STIRLING, S(tephen) M(ichael)

(1954-)

   French-born Canadian writer who began publishing work of genre interest with Snowbrother (1985 US), the 1st vol of the Fifth Millennium fantasy sequence, which continued with The Sharpest Edge (1986 US) with Shirley Meier (1960-), The Cage (1989) with Meier, and Shadow's Son(1991) with Meier and Karen Wehrstein. It was, however, with his 2nd series, the ALTERNATE-WORLD Draka sequence - Marching through Georgia (1988), Under the Yoke (1989) and The Stone Dogs (1990) - that SMS came tonotice because of the considerable violence (undeniable) and right-wing convictions (apparent). In an ALTERNATE-WORLD 20th century generated in part by the success of Charles BABBAGE's Difference Engine, a group of British loyalists, having previously escaped the consequences of theAmerican Revolution by emigrating to South Africa, have established there a racist feudalism, the Domination of Draka, which soon comes to dominate the entire continent. In the first volume the start of WWII sees Draka allied with the USA against the Nazis, and winning a crushing victory against the German hordes in Soviet Georgia; subsequently, slavery is extended to newly conquered territories. This nightmare (which SMS presents with seeming affection) continues in subsequent volumes, with the Domination seemingly ineradicable and a post-war conflict between theDrakans (who have mastered GENETIC ENGINEERING) and the USA (expert in COMPUTERS) extending into space.SMS has also contributed to Larry NIVEN's Man-Kzin Wars SHARED-WORLD anthologies, with work in Man-Kzin Wars II * (anth 1989), Man-Kzin Wars III * (anth 1990) and Man-Kzin Wars IV * (anth 1991), plus a novel in the sequence, The Children's Hour * (1991) with Jerry POURNELLE. Also with Pournelle, to whose CoDominion sequence the tale belongs, he wrote Go Tell the Spartans (1991) about Falkenberg, the series' main protagonist. Other novels include The Forge (1991),The Hammer (1992), The Anvil (1993) and The Steel (1993), all with David A. DRAKE,the first volumes of The General, a military series. SMS has also ed Fantastic World War II (anth 1990) and The Fantastic Civil War (anth1991), both with Martin H. GREENBERG, Charles G. WAUGH and Frank McSherran Jr, and Power (anth 1991).

   JC

   See also: CANADA; WAR.