Watt-Evans, Lawrence 1954- (Nathan Archer, Lawrence Watt Evans)

PERSONAL:

Born July 26, 1954, in Arlington, MA; son of Gordon (a professor of chemistry) and Doletha Watt (a secretary) Evans; married Julie McKenna (a chemist), August 30, 1977; children: Kyrith, Julian. Education: Attended Princeton University, 1972-74, 1975-77. Hobbies and other interests: Comic book collecting.

ADDRESSES:

Agent—Russell Galen, Scovil Chichak Galen, 276 5th Ave., Ste, 708, New York, NY 10001. E-mail—lwe@sff.net.

CAREER:

Novelist and short-story writer. Purity Save-Mor supermarket, Bedford, MA, sacker, 1971; Griffith Ladder, Bedford, worker, 1973; Arby's, Pittsburgh, PA, counterman and cook, 1974; Student Hoagie Agency, Princeton, NJ, occasional salesman, 1974-76; Mellon Institute of Science, Pittsburgh, bottle washer, 1976; freelance writer, 1977—.

MEMBER:

Horror Writers Association, Authors Guild, Novelists Inc.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Hugo Award, World Science Fiction Society, Nebula Award nomination, Science Fiction Writers of America, and reader's poll award, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, all 1988, all for short story "Why I Left Harry's All-Night Hamburgers"; reader's poll award, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, 1990, for "Windwagon Smith and the Martians."

WRITINGS:

"THE LORDS OF DUS" SERIES; FANTASY NOVELS

The Lure of the Basilisk, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1980.

The Seven Altars of Dusarra, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1981.

The Sword of Bheleu, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1983.

The Book of Silence, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1984.

"WAR SURPLUS" SERIES; SCIENCE FICTION NOVELS

The Cyborg and the Sorcerer, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1982.

The Wizard and the War Machine, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1987.

"LEGENDS OF ETHSHAR" SERIES; FANTASY NOVELS

The Misenchanted Sword, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1985.

With a Single Spell, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1987.

The Unwilling Warlord, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1989.

The Blood of a Dragon, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1991.

Taking Flight, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1993.

The Spell of the Black Dagger, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1993.

Night of Madness, Tor (New York, NY), 2000.

Ithanalin's Restoration, Tor (New York, NY), 2002.

The Spriggan Mirror, Wildside Press, 2007.

"WORLDS OF SHADOW" TRILOGY; FANTASY NOVELS

Out of This World, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1993.

In the Empire of Shadow, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1995.

The Reign of the Brown Magician, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1996.

"OBSIDIAN CHRONICLES" TRILOGY; FANTASY NOVELS

Dragon Weather, Tor (New York, NY), 1999.

The Dragon Society, Tor (New York, NY), 2001.

Dragon Venom, Tor (New York, NY), 2003.

"ANNALS OF THE CHOSEN" TRILOGY; FANTASY NOVELS

The Wizard Lord, Tor (New York, NY), 2006.

The Ninth Talisman, Tor (New York, NY), 2007.

FANTASY NOVELS

The Rebirth of Wonder, Wildside Press, 1992, bound with The Final Folly of Captain Dancy, Tor (New York, NY), 1992.

(With Esther M. Friesner) Split Heirs (humorous fantasy), Tor (New York, NY), 1993.

Touched by the Gods, Tor (New York, NY), 1997.

SCIENCE FICTION NOVELS

The Chromosomal Code, Avon (New York, NY), 1984.

Shining Steel, Avon (New York, NY), 1986.

Denner's Wreck, Avon (New York, NY), 1988.

Nightside City, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1989.

(With Carl Parlagreco) The Spartacus File, Wildside Press, 2006.

UNDER PSEUDONYM NATHAN ARCHER

Valhalla ("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" series), Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1995.

Ragnarok ("Star Trek: Voyager" series), Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1995.

Predator: Concrete Jungle, Bantam (New York, NY), 1995.

Martian Deathtrap ("Mars Attacks" tie-in), Ballantine Books (New York, NY), 1996.

Predator: Cold War, Bantam (New York, NY), 1997.

(With Kurt Busiek) Spider Man: Goblin Moon, illustrated by Ed Hannigan and Al Milgrom, Putnam (New York, NY), 1999.

OTHER FICTION

The Nightmare People, New American Library (New York, NY), 1990.

(Editor and contributor) Newer York, New American Library (New York, NY), 1990.

Crosstime Traffic (short stories), Del Rey (New York, NY), 1992.

Celestial Debris, Foxacre Press (Takoma Park, MD), 2002.

Author of e-books, published by Alexandria Digital Entertainment, including The Final Challenge, Foxy Lady, The Murderer, and Spirit Dump, all 1998, and Efficiency, 1999.

Contributor to anthologies, including One Hundred Great Fantasy Short Short Stories, edited by Isaac Asimov, Terry Carr, and Martin H. Greenberg, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1984; "Why I Left Harry's All-Night Hamburgers" and Other Stories from Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, edited by Dehlia Williams and Charles Ardai, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1990; Dead End, edited by Paul F. Olson and David B. Silva, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1991; and Prom Night, edited by Nancy Springer, DAW (New York, NY), 1999.

Contributor to game-based anthology Tales of Talislanta, Wizards of the Coast, 1992.

Author of column "Rayguns, Elves, and Skin-tight Suits" for Comics Buyers Guide, 1983-87, and of comic book scripts and stories for Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Tekno*Comix, and (as Nathan Archer) Wildstorm Comics.

Contributor of short stories, articles, poems, and reviews to periodicals, including Amazing, Louisville Courier-Journal, Bedford Patriot, Dragon, Late Knocking, Movie Collector's World, Sagebrush Journal, Space Gamer, and Starlog.

SIDELIGHTS:

Working primarily in the fantasy and science-fiction genres, Lawrence Watt-Evans has produced a number of novels, poems, and short stories that feature both intricate plots and a sense of fun. Watt-Evans once commented: "My parents both read science fiction—and lots of other things—so I grew up in a house filled with books and magazines, many of them with bright, splashy covers showing spaceships and monsters and people firing rayguns. I loved it all." School seemed dull by comparison, and as Watt-Evans admitted: "I would sneak in books and comic books and read them in class; fortunately, I had tolerant teachers, and as long as I kept up with the class work they didn't object.

"I wasn't clear on the distinction between children's books and grown-up books (I'm still not always)," the author admitted, "so at age seven I started borrowing my mother's books as soon as she was done reading them—I figured if she liked them, I would too. So in second grade, while the other kids read ‘Dick and Jane,’ I read Ray Bradbury, and fell in love with words and stories. And I never got over it."

After graduating from high school, Watt-Evans enrolled at Princeton University in 1972, but eventually ended his college studies to get married and devote his time to writing. His first novel, The Lure of the Basilisk, was published in 1980; it would be the first in a four-part series called "The Lords of Dus." Other novels and other series have followed, among them the "War Surplus" series of science-fiction novels, the "Legends of Ethshar" fantasy series, and the "Worlds of Shadow" trilogy, which Watt-Evans published between 1993 and 1996.

Beginning with Out of This World, the "Worlds of Shadow" trilogy introduces readers to life in the parallel universes of the raygun-toting Galactic Empire and Faery. Maryland consultant Pel Brown and his client, Amy Jewell, have their everyday lives disrupted by elves and robed medieval-looking figures, as well as futuristic forces drawn right from 1950s pulp sci-fi, all claiming to be from other worlds and engaged in a classic battle of good against evil. Calling the first installment in the "Worlds of Shadow" trilogy "well-told" but not altogether "believable," Voice of Youth Advocates contributor Larry Condit praised the work as being of interest to "fantasy and imaginative fiction readers." Sally Estes dubbed the novel a "playful spoof" of the science fiction and fantasy genres in her Booklist review, while a Publishers Weekly critic noted that Watt-Evans "initially displays a fine wit and intelligence" despite the novel's somewhat disjointed cast of characters. Out of This World was followed in 1995 by In the Empire of Shadow. In this book, Pel and friends continue their battle against the evil "Shadow" in an unfamiliar, war-torn land. "Lighthearted moments contrast with dark undertones" to create an "uncomfortable ambiance," noted a critic for Library Journal, who nonetheless recommended the series. In Booklist, Carl Hays commended Watt-Evans for "blend[ing] just the right touch of whimsy into his well-told action adventure." The battle concludes with The Reign of the Brown Magician, which was published in 1996.

In addition to book series, Watt-Evans has authored numerous stand-alone volumes, many of them in the fantasy genre. Dragon Weather, the first book of the "Obsidian Chronicles" trilogy, finds an eleven-year-old boy named Arlian trapped in his basement after his home is destroyed by a dragon attack. During his imprisonment Arlian is transformed into a "dragonheart," a powerful dragon-human hybrid, by drinking a mixture of human blood and dragon venom. Though the transformation renders him strong and nearly invincible, he will steadily become less and less human, and more dragon-like, until his death. After being rescued, Arlian eventually becomes a slave of the dragon overlord Lord Enziet, and is forced to work in the mines for many years. This treatment does not endear Arlian to dragons. Ultimately he frees himself, determined to avenge the death of his grandfather as well as the loss of his village. "Remarkably inventive" was the description given the novel by a Kirkus Reviews writer, who went on to call the plot of Dragon Weather "commendably well organized."

In Dragon Society, Arlian has triumphed over the human villains in the previous book, and is now set on exacting revenge against the dragons themselves, and against other dragonhearts like himself. As Arlian embarks on his deadly mission, he finds that expected allies do not appear to aid him, but he is surprised to find support in unexpected places. Secret knowledge possessed by another Dragon Society member comes into play, as does information on how dragons reproduce their kind. The longstanding conflict between dragons and humans provides a backdrop to Arlian's quest for satisfaction. No human had ever been able to kill a dragon—as he plots, Arlian must determine if he is equal to the task. The cost of revenge is high, and he must decide if it is worth the repercussions. "Lawrence Watt-Evans is a wonderful writer who pays close attention to all the finite details of his stories," observed a reviewer on the FantasyBookSpot.com Web site. Reviewer Ann Cecil, writing on the Parsec Book Reviews Web site, noted that "the ending of this book is both satisfying and a terrific surprise."

The third and final book of the "Obsidian Chronicles," Dragon Venom, finds Arlian still waging his vendetta against the dragons, slaying them in their lairs as they hibernate for the winter. Unexpected results soon plague the countryside, as vile wizards and dangerous monsters, once held in check by the dragons, roam and attack. Appalled by what he has done and determined to right the wrong he has perpetrated, Arlian works to determine if the same process that turned him into a dragonheart will work on other animals to create powerful magical creatures. However, when his fellow dragonhearts and the surviving dragons learn of his plans, they vow to kill Arlian before letting him succeed. Arlian, for his part, wrestles with the ethical and moral questions inherent in transforming a creature into something it was not meant to be, even if the change will make it stronger and more powerful. "When the story line turns to action-packed sorcery skirmishes, fans of the author will take delight," commented Harriet Klausner on Blether—The Book Review Site.

In the 1997 novel Touched by the Gods, Watt-Evans also focuses his story on a young boy. Malledd, a blacksmith's son living in the Domdur empire, is proclaimed to be the champion of the gods of his world at his birth, but he has tried long and hard to ignore his fate and lead a normal life. Unfortunately, an evil magician puts his world into peril, causing Malledd's abilities to be put to the test in a novel that a Library Journal contributor deemed "gracefully present[ed] by its author." On a more humorous note, Watt-Evans teamed up with coauthor Esther M. Friesner to write Split Heirs, the story of a twisted family tree, mistaken identities, secret multiple births, painful puns, and muddled magic. A Publishers Weekly reviewer praised it as an "often funny, frequently precious" fantasy. And the author's 1992 book Crosstime Traffic collects nineteen short stories that feature parallel worlds, resulting in a work of "great entertainment with an occasional jolt into serious thought," according to Kliatt reviewer Sister Avila Lamb.

Ithanalin's Restoration, set in the magical land of Ethshar, tells the story of seventeen-year-old magician's apprentice Kilisha and her quest to restore her master, Ithanalin, after an accident involving an animation spell gone awry. Although Ithanalin's human body remains intact, his spirit is fragmented into eight pieces, which take up residence in the furniture in the wizard's study. The newly animated furniture flees into the outside world—all except the mirror on the wall—leaving Kilisha the task of recovering the objects and reassembling Ithanalin's soul with a powerful spell that she's not sure she can perform successfully. Some of the items prove easy to get back, but she is unable to rely on help from the city's other wizards (preoccupied with matters in another city). She does receive assistance from Ithanalin's wife, Yara, their three children, a city tax collector, and a spriggan—a gnomelike creature common in the city. To her dismay, the final piece of rogue furniture is a singular couch, now in the possession of the city's overlord in a nearly impenetrable fortress. Gathering her best magic, daunted but determined, Kilisha sets out to recover the couch and restore her master to wholeness. "By clearly and ingeniously demarcating the boundaries of Kilisha's quest, Watt-Evans insures a shapely plot with a decisive outcome," commented Paul di Filippo in a Scifi.com review.

The entire magical landscape of Ethshar is changed in Night of Madness, following the nocturnal crash of a meteor-like object in the North, that lends the book its title. After the crash, thousands of people are jolted out of their sleep by dreams of suffocation and fiery death. Shortly afterward, it is discovered that many of these people have become warlocks, and possess new types of magical powers that have never before been seen in Ethshar. Some can fly, some can lift heavy objects, others have the power to project powerful force. Further, as the new abilities are used, they become increasingly stronger. Many of the new warlocks are compelled by unknown forces to head north in answer to The Calling, toward the crash site and the source of their powers. Those who answer The Calling, however, disappear and are not seen again. The kingdoms of Ethshar im- mediately outlaw the new breed of magician and the use of their power, but the confident and powerful warlocks defy the ban and assert their own claim to leadership. Lord Hanner, a junior member of Overlord Azrad's court, finds himself in the difficult position of trying to organize the warlocks and negotiate on their behalf in the existing magical organizations. If he can convince the existing wizard's guild to recognize the new warlocks, peace will result; but the distrusting and even belligerent wizards appear to be unwilling to allow any change to their existing hierarchies. "The story reads compellingly throughout. The characters are nicely drawn: as typical for Watt-Evans, they seem like ordinary, commonsensical, folks, very much the sort of people we live with. Lord Hanner is a pleasant, honest, and believable hero. The magical elements are nicely portrayed, and it's fun to unravel some of the secrets behind the new powers of warlockry," commented Rich Horton in Black Gate. Stephen John Smith, writing on the Crescent Blues Web site, called the novel "powerfully written and wonderfully paced," and remarked, "Watt-Evans keeps the reader entertained and in suspense as Hanner slowly pieces together the details of the night of madness."

In addition to being a novelist, Watt-Evans is also a noted short story writer—his tale, "Why I Left Harry's All-Night Hamburgers," garnered a Hugo Award, one of the science fiction field's top awards. Celestial Debris Watt-Evans's second short story collection, presents twenty pieces from a variety of genre publications, along with newly written introductions by the author. The stories harken back to science fiction's heyday of 1950-1965, when genre magazines flourished, technology made tremendous strides, and popular culture embraced science in its most precise applications and its wildest extrapolations, observed reviewer di Filippo. "Watt-Evans exemplifies all the virtues—and limitations—of the sturdy oaken heart of the genre," di Filippo stated. "How I Maybe Saved the World Last Tuesday Before Breakfast," in tone a story for young adults, concerns the discovery of a lost alien baby. "Keep the Faith" addresses the perennial SF topic of first contact with alien civilizations and the resulting chaos. A piece of computer equipment is possessed by an evil spirit in "Pickman's Modem," while a plague of mythological beasts erupts in "Unicornicopia." The book's title story finds a young student making an unpleasant discovery while conducting his science project in Earth's orbit. The stories, di Filippo remarked, "are all compact, straightforward, stylistically unchallenging, one-note extrapolations. They do not sprawl, or go all hyper-weird and recomplicated. No frontiers are probed, no envelopes pushed. At the same time, they are impeccably constructed, fun reading that blends narrative and heartfelt message seamlessly."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

BOOKS

St. James Guide to Fantasy Writers, St. James Press (Detroit, MI), 1996.

St. James Guide to Science Fiction Writers, 4th edition, St. James Press (Detroit, MI), 1996.

PERIODICALS

Black Gate, winter, 2002, Rich Horton, review of Night of Madness.

Booklist, July, 1993, review of Split Heirs, p. 1953; February 1, 1994, Sally Estes, review of Out of This World, p. 1000; February, 1995, Carl Hays, review of In the Empire of Shadow, p. 993; May 1, 1997, Carl Hays, review of Martian Deathtrap, p. 1491; November 1, 2000, Roland Green, review of Night of Madness, p. 522.

Kirkus Reviews, September 1, 1999, review of Dragon Weather, p. 1355.

Kliatt, January, 1993, Sister Avila Lamb, review of Crosstime Traffic, p. 20.

Library Journal, February 15, 1995, review of In the Empire of Shadow, p. 186; November 15, 1997, review of Touched by the Gods, p. 79; November 15, 2000, Jackie Cassada, review of Night of Madness, p. 101.

Publishers Weekly, June 21, 1993, review of Split Heirs, p. 90; December 20, 1993, review of Out of This World, p. 54; April 22, 1996, review of Martian Deathtrap, p. 63; September 27, 1999, review of Dragon Weather, p. 79; November 6, 2000, review of Night of Madness, p. 75.

Voice of Youth Advocates, April, 1994, review of Split Heirs, p. 8; August, 1994, Larry Condit, review of Out of This World, p. 161.

ONLINE

Blether—The Book Review Site,http://reviews.blether.com/ (March 10, 2007), Harriet Klausner, review of Dragon Venom.

Crescent Blues,http://www.crescentblues.com/ (March 10, 2007), Stephen John Smith, review of Night of Madness.

FantasyBookSpot.com,http://www.fantasybookspot.com/ (March 10, 2007), review of The Dragon Society.

Parsec Book Reviews,http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs/usr/roboman/www/sigma/author.html (March 10, 2007), Ann Cecil, review of The Dragon Society.

Scifi.com,http://www.scifi.com/ (March 10, 2007), Paul di Filippo, review of Ithanalin's Restoration; Paul di Filippo, review of Cosmic Debris.

SpiderFan.org,http://www.spiderfan.org/ (March 10, 2007), review of Spider Man: Goblin Moon.

Yet Another Book Review Site,http://www.yetanotherbookreview.com/ (March 10, 2007), Shown Rolfe, review of Denner's Wreck.

Zelda's Mars Attacks! Home Page,http://www.marsattacksfan.com/ (March 10, 2007), interview with Nathan Archer.