Barnes, John 1957–

(John Allen Barnes)

PERSONAL: Born February 28, 1957, in Angola, IN; son of John Donald (a loss prevention engineer) and Beverly Ann (an office clerk) Barnes; married Kathleen Albe, January 3, 1981 (divorced August, 1990); remarried and divorced. Education: Washington University, B.A., 1978, M.A., (political science), 1981; University of Montana, M.F.A. and M.A. (drama), both 1988; doctoral study at University of Pittsburgh. Politics: Socialist. Religion: Atheist.

ADDRESSES: Home—CO. Agent—Ashley Grayson, 1342 18th St., San Pedro, CA 90732.

CAREER: Author; self-employed consultant. Middle South Services, New Orleans, LA, systems analyst, 1982–84.

WRITINGS:

"THE CENTURY NEXT DOOR" SERIES

Orbital Resonance, Tor Books (New York, NY), 1991.

Kaleidoscope Century, Tor Books (New York, NY), 1995.

Candle, Tor Books (New York, NY), 2000.

"TIMERAIDER" SERIES

Wartide, Worldwide (New York, NY), 1992.

Battlecry, Worldwide (New York, NY), 1992.

Union Fires, Worldwide (New York, NY), 1992.

"MILLION OPEN DOORS" SERIES

A Million Open Doors, Tor Books (New York, NY), 1992.

Earth Made of Glass, Tor Books (New York, NY), 1998.

The Merchants of Souls, Tor Books (New York, NY), 2001.

The Armies of Memory, Tor Books (New York, NY), 2006.

"TIMELINE WARS" SERIES

Patton's Spaceship, HarperPrism (New York, NY), 1997.

Washington's Dirigible, HarperPrism (New York, NY), 1997.

Caesar's Bicycle, HarperPrism (New York, NY), 1997.

The Timeline Wars (omnibus), HarperPrism (New York, NY), 1997.

"JAK JINNAKA" SERIES

Duke of Uranium, Warner Books (New York, NY), 2002.

A Princess of the Aerie, Warner Books (New York, NY), 2003.

In the Hall of the Martian King, Warner Books (New York, NY), 2003.

NOVELS

The Man Who Pulled Down the Sky, Congdon & Weed (New York, NY), 1986.

Sin of Origin, Congdon & Weed (New York, NY), 1988.

Mother of Storms, Tor Books (New York, NY), 1994.

(With Buzz Aldrin) Encounter with Tiber, foreword by Arthur C. Clarke, Aspect (New York, NY), 1996.

One for the Morning Glory, Tor Books (New York, NY), 1996.

Finity, Tor Books (New York, NY), 1999.

(With Buzz Aldrin) The Return, Forge (New York, NY), 2000.

The Sky So Big and Black, Tor Books (New York, NY), 2002.

Gaudeamus, Tor Books (New York, NY), 2004.

OTHER

(Editor) The Poetry File, Hyperion Books (New York, NY), 1989.

How to Build a Future (nonfiction), Pulphouse (Eugene, OR), 1991.

Apostrophes and Apocalypses (short fiction and essays), Tor Books (New York, NY), 1998.

Also author of numerous individual short stories and essays.

SIDELIGHTS: John Barnes has produced a steady stream of science fiction novels that focus on a thought-provoking question within the framework of an entertaining story, according to a Twentieth-Century Science-Fiction Writers article. Politics, sociology, and religious tolerance all find a place within his action-filled novels. The author has also proven his versatility by publishing humorous fantasies such as One for the Morning Glory, which mixes "wit, whimsy, and wisdom in equal measures," according to Carl Hays in Booklist.

Orbital Resonance, the first volume of his series titled "The Century Next Door," is set mainly on an asteroid that has been put into orbit between Earth and Mars, to be used as a vehicle for conveying supplies to a ravaged Earth. Although the young people aboard the asteroid have psychologically been trained to remain loyal to their mission, they nevertheless rebel against the artificial lifestyle that has been forced on them. The novel provides an unflattering comment on society and is a "thought-provoking book," wrote a Publishers Weekly reviewer. Mother of Storms is a futuristic disaster novel concerning a nuclear strike that unleashes tons of methane reserves, creating an intense atmospheric heat. Devastating global hurricanes result, causing millions of deaths. Astronaut Louie Tynan, who has super intelligence thanks to a computer system connected to his brain, devises a plan to protect the Earth from the sun's rays. A writer for Publisher's Weekly called Mother of Storms a "winning blend of gripping thriller and dazzling SF" that established Barnes as "one of the most able and impressive" of contemporary science fiction writers. Hays, reviewing the novel for Booklist, noted that Barnes "masterfully juggles many narrative elements," and that his "sheer storytelling power combined with hard-edged speculative science … makes this one of the best disaster novels ever."

In One for the Morning Glory Barnes tried his hand at light-hearted fantasy. The story features Prince Amatus, who as a toddler sips some forbidden, magical wine that renders him one-half invisible. Over the course of the story, he grows to manhood, becomes visible, and gains control of his throne. The book was praised for its "intelligent world-building, well-chosen detail, smooth prose and deft characterization" by a Publishers Weekly reviewer.

In 1996 Barnes published a novel written with former Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon. Encounter with Tiber combines speculation on the future of space flight with a story of first contact with alien intelligence. Hays, reviewing the novel for Booklist, termed it "fascinating." In another collaboration with Aldrin titled The Return, the authors tell the story of four people who, as adolescents in 1969, pledge to meet in fifty years on Mars. Some thirty years later, they find themselves and the U.S. space program far from able to make the trip to the red planet. Their personal stories are interwoven with a suspenseful tale of nuclear war and general communications failure. Library Journal reviewer Patrick Wall found the storyline "interesting," and added: "There is an innocent quality to this book … at times, it is like reading an old-fashioned boys' adventure story."

Kaleidoscope Century, the second book in "The Century Next Door" series, is highly characteristic of Barnes's work. As Gerald Jonas noted in his New York Times Book Review appraisal of the novel, "Mr. Barnes knows how to wring suspense from [his characters'] predicament." The predicament in this case is the cost of immortality on Mars that, by the year 2109, has been purposefully transformed to enable its surface to sustain human life. Into this world comes Joshua Ali Quare, an on-call thug for the Soviet cause. In appreciation of his work, Joshua is granted unending life by K.G.B. agents during a quasi-Cold War, although the drug that they give him causes him to suffer total memory loss every fifteen years. A born survivor with a lust for power, Joshua must repeatedly reconstruct his life, a situation that makes him increasingly surly. Eventually teamed with a fellow murderer named Sadi—who can be counted on to live up to the promise implied by his name—Joshua soon rises to the head of the nefarious pseudo-Soviet organization, his ultimate goal being to gain supreme power. According to Janice M. Eisen in her Washington Post Book World review, Jonas is "one of the nastiest characters in recent science fiction." The reviewer called Kaleidoscope Century "an impressive piece of work," but was somewhat unnerved by Joshua's brutality and unrepentant demeanor.

Apostrophes and Apocalypses is a collection of a dozen short stories by Barnes, along with several essays of his thoughts on the writing process. The essays on writing are the high point of the volume, according to Roberta Johnson in Booklist, who found that these "demonstrate how thoughtful and talented a writer" Barnes is. Johnson concluded that "his cheerful practical advice and consistently entertaining stories make up a collection that really packs literary punch."

Barnes took on an epic-scale story with a series of books that includes A Million Open Doors, Earth Made of Glass, and The Merchants of Souls. The setting is the world of the Thousand Cultures—civilizations that came from a common origin generations ago but have been isolated for many years due to the huge distances between them. The advent of a technology that allows for instantaneous travel brings with it a host of ethical and cultural challenges. One continuing storyline examines the moral implications of what to do with "recorded personalities," which can be implanted in artificial or human hosts. Some people would treat these personalities as disposable playthings, while others insist on their dignity as persons. Discussing The Merchants of Souls for Publishers Weekly, one reviewer wrote that Barnes created "well-developed characters" and "well-wrought environments like sterile, intellectually incestuous Earth, where anything can be discussed but nothing has meaning." Jackie Cassada, writing in Library Journal, commented that "strong characters and exotic backgrounds" enhanced the "fast-paced action and subtle manipulations" of the plot.

As this story opens, Giraut Leones, the twenty-ninth-century hero, has failed in his attempt to avoid the planetary disaster that concluded Earth Made of Glass, and has lost all those dear to him, including his wife and best friend. He is presented with a new challenge posed by a group of capitalists who are packaging and selling personalities, a threat inconceivable to the Thousand Cultures, which holds to high ideals. In the next installment, The Armies of Memory, Giraut Leones is close to retirement but has one final mission: to find a cache of secrets that threaten the Thousand Cultures. His father now resides in an eight-year-old body, and his former wife is his boss. A Kirkus Reviews contributor described this third book as being "thoughtful, well plotted and intriguingly populated—the best so far in a worthwhile series."

Another Barnes series features eighteen-year-old Jak Jinnaka. The first book, Duke of Uranium, is set in the thirty-sixth century. Protagonist Jak's girlfriend, Sesh, is kidnapped, and Jak's Uncle Sib is the agent whose mission is to find her. Sesh is actually a princess from the plant Greenworld, a nation of the Aerie at the Earth/Sun L4 point. Jak becomes a courier in an attempt to rescue Sesh and finds himself entangled in more danger than he had anticipated. The characters include other teen friends who all take on new responsibilities and grow in maturity.

In the second book, A Princess of the Aerie, Jak and two friends travel to Greenworld to find that Sesh, now Princess Shyf, is so cruel that she killed her own father to gain power. Jak and his friends find themselves banished to Mercury after battling Shadow on the Frost, an old foe. As the series continues, it becomes suited to more mature readers.

In the Hall of the Martian King opens to find Jak, now a secret agent, at home in the Hive (Earth/Sun L5 point) and accepting a job on the Martian moon Deimos. The action revolves around a set of principles sought after by all involved. Rich Horton, who reviewed the book for SF Site, wrote: "All this leads to an amusing series of comedies of errors, as various attempts are made to obtain (by fair means or foul) the lifelog. Much of the book is rather funny, and much is quite exciting."

Barnes's stand-alone novels include several that are set in the near future and have technology-based plots. They include Finity and Gaudeamus, in which Barnes is the narrator and the best friend of the protagonist, spy Travis Bismarck. Also figuring prominently in Gaudeamus is a prostitute named Lena Logan, who deals in pharmaceuticals that offer enhanced sex and telepathy. A Publishers Weekly reviewer wrote: "This fascinating book is quite unlike anything else on the market today." Barnes once told CA: "I am a theater historian who writes as a sideline. I don't even like to read very much any more, but I have found that a good adventure story permits the writer to express unlimited, bitter satire with impunity. My birth family was severely dysfunctional, weird, and secretive. This has been a great help to me as a writer, since I've had to learn things as an adult that most people learn unconsciously as children."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

BOOKS

Twentieth-Century Science-Fiction Writers, St. James Press (Detroit, MI), 1995.

PERIODICALS

Analog Science Fiction and Fact, October, 1988, review of Sin of Origin, p. 181; March, 1992, review of Orbital Resonance, p. 159; February, 1993, Tom Easton, review of A Million Open Doors, p. 161; December, 1994, review of Mother of Storms, p. 164; November, 1995, review of Kaleidoscope Century, p. 160; July, 1996, Tom Easton, review of One for the Morning Glory, p. 273; April, 1997, Peter L. Manly, review of Encounter with Tiber, p. 147; September, 1998, Tom Easton, review of Earth Made of Glass, p. 134; July-August, 1999, Tom Easton, review of Finity, p. 228; May, 2000, Tom Easton, review of Candle, p. 132.

Booklist, June 15, 1987, review of The Man Who Pulled Down the Sky, p. 1564; April 1, 1988, review of Sin of Origin, p. 1316; October 1, 1992, Roland Green, review of A Million Open Doors, p. 242; June 1, 1994, Carl Hays, review of Mother of Storms, p. 1780; May 15, 1995, Carl Hays, review of Kaleidoscope Century, p. 1635; April 15, 1996, Carl Hays, review of One for the Morning Glory, p. 1424; June 1, 1996, Carl Hays, review of Encounter with Tiber, p. 1681; May 15, 1998, Roland Green, review of Earth Made of Glass, p. 1600; December 15, 1998, Roberta Johnson, review of Apostrophes and Apocalypses, p. 730; February 15, 1999, Roberta Johnson, review of Finity, p. 1048; January 1, 2000, John Mort, review of Candle, p. 887; April 15, 2000, Roland Green, review of The Return, p. 1499; December 15, 2001, Roland Green, review of The Merchants of Souls, p. 709; August, 2002, Roberta Johnson, review of The Sky So Big and Black, p. 1936; September 1, 2002, Roberta Johnson, review of The Duke of Uranium, p. 69; January 1, 2003, Roberta Johnson, review of A Princes of the Aerie, p. 859; June 1, 2003, Roberta Johnson, review of In the Hall of the Martian King, p. 1754; November 1, 2004, Carl Hays, review of Gaudeamus, p. 471; April 1, 2006, Roland Green, review of The Armies of Memory, p. 27.

Bookwatch, February, 1992, review of Orbital Resonance, p. 11; April, 1993, review of A Million Open Doors, p. 3; September, 1995, review of Kaleidoscope Century, p. 9; July, 1996, review of One for the Morning Glory, p. 5; July, 1999, review of Apostrophes and Apocalypses, p. 8.

Book World, September 27, 1992, review of A Million Open Doors, p. 11; July 24, 1994, review of Mother of Storms, p. 11; May 28, 1995, review of Kaleidoscope Century, p. 10; December 10, 1995, review of Kaleidoscope Century, p. 8; April 28, 1996, review of One for the Morning Glory, p. 6; June 1, 1996, Carl Hays, review of Encounter with Tiber, p. 1681; December 15, 1998, Roberta Johnson, review of Apostrophes and Apocalypses, p. 730.

Boston Herald, May 14, 2000, John Clute, review of The Return, p. 41.

Extrapolation, spring, 1999, review of Orbital Resonance, p. 36.

Kirkus Reviews, May 1, 1987, review of The Man Who Pulled Down the Sky, p. 676; March 15, 1988, review of Sin of Origin, p. 416; September 15, 1991, review of Orbital Resonance, p. 1188; August 15, 1992, review of A Million Open Doors, p. 1023; May 15, 1994, review of Mother of Storms, p. 671; April 1, 1995, review of Kaleidoscope Century, p. 432; February 1, 1996, review of One for the Morning Glory, p. 181; April 1, 1998, review of Earth Made of Glass, p. 450; November 1, 1998, review of Apostrophes and Apocalypses, p. 1567; January 15, 1999, review of Finity, p. 110; December 1, 1999, review of Candle, p. 1852; November 15, 2001, review of The Merchants of Souls, p. 1587; May 15, 2002, review of The Sky So Big and Black, p. 711; September 15, 2004, review of Gaudeamus, p. 896; January 15, 2006, review of The Armies of Memory, p. 67.

Kliatt Young Adult Paperback Book Guide, November, 1996, review of Kaleidoscope Century, p. 12; September, 1998, review of One for the Morning Glory, p. 4.

Library Journal, May 15, 1988, review of Sin of Origin, p. 95; October 15, 1991, Jackie Cassada, review of Orbital Resonance, p. 127; September 15, 1992, Jackie Cassada, review of A Million Open Doors, p. 97; June 15, 1994, Jackie Cassada, review of Mother of Storms, p. 99; May 15, 1995, Jackie Cassada, review of Kaleidoscope Century, p. 99; February 15, 1996, Jackie Cassada, review of One for the Morning Glory, p. 179; June 15, 1996, Susan Hamburger, review of Encounter with Tiber, p. 96; April 15, 1998, Jackie Cassada, review of Earth Made of Glass, p. 118; February 15, 1999, Jackie Cassada, review of Finity, p. 188; February 15, 2000, Jackie Cassada, review of Candle, p. 202; June 1, 2000, Patrick Wall, review of The Return, p. 192; December, 2001, Jackie Cassada, review of The Merchants of Souls, p. 180; August, 2002, Jackie Cassada, review of The Sky So Big and Black, p. 152; October 15, 2004, Jackie Cassada, review of Gaudeamus, p. 57; March 15, 2006, Jackie Cassada, review of The Armies of Memory, p. 66.

Locus, September, 1991, review of Orbital Resonance, p. 29; January, 1992, review of Orbital Resonance, p. 54; August, 1992, review of Wartide, p. 51; October, 1992, review of A Million Open Doors, p. 27; November, 1992, review of A Million Open Doors, p. 53; April, 1993, review of A Million Open Doors, p. 45; December, 1993, review of A Million Open Doors, p. 47; June, 1994, review of Mother of Storms, p. 29; August, 1994, reviews of Mother of Storms, pp. 53-68; February, 1995, review of Mother of Storms, p. 38.

Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, June, 1987, Orson Scott Card, review of The Man Who Pulled Down the Sky, p. 52; February, 1995, Robert K.J. Killheffer, review of Mother of Storms, p. 19; April, 1996, review of One for the Morning Glory, p. 33.

New York Times Book Review, July 9, 1995, review of Kaleidoscope Century, p. 18; July 28, 1996, Gerald Jonas, review of Encounter with Tiber, p. 24; May, 1997, review of Patton's Spaceship, p. 70; March 28, 1999, Gerald Jonas, reviews of Apostrophes and Apocalypses and Finity, p. 22.

People, September 2, 1996, Cynthia Sanz, review of Encounter with Tiber, p. 30.

Publishers Weekly, May 15, 1987, Sybil Steinberg, review of The Man Who Pulled Down the Sky, p. 270; April 22, 1988, Sybil Steinberg, review of Sin of Origin, p. 68; October 11, 1991, review of Orbital Resonance, p. 52; August 31, 1992, review of A Million Open Doors, p. 68; June 20, 1994, review of Mother of Storms, p. 98; May 15, 1995, review of Kaleidoscope Century, p. 59; March 4, 1996, review of One for the Morning Glory, p. 58; May 13, 1996, review of Encounter with Tiber, p. 60; March 23, 1998, review of Earth Made of Glass, p. 82; November 9, 1998, review of Apostrophes and Apocalypses, p. 61; January 18, 1999, review of Finity, p. 332; December 6, 1999, review of Candle, p. 57; May 1, 2000, review of The Return, p. 52; November 19, 2001, review of The Merchants of Souls, p. 51; July 22, 2002, review of The Sky So Big and Black, p. 163; May 19, 2003, review of In the Hall of the Martian King, p. 58; September 27, 2004, review of Gaudeamus, p. 41.

Rapport, February, 1992, review of A Million Open Doors, p. 41; March, 1993, review of A Million Open Doors, p. 27; March, 1994, review of Mother of Storms, p. 29.

School Library Journal, December, 2002, Christine C. Menefee, review of The Sky So Big and Black, p. 173.

Science Fiction and Fantasy, November 15, 2001, review of The Merchants of Souls, p. 1587.

Science Fiction Chronicle, August, 1992, review of Wartide, p. 51; October, 1992, review of A Million Open Doors, p. 34; April, 1993, review of Battlecry, p. 32; July, 1994, review of Mother of Storms, p. 37; February, 1995, review of Mother of Storms, p. 7; June, 1995, review of Kaleidoscope Century, p. 34; February, 1996, review of One for the Morning Glory, p. 44; October, 1997, review of Washington's Dirigible, p. 44, and review of Patton's Spaceship, p. 47; May, 1998, review of Earth Made of Glass, p. 39; February, 1999, review of Apostrophes and Apocalypses, p. 42.

Times Educational Supplement, June 8, 1990, Victoria Neumark, review of The Poetry File, p. B21.

Voice of Youth Advocates, August, 1992, review of Orbital Resonance, p. 171; December, 1993, review of Orbital Resonance, p. 276; December, 1994, review of Mother of Storms, p. 282; October, 1995, review of Kaleidoscope Century, p. 228; April, 1996, review of Kaleidoscope Century, p. 18; October, 1997, review of Washington's Dirigible, p. 251; April, 1998, review of Washington's Dirigible, p. 11.

Washington Post Book World, May 28, 1995, p. 10.

West Coast Review of Books, number 3, 1987, review of The Man Who Pulled Down the Sky, p. 29.

Wilson Library Bulletin, February, 1995, review of Mother of Storms, p. 74.

ONLINE

Infinity Plus, http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/iplus/ (September 24, 2006), Nick Gevers, reviews of A Million Open Doors and Earth Made of Glass.

SF Site, http://www.sfsite.com/ (September 24, 2006), James Seidman, review of Apostrophes and Apocalypses, Peter D. Tillman, review of Finity, Donna McMahon, review of One for the Morning Glory, Rob Kane, review of The Duke of Uranium, Rich Horton, review of In the Hall of the Martian King, and a brief biography of the author.