Anderson, John David 1967-

Personal

Born 1967; married; children: two.

Addresses

Home—Noblesville, IN.

Career

Writer.

Writings

Standard Hero Behavior, Clarion (New York, NY), 2007.

Sidelights

John David Anderson lives with his wife and young twins in Noblesville, Indiana. His first novel, Standard Hero Behavior, follows a young bard, Mason, and Mason's best friend Cowel, a merchant who sells plumes for helmets. Mason and Cowel's village, Highsmith, has a resident hero, Duke Dirk Dalinger, who has protected Highsmith since all the other heroes—including Mason's father—left years ago on a quest from which they never returned. Mason discovers that Dalinger is in fact a fraud who has been raising taxes to come up with the money to buy off the orcs and goblins that threaten the town. Dalinger is now out of money, and needs some real heroes. Mason and Cowel start off to find the town's saviors, following the advice found in Quayle's Guide to Adventures for the Unadventurous, and just maybe find Mason's father along the way.

Kathleen Isaacs, reviewing the novel in Booklist, wrote that in Standard Hero Behavior "Anderson manages the difficult task of constructing a satisfying story while poking large fun at all genre traditions." Walter Minkel, writing in School Library Journal, found flaws in the narrative, writing that "Anderson's first novel is witty, but far too talky" because it lacks an action-driven plot. Paula Rohrlick commented in Kliatt that Anderson's "amusing fantasy adventure features a sardonic sense of humor and two winning, if bumbling, protagonists."

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklist, October 15, 2007, Kathleen Isaacs, review of Standard Hero Behavior, p. 47.

Kirkus Reviews, October 1, 2007, review of Standard Hero Behavior.

Kliatt, November, 2007, Paula Rohrlick, review of Standard Hero Behavior, p. 6.

School Library Journal, January, 2008, Walter Minkel, review of Standard Hero Behavior, p. 114.