One of the grossly overlooked Science Fiction writers of the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s was Jack L. Chalker. Jack died in 2005 after a two-year illness. He was 60 years old and I can’t help feeling that his work was cut much too short. Chalker was a creative genius and there was/is no better writer of the physical transformation of characters. I have been a long-time fan and would like to take a moment to rate the works of his that I’ve read. What I really like about Jack’s body of work is that in most of his stories he had a long-term vision. Not a single 300 page narrative but a massive, expansive three or four or five book story always rich in character, full of creative world-building, and constructed along unique and never-before imagined story-lines. His novels are always entertaining and highly creative (even on the second and third reads) and you’ll see by my ratings below (not a single one of his books rates lower than four stars) how highly I value his work.
If you’re in the mood for some wonderful Science Fiction stories of transformation and have somehow disregarded this author I suggest you search out any of the novels listed below. It wouldn’t surprise me to find many of his books out of print these days but it would be worth the effort to visit your favorite used book store to find them. They’ll be worth the quest. I promise. Jack Chalker is, hands down, the best author who never won a Hugo or Nebula award (but deserved to.)
The Saga of the Well World series
1. Midnight at the Well of Souls, Del Rey, 1977 5 stars (one of my all-time favorites)
2. Exiles at the Well of Souls, Del Rey, 1978 5 stars
3. Quest for the Well of Souls, Del Rey, 1978 5 stars
4. The Return of Nathan Brazil, Del Rey, 1980 4 ½ stars
5. Twilight at the Well of Souls, Del Rey, 1980 4 ½ stars
6. The Sea is Full of Stars, December, 1999 4 ½ stars
7. Ghost of the Well of Souls, 2000 4 ½ stars
The Watchers at the Well series
1. Echoes of the Well of Souls, Del Rey, trade paperback, May, 1993 4 ½ stars
2. Shadow of the Well of Souls, Del Rey Feb. 1994 4 ½ stars
3. Gods of the Well of Souls, Del Rey, 1994 4 ½ stars
The Four Lords of the Diamond series
1. Lilith: A Snake in the Grass, Del Rey, 1981 4 1/2 stars
2. Cerberus: A Wolf in the Fold, Del Rey, 1982 4 stars
3. Charon: A Dragon at the Gate, Del Rey, 1982 4 stars
4. Medusa: A Tiger by the Tail, Del Rey, 1983 4 stars
The Four Lords of the Diamond, The Science Fiction Book Club (omnibus edition), 1983 4 Stars
The Dancing Gods series
1. The River of Dancing Gods, Del Rey, 1984 4 stars
2. Demons of the Dancing Gods, Del Rey, 1984 4 stars
3. Vengeance of the Dancing Gods, Del Rey, July, 1985 4 stars
4. Songs of the Dancing Gods, Del Rey, August, 1990 4 stars
5. Horrors of the Dancing Gods, 1994 4 stars
The Dancing Gods: Part One, Del Rey, November, 1995
The Dancing Gods II, Del Rey, September, 1996
The Soul Rider series
1. Spirits of Flux and Anchor, Tor Books, 1984 4 1/2 stars
2. Empires of Flux and Anchor, Tor Books, 1984 4 stars
3. Masters of Flux and Anchor, Tor Books, January, 1985 4 stars
4. The Birth of Flux and Anchor, Tor Books, 1985 4 stars
5. Children of Flux and Anchor, Tor Books, September, 1986 4 stars
The Rings of the Master series
1. Lords of the Middle Dark Del Rey Books, May, 1986 4 stars
2. Pirates of the Thunder, Del Rey Books, March, 1987 4 stars
3. Warriors of the Storm, Del Rey Books, August, 1987 4 stars
4. Masks of the Martyrs, Del Rey, February, 1988 4 stars
G.O.D. Inc. series
1. The Labyrinth of Dreams. Tor Books, March, 1987 4 stars
2. The Shadow Dancers, Tor Books, July, 1987 4 stars
3. The Maze in the Mirror, Tor Books, January, 1989 4 stars
The Changewinds series
1. When the Changewinds Blow, Ace - Putnams, September, 1987 4 1/2 stars
2. Riders of the Winds, Ace Books, May, 1988 4 stars
3. War of the Maelstrom, Ace - Putnams, October, 1988 4 stars
The Quintara Marathon series
1. The Demons at Rainbow Bridge, Ace-Putnam's, hardcover, September, 1989 4 1/2 stars
2. The Run to Chaos Keep, Ace - Putnams, May, 1991 4 stars
3. The Ninety Trillion Fausts (a.k.a. 90 Trillion Fausts), Ace - Putnams, October 1991 4 stars
The Wonderland Gambit series
1. The Cybernetic Walrus, Del Rey, trade pb November, 1995 4 stars
2. The March Hare Network, 1996 4 stars
3. The Hot-Wired Dodo, Del Rey, Feb. 1997 4 stars
The Three Kings series
1. Balshazzar's Serpent, Baen Books 1999 4 1/2 stars
2. Melchior's Fire, Baen Books, 2001. 4 stars
3. Kaspar's Box, 2003 4 stars
Stand-alone novels
A Jungle of Stars, Ballantine, Del Rey, 1976 5 stars
The Web of the Chozen, Del Rey, 1978 5 stars (another favorite)
And the Devil Will Drag You Under, Del Rey, 1979 5 stars
A War of Shadows, Ace: An Analog Book, 1979 4 ½ stars
Dancers in the Afterglow, Del Rey, 1979, 1982 5 stars (another favorite)
The Devil's Voyage, Doubleday, 1980 4 stars
The Identity Matrix, Timescape: Pocket Books, 1982 4 stars
Downtiming the Night Side, Tor Books, May, 1985 4 ½ stars
The Messiah Choice, St. Martins - Blue Jay, May, 1985 4 stars
The Red Tape War (with Mike Resnick and George Alec Effinger). Tor hardcover, April, 1991 (not read)
Priam's Lens, Del Rey 1997 4 stars
The Moreau Factor, Del Rey Feb., 2000 4 stars
Chameleon (partially completed at time of death) (not read)
Collection and Anthology
Dance Band on the Titanic, Del Rey Books, July, 1988 (short stories) 4 stars
Hotel Andromeda [edited by], Ace, 1994 (not read)
The Alternative
Southeast Wisconsin
Additional Reading:
