David Rain (2 May 1961 – 15 December 2015), known by his

pen name A pen name or nom-de-plume is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen name may be used to make the author's na ...

Tom Arden, was a British

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

and

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...

writer. He was born in Australia. His main work is the five volume ''Orokon'' saga, as well as the novels ''Shadow Black'', ''The Translation of Bastian Test'' and the Doctor Who novella '' Nightdreamers''. Arden was born in 1961 and grew up in

Mount Gambier Mount Gambier is the second most populated city in South Australia, with a population of 25,591 as of the 2021 census. The city is located on the slopes of Mount Gambier (volcano), Mount Gambier, a volcano in the south east of the state, about ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

. He wrote his first unpublished novel, ''Moon Escape'' at the age of seven and later studied English at the

University of Adelaide The University of Adelaide is a public university, public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. Its main campus in the Adelaide city centre includes many Sa ...

, graduating with

First Class Honours The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading structure used for undergraduate degrees or bachelor's degrees and integrated master's degrees in the United Kingdom. The system has been applied, sometimes with significant var ...

. Arden completed his

PhD A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

thesis A thesis (: theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144: D ...

on '' Clarissa'', the epic tale by 18th-century novelist

Samuel Richardson Samuel Richardson (baptised 19 August 1689 – 4 July 1761) was an English writer and printer known for three epistolary novels: '' Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded'' (1740), '' Clarissa: Or the History of a Young Lady'' (1748) and '' The Histo ...

. In 1990, he moved to the United Kingdom, living in Northern Ireland and England. He lectured in English at

Queen's University Belfast The Queen's University of Belfast, commonly known as Queen's University Belfast (; abbreviated Queen's or QUB), is a public research university in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. The university received its charter in 1845 as part of ...

for seven years. Since 2003, he lectured

creative writing Creative writing is any writing that goes beyond the boundaries of normal professional, journalistic, academic, or technical forms of literature, typically identified by an emphasis on craft and technique, such as narrative structure, character ...

Middlesex University Middlesex University London (legally Middlesex University and abbreviated to MDX) is a public research university based in Hendon, northwest London, England. The university also has campuses in Dubai and Mauritius. The name of the university is ...

, London.

Death

Arden died of cancer on 15 December 2015 in London, England.

Bibliography

The Orokon

# ''The Harlequin's Dance'' (1997) # ''The King and Queen of Swords'' (1998) # ''Sultan of the Moon and Stars'' (1999) # ''Sisterhood of the Blue Storm'' (2000) # ''Empress of the Endless Dream'' (2001)

Other novels

# ''Shadow Black'' (2002) – gothic mystery # ''The Translation of Bastian Test'' (2005) – science fiction # As David Rain: ''The Heat of the Sun'' (2012) # As David Rain: ''Volcano Street'' (2014)

Other writings

# '' Nightdreamers'' (original novella) based on the television series ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

''. # Short stories for UK publication '' Interzone'': "The Indigenes" (IZ 136), "The Volvax Immersion" (IZ 143). # Articles have been published in the British Fantasy Society magazine ''Prism''.

References

External links

Official Website
* 1961 births 2015 deaths Australian science fiction writers Australian fantasy writers British science fiction writers British fantasy writers Deaths from cancer in England 20th-century pseudonymous writers 21st-century pseudonymous writers University of Adelaide alumni Academics of Queen's University Belfast Academics of Middlesex University {{Australia-writer-stub