Steve Libbey

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Steve Libbey
Born February 1, 1969 (1969-02-01) (age 39)
Cincinnati, Ohio
Occupation musician, author
Nationality American
Writing period 1990 to present
Genres fiction
Subjects science fiction
Notable work(s) The Aqua Pura Trilogy
Official website

Steve Libbey (born February 1, 1969) is a Portland, Oregon-based author, producer and musician. He is best known for his written work with fantasy author Mercedes Lackey, and his heavy involvement in the Cincinnati independent music scene during the 1990s.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Steve Libbey was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on February 1, 1969. His early years were heavily influenced by science fiction television and writing, as well as an early introduction to punk rock. As a college student, he began to write short fiction for local publications, as well as starting his music career. Soon after his graduation from the University of Cincinnati in 1992 with a Bachelor of Arts in English, he started an independent literary magazine with an associate. However, as his musical career began to grow and flourish, he left writing behind and focused heavily on his music.

After spending a better part of the 1990s in Cincinnati, playing with such bands as Snowblind and Martian Electric, Libbey left for Atlanta, Georgia. While in Atlanta, he started his own music label, known as Imperial Fuzz, and began playing with the Shut-Ups, a New Wave band. After seven years in Atlanta, he moved to Portland, Oregon, and began to write again. This writing garnered the attention of Mercedes Lackey, a prominent figure in the fantasy genre, and the two struck up a friendship. This soon lead to the Secret World Chronicle.

[edit] Writing

[edit] The Aqua Pura Trilogy

  • The Bloodbaths (2007)
  • The Quartz Odalisque (in progress)
  • The Good King's Tomb (announced)

The Aqua Pura trilogy takes place in a fictional world similar to the Roman Empire. The books follow Crixus Oraan, an engineer who builds aqueducts and piping for bathhouses and mansions in the empire of Rond. His guild has entrusted him with gold to establish a branch in a coastal town known as Restia. Attempting to gather enough wealth to buy an extravagant home for his fiancé, he bets, and subsequently loses, the guild’s gold while gambling. In an attempt to regain the lost fortune, he sets sail with a shady sea captain for the continent of Minq.

The first book, The Bloodbaths, was released by Subatomic Books in October, 2007.

[edit] Secret World Chronicle

The Secret World Chronicle is a series of "braided novels," based on characters and ideas created by Lackey and Libbey in an on-line role-playing environment, transposed into an entirely new setting. Although there are plans to set future works in different eras, Invasion is set in the present-day in a world where "metas" (short for metahumans, that setting's term for superheroes) first appeared during World War II and now play an important role in keeping the world safe. In Invasion, the world is invaded by a mysterious force of armored Nazi soldiers, some of whom are subsequently found not to be human. In The Hunt ECHO and America attempt to find those responsible while cleaning up and dealing with the aftermath of the attacks. Also The CCCP and RED SAVIOUR settle in Atlanta to lend a hand.

The first book of The Secret World Chronicle began serialization in podcast form in September, 2006, read aloud by actors Adam Higgins, Veronica Giguere and Laura Patterson. No plans have yet been announced for print publication.

As a Bonus Secret World War: Tales Of The First Metahumans was released and tells the tales Of early Metahumans In WWII with ties to the current storyline.

The second Book of The Secret World Chronicle has recently begun serialization.

[edit] Evil Dog Publication

Evil Dog was a Cincinnati-area 'zine devoted to offbeat literary work. Libbey and Jeff Wilson founded the publication in the early 1990s, which stopped production in 1997. It was profiled in Cincinnati CityBeat on June 15, 1995.

[edit] Short Fiction

  • “4/4″ (A Cincinnati Conspiracy, anthology, 1990)
  • “The Miracle of Modern Lethargy” (Mind in Motion, 1991)
  • “Rabbit Died” (The Monthly Independent Tribune Times Journal Post Gazette, 1991)
  • “A Partial Solution” (Puppet Smut, 1992)
  • “The Man with One Leg” (originally published by Clifton Magazine, 1991, and again by Feedback, 1994 and Blue Penny Quarterly, 1994)
  • “A Ray of Hope for the Children of the Night” (Evil Dog, 1995)
  • "Count Vernon Von Tulip’s Monthly Horoscope” (Humorous horoscopes for Austin Weekly 15 Minutes, 1995-1997)

[edit] City of Heroes

The Magic in a Devushka's Heart, a short story based on the City of Heroes universe, was published in the Top Cow City of Heroes comic in 2005. Libbey was interviewed by G4Tech TV for a segment on Pulse, in which he discussed a group he had founded and the writing he and the group had begun doing.

[edit] Extra Medium Sketch Comedy Troupe

Libbey has written a number of skits for Extra Medium, a Portland-based comedy troupe. He occasionally also appears on stage with them, though not often.

[edit] Music

[edit] The Golden Greats

The Golden Greats are a Portland-area funk band. Their first studio album, titled Great Moments in New Directions, produced by Chet Lyster of The Eels, mastered by Jason NeSmith of Casper and the Cookies was released in January 2008.

[edit] Robotic Storm Cloud

Robotic Storm Cloud was Libbey's foray into electronica, after having a taste of it while recording tracks for Martian Electric. His first album, Ambush on All Sides, met with glowing reviews and local acclaim. RSC continues to record, with the latest being background music for The Secret World Chronicle.

[edit] Martian Electric

An alternative pop trio, Martian Electric was well-received in the Cincinnati area before disbanding in 1996. Their album release, Sky-Fi was listed as one of Cincinnati's top local releases in 1996.[1]

[edit] The Shut-Ups

Libbey was the guitarist for the Shut-Ups, an Atlanta, Georgia based New Wave group, before leaving Atlanta to move to Portland, Oregon. He recorded two albums with the group before his departure.

[edit] Imperial Fuzz Records

Originally titled Royal Fuzz, Imperial Fuzz was an independent music label started by Libbey after leaving Cincinnati for Atlanta. A number of bands released albums under his label, including Ruby Vileos, Minamina Goodsong and Psyche Origami.[2]

[edit] References

 This article or section is missing citations or needs footnotes.
Using inline citations helps guard against copyright violations and factual inaccuracies. (January 2008)
  1. ^ Breen, Mike. "Top of the Pops: Our own version of America's Top 40, featuring the best local CD releases of 1996", Cincinnati City Beat, December 19, 1995–January 1, 1996. 
  2. ^ Breen, Mike. "Spill It", Cincinnati City Beat, 15 February 2001. 

[edit] External links