David R. Bunch
David R. Bunch was an American writer born on August 7, 1925, in Lowry City, Missouri, and he passed away on May 29, 2000, in St. Louis County, Missouri. A gifted student, he became valedictorian of his high school and later earned a B.S. in English with a minor in physics and social science, followed by an M.A. in English and American literature from Washington University in St. Louis. Bunch worked as a civilian cartographer for the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1973. He gained recognition in the science fiction genre with his contributions to the influential anthology "Dangerous Visions" in 1967, where he was noted for his two stories, particularly "Incident in Moderan." His fictional world of Moderan explores themes of cyborgs and human identity amidst violence and societal conflict. Over his career, he published numerous works, including anthologies like "Moderan" and "Bunch!" and poetry chapbooks. His writing style is often described as surrealistic, characterized by visual prose and subtle satire, appealing primarily to readers who appreciate literary science fiction.
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David R. Bunch
Writer
- Born: August 7, 1925
- Birthplace: Lowry City, Missouri
- Died: May 29, 2000
- Place of death: St. Louis County, Missouri
Biography
David Roosevelt Bunch was born August 7, 1925, in Lowry City, Missouri, and died in north St. Louis County, Missouri, on May 29, 2000. He was seventy-four, and his death came from a heart attack that followed a series of strokes. In his early years, Bunch was an excellent student and was named valedictorian of his high school. He won a scholarship and went on to Central Missouri State College. He received a B.S. after majoring in English and minoring in physics and social science, and Bunch followed his B.S. with a M.A. in English and American literature from Washington University in St. Louis. Although he did some advanced course work toward a Ph.D., he never completed that degree. From 1954 through 1973, he worked for the United States Air Force as a civilian cartographer.
Bunch appeared in the hugely influential science fiction anthology called Dangerous Visions (1967), in which he was the only author to have two stories. Harlan Ellison, who edited that anthology, declared that Bunch was “possibly the most dangerous visionary of all those represented” in the collection, and this included such authors as Robert Silverberg, Philip K. Dick, and Samuel R. Delany.
Bunch’s first story in Dangerous Visions was called “Incident in Moderan,” and the majority of his best known tales involve the world of Moderan, a future earth where most people have had themselves made into cyborgs. The cyborgs keep only the minimal amount of flesh necessary, and they despise the “flesh-bums,” who are still truly human. Moderan is a world of constant war and hate, and Bunch used it to make trenchant comments on the nature of violence and human society. Over forty of the tales were collected in an anthology called Moderan, published by Avon in 1971. Some of his non-Moderan stories are collected in Bunch! (1993). Bunch also wrote poetry, and a chapbook called We Have a Nervous Job was published in 1983. Another chapbook, The Heartacher and the Warehouseman, appeared in 2000.
Before writing SF, Bunch wrote literary stories that were published in a variety of magazines, including The Fiddlehead, the San Francisco Review, and Shenandoah. His first true science fiction story, entitled “Routine Emergency,” was published in IF in 1957, and he continued to publish both literary and science fiction stories throughout his life. For unknown reasons, one of his science fiction stories, “2064, or Thereabouts,” was published under the pseudonym Darryl R. Groupe, which was quite close to his real name. “D” and “R” are his actual first and middle initials, and a “group” is certainly a “bunch. “
Most of Bunch’s stories are very short and anticipate the appearance of flash fiction. His style is often characterized as surrealistic, but it is probably more accurate to describe his writing as being at the extreme literary end of the science fiction spectrum. His plots are thin, or even nonexistent, but the prose itself is highly visual and full of twists and turns and subtle satire. He is not considered an “easy” read.