Wixon, David W.

PERSONAL:

Male.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Minneapolis, MN.

CAREER:

Author.

WRITINGS:

(With Gordon R. Dickson) Antagonist (science fiction novel; Book 11 in the ‘Childe Cycle’ by Gordon R. Dickson), Tor (New York, NY), 2007.

SIDELIGHTS:

Best-selling science fiction and fantasy author Gordon R. Dickson was still working on his popular ‘Childe Cycle’ novels when he died in 2001. Six years later his assistant, David W. Wixon, completed the eleventh novel, Antagonist, in a planned series of twelve. Using the notes that Dickson left behind, Wixon did a yeoman's job of taking up the epic space opera tale, according to a number of reviewers. Jean-Marc Lofficier, however, believed that Wixon does a disservice to readers in not providing some summary of the previous books in this new installment. Writing in Starlog, Lofficier nevertheless allowed that the book ‘is a satisfactory work’ for those who recall the characters, adding that ‘one cannot imagine how Wixon could have done it any better.’ A Publishers Weekly contributor predicted that ‘newcomers [to the series] are unlikely to be captivated’ by Antagonist. ‘If not up to Dickson's standards, it at least augurs that the series will be concluded,’ remarked Frieda Murray in Booklist. On a more positive note, Library Journal reviewer Jackie Cassada called Antagonist a ‘satisfying, far-future adventure."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, March 15, 2007, Frieda Murray, review of Antagonist, p. 33.

Library Journal, March 15, 2007, Jackie Cassada, review of Antagonist, p. 64.

Publishers Weekly, January 22, 2007, review of Antagonist, p. 168.

ONLINE

Starlog,http://www.starlog.com/ (October 31, 2007), Jean-Marc Lofficier, review of Antagonist.