Reaves, J Michael
Entry updated 22 March 2023. Tagged: Author.
(1950-2023) US author, father of Mallory Reaves, who wrote at least 100 teleplays, most with fantastic elements, for the children's Saturday-morning market. He began publishing sf stories with "The Breath of Dragons" for Clarion 3 (anth 1973) edited by Robin Scott Wilson, after attending the previous year's Clarion Science Fiction Writers' Workshop. His first three books were published as by J Michael Reaves, his later books as by Michael Reaves. Much of his work is fantasy, though his first novel, I, Alien (1978), is adventure sf, and Darkworld Detective (coll of linked stories 1982) characteristically mixes sf, fantasy and detective genres in a noirish Planetary Romance quest by a colony planet's only detective for the Dark Lord (a familiar fantasy icon), who is his father. Hellstar (1984) with Steve Perry is sf; and Dome (1987), also with Perry, a Post-Holocaust tale set in the eponymous undersea Keep, engagingly tracks its large cast through various crises while, in the background, an AI begins to collaborate with humanity in preparing for the aquatic future. Later novels include InterWorld (2007) with Neil Gaiman, a Young Adult tale whose protagonist has the power to visit various Alternate World versions of Earth; subsequent volumes in the Interworld sequence were written with Gaiman's input but essentially by Mallory Reaves [see Checklist below].
It was never easy to find technical fault with Reaves, though it can be said he seemed averse to stretching himself to the edge of his clear competence; it was sometimes hard to discover much individuality beneath the professional surface, though his warming geniality as a writer shone through. [JC]
see also: Batman Films; Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends.
James Michael Reaves
born San Francisco, California: 14 September 1950
died Los Angeles, California: 20 March 2023
works
series
Shattered World
- The Shattered World (New York: Timescape Books, 1984) [Shattered World: pb/Rowena Morrill]
- The Burning Realm (New York: Baen Books, 1988) [Shattered World: pb/David Mattingly]
Time Machine
- Sword of the Samurai (New York: Bantam Books, 1984) with Steve Perry [tie to the Shared World series: Time Machine: pb/William Stout]
- Civil War Secret Agent (New York: Bantam Books, 1984) with Steve Perry [tie to the Shared World series: Time Machine: pb/Steve Fastner]
The Trine
- Hell on Earth (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey, 2001) [hb/David Stevenson]
- Mr Twilight (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey, 2013) with Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff [pb/Christian McGrath]
Star Wars
- Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey, 2001) [tie to Star Wars: Star Wars: pb/John Harris]
- Death Star (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey, 2007) with Steve Perry [tie to Star Wars: Star Wars: pb/John Harris]
- Shadow Games (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey, 2011) with Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff [tie to Star Wars: Star Wars: pb/Scott Biel]
- The Last Jedi (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey, 2013) with Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff [tie to Star Wars: Star Wars: pb/Gene Mollica]
Star Wars: Clone Wars
- Medstar I: Battle Surgeons (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey, 2004) with Steve Perry [tie to Star Wars: Star Wars: Clone Wars: pb/Dave Seeley]
- Medstar II: Jedi Healer (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey, 2004) with Steve Perry [tie to Star Wars: Star Wars: Clone Wars: pb/Dave Seeley]
Star Wars: Coruscant Nights
- Star Wars: Coruscant Nights I: Jedi Twilight (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey/Lucas, 2008) [tie to Star Wars: Star Wars: Coruscant Nights: pb/Glen Orbik]
- Star Wars: Coruscant Nights II: Street of Shadows (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey/Lucas, 2008) [tie to Star Wars: Star Wars: Coruscant Nights: pb/Glen Orbik]
- Star Wars: Coruscant Nights III: Patterns of Force (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey/Lucas, 2009) [tie to Star Wars: Star Wars: Coruscant Nights: pb/Glen Orbik]
- Coruscant Nights (New York: Science Fiction Book Club, 2011) [omni of the above three: tie to Star Wars: Star Wars: Coruscant Nights: hb/]
Interworld
- InterWorld (New York: Eos, 2007) with Neil Gaiman [Interworld: hb/James Jean]
- The Silver Dream (New York: HarperTeen, 2013) with Neil Gaiman and Mallory Reaves [Gaiman's credit is for concept: Interworld: hb/Colin Anderson]
- Eternity's Wheel (New York: HarperTeen, 2015) with Neil Gaiman and Mallory Reaves [Gaiman's credit is for concept: Interworld: hb/Colin Anderson]
individual titles
- I, Alien (New York: Ace Books, 1978) [pb/Kenneth Smith]
- Dragonworld (New York: Bantam Books, 1979) with Byron Preiss [hb/Joseph Zucker]
- Darkworld Detective (New York: Bantam Books, 1982) [coll of linked stories: pb/]
- Hellstar (New York: Berkley Books, 1984) with Steve Perry [pb/Ron Miller]
- Dome (New York: Berkley Books, 1987) with Steve Perry [pb/Ron Miller]
- The Omega Cage (New York: Ace Books, 1988) with Steve Perry [pb/Royo]
- Street Magic (New York: Tor, 1991) [hb/Barclay Shaw]
- Night Hunter (New York: Tor, 1995) [hb/Barry Appel]
- Voodoo Child (New York: Tor, 1998) [hb/Michael Koelsch]
- Thong the Barbarian Meets the Cycle Sluts of Saturn (no place given: Donald Ahlquist Publications, 1998) with Steve Perry [hb/Daniel Conan Young]
- Batman: Fear Itself (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey, 2007) with Steven-Elliot Altman [tie to the DC Comics universe: Batman: pb/Jason Van Fleet]
collections
- The Night People (Northridge, California: Babbage Press, 2005) [coll: pb/]
works as editor
- Shadows over Baker Street: New Tales of Terror (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey, 2003) with John Pelan [anth: hb/John Jude Palencar]
links
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