KURLAND, Michael (Joseph)

(1938-)

   US writer who began publishing sf in 1964 with "Elementary" with Laurence M. JANIFER for FSF and Ten Years to Doomsday (1964) with Chester ANDERSON. The latter is a lightly written alien- INVASION novel, full of harmless violence in space and on other planets. MK then participated in the writing of an unusual trilogy comprising The Butterfly Kid (1967) by Anderson, The Unicorn Girl (1969) by MK and The Probability Pad (1970) byT.A. WATERS. The books all feature the various authors as characters. The Unicorn Girl deals with a number of sf themes in a spoof idiom which is sometimes successful; MATTER TRANSMISSION and invasions abound. Although MK has perhaps gained most recognition for his suspense novel A Plague ofSpies (1969), which won an Edgar Allan Poe Scroll from the Mystery Writers of America, his later sf has admirers for its briskness and its bright touristic promenades through various venues.Transmission Error (1970) is an adventure set on a colourful planet. Pluribus (1975), a post- HOLOCAUST novel, though breaking no new ground makes effective use of its US locations. The Whenabouts of Burr (1975) is an ALTERNATE-WORLDS tale featuring Aaron Burr (1756-1836). The Princes of Earth (1978), a crowded juvenile, takes its young backwater-planet protagonist to school on Mars. The Last President (1980) with S.W. Barton (pseudonym of Barton StewartWhaley (1928-)) posits the survival of a Nixon-like President in office and his subsequent destruction of democracy. Star Griffin (1987), another tale whose main flaw is crowdedness, sets its protagonist a series of detective puzzles on an overpopulated Earth choked with sects, some of which may be opposing the development of a FASTER-THAN-LIGHT vehicle. Perchance (1989) initiates a projected sequence of humorous TIME-TRAVELtales, to be called The Chronicles of Elsewhen. Unlike many lesser (and some more significant) writers, MK puts the themes and venues of sf to work in a professional manner, with no radical innovations but always imparting a sense of secure competence.

   JC

   Other works: The War, Inc series, sf, comprising Mission: Third Force (1967), Mission: Tank War (1968) and A Plague of Spies; Tomorrow Knight (1976); two Sherlock Holmespastiches, being The Infernal Device * (1979) and Death by Gaslight * (1982); Psi Hunt (1980); First Cycle (coll 1984) with H. Beam PIPER; afantasy series set in the Lord Darcy universe created by Randall GARRETT, comprising Ten Little Wizards * (1988) and A Study in Sorcery * (1989), the latter again invoking Sherlock Holmes; Button Bright (1990), borderline sf.