DAVID, Peter (Allen) 1956- (David Peters)

PERSONAL: Born September 23, 1956, in NJ; married Kathleen O'Shea (a puppeteer and editor), May 26, 2001; children: Shana, Gwen, Ariel, Caroline.

ADDRESSES: Agent—c/o The Zack Company, Inc., 243 West 70th St., Suite 8-D, New York, NY 10023-4366. E-mail—padguy@aol.com.

CAREER: Comic-book writer.

AWARDS, HONORS: Will Eisner Comic Industry Award, 1993; British Comic Art Award, 1993; Wizard Fan Award, 1993; Golden Duck Award, 1994; Fans Award for favorite writer, Comic Buyer's Guide, 1995; OZCon award (Australia) for favorite international writer, 1995; Haxtur Award (Spain) for best comic script, 1996.

WRITINGS:

Knight Life, Ace Books (New York, NY), 1987, revised edition, 2002.

The Amazing Spider-Man: As the World Burns: Marvel Super Heroes Gamebook, Number Seven, TSR (Lake Geneva, WI), 1988.

Howling Mad, Ace Books (New York, NY), 1989.

The Return of the Swamp Thing, Jove Books (New York, NY), 1989.

The Death of Jean Dewolff: Amazing Spider Man, Marvel Comics (New York, NY), 1991.

Wolverine: Rahne of Terra, Marvel Comics (New York, NY), 1991.

The Rocketeer, Bantam Books (New York, NY), 1991.

Alien Nation: Body and Soul, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1993.

But I Digress (collection of columns), Krause Publications (Iola, WI), 1994.

(With George Perez) The Incredible Hulk: Future Imperfect, Marvel Comics (New York, NY), 1994.

(With Scott Lobdell and Fabian Niceza) X-cutioneer's Song: Featuring the X-Men, X-Factor, and X-Force, Marvel Comics (New York, NY), 1994.

(With George Perez) The Incredible Hulk: What Savage Beast, Berkley Books (New York, NY), 1995.

Spider-Man Meets Spider-Man, Marvel Comics (New York, NY), 1995.

(With Ron Marz) DC versus Marvel Comics, DC Comics (New York, NY), 1996.

Aquaman: Time and Tide, DC Comics (New York, NY), 1996.

Eye of the Storm: Onslaught, Marvel Comics (New York, NY), 1997.

The Incredible Hulk: Ghost of the Past, Marvel Comics (New York, NY), 1997.

The Incredible Hulk: Transformations, Marvel Comics (New York, NY), 1997.

(With Dale Keown) Hulk, Pitt, Marvel Comics (New York, NY), 1997.

The Incredible Hulk: The Beauty and the Behemoth, Marvel Comics (New York, NY), 1998.

Supergirl, DC Comics (New York, NY), 1998.

(Editor, with Stan Lee) The Ultimate Hulk, Berkley Boulevard Books (New York, NY), 1998.

(With D. Curtis Johnson) Young Justice: A League of Their Own, DC Comics (New York, NY), 2000.

Captain Marvel: First Contact, Marvel Comics (New York, NY), 2001.

Spider-Man, Ballantine Books (New York, NY), 2002.

One Knight Only, Ace Books (New York, NY), 2003.

"babylon 5" series

In the Beginning, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1997. Thirdspace, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1998.

Legions of Fire: The Long Night of Centauri Prime, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1999.

Legions of Fire: Armies of Light and Dark, Del Rey (New York, NY), 2000.

Legions of Fire: Out of the Darkness, Del Rey (New York, NY), 2000.

"star trek" series

The Rift, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1991.

The Disinherited, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1992.

(With Michael Jan Friedman) The Modala Imperative, DC Comics (New York, NY), 1992.

Who Killed Captain Kirk? DC Comics (New York, NY), 1993.

Deep Space Nine: The Siege, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1993.

Captain Sulu Adventure: Cacophony, 1994.

The Wrath of the Prophets, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1996.

(With James Doohan) Beam Me up, Scotty: Star Trek's "Scotty"—in His Own Words, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1996.

"star trek: the next generation" series

Strike Zone, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1989.

A Rock and a Hard Place, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1990.

(With others) Doomsday World, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1990.

Q-in-Law, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1991.

Vendetta, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1991.

Imzadi, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1992.

Starfleet Academy: Worf 's First Adventure, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1993.

Starfleet Academy: Line of Fire, illustrations by James Fry, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1993.

Starfleet Academy: Survival, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1993.

Q-Squared, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1994.

Triangle: Imzadi II (sequel to Imzadi), Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1998.

Double Helix: Double or Nothing, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1999.

I, Q, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1999.

"star trek: new frontier" series

(With Robyn M. Dawes) House of Cards, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1996.

Into the Void, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1997.

The Two-Front War, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1997.

End Game, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1997.

Martyr, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1998.

Fire on High, Pocket Books, New York, NY), 1998.

The Captain's Table: Once Burned, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1998.

The Quiet Place, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1999.

Dark Allies, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1999.

Excalibur: Requiem, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2000.

Excalibur: Renaissance, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2000.

Excalibur: Restoration, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2000.

Being Human, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2001.

Gateways: Cold Wars, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2001.

"sir apropos of nothing" series

Sir Apropos of Nothing, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2001.

The Woad to Wuin, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2002.

Tong Lashing, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2003.

"spyboy" series

The Deadly Gourmet Affair, Dark Horse Comics (Milwaukie, OR), 2001.

Trial and Terror, Dark Horse Comics (Milwaukie, OR), 2001.

Bet Your Life, Dark Horse Comics (Milwaukie, OR), 2001.

Bomb Appetite, Dark Horse Comics (Milwaukie, OR), 2002.

Undercover, Underwear!, Dark Horse Comics (Milwaukie, OR), 2002.

Young Justice, Dark Horse Comics (Milwaukie, OR), 2003.

Spy School Confidential, Dark Horse Comics (Milwaukie, OR), 2003.

juvenile

Dinotopia: The Maze, Random House (New York, NY), 1999.

Dinotopia: Groundswell, Random House (New York, NY), 1999.

Hide-and-Go-Mojo ("Powerpuff Girls"), Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

as david peters; "photon" series

For the Glory, Pacer Books (New York, NY), 1987.

High Stakes, Pacer Books (New York, NY), 1987.

In Search of Mom, Pacer Books (New York, NY), 1987.

This Is Your Life, Bhodi Li, Pacer Books (New York, NY), 1987.

Exile, Berkley Books (New York, NY), 1987.

Skin Deep, Pacer Books (New York, NY), 1988.

as david peters; "psi-man"series

Mind-Force Warrior, Diamond Books (New York, NY), 1990.

Deathscape, Diamond Books (New York, NY), 1991.

Main Street D.O.A., Diamond Books (New York, NY), 1991.

The Chaos Kid, Diamond Books (New York, NY), 1991.

Stalker, Diamond Books (New York, NY), 1991.

Haven, Ace Books (New York, NY), 2000.

Writing represented in anthologies, including Shock Rock, Shock Rock II, edited by Jeff Gelb, Pocket Books, 1994; and Otherwere: Stories of Transformation, edited by Laura Anne Gilman and Keith R. A. DeCandido, Time Warner, 1996. Contributor to periodicals, including Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, New York Times and Sci-Fi Channel (magazine). Cocreator, with Bill Mumy, of twenty-five episodes of science-fiction series Space Cases, produced for Nickelodeon; writer of column, "But I Digress," in Comic Buyer's Guide.

ADAPTATIONS: A large number of audio versions of Star Trek and other series have been recorded.

SIDELIGHTS: Peter David is a prolific writer who contributes to comic books and films, and who has written a substantial number of graphic novels based on these and on television series, including Star Trek and Babylon Five. Hugh M. Flick, Jr. reviewed the first two novels in the "Star Trek: New Frontier" series, House of Cards and Into the Void, noting that these stories are not based on the television episodes, and unlike previous "Star Trek" novels, do not stand alone. Each book in this series is a continuation of the previous volume, making it an ongoing saga. Flick called the reviewed volumes starring Captain Mackenzie Calhoun, commander of the U.S.S. Excalibur, "excellent, with strong character development and a good plot line." David also collaborated with Star Trek's "Scotty," James Doohan, in writing Doohan's autobiography.

John Peacock reviewed the debut volume Babylon Five: In the Beginning in Voice of Youth Advocates, noting that it is an adaptation of the first full-length movie in the television series, which aired four years into the series. Peacock wrote that it "amplifies and deepens the story" and "completes the tale that until now has been told in flashbacks and in scattered bits and pieces, doing so in a way that gives tantalizing clues to events yet to occur in the fifth and final season."

One of David's earliest novels, Knight Life, was revised and reprinted more than twenty years later. The Arthurian legend is recast in New York, and the cover depicts the sword Excalibur rising out of the lake in Central Park. Arthur has escaped ten centuries of imprisonment in a magical cave with the help of Merlin, and is now campaigning to become mayor of New York under the name Arthur Penn, while Guinevere is living with struggling writer Lance. A Publishers Weekly contributor called it a "hilarious romp" featuring "a cast of zany characters, zippy dialogue, and enough action and plot twists to satisfy most satirical fantasy fans."

David has more recently embarked on a new series unrelated to any previous creative work. The first volume, Sir Apropos of Nothing, introduces the hero, who was conceived when his mother was gang raped by six knights. Because she witnessed a burning phoenix in the woods, when the child is born, that likeness is imprinted on his thigh. He is also born with flaming red hair, a deformed leg, and a full set of teeth with which he bites a tavern owner soon after emerging from his mother's womb. His mother raises her son on her earnings as a prostitute, and the child is taught to steal by Tacit, an urchin raised by unicorns.

The story opens with Apropos, a stable boy, being discovered in the bedroom of Lady Granitz by her husband, a knight of King Runcible. During the ensuing scuffle, the knight falls on his own sword, and they tell the king that he committed suicide. King Runcible sends Apropos on a mission, accompanied by the elderly Sir Umbrage, to retrieve young Princess Entipy. On the journey, Apropos faces the evil phoenix, the Screaming Gorge of Eternal Madness, and the Outer Lawless Regions. A Publishers Weekly reviewer said that David "knows how to spin a story, entertaining the reader with pathos, bathos, mythos, and psychos," while a Kirkus reviewer called him "a darkly amusing fantasist." Tom Knapp, who reviewed the book for Rambles online, said it "is a fantasy of a different sort" and noted that Apropos "spits at all that's fine and true, and strikes a blow for normal people."

In the sequel, The Woad to Wuin, Apropos is now an innkeeper living a quiet life in Bugger Hall when Sharee, a sorceress weaver who appeared in the series opener, comes back into his life. At the center of the story is a gem called the Eye of the Beholder, and as the pair seek to protect it, they come upon Wuin, a desert land filled with danger and dangerous characters. Apropos meets the wicked Lady Kate, suffers from amnesia, and hopes to avenge his mother's death. "The wisecracking wordplay that fans have come to expect skips smoothly off the page," wrote a Publishers Weekly reviewer, "lifting this satirical fantasy into a class all its own." Booklist's Roland Green said David "mixes ghastliness and giggles deftly" and called The Woad to Wuin "a major feat of contemporary humorous fantasy."

David writes the "SpyBoy" series for Dark Horse Comics, and a number of graphic novels have been published, including Undercover, Underwear! which contains three stories. The series features high school student Alex Fleming and his father, who is also a spy; other characters include Alex's partner Bombshell, his friend Butch, and Butch's mother, Rita. In this volume a new character, SpyGirl, is introduced. School Library Journal's Susan Salpini wrote that "colorful, manga-influenced art and James Bond-esque action and puns provide teen appeal."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

periodicals

Booklist, August, 2002, Roland Green, review of The Woad to Wuin, p. 1936.

Kirkus Reviews, June 1, 2001, review of Sir Apropos of Nothing, p. 780; June 15, 2002, review of The Woad to Wuin, p. 847.

Kliatt, November, 1997, Hugh M. Flick, Jr., reviews of House of Cards and Into the Void, p. 14.

Publishers Weekly, June 18, 2001, review of Sir Apropos of Nothing, p. 64, M. M. Hall, "PW Talks with Peter David," p. 65; May 27, 2002, review of Knight Life, p. 43; July 15, 2002, review of The Woad to Wuin, p. 59.

School Library Journal, July, 2002, Susan Salpini, review of SpyBoy: Undercover, Underwear! p. 146.

Voice of Youth Advocates, August, 1998, John Peacock, review of Babylon Five: In the Beginning, pp. 207-208.

online

Peter David Home Page,http://peterdavid.net (May 21, 2003).

Rambles,http://www.rambles.net (August 24, 2002), Tom Knapp, review of Sir Apropos of Nothing.

Wigglefish.com,http://www.wigglefish.com/ (July, 2001), Kilian Melloy, review of Sir Apropos of Nothing; (October 16, 2002) "Twenty Questions with Peter David."*