Fantasy

Lucius Shepard in 2011

On Tuesday March 18, 2014, the American writer Lucius Shepard passed away. He was appreciated in the world of science fiction, horror and fantasy and occasionally he wrote stories of other genres. Born on August 21, 1943 in Lynchburg, Virginia, USA, he wrote mostly short fiction. Among his science fiction novels, “Green Eyes” and “Life During Wartime” are particularly famous.

The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag by Robert A. Heinlein (Italian edition)

The novel “The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag” by Robert A. Heinlein was published for the first time in 1942 in the magazine “Unknown Worlds” under the pseudonym John Riverside.

Jonathan Hoag has no memory of what he does during the day. He found under his fingernails remains of a substance that could be dried blood but when he asks a doctor to check it he’s asked to leave and never be seen again. His last hope is to turn to Ted and Cynthia Randall, a couple of private investigators, so they follow him to find out what happens in the hours he can’t remember.

Rutger Hauer at the Odessa International Film Festival in 2010

Rutger Oelsen Hauer was born on January 23, 1944 in Breukelen, in the province of Utrecht, the Netherlands. During his career he participated in a lot of movies of various genres. His roles have been very diverse but he’s most remembered for the role of the replicant Roy Batty hunted by the character played by Harrison Ford in the masterpiece “Blade Runner”.

The Dirk Gently Omnibus by Douglas Adams

The novel “Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency” by Douglas Adams was published for the first time in 1987.

Richard MacDuff is a programmer who works at WayForward Technologies, which among others produces the software Anthem, which converts spreadsheets into music. One day he meets his old college tutor, Professor Chronotis, and sees him perform what seem magic tricks.

Gordon R. Dickson at Minicon 8 in 1974

Gordon Rupert Dickson was born November 1, 1923, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. In 1937, after his father’s death, he moved with his mother to the USA, specifically in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Eventually, he became an American citizen. During his long career he wrote a lot of novels and short fiction. He’s famous especially for the science fiction Childe cycle, also known as the Dorsai series, and the fantasy Dragon Knight series.