Christopher Stasheff
Christopher Stasheff (1944-2018) was an American author known for his contributions to the science fantasy genre, particularly through his popular "Warlock" series. Born in Mount Vernon, New York, and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan, he was influenced early on by the works of Jules Verne and Isaac Asimov, which sparked his passion for storytelling. Stasheff pursued higher education at the University of Michigan, earning both a B.A. and M.A. in speech and broadcasting, followed by a Ph.D. in theater at the University of Nebraska.
His writing career began in earnest in the early 1960s, culminating in the publication of his first novel, "The Warlock in Spite of Himself," in 1969. This novel set the stage for a series that blends fantasy with social and political commentary, featuring a unique universe where advanced technology intersects with magical elements. Stasheff authored around twenty-five books in this series and wrote several standalone novels, often exploring themes such as redemption, illusion versus reality, and the tension between reason and emotion. He taught broadcasting at various institutions before retiring to focus on writing full-time, ultimately passing away in Champaign, Illinois, due to Parkinson's disease. His legacy includes a significant body of work that continues to resonate with science fantasy enthusiasts.
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Christopher Stasheff
- Born: January 1, 1944
- Birthplace: Mount Vernon, New York
- Died: June 10, 2018
Biography
Christopher Boris Stasheff was born in January of 1944 in Mount Vernon, New York. At age eight, he moved with his family to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he lived until he was twenty-three. Stasheff’s father was Edward Stasheff, a communications professor at the University of Michigan. His mother was Evelyn Maher Stasheff, a high-school English teacher who retired to raise her four children. Christopher was the youngest of that four, with one brother and two sisters. His upbringing was Roman Catholic, although his father was born Jewish and grew up agnostic before converting to Catholicism.
Around age ten, Stasheff discovered Jules Verne and Isaac Asimov. At eleven, he read The Incomplete Enchanter by L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt. The book’s combination of fantasy, character study, and comedy converted him to a “die-hard science fantasy fan” and strongly influenced the type of fiction he later came to write.
Stasheff attended Ann Arbor High School before entering the University of Michigan, where he earned a B.A. and M.A. in speech and broadcasting. He then worked for the educational television program at the University of Nebraska, and later enrolled in that university’s theater department, where he earned a Ph.D. in 1972. He taught broadcasting at Montclair State College, but left to work for twelve years as a freelance writer. He then returned to academia at Eastern New Mexico University, where he taught courses in radio and TV broadcasting. While at Nebraska, Stasheff met his wife, Mary Miller. They had four children.
Although he had been making up stories since childhood, Stasheff did not begin writing seriously until 1961. While at the University of Michigan, Stasheff found a supportive professor who allowed him to take an independent-study course to write his first novel. That book was not published, but it proved to Stasheff that he could finish a lengthy work. In 1969, The Warlock in Spite of Himself appeared as his first published novel.
That novel, which was full of social and political commentary as well as humor, featured a colonized planet where people have a technology level roughly equivalent to medieval Europe. Some locals have been mutated by planetary conditions and have developed psychic powers that make them into witches and warlocks. These sorcerers have created races of elves and other mythical creatures, and into this environment comes a member of an advanced human civilization who is trying to bring lost colonies back into the galactic fold. Stasheff wrote some twenty-five books in the Warlock series, as well as many stand-alone novels. He even collaborated with de Camp on two books that extended the Incomplete Enchanter story that so influenced him as a child.
Although Stasheff was a full-time faculty member, he still wrote every day. His books examine the nature of illusion and delusion, and the human conflict between reason and emotion. Probably due to his Catholic upbringing, redemption and the conflict between church and state are other themes that ran through his work.
In 2009, Stasheff retired from teaching to write full-time and moved to Champaign, Illinois. He died there on June 10, 2018, of Parkinson's disease.
Bibliography
"Christopher Stasheff." Owens Funeral Home, www.owensfuneralhomes.com/notices/Christopher-Stasheff. Accessed 26 Nov. 2018.
"Christopher Stasheff (1944–2018)." Locus, 11 June 2018, locusmag.com/2018/06/christopher-stasheff-1944-2018/. Accessed 26 Nov. 2018.
Macdonald, Susan. "Author Christopher Stasheff Succumbs to Parkinson’s Disease." Krypton Radio, 11 June 2018, kryptonradio.com/2018/06/11/author-christopher-stasheff-succumbs-to-parkinsons-disease/. Accessed 26 Nov. 2018.
Pokorney, Therese. "A Life Remembered: Prolific Sci-fi Author Used People of C-U as His Muses." The News-Gazette, 26 June 2018, www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2018-06-26/life-remembered-prolific-sci-fi-author-used-people-c-u-his-muses.html. Accessed 26 Nov. 2018.
Sanderson, Cedar. "In Memoriam: Christopher Stasheff." Cedar Writes, 13 June 2018, www.cedarwrites.com/2018/06/13/in-memoriam-christopher-stasheff/. Accessed 26 Nov. 2018.