Mike Shepherd (author)

Mike Shepherd, born Mike Moscoe, is an American science fiction writer who lives in Vancouver, WA. He was born in 1947 in Philadelphia to a Navy family and travelled a lot as a child. It was not until high school that he finished a year in the school he started.^[1][2]

Literary career

After a career in government, Shepherd sold his first published writing to the science fiction magazine Analog. It was a short story called "Summer Hopes, Winter Dreams" and appeared in the March 1991 issue.^[3]

His short story "A Day's Work on the Moon" was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novelette in 2000.

Shepherd has written about one book a year. His first three books, the Lost Millennium series (First Dawn in 1996, Second Fire in 1997, and Lost Days in 1998) had a combined sales of just over 20,000 copies, so his editor suggested that he switch genres, to military science fiction set in the future. His next three books, the Society of Humanity series (The First Casualty in 1999, The Price of Peace in 2000, and They Also Serve in 2001) sold better, at over 10,000 copies each, but not as high as was hoped. To make a fresh start for his next series, his editor suggested that he write under a new pseudonym.^[4]

His third and ongoing series, published as "Mike Shepherd", covers the exploits of Kris Longknife, a rich young naval officer who struggles to deal with the expectations and reputation of her famous family of military leaders, politicians, and billionaires. The first book, Mutineer, was published in 2004 to greater success than his previous books. In a review for Tor.com, Liz Bourke described the series as "pure fluff" of the good kind, that is, intellectually lightweight but "entertainingly sticky, full of implausible successes, assassins, fleet actions and daredevil do-or-die gallantry".^[5]

List of works

Lost Millennium

written as Mike Moscoe

1. First Dawn (1996) ISBN 0-441-00392-3
2. Second Fire (1997) ISBN 0-441-00458-X
3. Lost Days (1998) ISBN 0-441-00510-1

Society of Humanity universe

Jump Universe books

First trilogy written as Mike Moscoe, originally referred to as "The Ray Longknife books",^[6] renamed in 2012 to "Jump Universe books", and published under the name Mike Shepherd.^[7]

Unity War

1. The First Casualty (Jan 1, 1999) ISBN 978-0-441-00593-2
2. The Price of Peace (Jan 1, 2000) ISBN 978-0-441-00695-3
3. They Also Serve (Jan 1, 2001) ISBN 978-0-441-00795-0

   Interwar-period War

4. To Do or Die (Feb 25, 2014) ISBN 978-0425262528 (titled "Hounds of War" while a work in progress. Originally planned in 2000) ^[8][9]

   Iteeche War

5. Ray Longknife: Enemy (March 2017) — was originally called Someone Had Blundered ^[10][11]

Kris Longknife books

Written as Mike Shepherd

1. Mutineer (Jan 27, 2004) ISBN 978-0-441-01142-1
2. Deserter (Nov 30, 2004) ISBN 978-0-441-01227-5
3. Defiant (Oct 25, 2005) ISBN 978-0-441-01349-4
   • 3.5. Training Daze (Oct 4, 2011) Companion short novel ASIN B005LR5KNO
4. Resolute (Oct 31, 2006) ISBN 978-0-441-01453-8
5. Audacious (Oct 30, 2007) ISBN 978-0-441-01541-2
6. Intrepid (Oct 28, 2008) ISBN 978-0-441-01651-8
7. Undaunted (Oct 27, 2009) ISBN 978-0-441-01786-7
8. Redoubtable (Oct 26, 2010) ISBN 978-0-441-01956-4—previously called Superb,^[12] changed after release of Undaunted where the author stated the next volume's working title in the "About the Author" blurb.
9. Daring (Oct 25, 2011) ISBN 978-1-937007-03-4 — crossover preceding the Vicky Peterwald trilogy, directly preceding Vicky Peterwald: Target
   • 9.5. Welcome Home/Go Away (Sep 25, 2012) Companion short novel ASIN B007FEFBEE
10. Furious (Oct 30, 2012) ISBN 978-1-937007-39-3
    • 10.5. Kris Longknife's Bloodhound (Sep 3, 2013) Companion short novel ASIN B00F1KH098
11. Defender (Oct 29, 2013) ISBN 978-0425253-41-0
12. Tenacious (Oct 28, 2014)^[13] ISBN 978-0425252901
13. Unrelenting (Oct 27, 2015) ISBN 978-0425277379—previously called Relentless,^[8] changed to Unrelenting in March 2015^[14]
    • 13.5. Kris Longknife's Replacement (January 2017) — set coincident with Bold ^[11]
14. Bold (Oct 25, 2016) — crossover ending the Vicky Peterwald trilogy, directly proceeding from Vicky Peterwald: Rebel
15. Emissary (May 2017) ^[11]

Vicky Peterwald books

Written as Mike Shepherd

0.0: Kris Longknife's Assassin (May 2014) ASIN B00KPH4J64 — Short novel prequel to the Vicky Peterwald series

• 0.5: Kris Longknife: Daring (2011) — crossover novel directly preceding Target

1. Target (June 2014) ISBN 978-0425266571 — A spin-off from Kris Longknife: Daring ^[15]
2. Survivor (June 2015) ^[8] ISBN 978-0425266588
3. Rebel (June 2016) ^[8]
   • 3.5: Kris Longknife: Bold (October 2016) — crossover finishing the Vicky Peterwald trilogy arc, directly succeeding Rebel

Works in others' series

• Patriot's Stand (MechWarrior: Dark Age series) (2004) ISBN 978-0-451-45970-1 (Mike Moscoe)

Non-series books

• A Day's Work on the Moon: A Collection of Short Stories (2011) ASIN B004O6MUU4 (credited as Mike Shepherd and Mike Moscoe)
• The Job Interview: A Collection of Short Stories (2012) ASIN B0073HI0DC (credited as Mike Shepherd and Mike Moscoe)
• The Strange Redemption of Sister Mary Ann: A Collection of Short Stories (2012) ASIN B0073HP3V4 (credited as Mike Shepherd and Mike Moscoe)

References

External links

• Mike Moscoe Profile at Fantastic Fiction
• Mike Shepherd Profile at Fantastic Fiction
• Author's Website
• Kris Longknife's Blog—official website for Jump Universe / Kris Longknife / Vicky Peterwald
• Mike Shepherd at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database