Chris Bunch
Chris Bunch was an American author born on December 21, 1943, in Fresno, California. He began his writing career in high school, later pursuing further education at Fresno State University before serving in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, where he worked as a combat correspondent. Following his military service, Bunch became involved in journalism and underground publications, eventually managing the publication Open City, where he notably published the poetry of Charles Bukowski.
In collaboration with his brother-in-law Allan Cole, Bunch co-created the popular "Sten" science fiction series, which has sold over a million copies. The duo also contributed to television, writing scripts for various shows, including "Buck Rogers" and "Magnum, P.I." Bunch's writing extended to his own series, including "Last Legion" and "Dragonmaster," with several of his works nominated for the Endeavour Award. He lived in Ilwaco, Washington, before passing away from a lung ailment on July 4, 2005. Bunch's diverse contributions to literature and television showcase his significant role in the science fiction and fantasy genres.
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Chris Bunch
Writer
- Born: December 21, 1943
- Birthplace: Fresno, California
- Died: July 4, 2005
- Place of death: Ilwaco, Washington
Biography
Chris Bunch was born on December 21, 1943, in Fresno, California. He met his future collaborator and brother-in-law Allan Cole in 1960 at Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach, California. Bunch was already writing, although by this time he had only built up a collection of rejection slips. After graduating in 1961, Bunch attended Fresno State University for a time before joining the U.S. Army. He qualified as an airborne ranger and served in Viet Nam in 1965 as a member of a long range reconnaissance patrol, rising to become a patrol commander. He extended his tour by becoming a combat correspondent and photographer for Stars and Stripes newspaper. After his discharge and return home, he joined the War Resistor’s League.
Bunch attended California State University at Los Angeles and worked as a typesetter, reporter, and editor for underground newspapers. He eventually became the managing editor of Open City, where he was the first person to publish the poetry of Charles Bukowski. He also wrote for magazines such as Look, Life, and Rolling Stone. He teamed with Cole in 1973, and six years later they sold the first novel in the Sten science fiction series to Del Rey Books and their first television script to Quincy. Also in that year, Cole married Bunch’s sister, Kathryn. Besides the Sten books, which have sold more than one million copies worldwide, Bunch and Cole wrote the Anteros fantasy series. The first book in the series, The Far Kingdoms, was nominated for best novel by the British Fantasy Society. Bunch and Cole eventually sold more than one hundred teleplays to shows such as Buck Rogers,The A Team, and Magnum, P.I.. Against their will, they became the story editors on Galactica 1980, because Universal Studios threatened to never purchase any of their subsequent work if they did not. To their relief, the show was soon cancelled. They sold their last teleplay to Walker, Texas Ranger in 1993, and stopped collaborating in 1995.
Bunch was the sole author of five series, Last Legion, Shadow Warrior, Star Risk, Seer King, and Dragonmaster. The first three are science fiction, and the latter two are fantasy. The second book in the Dragonmaster series, Knighthood of the Dragon, and the third and fourth books in the Last Legion series, Stormforce and Homefall, respectively, were all finalists for the Endeavour Award; this award is given annually by the H. M. Park Endeavour Foundation for the best science fiction or fantasy book written by a resident of the Pacific Northwest. Bunch and his wife Karen lived in Ilwaco, Washington on the Columbia River before he died of a lung ailment on July 4, 2005.