Da CRUZ, Daniel

(1921-1991) US writer, formerly known for numerous men's action-adventure tales, who began publishing sf with The Grotto of the Formigans (1980), a novel about African grotto MONSTERS, and who came to more general notice with his Republic of Texas or Forte Family sequence: The Ayes of Texas (1982), Texas on the Rocks (1986) and Texas Triumphant (1987). The political premises underlying the series - in the late 1990s the USSR, having hoodwinked the supinely liberal US media, has come to dominate the world - have dated, but the exuberance of the tales themselves remains winning. The protagonist, a triple-amputee WWII veteran from the newly free Republic of Texas, arms an old battleship (itself called Texas), and sails off to fight the Russians. Much blood is spilt, and a good time is had by all. F-Cubed (1989) is a less entrancing TECHNOTHRILLER; but Mixed Doubles (1989) enjoyably depicts the attempts of a contemporary failed composer who travels back in time to steal MUSIC from those more talented than himself.

   JC