STASHEFF, Christopher

(1944-)

   US writer with a PhD in theatre, a subject he taught at university level; his career began with and has remained almost wholly dedicated to the Rod Gallowglass or Warlock sequence, in order of internal chronology: Escape Velocity (1983), The Warlock in Spite of Himself (1969), CS's first book, and King Kobold (1969; rev vt King Kobold Revived1984) - the first 2 assembled as To the Magic Born (omni 1986) and all 3 assembled as Warlock to the Magic Born (omni 1990 UK) - The Warlock Unlocked (1982) and The Warlock Enraged (1985) - both assembled with KingKobold as The Warlock Enlarged (omni 1986) and without it as The Warlock Enlarged (omni 1991 UK) - The Warlock Wandering (1986), The Warlock is Missing (1986) and The Warlock Heretical (1987) - the first 2 assembled as The Warlock's Night Out (omni 1988) and all 3 assembled as The Warlock's Night Out (omni 1991 UK) - The Warlock Heretical (1987), The Warlock's Companion (1988) and The Warlock Insane (1989) - all 3 assembled as Odd Warlock Out (omni 1989) - The Warlock Rock (1990),Warlock and Son (1991), Wizard in Absentia (1993), The Witch Doctor (1994) and M'Lady Witch (1994). The sequence follows - with decreasing joie de vivre, and with an increasing sense that lessons of religious import were being conveyed - the zany adventures of Rod Gallowglass and his clumsy ROBOT sidekick, who have found themselves on the planet of Gramarye, where MAGIC works (thinly rationalized as an expression of PSI POWERS); they settle in and flourish. There is some TIME TRAVEL, and many creatures of Faerie are comicallyrendered. In some extremely similar out-of-series titles, A Wizard in Bedlam (1979), and the Matt Mantrell sequence - comprising Her Majesty'sWizard (1986), The Oathbound Wizard (1994), The Witch Doctor (1994), with further titles projected - CS stuck to his last, but more recently he has ventured into new territory. The Starship Troupers sequence - beginning with A Company of Stars (1991) , We Open on Venus (1994) and A Slight Detour (1994), and with further sequels projected - proposes to follow atheatre company from 23rd-century New York to the stars. It is expected that CS's own love for the theatre will bring life to these volumes. With Bill FAWCETT he has begun to ed a SHARED-WORLD series about the Crafterfamily of magicians, The Crafters * (anth 1991) and The Crafters \#2: Bellsings and Curses * (anth 1992).

   JC

   Other works: The Gods of War (anth 1992); Sir Harold and the Monkey King* (1993 chap), based on the Incomplete Enchanter sequence by L. Sprague DE CAMP and Fletcher PRATT; Wing Commander: End Run * (1994) with William FORSTCHEN; Dragon's Eye (anth 1994).

   See also: FANTASY; HUMOUR; SUPERNATURAL CREATURES.