Bunch, Chris
Entry updated 10 July 2023. Tagged: Author.
(1943-2005) US screenwriter and author, in the latter capacity almost exclusively of series; his first two series – the Sten sequence of Military SF adventures beginning with Sten (1982) and ending with Empire's End (1993), and the Anteros fantasy sequence – were both written with Allan Cole. The first of these at least is thought mainly to express Cole's way with things, though they were full partners (writing at least 100 television scripts together) until their acrimonious split in 1995, after which they worked entirely alone. As an early veteran of Vietnam (ending his second tour of duty in 1966) and subsequently as a vehement member of the anti-war movement of the late 1960s, Bunch might have become a significant (or at least a controversial) novelist, had his (and Cole's) skill at writing for commercial modes not inclined him elsewhere. On his own, Bunch wrote several other fantasy sequences [see Checklist below], and two further sets of Military SF Space Operas. The Last Legion sequence – comprising the Last Legion (1999), Firemask (2000), Storm Force (2000) and Homefall (2001) – follows the experience of a small military group in the beleaguered marches of an interstellar empire suffering collapse. The Star Risk sequence – comprising Star Risk, Ltd (2002), The Scoundrel Worlds (2003), The Doublecross Program (2004) and The Dog From Hell (2005) – features yet another small group, this time mercenaries who hire themselves out on missions. The first volume harks back to the Pulp era with its traditional conflict of space pirates versus Asteroid miners. [JC]
Christopher Renshaw Bunch
born Fresno, California: 22 December 1943
died Ilwaco, Washington: 4 July 2005
works
series
Sten
- Sten (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey, 1982) with Allan Cole [Sten: pb/Ralph Brillhart]
- Sten 2: The Wolf Worlds (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey, 1984) with Allan Cole [Sten: pb/David B Mattingly]
- Sten 3: The Court of a Thousand Suns (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey, 1986) with Allan Cole [Sten: pb/David B Mattingly]
- Battlecry (London: Orbit, 2010) with Allan Cole [omni of the above three: Sten: pb/]
- The Sten Omnibus #1: Sten, The Wolf Worlds, The Court of a Thousand Suns (Cabin John, Maryland: Wildside Press, 2016) with Allan Cole [omni: vt of the above: Sten: pb/Luca Oleastri]
- Sten 4: Fleet of the Damned (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey, 1988) with Allan Cole [Sten: pb/David B Mattingly]
- Sten 5: Revenge of the Damned (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey, 1989) with Allan Cole [Sten: pb/David B Mattingly]
- Sten 6: The Return of the Emperor (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey, 1990) with Allan Cole [Sten: pb/Michael Herring]
- Juggernaut: Sten Omnibus 2 (London: Orbit, 2012) with Allan Cole [omni of the above three: Sten: pb/Paul Young]
- The Sten Omnibus #2: Fleet of the Damned, Revenge of the Damned, The Return of the Emperor (Cabin John, Maryland: Wildside Press, 2016) with Allan Cole [omni: vt of the above: Sten: pb/]
- Juggernaut: Sten Omnibus 2 (London: Orbit, 2012) with Allan Cole [omni of the above three: Sten: pb/Paul Young]
- Sten 7: Vortex (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey, 1992) with Allan Cole [Sten: pb/Bruce Jensen]
- Sten 8: Empire's End (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey, 1993) with Allan Cole [Sten: pb/Bruce Jensen]
- Death Match: Sten Omnibus 3 (London: Orbit, 2012) with Allan Cole [omni of the above two: Sten: pb/]
- The Sten Omnibus #3: Vortex / Empire's End (Cabin John, Maryland: Wildside Press, 2017) with Allan Cole [omni: vt of the above: Sten: pb/]
- Death Match: Sten Omnibus 3 (London: Orbit, 2012) with Allan Cole [omni of the above two: Sten: pb/]
Anteros
- The Far Kingdoms (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey, 1993) with Allan Cole [Anteros: hb/Gnemo]
- The Warrior's Tale (London: Legend, 1994) with Allan Cole [Anteros: hb/Gnemo]
- Kingdoms of the Night (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey, 1995) with Allan Cole [Anteros: hb/Gnemo]
- The Warrior Returns (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey, 1997) with Allan Cole [Anteros: hb/Gnemo]
Shadow Warrior
- The Wind After Time (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey, 1996) [Shadow Warrior: pb/Nicholas Jainschigg]
- Hunt the Heavens (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey, 1996) [Shadow Warrior: pb/Nicholas Jainschigg]
- The Darkness of God (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey, 1997) [Shadow Warrior: pb/Nicholas Jainschigg]
- Shadow Warrior (Radford, Virginia: Wilder Publications, 2001) [omni of the above three plus novella "Backblast" (Summer 1998 Absolute Magnitude): Shadow Warrior: pb/]
Seer King
- The Seer King (New York: Warner Aspect, 1997) [Seer King: pb/Dorian Vallejo]
- The Demon King (New York: Warner Aspect, 1998) [Seer King: pb/Dorian Vallejo]
- The Warrior King (New York: Warner Aspect, 1999) [Seer King: pb/Steve Youll]
Last Legion
- The Last Legion (New York: Penguin Books/Roc, 1999) [Last Legion: pb/Danilo Ducak]
- Firemask (New York: Penguin Books/Roc, 2000) [Last Legion: pb/Bob Warner]
- Storm Force (New York: Penguin Books/Roc, 2000) [Last Legion: pb/Bob Warner]
- Homefall (New York: Penguin Books/Roc, 2001) [Last Legion: pb/Bob Warner]
Dragonmaster
- Dragonmaster: Book One: Storm of Wings (London: Orbit, 2002) [Dragonmaster: pb/Les Edwards]
- Dragonmaster (New York: Penguin Books/Roc, 2005) [vt of the above: Dragonmaster: pb/Jerry Vanderstelt]
- Dragonmaster: Book Two: Knighthood of the Dragon (London: Orbit, 2003) [Dragonmaster: pb/Les Edwards]
- Dragonmaster: Book Three: The Last Battle (London: Orbit, 2004) [Dragonmaster: pb/Les Edwards]
- Dragonmaster: The Omnibus Edition (London: Orbit, 2007) [omni of the above three: Dragonmaster: pb/Lee Gibbons]
Star Risk
- Star Risk, Ltd (New York: Penguin Books/Roc, 2002) [Star Risk: pb/Steve Stone]
- The Scoundrel Worlds (New York: Penguin Books/Roc, 2003) [Star Risk: pb/Steve Stone]
- The Doublecross Program (New York: Penguin Books/Roc, 2004) [Star Risk: pb/Steve Stone]
- The Dog From Hell (New York: Penguin Books/Roc, 2005) [Star Risk: pb/Steve Stone]
individual titles
- The Empire Stone (London: Orbit, 2000) [pb/David O'Connor]
- Corsair (London: Orbit, 2001) [pb/David Wyatt]
- The Vampires of Malibu High and Other Strange Concoctions (Radford, Virginia: Wilder Publications, 2007) [coll: pb/D E Harmon]
links
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