Gardner, Craig Shaw

Entry updated 7 November 2022. Tagged: Author.

(1949- ) US author who began to publish work of genre interest with "Rocket Roll" for Unearth in Spring 1978. He is almost exclusively associated with fantasy, both original titles (chiefly Humour) – beginning with the Ebenezum and Wuntvor humorous romps whose first volume is A Malady of Magics (fixup 1986) [see Checklist below] – and a range of very competent Ties [for fuller descriptions see The Encyclopedia of Fantasy under links below]. He has also written fantasy as by Peter Garrison.

Gardner is of greatest sf interest for his two Back to the Future film series ties, Back to the Future: Part II (1989) and Back to the Future: Part III (1990), which capture some of the almost poignant exuberance of the original films. Further ties include two Batman Films novelizations.

The spoofish Cineverse Cycle trilogy opening with Slaves of the Volcano God (1989) comprises romping adventures in an Alternate World, the Cineverse, where – in a manner distantly reminiscent of Elmer Rice's A Voyage to Purilia (1930) – reality is shaped by the multi-genred Clichés of Hollywood B-movie Cinema. [JC/DRL/RR]

Craig Shaw Gardner

born Rochester, New York: 2 July 1949

works (selected)

series

Ebenezum and Wuntvor: Ebenezum

A Malady of Magics (New York: Ace Books, 1986) [fixup: Ebenezum and Wuntvor: Ebenezum: pb/Walter Velez]
A Multitude of Monsters (New York: Ace Books, 1986) [Ebenezum and Wuntvor: Ebenezum: pb/Walter Velez]
A Night in the Netherhells (New York: Ace Books, 1987) [Ebenezum and Wuntvor: Ebenezum: pb/Walter Velez]
- The Exploits of Ebenezum (New York: Nelson Doubleday/Science Fiction Book Club, 1987) [omni of the above three: name spelt "Ebenezvm" on cover but correct on title page: Ebenezum and Wuntvor: Ebenezum: pb/Walter Velez]
- The Ebenezum Trilogy (Toronto, Ontario: Mystique Books, 2018) [vt of the above: Ebenezum and Wuntvor: Ebenezum: pb/]

Ebenezum and Wuntvor: Ballad of Wuntvor

A Difficulty with Dwarves (New York: Ace Books, 1987) [Ebenezum and Wuntvor: Ballad of Wuntvor: pb/Walter Velez]
An Excess of Enchantments (New York: Ace Books, 1988) [Ebenezum and Wuntvor: Ballad of Wuntvor: pb/Walter Velez]
A Disagreement with Death (New York: Ace Books, 1989) [Ebenezum and Wuntvor: Ballad of Wuntvor: pb/Walter Velez]
- The Wanderings of Wuntvor (New York: Nelson Doubleday/Science Fiction Book Club, 1989) [omni of the above three: Ebenezum and Wuntvor: Ballad of Wuntvor: pb/Walter Velez]

Back to the Future

Back to the Future: Part II (London: Headline, 1989) [tie to the film: pb/]
Back to the Future: Part III (London: Headline, 1990) [tie to the film: pb/]

Batman Universe

Batman (New York: Warner Books, 1989) [tie to the film: see section 4 of Batman Films: pb/]
The Batman Murders (New York: Warner Books, 1990) [tie to the Batman universe: Batman: pb/David Dorman]
Batman Returns: The Novelization (New York: Warner Books, 1992) [tie to the film: see section 5 of Batman Films: pb/]

Cineverse Cycle

Slaves of the Volcano God (London: Headline, 1989) [Cineverse Cycle: pb/Josh Kirby]
Bride of the Slime Monster (New York: Ace Books, 1990) [Cineverse Cycle: pb/Walter Velez]
Revenge of the Fluffy Bunnies (London: Headline, 1990) [Cineverse Cycle: pb/Josh Kirby]
- The Cineverse Cycle (New York: GuildAmerica Books/Science Fiction Book Club, 1991) [omni of the above three: Cineverse Cycle: pb/Walter Velez]
  - The Cineverse Cycle Omnibus (London: Headline, 1992) [omni: vt of the above: Cineverse Cycle: pb/Josh Kirby]

Spider-Man Universe

Wanted Dead or Alive (New York: Putnam Boulevard, 1998) [tie to the Spider-Man universe: hb/Bruce Jensen]

Battlestar Galactica Universe

The Cylons' Secret (New York: Tor, 2006) [tie to the Television series: see section 3 of Battlestar Galactica: hb/]

collections

A Little Purple Book of Peculiar Stories (Grantham, New Hampshire: Borderlands Press, 2004) [coll: hb/]
A Cold Wind in July (Providence, Rhode Island: Necon e-Books, 2011) [coll: pb/]

links

previous versions of this entry

Internet Archive