Harlan, Thomas
Entry updated 12 September 2022. Tagged: Author, Game.
(1964- ) US Wargame designer and author, who focused initially on fantasy, primarily the Oath of Empire series beginning with The Shadow of Ararat (1999), set in an Alternate World lacking a specific sf frame. He is of sf interest for the Time of the Sixth Sun sequence, comprising Wasteland of Flint (2003), House of Reeds (2004) and Land of the Dead (2009), and conceived to work in harmony with various games, including the Role Playing Game GURPS. The sequence is based on an Alternate History in which Japan and Mexico, having encountered each other about 1200 CE, and whose joint dominance over Earth, here known as Anáhuac, has led to expansion into the home galaxy, where Space Opera conflicts, couched in Military SF terms and involving Alien species, dominate the ongoing narrative. Harlan's work is notable for meticulous worldbuilding, but – over and above the initiating conceit – tends to lack individuality at this stage of his evolving enterprise. [JC]
Thomas Harlan
born Tucson, Arizona: 1964
works
series
Oath of Empire
- The Shadow of Ararat (New York: Tor, 1999) [Oath of Empire: hb/Stephen Hickman]
- The Gate of Fire (New York: Tor, 2000) [Oath of Empire: hb/Stephen Hickman]
- The Storm of Heaven (New York: Tor, 2001) [Oath of Empire: hb/Stephen Hickman]
- Dark Lord (New York: Tor, 2002) [Oath of Empire: hb/Stephen Hickman]
Time of the Sixth Sun
- Wasteland of Flint (New York: Tor, 2003) [Time of the Sixth Sun: hb/Chris Moore]
- House of Reeds (New York: Tor, 2004) [Time of the Sixth Sun: hb/Chris Moore]
- Land of the Dead (New York: Tor, 2009) [Time of the Sixth Sun: hb/Paul Youll]
links
previous versions of this entry