Jack L. Chalker

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Jack Laurence Chalker
Picture taken in 1997.
Born	December 17, 1944(1944-12-17) Baltimore, Maryland
Died	February 11, 2005 (aged 60) Baltimore, Maryland
Education	Towson University Johns Hopkins University
Occupation	Science Fiction Author
Spouse	Eva C. Whitley
Children	David W. Chalker, Steven L. Chalker

Jack Laurence Chalker (December 17, 1944 – February 11, 2005) was an American science fiction author. Chalker was also a Baltimore City Schools history teacher in Maryland for a time. He also was a member of the Washington Science Fiction Association and was involved in the founding of the Baltimore Science Fiction Society.

[edit] Career and family life

He was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. Some of his books said that he was born in Norfolk, Virginia although he later claimed that was a mistake; he attended high school at the Baltimore City College. He earned a BA degree in English from Towson University, where he was a theater critic on the school newspaper The Towerlight and earned a graduate degree in history, which he followed with a MLA from Johns Hopkins University. He intended to become a lawyer, but financial problems led to him teaching instead; he taught history and geography in Baltimore public schools from 1966 to 1978. He was also a lecturer at the Smithsonian Institution, the National Institutes of Health, and numerous colleges and universities, mostly on science fiction and technology.

He joined the Washington Science Fiction Association in 1958, and in 1963 Chalker and two friends founded the Baltimore Science Fiction Society. He attended every World Science Fiction Convention, bar one, from 1965 until 2004. He published an amateur SF journal, Mirage, from 1960 to 1971, producing ten issues another journal, Interjection, ran 1968-1987 in association with the Fantasy Amateur Press Association. Also, He founded a publishing house, Mirage Press, Ltd., for releasing nonfiction and bibliographic works on science fiction and fantasy.

Chalker married Eva C. Whitley^[1] in 1978; they had two sons, David W. Chalker^[2] (born December 19, 1981) and Steven L. Chalker^[3] (born September 4, 1991).

His stated hobbies included esoteric audio, travel, and working on science-fiction convention committees. He also had a great interest in ferryboats, indeed his marriage was performed on a ferryboat in midriver.

Jack Chalker auctioneering when he was younger.

[edit] Chalker and science fiction

The writers he liked to read included Eric Frank Russell, James White, some Philip José Farmer, the early work of Raymond F. Jones and Robert A. Heinlein, Jack Vance, and others too numerous to mention. From January 1965 to November 2004, he missed only one World Science Fiction Convention.

Chalker's awards included the Daedalus Award (1983), The Gold Medal of the West Coast Review of Books (1984), Skylark Award (1985), Hamilton-Brackett Memorial Award (1979), as well as others of varying prestige. He was a nominee for the John W. Campbell Award twice and for the Hugo Award twice. He was posthumously awarded the Phoenix Award by the Southern Fandom Confederation on April 9, 2005. In 1967 Chalker founded the Baltimore Science Fiction Society and he was a 3-term treasurer of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Chalker was also the co-author (with Mark Owings) of The Science Fantasy Publishers (third edition in 1991, updated annually), published by Mirage Press, Ltd,^[4], a bibliographic guide to genre small press publishers which was a Hugo Award nominee in 1992. The Maryland young writers contest sponsored by the Baltimore Science Fiction Society was renamed "'The Jack L. Chalker Young Writers Contest" effective April 8, 2006.

He is perhaps best known for his Well World series of novels, but he also wrote many other novels (most, but not all, part of series), and at least nine short stories. Many of his works involve some physical transformation of the main characters. For instance, in the Well World novels, immigrants to the Well World are transformed from their original form to become a member of one of the thousands of sentient species that inhabit that artificial planet. Another example would be that the Wonderland Gambit series resembles traditional Buddhist jataka-type reincarnation stories set in an SF environment. Steven Chalker announced that Wonderland Gambit might be made into a movie, but supposedly its close resemblance to The Matrix resulted in the project being shelved.^[3] At the time of his death, Chalker left behind one unfinished novel, Chameleon, and was planning to write Ripsaw following Chameleon.

Jack at a Bookstore in October 1998, chatting with a couple of people before his session began.

[edit] Illness and death

On September 18, 2003, during Hurricane Isabel, Chalker passed out and was rushed to the hospital with a diagnosis of a heart attack. He was later released, but was severely weakened. On December 6, 2004, he was again rushed to hospital with breathing problems and disorientation, and was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and a collapsed lung. Chalker was hospitalized in critical condition, then upgraded to stable on December 9, though he didn't regain consciousness until December 15. After several more weeks in deteriorating condition and in a persistent vegetative state, with several transfers to different hospitals, he died on February 11, 2005 of kidney failure and sepsis in Bon Secours of Baltimore, Maryland.

Some of his remains are interred in the family plot at Loudon Park Cemetery, with the remainder distributed afterwards off a ferry near Hong Kong, a final ride on White's Ferry on Father's Day 2007, and on H. P. Lovecraft's grave (on December 17, 2005).

[edit] Bibliography

[edit] The Saga of the Well World series

Midnight at the Well of Souls, Del Rey, 1977 (ISBN 0-7434-3522-2)
Exiles at the Well of Souls, Del Rey, 1978 (ISBN 0-7434-3603-2)
Quest for the Well of Souls, Del Rey, 1978 (ISBN 0-7434-7153-9)
The Return of Nathan Brazil, Del Rey, 1980 (ISBN 0-345-28367-8)
Twilight at the Well of Souls, Del Rey, 1980 (ISBN 0-345-28368-6)
The Sea is Full of Stars, December, 1999 (ISBN 0-345-39486-0)
Ghost of the Well of Souls, 2000 (ISBN 0-345-39485-2)

[edit] The Watchers at the Well series

Echoes of the Well of Souls, Del Rey, trade paperback, May, 1993 (ISBN 0-345-38686-8)
Shadow of the Well of Souls, Del Rey Feb. 1994 (ISBN 0-345-36202-0)
Gods of the Well of Souls, Del Rey, 1994 (ISBN 0-345-38850-X)

[edit] The Four Lords of the Diamond series

Lilith: A Snake in the Grass, Del Rey, 1981 (ISBN 0-345-29369-X)
Cerberus: A Wolf in the Fold, Del Rey, 1982 (ISBN 0-345-31122-1)
Charon: A Dragon at the Gate, Del Rey, 1982 (ISBN 0-345-29370-3)
Medusa: A Tiger by the Tail, Del Rey, 1983 (ISBN 0-345-29372-X)
The Four Lords of the Diamond, The Science Fiction Book Club (omnibus edition), 1983

[edit] The Dancing Gods series

The River of Dancing Gods, Del Rey, 1984 (ISBN 0-345-30892-1)
Demons of the Dancing Gods, Del Rey, 1984 (ISBN 0-345-30893-X)
Vengeance of the Dancing Gods, Del Rey, July, 1985 (ISBN 0-345-31549-9)
Songs of the Dancing Gods, Del Rey, August, 1990 (ISBN 0-345-34799-4)
Horrors of the Dancing Gods, 1994 (ISBN 0-345-37692-7)
The Dancing Gods: Part One, Del Rey, November, 1995 (ISBN 0-345-40246-4)
The Dancing Gods II, Del Rey, September, 1996 (ISBN 0-345-40771-7)

[edit] The Soul Rider series

Spirits of Flux and Anchor, Tor Books, 1984 (ISBN 0-8125-3320-8)
Empires of Flux and Anchor, Tor Books, 1984 (ISBN 0-8125-3329-1)
Masters of Flux and Anchor, Tor Books, January, 1985 (ISBN 0-8125-3281-3)
The Birth of Flux and Anchor, Tor Books, 1985 (ISBN 0-8125-2292-3)
Children of Flux and Anchor, Tor Books, September, 1986 (ISBN 0-8125-2340-7)

[edit] The Rings of the Master series

Lords of the Middle Dark Del Rey Books, May, 1986 (ISBN 0-345-32560-5)
Pirates of the Thunder, Del Rey Books, March, 1987 (ISBN 0-345-32561-3)
Warriors of the Storm, Del Rey Books, August, 1987 (ISBN 0-345-32562-1)
Masks of the Martyrs, Del Rey, February, 1988 (ISBN 0-345-34309-3)

[edit] The G.O.D. Inc series

The Labyrinth of Dreams. Tor Books, March, 1987 (ISBN 0-8125-3306-2)
The Shadow Dancers, Tor Books, July, 1987
The Maze in the Mirror, Tor Books, January, 1989 (ISBN 0-8125-2069-6)

[edit] The Changewinds series

When the Changewinds Blow, Ace - Putnams, September, 1987
Riders of the Winds, Ace Books, May, 1988
War of the Maelstrom, Ace - Putnams, October, 1988 (ISBN 0-441-10268-9)

[edit] The Quintara Marathon series

The Demons at Rainbow Bridge, Ace-Putnam's, hardcover, September, 1989 (ISBN 0-441-69992-8)
The Run to Chaos Keep, Ace - Putnams, May, 1991 (ISBN 0-441-69348-2)
The Ninety Trillion Fausts (a.k.a. 90 Trillion Fausts), Ace - Putnams, October 1991 (ISBN 0-441-58103-X)

[edit] The Wonderland Gambit series

The Cybernetic Walrus, Del Rey, trade pb in November, 1995
The March Hare Network, 1996
The Hot-Wired Dodo, Del Rey, Feb. 1997

[edit] The Three Kings series

Balshazzar's Serpent, Baen Books 1999
Melchior's Fire, Baen Books, 2001.
Kaspar's Box, 2003

[edit] Stand-alone novels

A Jungle of Stars, Ballantine, Del Rey, 1976 (ISBN 0-345-28960-9)
The Web of the Chozen, Del Rey, 1978 (ISBN 0-345-27376-1)
And the Devil Will Drag You Under, Del Rey, 1979 (ISBN 0-345-30504-3)
A War of Shadows, Ace: An Analog Book, 1979
Dancers in the Afterglow, Del Rey, 1979, 1982 (ISBN 0-345-30493-4)
The Devil's Voyage, Doubleday, 1980
The Identity Matrix, Timescape: Pocket Books, 1982 (ISBN 0-671-65547-7)
Downtiming the Night Side, Tor Books, May, 1985 (ISBN 0-8125-3288-0)
The Messiah Choice, St. Martins - Blue Jay, May, 1985
The Red Tape War (with Mike Resnick and George Alec Effinger). Tor hardcover, April, 1991
Priam's Lens, Del Rey 1997 (ISBN 0-345-40294-4)
The Moreau Factor, Del Rey Feb., 2000
Chameleon (partially completed at time of death)

[edit] Collection and anthology

Dance Band on the Titanic, Del Rey Books, July, 1988 (short stories)
Hotel Andromeda [edited by], Ace, 1994 (ISBN 0-441-00010-X)

Besides the short stories included in Dance Band on the Titanic, Chalker wrote at least one other short story:

"And Now Falls the Cold, Cold Night". Alternate Presidents, ed. Mike Resnick, Tor 1992.

[edit] Omnibus collections of novels

The Watchers at the Well, Science Fiction Book Club, 1994
Changewinds, Baen, August, 1996
The Four Lords of the Diamond (Book Club Edition - 1983)

[edit] References

^ Would you Eva?. Retrieved on 2004-06-03.
^ Dave: The Game. Retrieved on 2006-03-05.
^ ^a ^b Meteorologist Life. Retrieved on 2006-03-05.
^ The Mirage Press Ltd. (2004). Retrieved on 2006-03-05.

[edit] External links

Persondata
NAME	Chalker, Jack L.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Chalker, Jack
SHORT DESCRIPTION	American science-fiction author
DATE OF BIRTH	December 17, 1944(1944-12-17)
PLACE OF BIRTH	Baltimore, Maryland
DATE OF DEATH	February 11, 2005
PLACE OF DEATH	Baltimore, Maryland

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