Michael Lawson Bishop (November 12, 1945 – November 13, 2023) was an American author. Over five decades and in more than thirty books, he created what has been called a "body of work that stands among the most admired and influential in modern science fiction and fantasy literature."Cox, F. Brett and Andy Duncan, eds., ''Crossroads: Tales of the Southern Literary Fantastic'', New York: Tor Books, 2004: 223

Biography

Michael Lawson Bishop was born on November 12, 1945, in

Lincoln, Nebraska Lincoln is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The city covers and had a population of 291,082 as of the 2020 census. It is the state's List of cities in Nebraska, second-most populous city a ...

, the son of Leotis "Lee" Bishop and Maxine ("Mac") Elaine Matison. His parents met in the summer of 1942 when his father, a recent enlistee of the Army Air Corps, was stationed in Lincoln. Bishop's childhood was the peripatetic life of a

military brat A military brat (colloquial or military slang) is a child of serving or retired military personnel. Military brats are associated with a unique subcultureDavid C. Pollock, Ruth E. van Reken. ''Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds'', Revise ...

. He went to kindergarten in Tokyo, Japan, and he spent his senior year of high school in

Seville, Spain Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula. Seville ...

. His parents divorced in 1951, and Bishop spent summers wherever his father happened to be based.Bishop, Michael. "Military Brat." ''Contemporary Authors Autobiography Series'', Volume 26. Detroit: Gale Research, 1997. Bishop entered the

University of Georgia The University of Georgia (UGA or Georgia) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Athens, Georgia, United States. Chartered in 1785, it is the oldest public university in th ...

in 1963, receiving his

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

in 1967, before going on to complete a master's degree in English in 1968. In 1969, he married Jeri Ellis Whitaker of Columbus, Georgia. He taught English (including a course in science fiction) at the United States Air Force Academy Preparatory School in

Colorado Springs Colorado Springs is the most populous city in El Paso County, Colorado, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 478,961 at the 2020 census, a 15.02% increase since 2010. Colorado Springs is the second-most populous c ...

from 1968 to 1972. After his service career, he taught composition and English literature at the

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

. A son, Jamie, was born in 1971, and a daughter, Stephanie was born in 1973. Bishop left teaching in 1974 to become a full-time writer. In those early years of freelance writing, he would occasionally work as a substitute teacher in the public schools and as a stringer for the Ledger-Enquirer in Columbus. In 1996, Bishop became writer-in-residence at LaGrange College located near his home (built in the 1890s) in Pine Mountain, Georgia. Bishop taught creative-writing courses and an occasional January interim-term course. He held this position until Spring 2012. Bishop identified as a Christian. Michael and Jeri, former counselor at Rosemont Elementary School, had two grandchildren, Annabel and Joel, by their daughter Stephanie. On April 16, 2007, their son Jamie, a lecturer in German and I.T. Studies, became one of the victims of the

Virginia Tech shooting The Virginia Tech shooting was a spree killer, spree shooting that occurred on Monday, April 16, 2007, comprising two attacks on the campus of the Virginia Tech, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in Blacksbu ...

. Bishop and his wife subsequently advocated for stricter

gun laws in the United States In the United States, the right to keep and bear arms is modulated by a variety of state and federal statutes. These laws generally regulate the manufacture, trade, possession, transfer, record keeping, transport, and destruction of firearms, ...

. Bishop died from cancer at a hospice facility in

LaGrange, Georgia LaGrange is a city in and the county seat of Troup County, Georgia, United States. The population of the city was estimated to be 30,858 in 2020 by the U.S. Census Bureau. It is the principal city of the LaGrange, Georgia Micropolitan Statist ...

, on November 13, 2023, one day after his 78th birthday.

Career overview

Bishop was twice awarded the

Nebula A nebula (; or nebulas) is a distinct luminescent part of interstellar medium, which can consist of ionized, neutral, or molecular hydrogen and also cosmic dust. Nebulae are often star-forming regions, such as in the Pillars of Creation in ...

: in 1981 for " The Quickening" ( Best Novelette) and in 1982 for ''

No Enemy But Time ''No Enemy But Time'' is a 1982 science fiction novel by Michael Bishop. It won the 1982 Nebula Award for Best Novel, and was also nominated for the 1983 John W. Campbell Memorial Award. It was included in David Pringle's book '' Science Fic ...

'' ( Best Novel). He also received four

Locus Award The Locus Awards are an annual set of literary awards voted on by readers of the science fiction and fantasy magazine '' Locus'', a monthly magazine based in Oakland, California. The awards are presented at an annual banquet. Originally a poll ...

s and his work has been nominated for numerous

Hugo Award The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) and chosen by its members. The award is administered by th ...

s. In July 2009, "The Pile" was the recipient of the

Shirley Jackson Award The Shirley Jackson Awards are literary awards named after Shirley Jackson in recognition of her legacy in writing. These awards for outstanding achievement in the literature of psychological suspense, horror and dark fantasy are presented at Rea ...

for Best Short Story of 2008. In 1993,

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...

optioned his novel '' Brittle Innings'' for a film and bought the rights outright in 1995. (To date, no film has been made.)''SFRA 2009 Program Book'', Atlanta GA: Science Fiction Research Association Conference, 2009: 15 Bishop published fifteen solo novels, three

collaborative novels Collaborative fiction is a form of writing by a group of authors who share creative control of a story. Collaborative fiction can occur for commercial gain, as part of education, or recreationally – many collaboratively written works have bee ...

, and more than 150 pieces of short fiction, most of which have been gathered into eleven collections. A major career retrospective collection, ''The Door Gunner and Other Perilous Flights of Fancy'' was published in February 2012 by

Subterranean Press Subterranean Press is a small press publisher in Burton, Michigan. Subterranean is best known for publishing genre fiction, primarily Horror fiction, horror, suspense and dark mystery, fantasy, and science fiction. In addition to publishing novel ...

. His stories have appeared in such publications as ''

Playboy ''Playboy'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $ ...

'', ''

Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine ''Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine'' (''AHMM'') is a bi-monthly digest size fiction magazine specializing in crime and detective fiction. ''AHMM'' is named for Alfred Hitchcock, the famed director of suspense films and television. History ''AH ...

'', ''

Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine ''Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine'' is a bi-monthly American digest size fiction magazine specializing in crime fiction, particularly detective fiction, and mystery fiction. Launched in fall 1941 by Mercury Press, ''EQMM'' is named after the fic ...

'', ''

Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine ''Asimov's Science Fiction'' is an American science fiction magazine edited by Sheila Williams and published by Dell Magazines, which is owned by Penny Press. It was launched as a quarterly by Davis Publications in 1977, after obtaining Isaac ...

'', the ''

Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'' (usually referred to as ''F&SF'') is a U.S. fantasy and science-fiction magazine, first published in 1949 by Mystery House, a subsidiary of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Press. Editors Anthony Bouche ...

'', the ''Missouri Review'', the ''

Indiana Review ''Indiana Review'' (''IR'') is a small, student-run literary magazine at Indiana University Bloomington. Founded in 1976, it has a circulation of about 2,000. A biannual review, ''IR'' publishes essays, fiction, graphic arts, interviews, poetr ...

'', the ''Chattahoochee Review'', the ''Georgia Review'', '' Omni'', and '' Interzone''. His work has been translated into more than a dozen languages. Bishop edited seven anthologies, including the

-winning ''Light Years and Dark'' and ''A Cross of Centuries: Twenty-five Imaginative Tales about the Christ'', published by Thunder's Mouth Press in 2007. His latest anthology, ''Passing for Human'', was co-edited with

Steven Utley Steven Utley (November 10, 1948—January 12, 2013) was an American writer. He wrote poems, humorous essays and other non-fiction, and worked on comic books and cartoons, but was best known for his science fiction stories. Biography Utley was bor ...

and published by

PS Publishing PS Publishing is an independent book publisher based in Hornsea, UK. Background PS Publishing was founded in 1999 by Peter Crowther. In addition to his fiction, Bishop published poetry (gathered in two collections) and won the 1979

Rhysling Award __NOTOC__ The Rhysling Awards are an annual award given for the best speculative poetry, science fiction, fantasy, or horror poem of the year. The award name was dubbed by Andrew Joron in reference to a character in a science fiction story: the bl ...

for his poem "For the Lady of a Physicist." He also had essays and reviews published in numerous newspapers and magazines, including ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'', ''

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' (''AJC'') is an American daily newspaper based in metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the result of the merger ...

'', the ''

Columbus Ledger-Enquirer The ''Ledger-Enquirer'' is a newspaper headquartered in downtown Columbus, Georgia, in the United States. It was founded in 1828 as the ''Columbus Enquirer'' by Mirabeau B. Lamar who later played a pivotal role in the founding of the Republic o ...

'', ''

Omni Magazine ''Omni'' was a science and science fiction magazine published for domestic American and UK markets. It contained articles on science, parapsychology, and short works of science fiction and fantasy. It was published as a print version between Oct ...

'', and the ''

New York Review of Science Fiction ''The New York Review of Science Fiction'' is a monthly literary magazine of science fiction that was established in 1988. It includes works of science fiction criticism, essays, and in-depth critical reviews of new works of fiction and scholarsh ...

''. A collection of his nonfiction, '' A Reverie for Mister Ray'', was published in 2005 by

PS Publishing PS Publishing is an independent book publisher based in Hornsea, UK. Background PS Publishing was founded in 1999 by Peter Crowther. Bishop and British author Ian Watson collaborated on a novel set in the universe of one of Bishop's earlier works. He also wrote two mystery novels with Paul Di Filippo, under the joint pseudonym Philip Lawson. Bishop's collaboration with

, the short story "The City Quiet as Death", was published in June 2009 on Tor.com. Bishop wrote introductions to books by Philip K. Dick,

Theodore Sturgeon Theodore Sturgeon (; born Edward Hamilton Waldo, February 26, 1918 – May 8, 1985) was an American author of primarily fantasy fiction, fantasy, science fiction, and Horror fiction, horror, as well as a critic. He wrote approximately 400 ...

, James Tiptree, Jr.,

Pamela Sargent Pamela Sargent (born March 20, 1948) is an American feminist, science fiction author, and editor. She has an MA in classical philosophy and has won a Nebula Award. Sargent wrote a trilogy concerning the terraforming of Venus that is sometim ...

Gardner Dozois Gardner Raymond Dozois ( ; July 23, 1947 – May 27, 2018) was an American science fiction author and editor. He was the founding editor of '' The Year's Best Science Fiction'' anthologies (1984–2018) and was editor of '' Asimov's Science Fict ...

Lucius Shepard Lucius Shepard (August 21, 1943 – March 18, 2014) was an American writer. Classified as a science fiction and fantasy writer, he often leaned into other genres, such as magical realism. Career Shepard was a native of Lynchburg, Virginia, wher ...

Mary Shelley Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley ( , ; ; 30 August 1797 – 1 February 1851) was an English novelist who wrote the Gothic novel ''Frankenstein, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' (1818), which is considered an History of science fiction# ...

, Andy Duncan, Paul Di Filippo,

Bruce Holland Rogers Bruce Holland Rogers is an American author of short fiction who also writes under the pseudonym Hanovi Braddock. His stories have won a Pushcart Prize, two Nebula Awards, the Bram Stoker Award, two World Fantasy Awards, the Micro Award, and ha ...

, and

Rhys Hughes Rhys Henry Hughes (born 1966, Cardiff, Wales) is a Welsh fantasy writer and essayist. Career Born in Cardiff, Hughes has written in a variety of forms, from short stories to novels. His long novel ''Engelbrecht Again!'' is a sequel to Maur ...

. Bishop was Guest of Honor at more than a dozen

science fiction conventions Science fiction conventions are gatherings of fans of the speculative fiction subgenre, science fiction. Historically, science fiction conventions had focused primarily on literature, but the purview of many extends to such other avenues of ex ...

including the 1977

DeepSouthCon The DeepSouthCon (DSC) is an annual science fiction convention, which is hosted in different cities in the Southern United States. Site selection is by vote of the membership of a given DSC, for the convention to be held 2 years in the future. DS ...

, the 1978

Philcon Philcon, also known as the "Philadelphia Science Fiction Conference", is an annual three-day science fiction convention held at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel in Cherry Hill, New Jersey (formerly the Crowne Plaza Hotel). The convention is run by ...

, the 1992

Readercon Readercon is an annual science fiction convention, typically held every July in the Boston, Massachusetts area, currently taking place in Quincy, Massachusetts. It was founded by Bob Colby and Eric Van in 1987 with the goal of focusing almost exc ...

, the 1992

World Fantasy Convention The World Fantasy Convention is an annual science fiction convention, convention of professionals, collectors, and others interested in the field of fantasy. The World Fantasy Awards are presented at the event. Other features include an art sh ...

, the 1999

World Horror Convention The World Horror Convention was an annual professional gathering of the World Horror Society and other interested parties that ran annually for 26 years, from 1991 through 2016, before being discontinued. Site selection The annual World Horro ...

, the 2005

Norwescon Norwescon is one of the largest regional science fiction and fantasy conventions in the United States. Located in SeaTac in Washington state, Norwescon has been running continuously since 1978. "Norwescon" was also the name of the 8th World S ...

, the 2009

Science Fiction Research Association The Science Fiction Research Association (SFRA), founded in 1970, is the oldest, non-profit professional organization committed to encouraging, facilitating, and rewarding the study of science fiction and fantasy literature, film, and other media. ...

Conference, and Special Guest at the 2010

ArmadilloCon ArmadilloCon is a science fiction convention held annually in Austin, Texas, USA, since 1979. As the second longest running science fiction convention in Texas, it is sponsored by the Fandom Association of Central Texas and is known for its empha ...

. He was also one of the organizers of the three ''Slipstreaming in the Arts'' conferences (1997–2001). In 2001, he was given an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities from LaGrange College. In May 2013, he was the Guest of Honor at Italcon 39, the Italian national convention of fantastic literature.

Early work

Michael Bishop's first published professional fiction sale was the short story "Piñon Fall" to

Galaxy Science Fiction ''Galaxy Science Fiction'' was an American digest-size science fiction magazine, published in Boston from 1950 to 1980. It was founded by a French-Italian company, World Editions, which was looking to break into the American market. World Edi ...

in 1970. It was shortly followed by "If a Flower Could Eclipse", the first story in his Urnu sequence, Bishop's longest and most significant series of related stories. His shorter series, Glaktik Komm, in the subgenre of anthropological science fiction, consists of two short stories and two novels published in the late 1970s. While ''

'' and '' If'' magazines were publishing his science-fiction stories, the ''

'' became Bishop's venue for his fantasy/horror stories. This early period is also noted for a number of high-profile novellas: in 1973 "Death and Designation Among the Asadi" and "The White Otters of Childhood" appeared on the shortlist ballots for both the Hugo and

awards. The 1974

gonzo Gonzo may refer to: People * Gonzo (nickname), a list of people with the nickname * Radislav Jovanov Gonzo (born 1964), Croatian music video director Radislav Jovanov, also known as Gonzo * Matthias Röhr (born 1962), German musician whose stage ...

novella "On the Street of the Serpents" (including a character named "Michael Bishop") first appeared in an anthology of original stories. It would eventually lead to a contract for his

first novel A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to p ...

from

Ballantine Books Ballantine Books is a major American book publisher that is a subsidiary of German media conglomerate Bertelsmann. Ballantine was founded in 1952 by Ian Ballantine with his wife, Betty Ballantine. Ballantine was acquired by Random House in ...

, the anthology's publisher.Bishop, Michael. "First Novel, Seventh Novel." ''A Funeral for the Eyes of Fire''. Worcester Park: Kerosina, 1989. 11-12.

Anthropological novels

Six of Bishop's first eight novels are set on other worlds (the other two are the part of his UrNu sequence of stories.) Critic and author

John Clute John Frederick Clute (born 12 September 1940) is a Canadian-born author and critic specializing in science fiction and fantasy literature who has lived in both England and the United States since 1969. He has been described as "an integral part ...

writes that "…his early stories and novels display considerable intellectual complexity, and do not shirk the downbeat implications of their anthropological treatment of aliens and alienating milieux…" Clute, John. "Bishop, Michael." ''

The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction ''The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction'' (''SFE'') is an English language reference work on science fiction, first published in 1979. It has won the Hugo Award, Hugo, Locus Award, Locus and BSFA Award, British SF Awards. Two print editions appea ...

''. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1993. 126. In his major essay on these early novels, author Ian Watson writes "Michael Bishop is both an exoticist and a moralist. He is sometimes guilty, in the first respect, of a certain over-writing – underlying exotic venue by exotic diction – though the two become more organically integrated as his work progresses; and in the second respect of what one might call an over-scrupulousness on the part of his characters and his perceived attitude to them… These, however, are merely the consequence of aspiration and conscience; and as more of Bishop's work has appeared – and his reputation has grown – he has shown…a more coherent melding of exotic vision, ethics and style." Watson, Ian. "A Rhetoric of Recognition: The Science Fiction of Michael Bishop." ''

Foundation Foundation(s) or The Foundation(s) may refer to: Common uses * Foundation (cosmetics), a skin-coloured makeup cream applied to the face * Foundation (engineering), the element of a structure which connects it to the ground, and transfers loads f ...

'' 19. Dagenham UK: SF Foundation, North East London Polytechnic. June 1980: 5.

''A Funeral for the Eyes of Fire''

When Bishop's first novel, ''A Funeral for the Eyes of Fire'', was published by

in 1975, critics Alexei and Cory Panshin wrote that the novel "shows an interest in the anthropological comparable to

Ursula K. Le Guin Ursula Kroeber Le Guin ( ; Kroeber; October 21, 1929 – January 22, 2018) was an American author. She is best known for her works of speculative fiction, including science fiction works set in her Hainish universe, and the ''Earthsea'' fantas ...

and a sense of the alien comparable to James Tiptree, Jr. But it is an individual work, Bishop's own and no one else's. ''A Funeral for the Eyes of Fire'' is highly imperfect. It is a pied mirror, everywhere reflecting brilliantly bright, everywhere cloudy. It leads the eyes inward, and ultimately reveals nothing clearly. Even so, it is the most impressive first novel so far seen in the Seventies." They go on to declare that "Bishop is one of the new and still rare breed of science fiction writer attempting to produce art without rejecting the pulp vigor that is science fiction's continuing strengths." Panshin, Alexei and Cory Panshin. ''

'', Cornwall CT: Mercury Press. Aug. 1975: 49. The novel was nominated for a Nebula Award in 1975.

''And Strange at Ecbatan the Trees''

Bishop's second novel (and first hardcover publication) takes its title from Archibald MacLeish's poem "You, Andrew Marvell". Published by

Harper & Row Harper is an American publishing house, the flagship imprint of global publisher HarperCollins, based in New York City. Founded in New York in 1817 by James Harper and his brother John, the company operated as J. & J. Harper until 1833, when ...

in 1976, it is set in the same far future as his Hugo- and

-nominated novella "The White Otters of Childhood." There are two surviving races, both genetically engineered by a third, the Parfects, who also manipulate the ongoing struggle between them.

Richard A. Lupoff Richard Allen Lupoff (February 21, 1935 – October 22, 2020) was an American science-fiction and mystery author, who also wrote humor, satire, nonfiction and reviews. In addition to his two dozen novels and more than 40 short stories, he ...

praised the novel lavishly, calling it "An eccentric, accomplished performance; and impressive and admirable one . . . a delightful book, a new treatment of a somewhat familiar theme, but crafted into a strange shape and told with such fineness of presence and such impressive language that it hardly matters what the book is about." Reviewer Keith L. Justice writes "If Bishop never published another word of fiction, he would still have to be considered a milestone writer in the development of contemporary sf… Writers such as Le Guin,

Tiptree Tiptree is a large village and civil parish in the English county of Essex, situated south-west of Colchester and around north-east of London. Surrounding villages include Messing, Tolleshunt Knights, Tolleshunt Major, Layer Marney, Inwor ...

, and Bishop are developing a whole new generation of artistry."Justice, Keith L. "Paperbacks." ''Delap's F&SF Review'', Dragonwood Press. Feb 1978: 27.

''Stolen Faces''

In ''Stolen Faces'' (published by

in 1977), a recently demoted commissioner has been reassigned to a colony planet to govern a compound which isolates the sufferers of a leprosy-like disease. Ian Watson writes that the novel is "about deceit, maskedness and discovery of self-truth…a harsh, arctic tale by contrast with 'And Strange at Ecbatan the Trees''where the terrain may be stark but there is a mannered elegance in the tone of voice; it is a tale executed in an argot-ritualistic style." Watson, Ian. "A Rhetoric of Recognition: The Science Fiction of Michael Bishop". ''Foundation'' 19. Dagenham UK: SF Foundation, North East London Polytechnic. June 1980: 10. Critic Richard Delap writes "There is an abundance of exploitable elements in Bishop's story, so it is astonishing to see how the author keeps them under strict rein, always with a highly keyed visual sense but also with a literary flair that says more by implication than by direct description. The writing itself is crafted with a precision that becomes obvious only as the novel progresses." Delap, Richard. ''

''. Cornwall CT: Mercury Press. Oct. 1977: 36-37.

''Transfigurations''

The Hugo- and

-nominated novella "Death and Designation Among the Asadi" forms the first part of ''

Transfigurations "Transfigurations" is the 25th episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', and the 73rd episode of the series overall. Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adv ...

'', a novel published in 1979 by Berkley Putnam. The story continues when the daughter of the anthropologist who studied the Asadi, a hominid-like race on the planet Bosk'veld, investigates his disappearance. In the journal ''

'', John Clute writes that the novel is "a fever of explanation. Hypothesis builds on hypothesis s more and more data is added to the original observations and much of the resulting construction is beautifully crafted, almost hallucinatory it is so plausible. But of course these explanations are never enough – and the intellectual tact by which Bishop makes them almost ''but not quite'' fit the data they are meant to make transparent is perhaps the strongest part of this extremely dense and carefully thought-through novel." Clute, John. "Reviews." ''

'' 19. Dagenham UK: SF Foundation, North East London Polytechnic. June 1980: 73.

writes "Michael Bishop's ''Transfigurations'' is as complex, as carefully thought-out, and as compelling an sf novel as you'll find anywhere, ever." Sturgeon, Theodore. "Other Dimensions: Books." ''Rod Serling's Twilight Zone Magazine''. New York: TZ Publications. June 1981: 8. ''Transfigurations'' was nominated for the British Science Fiction Association Award in 1980.

''Eyes of Fire''

In 1980, Bishop was given the unusual opportunity by editor

David Hartwell David Geddes Hartwell (July 10, 1941 – January 20, 2016) was an American critic, publisher, and editor of thousands of science fiction and fantasy novels. He was best known for work with Signet, Pocket, and Tor Books publishers. He was also no ...

to rewrite his first novel. This completely revised version (or, as Bishop called it, wholesale ''reimagining''Bishop, Michael. "First Novel, Seventh Novel." ''A Funeral for the Eyes of Fire''. Worcester Park: Kerosina, 1989. 16.) was published by

Pocket Books Pocket Books is a division of Simon & Schuster that primarily publishes paperback books. History Pocket Books produced the first Paperback#Mass market paperback, mass-market, pocket-sized paperback books in the United States in early 1939 and ...

as ''Eyes of Fire''. In his introduction to the British hardcover edition of the revised work, Bishop writes "…I still feel affection for the original version of ''A Funeral for the Eyes of Fire'', its callow narrator, and a few of the flavorful images and metaphors with which I salted the text. But I also recognize the fumble-fingeredness and immaturity of that initial version."Bishop, Michael. "First Novel, Seventh Novel." ''A Funeral for the Eyes of Fire''. Worcester Park: Kerosina, 1989. 8. Very few publications (mostly

fanzines A fanzine (blend word, blend of ''fan (person), fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) for the pleas ...

) took enough notice to review the new version. (

even used the artwork of the original publisher's edition.) In one of the rare reviews, Robert Frazier writes "In almost every detail, ''Eyes of Fire'' is crafted intelligently… It is not the type of sf that pushes to the heights of wonder. Instead it is a probing, disturbing, moving reflection on humanity… Bishop's skill is at plumbing to the depths, and his basic tool is a two-way glass. ther novels this yearwill have to go a long distance to surpass this effort."Frazier, Robert. "Reviews, books, etc." ''Thrust'' 15. Gaithersburg MD: Thrust Publications. Summer 1980: 46.

''Under Heaven's Bridge''

When British author Ian Watson read Bishop's ''A Little Knowledge'' (1977), he was so fascinated with the alien Cygnusians that he wrote to inquire whether Bishop had plans to write a story about the aliens' home planet.Langford, David. "An Interview with Ian Watson." ''Science Fiction Review'' 42. Portland OR: Richard E. Geis. Feb. 1982: 8. Thus began what Bishop calls "the first ever

transatlantic Transatlantic, Trans-Atlantic or TransAtlantic may refer to: Film * Transatlantic Pictures, a film production company from 1948 to 1950 * Transatlantic Enterprises, an American production company in the late 1970s * ''Transatlantic'' (1931 film) ...

science fiction collaboration", with all correspondence sent by post. Although often labeled as the third book in the series, it is not truly part of the main UrNu sequence. In this novel, published in the UK by Gollancz (1981) and in the US by

Ace Books Ace Books is a publisher of science fiction (SF) and fantasy books founded in New York City in 1952 by A. A. Wyn, Aaron A. Wyn. It began as a genre publisher of mystery fiction, mysteries and western (genre), westerns, and soon branched out int ...

(1982), a Japanese linguist, crewmember of the research starship ''Heavenbridge'', arrives on the home planet of the Kybers (so-called because they're seemingly made of flesh and metal.) She soon learns that the planet's sun will shortly go nova.

Brian Stableford Brian Michael Stableford (25 July 1948 – 24 February 2024) was a British academic, critic and science fiction writer who published a hundred novels and over a hundred volumes of translations. His earlier books were published under the name Br ...

writes that the novel when compared with other recent sf collaborations "is a very solid and rewarding piece of work. Its basic premise is original and intelligently worked-out, and the storyline sustains the fascination of the reader throughout. Nevertheless, it seems to me to fall slightly behind the standard set by recent solo works by either of the two authors." He concludes that the "book is worth reading, but it is not an outstanding work in either author's canon." Stableford, Brian. "Reviews." ''

'' 22. Dagenham UK: SF Foundation, North East London Polytechnic. June 1981: 98. This is Michael Bishop's last novel-length work of other worlds fiction.

UrNu sequence

With "If a Flower Could Eclipse" (1970), his second published story, Bishop began a series of stories set in the Urban Nucleus of Atlanta, one of several domed cities in his future history. Over the next decade he would write seven stories of varying length and one novel to fill in the century-long chronology.Bishop, Michael. "Catacomb Years: A Chronology." ''Catacomb Years'', New York: Berkley/Putnam. Jan. 1979: 11. Some of the stories first appeared in such prestigious anthology series as Damon Knight's ''

Orbit In celestial mechanics, an orbit (also known as orbital revolution) is the curved trajectory of an object such as the trajectory of a planet around a star, or of a natural satellite around a planet, or of an artificial satellite around an ...

'' and Terry Carr's ''

Universe The universe is all of space and time and their contents. It comprises all of existence, any fundamental interaction, physical process and physical constant, and therefore all forms of matter and energy, and the structures they form, from s ...

''. Four of the stories would subsequently be chosen for best-of-the-year anthologies. (N.B.: According to the author's website ''A Funeral for the Eyes of Fire'' and ''Under Heaven's Bridge'' are only tangentially connected to the series and thus not part of the sequence proper.) In 2019, all of the works in this series, including two short stories, a novelette, four novellas, and a novel, were revised, sequenced, and published as ''The City and the Cygnets'' with an introduction by Kelly Robson, revised chronology and interstitial material, and a new afterword by the author.

''A Little Knowledge''

The only novel-length work in the UrNu sequence, ''A Little Knowledge'', was published in 1977 by Berkley/Putnam. Chronologically, its events fall just before the last story in the series, "Death Rehearsals". The alien Cygnusians that first appeared in the novella "Allegiances" have been brought into the domed city of Atlanta, causing quite a stir when one of them converts to the state sponsored religion. Mary S. Weinkauf writes "…this is a cleverly done book with many elements of previously admired sf…although it is maneuvered by too carefully contrived coincidences and leaves some questions at the end… tis a book to think about long after you put it down."Weinkauf, Mary S. "Fiction." ''Delap's F&SF Review'', Dragonwood Press. Feb 1978: 7. Richard Delap writes that "characters…scurry through this shifting maze as if they are buffeted by the social and political activities of this future world rather than by an author plotting to reach a predestined conclusion. ''A Little Knowledge'' is a lively, thought-provoking novel that will exercise your brain."Delap, Richard. "Books." ''

'', Cornwall CT: Mercury Press. Oct. 1977: 37.

''Catacomb Years''

All of the previously published stories in Bishop's UrNu sequence, along with a new novella, "Death Rehearsals", are contained in ''Catacomb Years'', a

fix-up A fix-up (or fixup) is a novel created from several short fiction stories that may or may not have been initially related or previously published. The stories may be edited for consistency, and sometimes new connecting material, such as a frame ...

published in 1979 by Berkley/Putnam. Bishop also wrote new connecting material and provided a timeline.

Later novels

''No Enemy But Time''

Bishop's critically acclaimed novel, the

Nebula Award The Nebula Awards annually recognize the best works of science fiction or fantasy published in the United States. The awards are organized and awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA), a nonprofit association of pr ...

winning ''No Enemy But Time'', was published in 1982 by

Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster LLC (, ) is an American publishing house owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts since 2023. It was founded in New York City in 1924, by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. Along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group US ...

under

's editorship and the

Timescape ''Timescape'' is a 1980 science fiction novel by American writer Gregory Benford (with unbilled co-author Hilary Foister, Benford's sister-in-law, who is credited as having "contributed significantly to the manuscript"). It won the 1981 Nebula a ...

imprint.

writes that the novel "intensified the movement of ishop'simagination to a local habitat, and for the first time introduced a protagonist of sufficient racial (and mental) complexity to carry a storyline immured in the particular and haunted by the exotic." In this sophisticated twist on the traditional time-travel story, a modern-day African-American man is recruited by the military for his special ability to "dream" himself into the

Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( ; referred to colloquially as the ''ice age, Ice Age'') is the geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fin ...

era where he becomes involved with a tribe of habilines.

Thomas Disch Thomas Michael Disch (February 2, 1940 – July 4, 2008) was an American science fiction writer and poet. He won the Hugo Award for Best Related Book—previously called "Best Non-Fiction Book"—in 1999. He had two other Hugo nominations and n ...

writes "Bishop is determined to write about human goodness without resorting to the mock heroics of formula adventure stories. There are no villains in the book, even among the habilines. The central and absorbing drama of the book is the hero's growing love for the habiline, Helen. Looming behind this love story is a larger theme, the formation across the entire span of history of the Family of Man, a phrase that becomes, as the novel ripens to its conclusion, no mere liberal piety but a fully realized dramatic affirmation." Disch, Thomas M. "Other Dimensions: Books." ''Rod Serling's Twilight Zone Magazine'', June 1982: 8. In one of the few mixed reviews,

Tom Easton Thomas A. Easton (born 17 July 1944) is a teacher and well-known science fiction critic and author. He retired as a professor from Thomas College of Maine in 2014 and now teaches part-time at Mount Ida College in Newton, MA. Easton holds a Bachelo ...

writes that "Kampa

he protagonist He or HE may refer to: Language * He (letter), the fifth letter of the Semitic abjads * He (pronoun), a pronoun in Modern English * He (kana), one of the Japanese kana (へ in hiragana and ヘ in katakana) * Ge (Cyrillic), a Cyrillic letter call ...

is the only character who does come alive. All others are at least stiff. Some are outright caricatures. The book is not faultless, but it ''is'' overall a pleasure to read… Its treatment of anthropology is so effective that the few flaws are easily overlooked."Easton, Tom. "The Reference Library." '' Analog: Science Fiction/Science Fact''. New York: Davis Publications. Sep. 1982: 164. Editor and critic

David Pringle David Pringle (born 1 March 1950) is a Scottish science fiction editor and critic. Pringle served as the editor of '' Foundation'', an academic journal, from 1980 to 1986, during which time he became one of the prime movers of the collective whi ...

writes that the novel "is narrated in an oddly detached, quizzical and dryly humorous manner… The paleo-anthropological details are superbly imagined, the African landscapes beautifully described, yet the final effect is one of coolness, distance… Michael Bishop's prose style is learned, witty, Latinate, although salted with placed colloquialisms and low jokes. This book is the work of a talented and serious writer." Pringle, David. "''No Enemy But Time'' by Michael Bishop." ''Science Fiction: The One Hundred Best Novels''. New York: Carroll & Graff, 1985. 215. In addition to winning the Nebula Award, the novel was nominated for both the John W. Campbell Memorial and British Science Fiction Awards.

''Who Made Stevie Crye?''

Bishop followed-up his award-winning science fiction novel with a contemporary novel set in the rural American South. Mary Stevenson ("Stevie") Crye is a young widow with two children struggling to take care of her family as a freelance writer. Her typewriter has started to act up, automatically transcribing her nightmares and subsequently her future. The only American edition of ''Who Made Stevie Crye?'' was published in 1984 by the highly esteemed specialty publisher

Arkham House Arkham House was an American publishing house specializing in weird fiction. It was founded in Sauk City, Wisconsin, in 1939 by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei to publish hardcover collections of H. P. Lovecraft's best works, which had ...

under the editorship of Jim Turner. This original edition, as well as the British edition, was photographically illustrated by J. K. Potter. When

chose it for inclusion in his book '' Modern Fantasy: The 100 Best Novels'', he described the novel as "a playful metafiction about the real and the fictitious, about the writer and his or her creation…" and concluded that the novel is "…a gripping and intelligent tale of the supernatural by an author who is adept at avoiding most of the clichés of the horror genre." Pringle, David. "''Who Made Stevie Crye?'' by Michael Bishop." ''Modern Fantasy: The One Hundred Best Novels''. New York: Peter Bedrick Books, 1989. 231-2. In his mixed review of the novel, Joe Sanders writes "Sometimes vivid, sometimes prosaic; sometimes involving but often affectless, this is not a novel to like casually. Even when it looks like standard mass-produced pop lit, it actually is nudging us toward something more disturbing and hilarious than we're comfortable imagining. It finally is impressive enough to be uneasily recommended." Sanders' editor, Robert A. Collins, chides the reviewer with the footnote "Ignore Sanders' uneasiness, which obviously stems from his difficulty in pegging the book's genre; ''Stevie Crye'' is a marvelous book which transcends genre, as all the best of Bishop does."Sanders, Joe. "Reviews." ''Fantasy Review'' 74. Boca Raton FL: Florida Atlantic University. Dec. 1984: 22. Author Ian Watson writes "Here is a humane, trickster kaleidoscope questioning a genre and a market, and fiction, and reality too – yet exquisitely spiced with human reality – and delivering the eerie chill of the occult and the illicit, curdling the blood but also warming the heart." Watson, Ian. "Michael Bishop: ''Who Made Stevie Crye?''." ''Horror: 100 Best Books''. Revised ed. London: New English Library, 1992. 277.

''Ancient of Days''

Bishop's 1983

-winning novella "Her Habiline Husband" forms the first third of ''Ancient of Days'', published in 1985 by Arbor House. It is the story of "Adam", one of the last surviving ''

Homo habilis ''Homo habilis'' ( 'handy man') is an extinct species of archaic human from the Early Pleistocene of East and South Africa about 2.4 million years ago to 1.65 million years ago ( mya). Upon species description in 1964, ''H. habilis'' was highly ...

'', who is discovered in contemporary Georgia. In this thematic companion to his novel ''No Enemy But Time'' (with an almost inverse conceit), Bishop tackles issues of racial and cultural prejudice, and explores the question of what it means to be human. ''

Locus Locus (plural loci) is Latin for "place". It may refer to: Mathematics and science * Locus (mathematics), the set of points satisfying a particular condition, often forming a curve * Root locus analysis, a diagram visualizing the position of r ...

'' reviewer Debbie Notkin writes "This is science fiction so precise and so well-thought-out that it reads like history, although little history is so well-written, or cares so much about its characters."Notkin, Debbie. "''Locus'' Looks at More Books." ''

'', May 1985: 15. Bernard Goodman of ''Fantasy Review'' believes that "Bishop's theme of evil inherent in humanity echoes

William Golding Sir William Gerald Golding (19 September 1911 – 19 June 1993) was a British novelist, playwright, and poet. Best known for his debut novel '' Lord of the Flies'' (1954), Golding published another 12 volumes of fiction in his lifetime. In 19 ...

," and that the novel "in some ways…parallels Golding's ''

Lord of the Flies ''Lord of the Flies'' is the 1954 debut novel of British author William Golding. The plot concerns a group of prepubescent British boys who are stranded on an uninhabited island and their disastrous attempts to govern themselves that led to ...

''."Goodman, Bernard. "News and Reviews." ''Fantasy Review'' 80, June 1985: 16. Author

Samuel R. Delany Samuel R. "Chip" Delany (, ; born April 1, 1942) is an American writer and literary critic. His work includes fiction (especially science fiction), memoir, criticism, and essays on science fiction, literature, sexual orientation, sexuality, and ...

writes "A wonder-filled novel of ideas—ideas that include questions of race, science, art, and spirituality, among many others. Bishop dramatizes each of these with a panache and a narrative energy that are a delight to read and dazzling to watch."Delany, Samuel R. ack cover blurb ''Ancient of Days''. Bonney Lake WA: Fairwood Press, October 2013. ''Ancient of Days'' was nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke Award in 1988.

''Philip K. Dick Is Dead, Alas''

Originally published as ''The Secret Ascension'' by

Tor Books Tor Books is the primary imprint of Tor Publishing Group (previously Tom Doherty Associates), a publishing company based in New York City. It primarily publishes science fiction and fantasy titles. History Tor was founded by Tom Doherty, ...

in 1987 (but subsequently reprinted with the author's preferred title), this work is an homage to writer Philip K. Dick, a

pastiche A pastiche () is a work of visual art, literature, theatre, music, or architecture that imitates the style or character of the work of one or more other artists. Unlike parody, pastiche pays homage to the work it imitates, rather than mocking ...

of his style, and includes an alternate reality version of Dick as a character. The novel is set in a world in which Richard ''Milrose'' Nixon, in his fourth term as president, holds fascistic control over America, and the science fiction works of Philip K. Dick remain unpublished, distributed underground as

samizdat Samizdat (, , ) was a form of dissident activity across the Eastern Bloc in which individuals reproduced censored and underground makeshift publications, often by hand, and passed the documents from reader to reader. The practice of manual rep ...

, while his realist fiction titles are the ones that are celebrated as

masterpiece A masterpiece, , or ; ; ) is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, skill, profundity, or workmanship. Historically, ...

s. Author and reviewer

Orson Scott Card Orson Scott Card (born August 24, 1951) is an American writer known best for his science fiction works. , he is the only person to have won a Hugo Award for Best Novel, Hugo Award and a Nebula Award for Best Novel, Nebula Award in List of joint ...

writes that "the climax is not just an inward epiphany for a character… e world changes in wonderful strange ways, and the audience can read the book passionately, with sweating fingers, eager to see what happens next, yet reluctant to leave the present moment. Imagine: A writer who is already one of the best, taking risks and finding ways to be better." Card, Orson Scott. "Books to Look For." ''

''. Cornwall CT: Mercury Press. Feb. 1988: 19. Card does take Bishop to task for the author's characterization of

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...

, calling it a "caricature" and a "stock character of a madman." ''

'' reviewer Tom Whitmore calls the book "a masterful pastiche" and "…the closest thing to a classic Dick sf novel anyone has ever done."Whitmore, Tom. "''Locus'' Looks at More Books." ''

''. Oakland CA: Locus Publications. Nov. 1987: 21. Gerald Jonas in ''

'' writes "Mr. Bishop is a solid, serious writer whose reach (in his previous work) has always seemed to me to exceed his grasp. Here, he catches some of Dick's fire, especially in the early chapters… Then a lot happens very quickly (as in some of Dick's own novels), and the satire, which should hold things together, turns predictable. But…the ending (starring Philip K. Dick) approaches sublimity."Jonas, Gerald. "Science Fiction." ''

New York Times Book Review ''The New York Times Book Review'' (''NYTBR'') is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times'' in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. It is one of the most influential and widely rea ...

''. The New York Times. February 7, 1988: 22. The novel was nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke Award in 1989.

''Unicorn Mountain''

In this novel, published by Arbor House/William Morrow in 1988, a man dying of AIDS is taken in by his cousin, a rancher in the Colorado mountains. An excerpt, "The Calling of Paisley Coldpony", was published in ''

Asimov's Science Fiction ''Asimov's Science Fiction'' is an American science fiction magazine edited by Sheila Williams and published by Dell Magazines, which is owned by Penny Press. It was launched as a quarterly by Davis Publications in 1977, after obtaining Isaac ...

'' in January 1988.

Nancy Kress Nancy Anne Kress (born January 20, 1948) is an American science fiction writer. She began writing in 1976 but has achieved her greatest notice since the publication of her Hugo- and Nebula-winning novella '' Beggars in Spain'' (1991), which becam ...

wrote "Michael Bishop has pulled off a rare and amazing feat. ''Unicorn Mountain'' successfully weaves such traditional fantasy elements as unicorns and Indian lore together with the all-too-contemporary..." Kress, Nancy. ustjacket quote''Unicorn Mountain'' by Michael Bishop, New York: Arbor House/Morrow, 1988

wrote "The triumph of this, Bishop's most artistically whole and successful novel to date, is that he set out to do something that is nearly impossible in fiction: He wrote a novel about constructing a tribe...To do it, he had to bring us to know and understand and care about more created characters than most writers produce in a career." Card, Orson Scott. "Books to Look For." ''

'', Sep. 1988: 33. John Clute's assessment emphasized another theme of the work: "Michael Bishop, whose voice is like a shout from the bottom of the well of the enormous South, and whose heart is on his sleeve, anagesin ''Unicorn Mountain'' to generate a moving tale out of ecological disaster here and in another world, AIDS, the death of cultures, the death of species, and the slow sea-changing of America into themeparks." Clute, John. "SF Novels of the Year." ''The Orbit Science Fiction Yearbook Two''. Ed. David S. Garnett. London: Futura Books, 1989. 310. The novel won the

Mythopoeic Fantasy Award The Mythopoeic Awards for literature and literary studies are given annually for outstanding works in the fields of myth, fantasy, and the scholarly study of these areas. Established by the Mythopoeic Society in 1971, the Mythopoeic Fantasy Awar ...

, and was shortlisted for the 1989 Locus Award.

''Count Geiger's Blues''

Xavier Thaxton, protagonist of ''Count Geiger's Blues: A Comedy'' (

, 1992), is the fine arts editor for a newspaper in the fictional Southern metropolis of Salonika (a satirical/alternate reality version of contemporary

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

) with a particularly low opinion of pop culture. When he is accidentally exposed to illegally dumped nuclear waste, the radiation exposure turns him into a superhero (or, as Bishop designated, a "stalwart"). ''

Analog Analog or analogue may refer to: Computing and electronics * Analog signal, in which information is encoded in a continuous variable ** Analog device, an apparatus that operates on analog signals *** Analog electronics, circuits which use analog ...

'' reviewer Tom Easton writes about the novel's resolution: "This is where Bishop falters. The satire he has painstakingly created now teeters on the brink of farce. He quite properly makes the decision to yank it back from that brink, but then he loses the satire. He becomes heavy-handed and obvious." Easton, Tom. "The Reference Library." '' Analog: Science Fiction/Science Fact''. New York: Davis Publications. Nov. 1992: 165. Faren Miller disagrees: "The most ambitious comic books are no longer merely comic – may even incorporate tragedy in a critique of modern life as savage and acute, in its way, as the ferocious satire of

Dante's Dante's is a nightclub and live music venue in Portland, Oregon. The venue, located along West Burnside Street and owned by Frank Faillace, hosts a variety of acts ranging from burlesque to rock music. Dante's is housed in an unreinforced mason ...

Inferno Inferno may refer to: * Hell, an afterlife place of suffering * Conflagration, a large uncontrolled fire Film * ''L'Inferno'', a 1911 Italian film * ''Inferno'' (1953 film), a film noir by Roy Ward Baker * ''Inferno'' (1980 film), an Italian ...

''. ''Count Geiger's Blues'' also goes beyond humor – well beyond, in its remarkable closing chapters. But they build on all that has gone before. In unleashing a startling talent for comedy and a wide-ranging knowledge of pop culture in both its absurdity and its splendor, Michael Bishop has written his best book yet."Miller, Faren. "''Locus'' Looks at Books." ''

''. Oakland CA: Locus Publications. Apr 1992: 17.

John Kessel John Joseph Vincent Kessel (born September 24, 1950) is an American author of science fiction and fantasy. He is a prolific short story writer, and the author of four solo novels, '' Good News From Outer Space'' (1989), ''Corrupting Dr. Nice'' ...

writes "Comedy is certainly a new tone from Bishop, and he demonstrates a talent for it…But it seems to me Bishop doesn't really want to write comedy. It's as if Bishop is running riffs on whatever wacky ideas come to hand, without much plan, holding his characters at arm's length; as if, trying to avoid sententiousness, he has to avoid caring – but in the end can't. The result being a loose, baggy sort of book." Kessel, John. "Books." ''

''. Cornwall CT: Mercury Press. Mar. 1993: 52.

''Joel-Brock the Brave and the Valorous Smalls''

Bishop's first novel for young people "whatever their age" was published in June 2016 by the Fairwood Press imprint Kudzu Planet Productions. Ten-year-old Joel-Brock Lollis returns home from a baseball game to discover that his parents and sister have been kidnapped, and proceeds to recruit two employees of the local big-box department store in his quest to rescue his family. Reviewer Paul Di Filippo writes "Bishop's prodigious powers of invention serve him well here too. There are many angles to the tale, including an ongoing dialogue between Joel-Brock and his future self. The bulk of the book takes place in the Sporangium he underground world beneath the department store and there's always a new miracle or horror around the bend. While the marvels are unpredictable and chaotic, they also exhibit the consistency and inner logic of the best dream worlds."

Selected short fiction

In his introduction to an interview with Michael Bishop, in a reference to Bishop's short story collections, Nick Gevers writes "These volumes, combining the sublimely exotic and the drawlingly familiar, satirical humour and timeless tragedy, constitute one of the finest short fiction oeuvres in SF's history.". Author, critic and sometime collaborator, Paul Di Filippo writes

Since his first short-story sale in 1970, Michael Bishop has revealed a questing spiritual intelligence uniquely concerned with moral conundrums. While his works are often full of both the widescreen spectacles associated with science fiction and the subtle frissons typical of more earthbound fantasy, his focus remains on the engagement of characters with ethical quandaries any reader might encounter in his or her daily life. . . While only occasionally delving into explicitly religious themes, Bishop's personal Christian faith—wide enough to embrace references to Buddhism, Sufism and other creeds—shines through in every tale. . . Acknowledged as one of the genre's finest and most meticulous short-story writers, Bishop boasts six collections to date that function as treasure troves of both science fiction and fantasy. (A seventh lives up to its title, ''Emphatically Not SF, Almost'', by hosting only mainstream tales.) Di Filippo, Paul. "Michael Bishop." ''Supernatural Fiction Writers: Contemporary Fantasy and Horror, Volume One'' (
Richard Bleiler Richard James Bleiler (born 1959) is an American bibliographer of science fiction, fantasy, horror, crime, and adventure fiction. He was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award for Best Non-Fiction in 2002 and for the Munsey Award in 2019–2022. H ...
, ed.) New York: Charles Scribner's Sons (Thomson/Gale). 2003: 79-88.

"The Quickening", Bishop's

–winning novelette of 1981, is, according to

Brian W. Aldiss Brian Wilson Aldiss (; 18 August 1925 – 19 August 2017) was an English writer, artist and anthology editor, best known for science fiction novels and short stories. His byline reads either Brian W. Aldiss or simply Brian Aldiss, except for oc ...

and David Wingrove "…perhaps, a perfect modern fable. A fable about America and her values. For what is being torn down stone by stone is a world spoiled by the trite commercial values of American culture." Aldiss, Brian W. with David Wingrove. "The Stars My Detestation." ''

Trillion Year Spree ''Trillion Year Spree: The History of Science Fiction'', commonly referred to as ''Trillion Year Spree,'' is a 1986 book by Brian W. Aldiss and David Wingrove. It is a book-length history of science fiction. The book is an expanded version of Aldi ...

''. London: Paladin, 1988. 450. It's the story of an ordinary American man who awakes to find himself in

Seville Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Guadalquivir, ...

, Spain. He soon discovers that the population of the whole world has been scattered, creating a potent stew of race, ethnicity, culture and language. A major theme throughout much of Bishop's work (and especially so in his short fiction) is the role of religion in the daily lives of human beings. When several readers wrote letters of protest to ''

'' about its 1983 publication of Bishop's novella "The Gospel According to Gamaliel Crucis,"

Isaac Asimov Isaac Asimov ( ; – April 6, 1992) was an Russian-born American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. During his lifetime, Asimov was considered one of the "Big Three" science fiction writers, along with Robert A. H ...

himself wrote an editorial defending the work and the editor's decision to publish it. He wrote "…we had a remarkable story that considered, quite fearlessly, an important idea, and we felt that most readers would recognize its legitimacy – if not at once, then upon mature reflection." Asimov, Isaac. "Editorial." ''

''. New York: Davis Publications. June 1984: 10. When Bishop's story "Dogs' Lives" was reprinted in '' Best American Short Stories 1985'', it became one of only a handful of genre stories to appear in the prestigious anthology series. The story might have languished in limbo, had the author not pulled its submission to

Harlan Ellison Harlan Jay Ellison (May 27, 1934 – June 28, 2018) was an American writer, known for his prolific and influential work in New Wave science fiction, New Wave speculative fiction and for his outspoken, combative personality. His published wo ...

's never-published anthology ''

The Last Dangerous Visions ''The Last Dangerous Visions'' (often abbreviated ''TLDV'', sometimes as ''LDV'') is a 2024 original speculative fiction anthology following ''Dangerous Visions'' (1967) and ''Again, Dangerous Visions'' (1972). Like its predecessors, it was edite ...

''.Bishop, Michael. "Letter." ''Last Deadloss Visions''. Christopher Priest. elf-published pamphlet 1987.

Bibliography

Novels

* ''A Funeral for the Eyes of Fire'' (1975) --

nominee, 1975 * ''And Strange at Ecbatan the Trees'' (1976) (later republished as ''Beneath the Shattered Moons'') * ''Stolen Faces'' (1977) * ''A Little Knowledge'' (1977); the first book in the "Urban Nucleus" series * ''Catacomb Years'' (1979) (

); the second book in the "Urban Nucleus" series * ''Transfigurations'' (1979) (expansion of novella "Death and Designation Among the Asadi") -- BSFA nominee, 1980 * ''Eyes of Fire'' (1980) (a complete revision of his first novel) * ''Under Heaven's Bridge'' (1981, with Ian Watson) * ''

'' (1982) --

winner, BSFA nominee, 1982; Campbell Award nominee, 1983 * '' Who Made Stevie Crye?'' (1984) * ''Ancient of Days'' (1985) --

Arthur C. Clarke Award The Arthur C. Clarke Award is a British award given for the best science fiction novel first published in the United Kingdom during the previous year. It is named after British author Arthur C. Clarke, who gave a grant to establish the award ...

nominee, 1988 * ''The Secret Ascension'' (1987) (later republished with the author's original title: ''Philip K Dick Is Dead, Alas'') -- Arthur C. Clarke Award nominee, 1989 * ''Unicorn Mountain'' (1988) --

Mythopoeic Award The Mythopoeic Awards for literature and literary studies are given annually for outstanding works in the fields of myth, fantasy, and the scholarly study of these areas. Established by the Mythopoeic Society in 1971, the Mythopoeic Fantasy Awar ...

winner, Locus Fantasy Award nominee, 1989 * ''Count Geiger's Blues'' (1992) * '' Brittle Innings'' (1994) --

winner, Campbell, World Fantasy and Hugo Awards nominee, 1995 * ''Joel-Brock the Brave and the Valorous Smalls'' (2016) ; Will Keats series # #

Short fiction

Collections

* '' Blooded on Arachne'' (1982), includes the novellas "The White Otters of Childhood" and "On the Street of the Serpents", nine stories and two poems from 1970–1978 * '' One Winter in Eden'' (1984), includes twelve stories from 1978-1983 with an introduction by

Thomas M. Disch Thomas Michael Disch (February 2, 1940 – July 4, 2008) was an American science fiction writer and poet. He won the Hugo Award for Best Related Book—previously called "Best Non-Fiction Book"—in 1999. He had two other Hugo nominations and n ...

* ''Close Encounters With the Deity'' (1986), includes the novella "The Gospel According to Gamaliel Crucis" and thirteen stories from 1979-1986 with an introduction by

* ''Emphatically Not SF, Almost'' (1990), includes nine mainstream stories from 1982–1987 * ''At the City Limits of Fate'' (1996), includes fifteen stories from 1982–1996 -- Philip K. Dick Award nominee, 1996 * ''Blue Kansas Sky'' (2000), four novellas from 1973–2000, including the first publication of the title story * ''Brighten to Incandescence: 17 Stories'' (2003), a compilation of previously uncollected stories from 1971–2003 * ''The Door Gunner and Other Perilous Flights of Fancy: A Michael Bishop Retrospective'' (2012), a collection of 25 stories and novellas from 1970–2009, 8 of which are previously uncollected * ''Other Arms Reach Out to Me: Georgia Stories'' (2017), includes fifteen stories, mostly mainstream and uncollected, from 1982-2017; winner of the Georgia Author of the Year Award for short story collection * ''The Sacerdotal Owl and Three Other Long Tales of Calamity, Pilgrimage, and Atonement'' (2018), includes three novellas from 1983-2012, and the short novel '' And Strange at Ecbatan the Trees'' (1976) * ''The City and the Cygnets'' (2019), an omnibus publication of all of the works in the Urnu Sequence, originally published 1971-1979 * ''A Few Last Words for the Late Immortals'' (2021), includes 50 short stories and poems from 1971-2021, many of which were previously uncollected

Anthologies

* ''Changes'' (1983, with Ian Watson) * ''Light Years and Dark'' (1984) (

winner) * '' Nebula Awards 23'' (1989) * '' Nebula Awards 24'' (1990) * '' Nebula Awards 25'' (1991) * ''A Cross of Centuries'' (2007) * ''Passing for Human'' (2009, with

)

Notable stories

* "Death and Designation Among the Asadi (1973), novella (

and

nominee) * "The White Otters of Childhood" (1973), novella (

and

nominee) * "Cathadonian Odyssey" (1974) (

nominee) * "On the Street of the Serpents" (1974), novella (

nominee) * "Rogue Tomato" (1975) (

nominee) * "The Samurai and the Willows" (1976), novella (

winner;

and

nominee) * "The House of Compassionate Sharers", novella (1977) * "Old Folks at Home", novella (1978) * "Within the Walls of Tyre" (1978), novelette (

World Fantasy Award The World Fantasy Awards are a set of awards given each year for the best fantasy fiction published during the previous calendar year. Organized and overseen by the World Fantasy Convention, the awards are given each year at the eponymous ann ...

nominee) * "Vernalfest Morning" (1978) (

nominee) * "Seasons of Belief" (1979) (dramatized on

Tales from the Darkside ''Tales from the Darkside'' is an American horror anthology television series created by George A. Romero. A pilot episode was first broadcast on October 29, 1983. The series was picked up for syndication, and the first season premiered on S ...

) * "Cold War Orphans" (1980), novella * "The Quickening" (1981), novelette (

winner) * "The Gospel According to Gamaliel Crucis" (1983), novella (

nominee) * "Her Habiline Husband" (1983), novella (

winner and

nominee) * "The Monkey's Bride" (1983) (

nominee) * "Dogs' Lives" (1984) (reprinted in

Best American Short Stories ''The Best American Short Stories'' is a yearly anthology that's part of '' The Best American Series'' published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Since 1915, the ''BASS'' has anthologized more than 2,000 short stories, including works by some of th ...

1985) * "A Gift from the GrayLanders" (1985), novelette (

and

nominee) * "For Thus Do I Remember Carthage", novelette (1987) * ''Apartheid, Superstrings, and Mordecai Thubana'' (1989), novella (

nominee) (published as a chapbook) * "The Ommatidium Miniatures" (1989) (

nominee) * " Life Regarded as a Jigsaw Puzzle of Highly Lustrous Cats" (1991) (finalist for the

Nebula Award for Best Short Story The Nebula Award for Best Short Story is a literary award assigned each year by Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) for science fiction or fantasy short stories. A work of fiction is defined by the organization as a short sto ...

) * "Cri de Coeur" (1994), novella (

nominee) * "I, Iscariot" (1995), novelette (

Theodore Sturgeon Award The Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award is an annual literary award presented by the Theodore Sturgeon Literary Trust and the Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of Kansas to the author of the best short science fiction story ...

nominee) * "Among the Handlers" (1996), novella * "Sequel on Skorpiós" (1998) * "Blue Kansas Sky" (2000), novella (

nominee) * "The Sacerdotal Owl" (2003), novelette * "The Door Gunner" (2003), novelette (Southeastern Science Fiction Achievement Award winner) * "The Road Leads Back" (2003) * "Bears Discover Smut" (2005) (Southeastern Science Fiction Achievement Award winner and

British Science Fiction Association award The BSFA Awards are literary awards presented annually since 1970 by the British Science Fiction Association (BSFA) to honour works in the genre of science fiction. Nominees and winners are chosen based on a vote of BSFA members. More recently, ...

nominee) * "Vinegar Peace; or, The Wrong-Way, Used-Adult Orphanage" (2008), novelette (

nominee) * "The Pile" (2008) (

winner) * "The City Quiet as Death" (2009, with

) * "Twenty Lights to 'The Land of Snow'" (2012), novella (Selected by

for his "Best of the Year" annual anthology) * "Rattlesnakes and Men" (2015) * "Gale Strang" (2017), novelette

nominee * "Yahweh's Hour" (2021)

Poetry

Collections

* ''Windows and Mirrors'' (1977) * ''Time Pieces'' (1998)Includes most of the selections from ''Windows and Mirrors''

Non-fiction

*'' A Reverie for Mister Ray'' (2005)

Interviews

* "The Prophetic World of Michael Bishop", ''

Magazine'', April 4, 1976: 8-10, 20 (interviewed by Phil Garner) * "Michael Bishop: No Two Alike", ''Locus'' #335, December 1988: 1, 65-66 (interviewed by Charles N. Brown) * "Interview with Michael Bishop", ''Science Fiction Review'' #1, Spring 1990: 42-43, 102 (interviewed by Elton Elliott) * "Michael Bishop: Subduing the Serpent", ''Locus'' #426, July 1996: 4-5, 73-74 (interviewed by Charles N. Brown)
"In Prayer the Whisper of the Void"
October 2000 (interviewed by Nick Gevers, reprinted in ''

The New York Review of Science Fiction ''The New York Review of Science Fiction'' is a monthly literary magazine of science fiction that was established in 1988. It includes works of science fiction criticism, essays, and in-depth critical reviews of new works of fiction and scholarsh ...

'' #172, December 2002) * "Michael Bishop: The Blessing and the Curse", ''Locus'' #526, November 2004: 8-9, 76-77 (interviewed by Charles N. Brown)
An Interview with Michael Bishop
(interviewed by Kilian Melloy)

(interviewed by Sandy Auden)

(interviewed by Francesco Troccoli)

References

External links

* * *

at Infinity plus

at Golden Gryphon Press

at Golden Gryphon Press
Michael and Jeri Bishop discuss their son's murder
on ABC News (August 21, 2007)
Michael Bishop
at Worlds Without End * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bishop, Michael 1945 births 2023 deaths 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American short story writers American male non-fiction writers American male novelists American male short story writers American science fiction writers Asimov's Science Fiction people Christians from Georgia (U.S. state) Deaths from cancer in Georgia (U.S. state) Nebula Award winners Novelists from Georgia (U.S. state) Rhysling Award for Best Long Poem winners American science fiction critics University of Georgia alumni University of Georgia faculty Writers from Lincoln, Nebraska