Macdonald, James D

Entry updated 12 September 2022. Tagged: Author.

(1954- ) US author who began publishing work of genre interest with "The Little Prune That Couldn't Talk" for Apanage #62 in 1980, but who has worked almost exclusively since in partnership with Debra Doyle – they were married in 1978 – and we make no estimate of seniority in this partnership, as it gives every evidence of being seamless. They began publishing in collaboration with "Bad Blood" in Werewolves (anth 1988) edited by Jane Yolen and Martin H Greenberg, which was expanded into a novel Bad Blood (1993), which with its sequel Hunter's Moon (1994), both with Debra Doyle, comprises a children's series about werewolves and Vampires. All Doyle's books have been written with Macdonald. Most of their work has been fantasy [see Checklist below], most of it for children or Young Adult markets, and much of it being Ties, such as their two titles in the Planet Builders sequence, Night of Ghosts and Lightning (1989) and Zero-Sum Games (1989), both as by Robyn Tallis; Horror High: Pep Rally (1991) as by Nicholas Adams; and their two titles in the fourth Tom Swift sequence (see also Tom Swift): Monster Machine (1991) and Aquatech Warriors (1991), both as by Victor Appleton. Robert Silverberg's Time Tours #3: Timecrime, Inc (1991) and Daniel M. Pinkwater's Melvinge of the Megaverse #2: Night of the Living Rat (1992) are also Ties.

Their first novel in their own right, Knight's Wyrd (1992), is fantasy; but the Mageworlds series – beginning with The Price of the Stars (1992), Starpilot's Grave (1993) and By Honor Betray'd (1994), and ending with A Working of Stars (2002) – moves into Space Opera with some flair, though not without recourse to undemanding fantasy outcomes when the going gets tough for the exile princess who becomes a space pilot and stirs up trouble, hither and yon, around the galaxy.

Macdonald has published one solo singleton, The Apocalypse Door (New York: Tor, 2002), a fantasy with criminous elements, in which an agent of the Knights Templar redivivus or never dead fights foes across contemporary America. [JC]

James Douglas Ignatius Macdonald

born White Plains, New York: 1954

works

non-tie series under their own names

Circle of Magic

Circle of Magic #1: School of Wizardry (New York: Troll Books, 1990) with Debra Doyle [Circle of Magic: pb/Judith Mitchell]
Circle of Magic #2: Tournament and Tower (New York: Troll Books, 1990) with Debra Doyle [Circle of Magic: pb/Judith Mitchell]
- Secret of the Tower (Mahwah, New Jersey: Troll Communications, 2000) with Debra Doyle [vt of the above: Circle of Magic: pb/]
Circle of Magic #3: City by the Sea (New York: Troll Books, 1990) with Debra Doyle [Circle of Magic: pb/Jordi Penalva]
- The Wizard's Statue (Mahwah, New Jersey: Troll Communications, 2000) with Debra Doyle [vt of the above: Circle of Magic: pb/Steven Dolce]
Circle of Magic #4: The Prince's Players (New York: Troll Books, 1990) with Debra Doyle [Circle of Magic: pb/Jordi Penalva]
- Danger in the Palace (Mahwah, New Jersey: Troll Communications, 2000) with Debra Doyle [vt of the above: Circle of Magic: pb/]
Circle of Magic #5: The Prisoners of Bell Castle (New York: Troll Books, 1990) with Debra Doyle [Circle of Magic: pb/Mel Grant]
- The Wizard's Castle (Mahwah, New Jersey: Troll Communications, 2001) with Debra Doyle [vt of the above: Circle of Magic: pb/Shi Chen]
Circle of Magic #6: The High King's Daughter (New York: Troll Books, 1990) with Debra Doyle [Circle of Magic: pb/Mel Grant]

"Circle of Magic" impostures

The following two items supposedly in the above series were published as by Doyle and Macdonald without their knowledge or permission but were not written by them; they received no payment. (Information from James D Macdonald.)

Circle of Magic #7: Mystery at Wizard School (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 2003) with Debra Doyle [Circle of Magic: pb/]
Circle of Magic #8: Voice of the Ice (Sydney, New South Wales, 2003) with Debra Doyle [Circle of Magic: pb/Steven Stone]

Mageworlds

The Price of the Stars (New York: Tor, 1992) with Debra Doyle [Mageworlds: pb/Romas Kukalis]
Starpilot's Grave (New York: Tor, 1993) with Debra Doyle [Mageworlds: pb/Romas Kukalis]
By Honor Betray'd (New York: Tor, 1994) with Debra Doyle [Mageworlds: pb/Romas Kukalis]
The Gathering Flame (New York: Tor, 1995) with Debra Doyle [Mageworlds: pb/Romas Kukalis]
The Long Hunt (New York: Tor, 1996) with Debra Doyle [Mageworlds: pb/Romas Kukalis]
The Stars Asunder (New York: Tor, 1999) with Debra Doyle [Mageworlds: hb/Romas Kukalis]
A Working of Stars (New York: Tor, 2002) with Debra Doyle [Mageworlds: hb/Romas Kukalis]

Bad Blood

Bad Blood (New York: Berkley Books, 1993) with Debra Doyle [Bad Blood: pb/]
Hunter's Moon (New York: Berkley Books, 1994) with Debra Doyle [Bad Blood: pb/]
Judgment Night (New York: Berkley Books, 1995) with Debra Doyle [Bad Blood: pb/]

individual titles

Knight's Wyrd (New York: Harcourt Brace/Magic Carpet, 1992) with Debra Doyle [pb/Marco Ventura]
Mortal Kombat (New York: Tor, 1995) as by Martin Delrio [pb/R E Aaron]
Groogleman (New York: Harcourt Brace, 1996) with Debra Doyle [hb/Cliff Nielsen]
Prince Valiant (New York: Avon Books, 1995) as by Martin Delrio [pb/]
The Apocalypse Door (New York: Tor, 2002) [hb/Cliff Nielsen]
Land of Mist and Snow (New York: Eos, 2006) with Debra Doyle [pb/Steve Stone]
Lincoln's Sword (New York: Eos, 2010) with Debra Doyle [pb/Steve Stone]

tied series under their own names

Robert Silverberg's Time Tours Volume 3: Timecrime, Inc (New York: Harper Paperback, 1991) with Debra Doyle [tie: Robert Silverberg's Time Tours: pb/Kevin Johnson]
Daniel M Pinkwater's Melvinge of the Megaverse #2: Night of the Living Rat (New York: Ace Books, 1992) with Debra Doyle [tie: Daniel M Pinkwater's Melvinge of the Megaverse: pb/Rich Larson and Steve Fastner]
Gene Roddenberry's Earth: Final Conflict: Requiem for Boone (New York: Ebury Press, 2000) with Debra Doyle [tie to Earth: Final Conflict: Gene Roddenberry's Earth: Final Conflict: Requiem for Boone: pb/Cliff Nielsen]

tied series under various pseudonyms

as by Nicholas Adams

Pep Rally (New York: Harper Paperback, 1991) with Debra Doyle, writing together as Nicholas Adams [tie: Horror High: pb/]
Blood Brothers (New York: Lions, 1994) with Debra Doyle, writing together as Nicholas Adams [tie: Nightmares: pb/Marco Ventura]
Vampire's Kiss (New York: Harper Paperbacks, 1994) with Debra Doyle, writing together as Nicholas Adams [pb/]

as by Victor Appleton

Tom Swift #5: Monster Machine (New York: Pocket Archway, 1991) with Debra Doyle as Victor Appleton [tie to Tom Swift: Tom Swift: pb/Carla Sormanti]
Tom Swift #6: Aquatech Warriors (New York: Pocket Archway, 1992) with Debra Doyle as Victor Appleton [tie to Tom Swift: Tom Swift: pb/Carla Sormanti]

as by Robyn Tallis

Planet Builders #2: Night of Ghosts and Lightning (New York: Ballantine Books/Ivy, 1989) with Debra Doyle as Robyn Tallis [tie: Planet Builders: pb/Bob Eggleton]
Planet Builders #5: Zero-Sum Games (New York: Ballantine Books/Ivy, 1989) with Debra Doyle as Robyn Tallis [tie: Planet Builders: pb/Bob Eggleton]

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