Banks, Michael A
Entry updated 21 June 2023. Tagged: Author, Critic, Editor.
Pseudonym of US author and editor Alan Gould (1951-2023), long active in Cincinnati Fandom, who began publishing sf as Banks with "Lost & Found" with George Wagner in Asimov's for March/April 1978, and who has since published at least forty-five stories, some as Alan Gould. His first books of sf interest were the nonfiction Understanding Science Fiction (1982), a primer with examples – mostly his own stories – for teachers unfamiliar with the field (see SF in the Classroom), and Ultraheroes (1983), an sf interactive text for juveniles (see Gamebook). His first sf novel as such was The Odysseus Solution (1986) with Dean R Lambe, an adventure tale in which humans successfully fight Alien overlords. In sf circles he remains perhaps best known for his Joe Mauser "collaborations" with the late Mack Reynolds, in which he edited, or worked up, material by Reynolds into Joe Mauser: Mercenary from Tomorrow (1986) and Sweet Dreams, Sweet Princes (1986), the latter being expanded from Reynolds's Time Gladiator (October-December 1964 Analog; 1966).
Other activities included the associate editorship of New Destinies (see Destinies) in 1986-1987; during the 1980s Banks was also a freelance acquisitions editor for Baen Books. Some of his copious nonfiction deals with material of interest to sf writers and readers; other subjects covered [not listed below] include the prehistory and development of the real-world Internet. [JC/LGS/DRL]
Alan Gould
born Princeton, Indiana: 21 March 1951
died 19 June 2023
works (selected)
series
Joe Mauser
- Joe Mauser: Mercenary from Tomorrow (New York: Baen Books, 1986) "with" Mack Reynolds [Joe Mauser: pb/Jael]
- Sweet Dreams, Sweet Princes (New York: Baen Books, 1986) "with" Mack Reynolds [Joe Mauser: pb/]
individual titles
- Be an Interplanetary Hero, Number 9: Ultraheroes (New York: Bantam Books, 1984) [tie: Be an Interplanetary Hero: pb/]
- The Odysseus Solution (New York: Baen Books, 1986) with Dean R Lambe [pb/Steve Hickman]
nonfiction
- Understanding Science Fiction (Morristown, New Jersey: Silver Burdett Press, 1982) [nonfiction: with some stories, but mainly analysis: pb/]
- Word Processing Secrets for Writers (Cincinnati, Ohio: Writer's Digest Books, 1989) with Ansen Dibell [nonfiction: pb/]
links
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