Highlights from the career of L.E. Modesitt, Jr.
Leland Exton Modesitt, Jr., better known to fans as L.E. Modesitt, Jr., has taken many roles through his life. He’s been a disk jockey, a Navy pilot, a political campaign research director, a college lecturer, and more. Maybe it’s that wide range of experiences which has given Modesitt the ability to move easily through different voices and worlds in his fiction. In the same way, he has moved through genres, tackling fantasy, science fiction, and many works that fall somewhere in between.Modesitt’s first novel was The Fires of Paratime in 1982. Later, a re-edited version of this book became part of the Timegod’s World duology, a sci-fi time-travel story with influences from Norse legend. Strangely, parts of the book seem to connect with the author’s better-known Recluce fantasy novels. This interconnectivity makes tracking down Modesitt’s back catalogue a real treat for readers, especially since each saga (and each novel) still stands on its own as a gripping story.The Saga of Recluce, started in 1991 with The Magic of Recluce, is a still ongoing series. The 16th book, Arms-Commander, was published in 2010. These books take place in a world in which certain characters can manipulate one (or, rarely, both) of the natural forces of the universe, known as order and chaos. These forces are generally seen as analogous to our perceptions of entropy and molecular forces in matter.The most recent-series begun by Modesitt is the Imager Portfolio, which started in 2009 with Imager and Imager’s Challenge. The first three books of the series comprise a trilogy, while the next book focuses on a new cast of characters. The hook of this series is the magic of imaging, in which certain characters can create objects simply through visualization. This ability can often prove deadly, both for the people around the imager, and for the imagers themselves.As mentioned above, frequent travelers in the worlds of L. E. Modesitt, Jr. will discover disparate threads winding through many of his series, from organizations (the Galactic Empire and I.S.S. intelligence service) to themes (chaos and order, the use of technology). Take the time to explore Modesitt’s imaginative lands: while you may be lost at first, in an eerie way, you’ll soon find yourself growing familiar with the landscape.