REAVES, J(ames) Michael

(1950-)

   US writer who has written at least 100 teleplays, most with fantastic elements, for the children's Saturday-morning market, and who began publishing sf stories with "The Breath of Dragons" for Clarion 3 (anth 1973) ed Robin Scott WILSON, after attending the previous year'sCLARION SCIENCE FICTION WRITERS' WORKSHOP. His first 3 books were published as by J. Michael Reaves, his later books as by Michael Reaves. Much of his work is fantasy, though his first novel, I, Alien (1978), isadventure sf, and Darkworld Detective (coll of linked stories 1982) characteristically mixes sf, fantasy and detective genres in the story of the quest by a colony planet's only detective for the Dark Lord (a familiar fantasy icon), who is his father. Hellstar (1984) with Steve PERRY is sf; and Dome (1987), also with Perry, a post- HOLOCAUST tale setin the eponymous undersea habitat, engagingly tracks its large cast through various crises while, in the background, an AI begins to collaborate with humanity in preparing for the aquatic future. It is never easy to find technical fault with JMR, but at the same time it is hard to discover much individuality beneath the professional surface.

   JC

   Other works: Dragonworld (1979) with Byron PREISS; the Shattered World sequence of fantasies comprising The Shattered World (1984) and The Burning Realm (1988); Time Machine 3: Sword of the Samurai * (1984) with Steve Perry;Street Magic (1991).