |authormask= ignored (|author-mask= suggested) (help)[10]
  • Shepard, Lucius (2001). The jaguar hunter (2nd, revised ed.). New York: Four Walls Eight Windows. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Unknown parameter |authormask= ignored (|author-mask= suggested) (help)
  • Shepard, Lucius (2004). Trujillo and other stories. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Unknown parameter |authormask= ignored (|author-mask= suggested) (help)
  • Shepard, Lucius (2004). Two trains running. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Unknown parameter |authormask= ignored (|author-mask= suggested) (help)
  • Shepard, Lucius (2005). Eternity and other stories. Thunder's Mouth Press. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Unknown parameter |authormask= ignored (|author-mask= suggested) (help)
  • Shepard, Lucius (2007). Dagger Key and other stories. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Unknown parameter |authormask= ignored (|author-mask= suggested) (help)
  • Shepard, Lucius (2008). The best of Lucius Shepard. Subterranean Press. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Unknown parameter |authormask= ignored (|author-mask= suggested) (help)
  • Shepard, Lucius (2008). Skull City and other lost stories. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Unknown parameter |authormask= ignored (|author-mask= suggested) (help)
  • Vacancy & Ariel (2009)
  • Viator Plus (2010)
  • The Dragon Griaule (2012) (Subterranean Press, six inter-related novellas and novelettes)
  • Five Autobiographies and a Fiction (2013) (Subterranean Press, short stories)
Stories[11]
Title Year First published Reprinted/collected Notes
Aztechs 2003 Subterranean Press Novella
Black coral 1984 Carr, Terry, ed. (1984). Universe 14. Doubleday. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
Colonel Rutherford’s Colt 2003 Novella
The end of life as we know it 1985 Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, January 1985
Eternity and afterward 2001 "Eternity and afterward". F&SF. 100 (3): 11–84. March 2001. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |authormask= (help) Novella
The etheric transmitter 1984 Knight, Damon, ed. (1984). The Clarion Awards. Doubleday. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
The Father of Stones 1988 Shepard, Lucius (1988). The Father of Stones. Baltimore: WSFA Press. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |1= and |authormask= (help) Novella/Chapbook
The fundamental things 1985 Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, Jul 1985
Halloween Town 2009 F&SF, October 2009 Novella
How the wind spoke at Madaket 1985 Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, April 1985
The jaguar hunter 1985 F&SF, May 1985
Kalimantan 1990 Shepard, Lucius (1990). Kalimantan. Legend/Century. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |1= and |authormask= (help) Novella/Chapbook
The last time 1994 Datlow, Ellen, ed. (1994). Little deaths : 24 tales of sex and horror. Millenium. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help) Shepard, Lucius (1995). The last time. Mission Viejo, Calif.: A.S.A.P. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |1= and |authormask= (help) Novella/Chapbook
Liar's house 2004 Subterranean Press Novella
Louisiana breakdown 2003 Novella
The man who painted the Dragon Griaule 1984 F&SF, December 1984 The Dragon Griaule
Mengele 1985 Shepard, Lucius (1985). "Mengele". In Carr, Terry (ed.). Universe 15. Doubleday. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |1= and |editormask= (help)
The night of White Bhairab 1984 F&SF, October 1984
Reaper 1984 Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, December 1984
Salvador 1984 F&SF, April 1984
The scalehunter's beautiful daughter 1988 Shepard, Lucius (1988). The scalehunter's beautiful daughter. Shingletown, Calif.: Mark V. Ziesing. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |1= and |authormask= (help) Asimov's Novella/Chapbook
The skull 2012 Subterranean Press Novella
Solitario's eyes 1983 F&SF, September 1983
Stars seen through stone 2007 F&SF, July 2007 Novella
The storming of Annie Kinsdale 1984 Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, September 1984
The Taborin Scale 2010 Subterranean Press Novella
The Taylorsville reconstruction 1983 Shepard, Lucius (1983). "The Taylorsville reconstruction". In Carr, Terry (ed.). Universe 13. Doubleday. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |1= and |editormask= (help)
A traveler's tale 1984 Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, July 1984
Valentine 2002 Four Walls Eight Windows Novella

Non-fiction

  • Weapons of Mass Seduction (2005)
  • With Christmas in Honduras: Men, Myths and Miscreants in Modern Central America (forthcoming)

Film reviews

Film title Director Reviewed in
X-Men Bryan Singer Shepard, Lucius (Dec 2000). "eXcreMENt". Films. F&SF. 99 (6): 104–108. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |1= and |authormask= (help)
Lost Souls Janusz Kaminski Shepard, Lucius (March 2001). "The exorcist's children and Rosemary's yuppie". Films. F&SF. 100 (3): 125–131. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |1= and |authormask= (help)
Iron Man Jon Favreau Shepard, Lucius (October–November 2008). "Things that go clank in the night". Films. F&SF. 115 (4&5): 149–154. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |1= and |authormask= (help)

Comics

  • Vermillion (1996–1997, comic book series: writer)
  • "Platinum Nights" in Gangland #2 (1998, Vertigo, writer. Art by James Romberger and Marguerite Van Cook)[1]

Critical studies and reviews of Shepard's work

Five autobiographies and a fiction
  • Di Filippo, Paul (January 2014). "On Books". Asimov's Science Fiction. 38 (1): 101–105. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |authormask= (help)

Work available online

References

  1. ^ a b Clute, John. "Shepard, Lucius". In Clute, John; Langford, David; Nicholls, Peter (eds.). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (3rd ed.). Retrieved 2014-08-04.
  2. ^ "Banging Nails". Locus: 6. November 2001. While stories under his name were published in the 1950s, Shepard reports those were actually written by his father.
  3. ^ "Books". F&SF: 24. July 1984.
  4. ^ World Fantasy Convention. "Award Winners and Nominees". Archived from the original on December 1, 2010. Retrieved February 4, 2011.
  5. ^ Locus Publications. "2001 Locus Awards". Archived from the original on 14 May 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
  6. ^ Electric Story. "Exclusive Movie Reviews by Lucius Shepard". Retrieved 27 February 2011.
  7. ^ James Patrick Kelly. "How to Talk to Lucius Shepard". Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
  8. ^ Gillossen (20 March 2014). "Décès de Lucius Shepard" [Death of Lucius Shepard]. Elbakin.net (in French). Retrieved 2014-08-04.
  9. ^ Later published in the United States as Beast of the heartland and other stories.
  10. ^ Originally published in the United Kingdom as Barnacle Bill the Spacer and other stories.
  11. ^ Short stories unless otherwise noted.
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