DeCandido, Keith R.A. 1969–

(K. Robert Andreassi)

PERSONAL: Born April 18, 1969, in New York, NY; son of Robert (a librarian) and GraceAnne (a writer and editor; maiden name, Andreassi) DeCandido; married Marina Frants (an author), May 2, 1992. Education: Attended Fordham University. Hobbies and other interests: Virtual baseball.

ADDRESSES: Home—New York, NY. Office—21 W. 100th St., New York, NY 10025-4842. E-mail—keith@decandido.net.

CAREER: Writer and editor. Library Journal, assistant editor, 1990–93; Byron Preiss Visual Publications and Multimedia Company, New York, NY, associate editor, then editor, of science fiction, fantasy, and horror, 1993–; Chronic Rift (talk show), New York, NY, co-host and producer, 1990–94; Albé-Shiloh (editorial and writing service company), New York, NY, founder, 1998–. Editorial director of Marvel novels. Percussionist for musical group "Don't Quit Your Day Job Players." Actor and voice-over actor.

WRITINGS:

(With Christopher Golden and Nancy Holder) Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Watcher's Guide, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1998.

NOVELS

(With Jose R. Nieto) Spider-Man: Venom's Wrath, Boulevard/BPMC (New York, NY), 1998.

(As K. Robert Andreassi) Gargantua, Tor Books (New York, NY), 1998.

Buffy: The Vampire Slayer: The Xander Years, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1999.

Young Hercules: The Ares Alliance, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1999.

Young Hercules: Cheiron's Warriors, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1999.

Star Trek, the Next Generation: Enemy Unseen, edited by Jeff Mariotte, designed by Amber Bennett, Wild-Storm Productions (La Jolla, CA), 2001.

Farscape: House of Cards, Tor (New York, NY), 2001.

Star Trek, the Next Generation: Diplomatic Implausibility, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2001.

Star Trek, Deep Space Nine: Gateways: Book 4: Demons of the Air and Darkness, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2001.

The Brave and the Bold: Book 1, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2002.

The Brave and the Bold: Book 2, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2002.

Darkness Falls: A Novel, story by Joe Harris; based on a screenplay by John Fasano and James Vanderbilt, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2002.

Star Trek S.C.E. Book 1: Have Tech, Will Travel, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2002.

Star Trek S.C.E. Book 2: Miracle Workers, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2002.

Honor Bound, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2003.

A Good Day to Die, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2003.

The Art of the Impossible: 2328-2346, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2003.

Star Trek, The Lost Era: The Art of the Impossible, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2003.

Star Trek S.C.E. Book 3: Some Assembly Required, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2003.

Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda: Destruction of Illusions, Tor Books (New York, NY), 2003.

Dragon Precinct, Pocket Star Books (New York, NY), 2004.

Resident Evil: Genesis, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2004.

Resident Evil: Apocalypse: A Novelization, based on the screenplay by Paul W.S. Anderson, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2004.

Star Trek: A Time for War, a Time for Peace, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2004.

Wildfire, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2004.

Enemy Territory, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2005.

Star Trek S.C.E. Book 7: Breakdowns, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2005.

Star Trek: Articles of the Federation, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2005.

Spider Man: Down These Mean Streets, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2005.

Serenity, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2005.

EDITOR

(With Byron Preiss and John Gregory Betancourt) The Ultimate Alien, illustrated by Christopher H. Bing, Dell (New York, NY), 1995.

(With Byron Preiss and John Gregory Betancourt) The Ultimate Dragon, illustrated by Lars Hokanson and Frances Cichetti, Dell (New York, NY), 1995.

(With Laura Anne Gilman) OtherWere: Stories of Transformation, Ace Books (New York, NY), 1996.

(With Byron Preiss and Robert Silverberg) Virtual Unrealities: The Short Fiction of Alfred Bester, Vintage (New York, NY), 1997.

(With Joseph Sherman) Urban Nightmares (short stories), Baen Books (New York, NY), 1997.

Stephen Weiner, The 101 Best Graphic Novels, NBM (New York, NY), 2001.

Imaginings: An Anthology of Long Short Fiction, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2003.

(With Peter David) Star Trek, New Frontier: No Limits, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2003.

Star Trek: Tales of the Dominion War, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2004.

Star Trek: Tales from the Captain's Table, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2004.

Author of numerous comic book episodes for Marvel Comics. Short stories published in numerous anthologies, including "United We Fall," in Doctor Who: Decalog 3: Consequences, edited by Andy Lane and Justin Richards, Virgin, 1996; "Arms and the Man," in Untold Stories of Spider-Man, edited by Stan Lee and Kurt Busiek, Boulevard/BPMC, 1997; "Playing It Safe," in The Ultimate Hulk, edited by Stan Lee and Peter David, Boulevard/BPMC, 1998; and "Diary of a False Man," in Legends of the X-Men, edited by Stan Lee, Boulevard/BPMC, 1999. Contributor of reviews, interviews, and articles to periodicals, including Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Wilson Library Journal, and Creem.

SIDELIGHTS: Keith R.A. DeCandido is a prolific writer of science fiction. According to his Web site, De-Candido's parents, both involved in literary interests, groomed their son as a writer with "a steady diet of Robert A. Heinlein, Ursula K. Le Guin, J.R.R. Tolkien, and P.G. Wodehouse, which corrupted him for life—not only instilling in him a great love of science fiction, fantasy, and silly British humor, but also likely being responsible for his pretentious insistence on using both his middle initials all the time."

DeCandido's wide range of science fiction writing includes novelizations of television shows, such as Young Hercules: Cheiron's Warriors, based on the television series Young Hercules. Writing on the My Shelf Web site, Carisa Weeaks commented, "I absolutely love this book." In Farscape: House of Cards, the author provides a spin-off story from the Farscape television series on the Sci-Fi Channel. A Publishers Weekly contributor noted that the author "keeps the action brisk and the ongoing arguments … sparkling with humor." Science Fiction Chronicle contributor Don D'Ammassa wrote that the novel "is a pretty good space opera."

DeCandido, however, is far better known for his novelizations of the various Star Trek characters and incarnations. For example, in Star Trek, the Next Generation: Diplomatic Implausibility, the author tells a story of diplomatic intrigue with the Klingons, who were warring with the Cardassians and now are arguing over territory following a peace. Don D'Ammassa, writing in the Science Fiction Chronicle, called the book "a surprisingly good new Trek novel." Star Trek, Deep Space Nine: Gateways: Book 4: Demons of the Air and Darkness features characters from the Star Trek television spin-off Deep Space Nine, who are dealing with an Iconian gateway and radioactive waste in this story. Kliatt contributor Hugh M. Flick, Jr., called the series "interesting."

Once again drawing on a popular sci-fi television show, DeCandido takes characters back to an earlier time in their lives in Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda: Destruction of Illusions. Interweaving together several back stories, the author "captures the world and characters of the show perfectly," noted Booklist contributor Kristine Huntley. In Star Trek: Tales from the Captain's Table, the author further plumbs the adventures of Star Trek by providing exciting stories from notable Star Trek captains. "The stories themselves are generally pretty good, ranging from the serious to the overblown to the comical," wrote Michael Johnson in the Chronicle.

The Art of the Impossible: 2328-2346 is a recounting of Star Trek years following the supposed death of Captain Kirk. Hugh Flick, Jr., called the story one of "diplomatic intrigue" in a review in Kliatt. In yet another Star Trek tale, Star Trek: A Time for War, a Time for Peace, DeCandido follows Captain Picard and the Enterprise crew on a new adventure. Flick, once again writing in Kliatt, noted that the book ties up many "loose ends from earlier tales."

DeCandido is also author of Dragon Precinct, a police procedural set in a magical world of trolls, elves, and wizards. Detectives are on the case of a rapist who can walk through walls when a serial killer suddenly makes an appearance. Elliott Swanson, writing in Booklist, called Dragon Precinct "a fascinating excursion in genre-bending." DeCandido has also worked extensively as an editor and in Imaginings: An Anthology of Long Short Fiction, he presents novelettes of between 8,000 to 15,000 words. Michael M. Jones, writing in Chronicle, called the book "imaginative, experimental, provocative, thought-expanding and downright taboo-hreatening."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, February 15, 2003, Kristine Huntley, review of Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda: Destruction of Illusions, p. 1059; August, 2004, Elliott Swanson, review of Dragon Precinct, p. 1912.

Chronicle, June, 2004, Michael M. Jones, review of Imaginings: An Anthology of Long Short Fiction, p. 49; May, 2005, Don D'Ammassa, review of Dragon Precinct, p. 10; October, 2005, Michael Johnson, review of Star Trek: Tales from the Captain's Table, p. 34.

Kliatt, March, 2002, Hugh M. Flick, Jr., review of Star Trek, Deep Space Nine: Gateways: Book 4: Demons of the Air and Darkness, p. 22; May, 2004, Hugh Flick, Jr., review of The Art of the Impossible: 2328-2346, p. 28; March, 2005, Hugh Flick, Jr., review of Star Trek: A Time for War, a Time for Peace, p. 26.

Library Journal, March 15, 2002, Jackie Cassada, review of Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda, p. 120; September 15, 2004, Jackie Cassada, review of Dragon Precinct, p. 53.

Publishers Weekly, May 14, 2001, review of Farscape: House of Cards, p. 59; January 27, 2003, review of Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda, p. 242.

Science Fiction Chronicle, April, 2001, Don D'Ammassa, review of Star Trek, the Next Generation: Diplomatic Implausibility, p. 40; June, 2001, Don D'Ammassa, review of Farscape, p. 41; March, 2002, Don D'Ammassa, review of Star Trek S.C.E.: Book 1: Have Tech, Will Travel, p. 39.

ONLINE

Keith R.A. DeCandido Home Page, http://www.sff.net/people/krad (February 1, 2006).

My Shelf, http://www.myshelf.com/ (February 1, 2006), Carisa Weeaks, review of Young Hercules: Cheiron's Warriors.

Sci Fi Pulse, http://scifipulse.net/ (February 1, 2006), Jacqueline Bundy, review of Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda.

SFF Net, http://www.sff.net/ (January 6, 2006), author biography and works.

SFRevu, http://www.sfrevu.com/ (February 1, 2006), review of Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda.