Lucius Shepard (born August 1947, Lynchburg, Virginia, though stories and articles published under his name from 1952-1955 in Collins Magazine indicate that he may be several years older than is officially claimed) is an American writer whose work transcends easy categorization. Classified as a science fiction and fantasy writer, he often leans into other genres, such as magical realism. His work is infused with a strong political and historical sensibility and a sharp awareness of literary antecedents. Shepard's first short stories appeared in 1983, and his first novel, Green Eyes, appeared in 1984. At the time, he was considered part of the cyberpunk movement. Shepard came to writing late, having first enjoyed a varied career, including a stint playing rock and roll in the Midwest and extensive travel throughout Europe and Asia. 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... Lynchburg is an independent city located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... Smaug in his lair: an illustration for the fantasy The Hobbit Fantasy is a genre of art that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. ... Magic Realism (or Magical Realism) is an illustrative or literary technique in which the laws of cause and effect seem not quite to apply in otherwise real world situations. ... Berlins Sony Center reflects the global reach of a Japanese corporation. ... The Midwest is a common name for a region of the United States of America. ...

Lucius Shepard has won several awards for his science fiction: in 1985 he won John W. Campbell Award for best new writer, followed in 1986 with a best novella Nebula Award for his story R&R, which would later become part of his 1987 novel Life During Wartime. His novella Barnacle Bill the Spacer won a Hugo in 1993. His poem "White Trains" won the Rhysling Award in 1988. There are two major science fiction awards named in honour of John W. Campbell: John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in Science Fiction The two awards are entirely separate and run by different organisations (see individual pages for... The Nebula is an award given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), for the best science fiction/fantasy fiction published in the United States during the two previous years (see rolling eligibility below). ... The 2005 Hugo Award with base designed by Deb Kosiba. ... The Rhysling Awards are an annual award given for the best science fiction poetry. ...

Shepard currently lives in Vancouver, Washington. He continues to travel widely, and in 2006 and 2007 spent time in Costa Rica and France. Nickname: Vancouver USA, The Couve Motto: A colorful past, a bright future Location in Washington Coordinates: Country United States State Washington County Clark County Founded 1825 Incorporated 1857 Government  - Mayor Royce Pollard Area  - City  46. ...

Themes and evolution

Shepard has embraced many different themes throughout his career. In his early work, he wrote extensively about Central America. This often took two forms: clearly science-fictional stories about near future high-tech jungle war (such as "R&R" and "Salvador") and stories that seemed more in line with magic realism. Many of these, such as "Black Coral" (which concerns an American living on an island off of Honduras) and "The Jaguar Hunter" (the story of a man whose wife's debt forces him to hunt a mythical black jaguar which his people consider sacred), explore cultural clashes. Shepard has traveled extensively in Central America and lived there for a time; in multiple interviews, he has stated his belief that the Bush Administration will launch an attack against that region. For other uses, see Central America (disambiguation). ... Magic realism (or magical realism) is an artistic genre in which magical elements appear in an otherwise realistic setting. ... The Bush administration includes President George W. Bush, Vice President Richard Cheney, Bushs Cabinet, and other select officials and advisors. ...

Shepard stopped writing fiction for much of the nineties. He returned near the end of that decade, producing such works as the novella Radiant Green Star, which won a Locus Award for Best Novella in 2001.^[1]. Though he still writes Central American fiction, Shepard's interest seems to be moving north: he has recently published two short novels, "A Handbook of American Prayer" and "Viator", both set in North America. On that same note, he has recently published many works where culture and geography are secondary (his novella "Jailwise" is a prime example), preferring to focus on wider questions such as the role of justice in society. The Locus Awards are presented to winners of Locus Magazines annual readers poll, which was established in the early 70s specifically to provide recommendations and suggestions to Hugo Awards voters. ...

Much of Shepard's recent work has been non-fiction. He researched the Freight Train Riders of America and spent time riding the rails, writing both fiction and non-fiction based on those experiences. He is also a regular movie reviewer for The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction and electricstory.com [1] His reviews are marked by general contempt for the current state of American film. The Freight Train Riders of America (FTRA) is an American gang of homeless men who move about in railroad cars, particularly in the northwestern United States. ... F&SF April 1971, special Poul Anderson issue. ...

According to fellow author James Patrick Kelly, Shepard is an avid sports fan who has often used dramatic sports moments as inspiration to write[2]. Front cover of Burn (2005). ...

Shepard will be one of the two Guests of Honor at Readercon 2007. Readercon is an annual science fiction convention, held every July in the Boston, MA area (most recently in Burlington, MA). ...

References

Selected bibliography

Novels and novellas

• Green Eyes (1984)
• Life During Wartime (1987)
• "The Scalehunter's Beautiful Daughter" (1988, novella)
• "The Father of Stones" (1989, novella)
• "Kalimantan" (1990, novella)
• The Golden (1993)
• The Last Time (1995)
• Valentine (2002)
• Louisiana Breakdown (2003)
• Aztechs (2003)
• Colonel Rutherford's Colt (2003)
• Floater (2003)
• Liar's House (2004)
• A Handbook of American Prayer (2004)
• Viator (2004)
• The Golden (trade paperback reprint, 2006)
• Softspoken (2007)
• Dead Money (April/May 2007 Asimov's)

See also: 1983 in literature, other events of 1984, 1985 in literature, list of years in literature. ... Life During Wartime is a science fantasy novel written by American author Lucius Shepard. ...

Collections

• The Jaguar Hunter (1987)
• The Ends of the Earth (1991)
• Sports & Music (1994, chapbook)
• Barnacle Bill the Spacer and Other Stories (1997), published in the U.S. as *"Beast of the Heartland"
• Two Trains Running (2004)
• Trujillo and Other Stories (2004)
• Eternity and Other Stories'" (2005)

The Jaguar Hunter is a collection of science fiction and horror stories by American author Lucius Shepard. ... The Ends of the Earth is a collection of science fiction and horror stories by author Lucius Shepard. ... A modern day chapbook. ...

Comics

• Vermillion (1996-1997, comic book series: writer)

Work available online

• The Night of White Bhairab
• Liar's House
• A Walk in the Garden
• Jailwise
• Senor Volto
• Emerald Street Expansions
• Over Yonder
• AZTECHS
• The Jaguar Hunter

External links

• Lucius Shepard at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
• A more complete bibliography
• Golden Gryphon Press official site - About Louisiana Breakdown
• Golden Gryphon Press official site - About Two Trains Running
• Golden Gryphon Press official site - About The Golden (trade paperback reprint)