| Chris Bunch | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 22, 1943 Fresno, California |
| Died | July 4, 2005 (aged 61) Ilwaco, Washington |
| Occupation | Novelist, television writer |
| Nationality | American |
| Genres | Science fiction, Fantasy |
Christopher R. "Chris" Bunch (22 December 1943–4 July 2005) was an American science fiction, fantasy and television writer, who wrote and co-wrote about thirty novels.
Born in Fresno, California, he collaborated with Allan Cole on a series of books involving a hero named Sten in a galactic empire. (Cole married Bunch's sister, Kathryn.) He served in Vietnam as a patrol commander. He also wrote for Rolling Stone and was a correspondent for Stars and Stripes. He died in his hometown of Ilwaco, Washington, after a long battle with a lung ailment.
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Dragonmaster is an action trilogy following the life and exploits of Hal Kailas, a peasant who must run away at an early age. As he journeys, his early years involve Hal as a casual labourer. His dream is to fly dragons and he joins a traveling troupe who give rides on dragons for those who can afford it as entertainment from town to town. As events unfold, he is away from his home country (land controlled by his King - Asir). When war breaks out, he is drafted into the army an unwilling soldier, he does his best to survive and works his way through the ranks of the army and society with his heroic exploits. Dragons mainly wild and untamed creatures are brought into the war as Hal and others devise new and more damaging ways to use the dragons against their enemies. This continues in the first two books, which is bloody action throughout. The third book deals with life after the war and difficulties ex-soldiers face and how Hal deals with it.
An outlined novel in the Star Risk, LTD. series, The Gangster Conspiracy, was finished by Bunch's friend Steve Perry and his son, Dal Perry.
Corsair follows the tale of Gareth Radnor who goes to live with his rich uncle after the death of his parents at the hands of the evil lynathi slavers. He has to leave the city after a prank goes bad and someone dies. He quickly makes a life for himself on the sea but always longs for revenge for his parents and the rest of his villagers. When the chance comes, he grabs it and makes himself a name and a fortune as a pirate and public support for the revenge on the lynathi. His two friends from childhood and two more from his time living with his uncle in the city of Ticao travel with him on his adventures; one is Cosyra is his love interest.
Known as The Sten Chronicles (or sometimes the Sten Adventures), this series of books is set in the far future of mankind. While the main draw of the series was the action and understated humor, the series was actually a political critique. It had seemed to Bunch and Cole that entirely too many science fiction authors were enamored with monarchies and their consequent fascist (although benevolent) ideals. They wanted to write a series to show the realities of politics and power and to place a working-class man into this series, letting the reader see through his eyes and watch as he grows to be a real and realistic hero.
International Movie Data Base (IMBD.COM)