Simon R. Green

Simon R. Green
Born 25 August 1955
Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, United Kingdom
Occupation Novelist
Alma mater University of Leicester (M.A., Modern English & American Literature)
Genre Science fiction, Fantasy, urban fantasy
Website
simonrgreen.co.uk

Simon Richard Green (born 25 August 1955) is a British science fiction and fantasy author.

Green was born in Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire. He holds a degree in modern English and American literature from the University of Leicester. He began his writing career in 1973, sold his first story Manslayer in 1976, and published his first full-length work, Awake, Awake, Ye Northern Winds in 1979. Green began his rise to success in 1988 when he sold seven novels and in 1989 when he received a commission to write the bestselling novelization of the Kevin Costner film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, which has sold more than 370,000 copies. Since 1990, Green has written dozens more novels and short stories, placing him among the more prolific science fiction authors to date. He currently resides in Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, United Kingdom where he continues to write.

Bibliography

Most of Green's works take place within the same fictional realm, encompassing multiple realities which characters inhabit, or in some cases move between. Although cross-series use of characters or settings is frequently limited to passing mentions or brief cameo appearances, a number of Green's stories have prominently featured characters from other works in a manner that is significant to the plot. Despite this, Green's works can, with some exceptions, be separated into several distinct series and standalone novels.

Series

The Twilight of the Empire series

(Prelude to the Deathstalker series)

Set in the popular Deathstalker universe. Mistworld tells the tale of the Empire attack on the free planet of Mistworld, haven of outlaws and rebels, using Typhoid Mary. Ghostworld introduces Captain Silence and his crew as they respond to an emergency on the (supposedly) dead planet of Unseeli. Hellworld finds Captain Hunter and his scouts stranded on a nightmarish planet.

All three novellas either introduce characters that later appear in the main Deathstalker epic series, or concern events that are later referred to in the main Deathstalker epic series.

The Deathstalker series

Main article: Deathstalker (series)
  1. Deathstalker (London, Gollancz 1995).
  2. Deathstalker Rebellion (London, Vista 1996).
  3. Deathstalker War (London, Gollancz/Vista 1997).
  4. Deathstalker Honour (London, Gollancz/Vista 1998).
  5. Deathstalker Destiny (London, Orion/Millennium 1999).
  6. Deathstalker Legacy (2003)
  7. Deathstalker Return (New York, Roc 2004). ISBN 0-451-42821-8
  8. Deathstalker Coda (2005)

The Deathstalker series is partly a parody of the usual space opera of the 1950s, told with sovereign disregard of the rules of probability, while being at the same time extremely bloodthirsty.

The Hawk and Fisher series

  1. Hawk & Fisher. New York, Ace, Sep 1990; as No Haven for the Guilty, London, Headline, Aug 1990.
  2. Hawk & Fisher: Winner Takes All. New York, Ace, Jan 1991; as Devil Take the Hindmost, London, Headline, Feb 1991.
  3. Hawk & Fisher: The God Killer. New York, Ace, Jun 1991; London, Headline, Sep 1991.
  4. Hawk & Fisher: Wolf in the Fold. New York, Ace, Sep 1991; as Vengeance for a Lonely Man, London, Headline, Mar 1992.
  5. Hawk & Fisher: Guard Against Dishonor. New York, Ace, Dec 1991; as Guard Against Dishonour, London, Headline, Jun 1992.
  6. Hawk & Fisher: The Bones of Haven. New York, Ace, Mar 1992; as Two Kings in Haven, London, Headline, Oct 1992.

Hawk and Fisher are a husband and wife team on the City Guard, an order which functions rather like a modern police force in a fantasy world of mixed Medieval, Renaissance, and Industrial Revolution stylings. They live in the port city of Haven, a city-state so corrupt that they can justly make the claim of being the only guards who have never taken a bribe or looked the other direction. They deal with everything from pickpockets to wide-scale destructive magic.

The Forest Kingdom series

  1. Blue Moon Rising. New York, Penguin/Roc, May 1991; London, Gollancz, Sep 1991.
  2. Blood and Honour. London, Gollancz, Jun 1992; as Blood and Honor, New York, Penguin/Roc, May 1993.
  3. Down Among the Dead Men. London, Gollancz, Sep 1993; New York, Penguin/Roc, Dec 1993.
  4. Beyond the Blue Moon (2000). ISBN 0-575-07045-5
  5. Once in a Blue Moon. Roc, USA, Jan 2014; ISBN 978-0451414663.

This series focuses on characters and events in the northern areas of the Low Kingdoms, the same kingdom which encompasses the southern city of Haven (the setting of the Hawk and Fisher series). It largely deals with the events and aftermath of the Demon War, focusing on multiple characters and plot arcs. The series serves as a companion to the Hawk and Fisher series, Blue Moon Rising taking place before the first Hawk and Fisher novel, and Beyond the Blue Moon being a followup to both Blue Moon Rising and the Hawk and Fisher series as a whole.

The Secret History series

  1. The Man with the Golden Torc (UK: 17 May 2007; US: 5 June 2007)
  2. Daemons Are Forever (US: 3 June 2008)
  3. The Spy Who Haunted Me (UK: 12 April 2009; US: 2 June 2009)
  4. From Hell with Love (US: 1 June 2010)
  5. For Heaven's Eyes Only (US: 7 June 2011)
  6. Live and Let Drood (US: 5 June 2012)
  7. Casino Infernale (US: 4 June 2013)
  8. Property of a Lady Faire (3 June 2014)

This book series was supposed to be a trilogy, but due to the great popularity of the books Green has decided to continue with the series. Being all from the same universe, the Deathstalker series has had a member of the Deathstalker family in the Secret Histories novel. Along with this comes a mention of John Taylor, a cameo appearance of Walker (both from the Nightside series), and an appearance of the Carnaki institute's boss (from the Ghost Finders series).

The Nightside series

  1. Something from the Nightside (New York, Ace, 2003)
  2. Agents of Light and Darkness (New York, Ace, 2003)
  3. Nightingale's Lament (New York, Ace, 2004)
  4. Hex and the City (New York, Ace, 2005)
  5. Paths Not Taken (New York, Ace, September 2005)
  6. Sharper than a Serpent's Tooth (Ace, 28 February 2006)
  7. Hell to Pay (Ace, 27 December 2006)
  8. The Unnatural Inquirer (Ace, 2 January 2008)
  9. Just Another Judgement Day (Ace, 6 January 2009)
  10. The Good, the Bad, and the Uncanny (Ace, 5 January 2010)
  11. A Hard Day's Knight (Ace, 4 January 2011)
  12. The Bride Wore Black Leather (Ace, 3 January 2012), ISBN 1-937007-13-8[1]

A series of fantasy novels centering around the protagonist, John Taylor, and based in the "Nightside", a hidden area within London in which magic and advanced technology exist. This series also ties into the Hawk and Fisher series (i.e. mentioning the Street of the Gods, a prominent setting in the second and third novellas, Winner Take All and God Killer). Indeed, Hawk and Fisher appear drinking at Strangefellows Pub in the Nightside as an unnamed but clearly recognizable couple in A Hard Day's Knight, and the Deathstalker series is often referenced: Haceldama, Hadenmen, and the Darkvoid Device are all mentioned in passing. Razor Eddie, Punk God of the Straight Razor, is rumored to have gone to the Street of the Gods to make a deal with some unknown deity for all the evil he had done, and came back changed. The Nightside series was completed when the twelfth book was released in January 2012.

The Ghost Finders series

  1. Ghost of a Chance (August 2010)
  2. Ghost of a Smile (August 2011)
  3. Ghost of a Dream (August 2012)
  4. Spirits From Beyond (August 2013)
  5. Voices From Beyond (26 August 2014)

The Ghostfinders of the Carnacki Institute are here to "Do Something" about ghosts, and live by the motto "We don't take any shit from the Hereafter". This series follows a team of three Ghostfinders: the leader, JC Chance, who was touched by something from Outside in a recent case and is still trying to determine what all that means; Melody Chambers, girl geek and computer expert; and "Happy" Jack Palmer, Class Eleven telepath and official gloomy bugger. They are joined by JC's ghost girlfriend, Kim. JC's motley crew is now considered an "A Team" at the Institute, and are slowly putting pieces together of a greater threat facing humanity.

The Ghostfinders series takes place in the same world as the Nightside, Secret Histories, and various other Simon R. Green novels, with frequent references to characters and places between them.

Standalone books

The Shadows Fall novel takes place in the same world as the Nightside series and is mentioned as a destination via subway in several of the Nightside novels. Characters mentioned in the Shadows Fall novel have appeared in the Nightside including Father Time, Bruin Bear, and Sea Goat as well as the building Time Tower, which is the residence of Father Time.

Short stories

Green plans to release all his short stories in two separate anthologies. The second will be a collection of Nightside shorts featuring a new novella, and the first anthology will contain his other works, also including a new novella.[2]

The first anthology, "Tales from the Hidden World", was released on 8 July 2014. It includes a new Secret Histories novella, Question of Solace. It includes all of Green's short work not set in the Nightside.

References

  1. ↑ Strock, Ian Randall (2011-01-19). "Simon R. Green completes Nightside series". Retrieved 2011-01-20.
  2. ↑ http://simonrgreen.co.uk/2012/12/11/december-news/
  3. ↑ http://www.locusmag.com/index/chklst/mg0355.htm

External links