Harlan, Thomas 1964-

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HARLAN, Thomas 1964-

PERSONAL:

Born 1964, in Tucson, AZ; son of Thomas (a dendrochronologist) and Annita (a botanist and writer) Harlan.

ADDRESSES:

Agent—c/o Author Mail, Tor/Forge, 175 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10010. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Author and game designer. Has worked as a computer consultant, systems administrator, and applications and design developer.

AWARDS, HONORS:

SF2 Award, 2000, for best new writer; Campbell award finalist.

WRITINGS:

"OATH OF EMPIRE" NOVEL SERIES

The Shadow of Ararat, Tor (New York, NY), 1999.

The Gate of Fire, Tor (New York, NY), 2000.

The Storm of Heaven, Tor (New York, NY), 2001.

The Dark Lord, Tor (New York, NY), 2002.

OTHER

Wasteland of Flint ("Time of the Sixth Sun" series), Tor (New York, NY), 2003.

House of Reeds ("Time of the Sixth Sun" series), Tor (New York, NY), 2004.

Also author of Land of the Dead, part of "Time of the Sixth Sun" series, for Tor. Author of short stories and interactive games, including Lords of the Earth and Crusader Earth.

WORK IN PROGRESS:

Novels in the "Typhon Wake" series.

SIDELIGHTS:

The father of science-fiction author and game designer Thomas Harlan is an expert on tree rings, and Harlan's mother is a botanist and science fiction and fantasy writer. As Harlan noted on his Web site, "when I was very young, my parents and their friends from University indulged in massive, elaborate ring-parties in which dozens of people reenacted sections of The Lord of the Rings. To an impressionable young mind, there was nothing odd about gangs of Nazgul loitering in the kitchen, or Orcs chasing you through a night-black forest, or meeting Ents in the barky flesh, or standing below the wall of Minas Tirith while a lake of fire burned around the black shape of Grond the ram, and the Lord of Morgul descended (not without near-accident) from the sky on black wings."

Harlan spent four years in art school to pursue his dream of becoming a comic-book artist, but he decided his destiny was to create the stories instead. He debuted with The Shadow of Ararat, the first volume in his "Oath of Empire" series. The story is set in the year 600 C.E. and combines alternative history with fantasy. The Roman Empire is intact, and Emperor Galen Atreus travels to Constantinople to help the emperor of the Eastern Empire in a war against the Persians. Meanwhile, his brother, Prince Maxian, a physician with magical powers, stays behind to try to discover what will lift the curse that has been cast on Rome. Other characters include an Irishman who is studying magic in Egypt as the story begins and a female assassin. Of this work, a Publishers Weekly contributor said that Harlan has created "a rich depiction of an ancient empire" that "adequately evokes the period's landscape, everyday manners, eating, and housing." Library Journal critic Jackie Cassada wrote that the story offers "powerful and evocative prose, as well as a strong cast of characters [and] a wealth of vivid detail."

In The Gate of Fire Galen has returned from war, and Maxian resurrects Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great to help defend Rome. A prince from the East, calling himself Mohammed, gathers followers for a holy cause, and Dahak the sorcerer practices his magic to gain power. Booklist reviewer Roland Green commented that "promising fantacist Harlan handles his material rather like the director of an Indiana Jones-like action movie." Rome is next involved in two conflicts as the series continues with The Storm of Heaven: the war with Persia and another with Mohammed and his followers. There is no one to lead the Eastern Empire, and Mount Vesuvius has erupted to destroy the Western Empire. Dahak and Maxim are struggling for power, and Caesar and Alexander are busy supporting Rome with their skills. As with previous installments, Harlan adds new characters. Green, in another Booklist assessment, wrote that The Storm of Heaven is "full of action, intrigue, and murderous great battles." A Publishers Weekly writer called this book "an epic novel, with lots of power-mongering, glorious battles, and the fate of the Roman Empire squarely at the center."

Many reviewers noted that this is a series best read in total, because of its complexity and large cast. With The Dark Lord, Harlan wraps up his story. Of this conclusion Booklist's Green said that the detail in the volume "fleshes out the narrative, making the book an outstanding feat of world building." "This is opulent historical fantasy on a grand scale," praised a Publishers Weekly contributor.

Wasteland of Flint begins Harlan's "Time of the Sixth Sun" series, which is set in the far future in an alternate universe established by the Mexica who, with assistance from Nisei Japanese, have come to dominate Anahuac (Earth). Colonies on other planets that were established during Earth's wars contain artifacts, and scientists looking for the lost remnants have disappeared. Gretchen Anderssen is sent by the Company to investigate on the planet Ephesus III, and she must work with Green Hummingbird, a judge and nauallis (shaman), while being supported by fleet commander Mitsuhara Hadeishi. Regina Schroeder wrote in Booklist that "the trickle of details regarding the long-passed original inhabitants of Ephesus III heightens and sustains the fascination of an already action-packed story." A Publishers Weekly critic felt that "while the book shows some military hardware in action, Harlan puts far greater emphasis on the workings of minds, whether human or alien."

In the sequel House of Reeds, the planet Jagan, populated by a race of reptilian beings, comes under the protection of the Mexica. Gretchen and her team travel there in search of the First Sun artifact, which leads her to the House of Reeds, where she experiences a horrific vision. A Publishers Weekly critic said that in this second installment, while Gretchen "makes a modest, engaging heroine … it is Malakar, an elderly female lizard, who is the most compelling figure." Harlan follows his characters further in the third book of the series, Land of the Dead.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, July, 1999, Roland Green, review of The Shadow of Ararat, p. 1930; May 1, 2000, Roland Green, review of The Gate of Fire, p. 1655; June 1, 2001, Roland Green, review of The Storm of Heaven, p. 1856; June 1, 2002, Roland Green, review of The Dark Lord, p. 1696; April 15, 2003, Regina Schroeder, review of Wasteland of Flint, p. 1456; April 1, 2004, Regina Schroeder, review of House of Reeds, p. 1357.

Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 2003, review of Wasteland of Flint, p. 433; February 1, 2004, review of House of Reeds, p. 114.

Library Journal, April 15, 1999, Jackie Cassada, review of The Shadow of Ararat, p. 148; May 15, 2000, Jackie Cassada, review of The Gate of Fire, p. 128; June 15, 2001, Jackie Cassada, review of The Storm of Heaven, p. 107; April 15, 2004, Jackie Cassada, review of House of Reeds, p. 129.

Publishers Weekly, June 28, 1999, review of The Shadow of Ararat, p. 59; May 21, 2001, review of The Storm of Heaven, p. 86; June 10, 2002, review of The Dark Lord, p. 45; March 31, 2003, review of Wasteland of Flint, p. 47; February 9, 2004, review of House of Reeds, p. 62.