the Ravenloft series, which was set in a Gothic
fantasy world where vampires, werewolves, and
other supernatural creatures were the dominant
themes rather than elves, fairies, and unicorns.
Although the series lasted only a few years and
produced less than two dozen titles, they were
generally much more interesting than the pub-
lisher’s standard line of Tolkienesque fantasy ad-
ventures. The very first novel in that setting was
also the first published book by Christie Golden,
Vampire of the Mists(1991). Two vampires battle
each other, one originally human, one originally
an elf, in a world that suggests our own historical
past. Golden returned to Ravenloft for a second
novel, Dance of the Dead(1992), a much more in-
teresting novel. A singer aboard a riverboat fights
for her life when the ship stops at an island inhab-
ited by the living dead.
The Enemy Within(1994) was in much the
same vein, borrowing from Robert Louis Steven-
son’s DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE(1886). A benev-
olent aristocrat lives with a terrible secret.
Periodically he is transformed physically and men-
tally into an evil version of himself, and the strug-
gle between his two personalities is moving
toward a climax. Instrument of Fate(1996) is more
conventional fantasy, emphasizing adventure
rather than atmosphere. A wandering minstrel
has episodic adventures among elves and demons
in what is a competent but lightweight story.
King’s Man and Thief (1997) was considerably
better. A plague of madness caused by uncon-
trolled magic is troubling a fantasy realm until a
heroic figure arises to find a solution and defeat
the forces of evil.
Golden’s most recent fantasy novel is On Fire’s
Wings(2004), a fantasy romance and a somewhat
convoluted story about a young girl employed as a
servant who is actually the illegitimate child of the
local tribal leader. The situation grows even more
complex when she develops paranormal powers.
Golden has also written several Star Treknovels
and occasional short stories, of which “Stag Party”
(1996) and “Summer Storms” (1996) are the two
most interesting. It is not yet clear how significant
a figure Golden might become in the fantasy genre,
but there are definite indications of increasing ma-
turity as a writer.
Golden, Christopher(1967– )
Christopher Golden, who should not be confused
with fellow fantasy and horror writer Christie
Golden, began writing professionally in the middle
of the 1990s and quickly established himself as a
prolific writer of fast-paced, well-plotted supernatu-
ral adventure stories. His first horror novel, Of
Saints and Sinners(1994), turns the vampire story
format head over heels. The villains are a militant
secret society within the Catholic Church who
hunt down vampires using demons and banshees to
assist them, and some of the vampires are rather
admirable. Golden has subsequently written three
more novels using this setting, Angel Souls and Devil
Hearts(1998), Of Masques and Martyrs(1998), and
The Gathering Dark(2003). A later, somewhat simi-
lar series began with The Prowlers(2001), in which
a ghost helps his living friends track down and bat-
tle a race of werewolvish creatures who have taken
up residence in Boston. That series continues in
Laws of Nature(2001), Predator and Prey(2001),
and Wild Things(2002) and does a much more
thorough job of developing its characters.
Strangewood(1999) is less overtly adventurous
and more atmospheric. A writer of children’s books
discovers that the fantasy world he thought he had
created is real and that his son’s spirit has been
kidnapped by its inhabitants. Straight on ’Til Morn-
ing(2001) uses a similar device when a teenaged
boy becomes suspicious after the girl he admires
finds a new boyfriend, and eventually he has to
rescue her from an alternate reality where magic
works. The Ferryman(2002) is a traditional but
very suspenseful ghost story. His best single novel
is The Boys Are Back in Town(2004), in which a
man attends his high school reunion and discovers
that his memories of the past are at decided odds
with those of other attendees, so he decides to find
out which version is the truth.
Golden is currently collaborating on two series
with Thomas E. Sniegoski. The Menagerie se-
quence consists so far of The Nimble Man(2004)
and The Tears of the Furies(2005) and involves an
alliance of supernatural creatures against an evil
force. The Outcast series includes The Un-Magician
(2004), Dragon Secrets(2004), and Ghostfire(2005)
and is a straightforward fantasy world adventure for
a slightly younger audience.136 Golden, Christopher