David, James F.

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David, James F.

(James D. Foster)

PERSONAL:

Married; children: three daughters. Education: Attended Seattle Pacific University; Ohio State University, M.A., Ph.D.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Tigard, OR. Office—George Fox University, School of Behavioral and Health Sciences, 414 N. Meridian St., Newberg, OR 97132. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Writer, psychologist, and educator. George Fox University, Newberg, OR, professor of psychology and dean of the School of Behavioral and Health Sciences, chairperson of the Undergraduate Psychology Department.

WRITINGS:

NOVELS

Footprints of Thunder, Forge (New York, NY), 1995.

Fragments, Forge (New York, NY), 1997.

Ship of the Damned, Forge (New York, NY), 2000.

Before the Cradle Falls, Forge (New York, NY), 2002.

Judgment Day, Tom Doherty Associates (New York, NY), 2005.

Thunder of Time, Forge (New York, NY), 2006.

SIDELIGHTS:

James F. David is the pseudonym of psychologist and educator James D. Foster. In his first novel, Footprints of Thunder, a time wave exchanges pieces of the earth from the prehistoric dinosaur era with those of the present day. What results is a time quilt where, for example, there exists a space in New York City that is untouched, while adjacent to it is a meadow full of grazing dinosaurs. Other cities have disappeared altogether. The narrative follows the characters in their quest to survive, understand what is happening, and come up with a solution. Rex E. Klett, writing in the Library Journal, called it a "suspenseful, fantastic first novel."

Fragments is the story of a team of brainwave specialists at a university research center who try to combine the minds of five individuals who are autistic savants, each possessing a singular gift or skill. The specialists, led by research psychologist Dr. Wes Martin, are hoping to create a superconsciousness similar to that of a god, but what actually results from the experiment is devastating. The creation, named Frankie, starts a murder rampage through the town as the specialists hurry to try and destroy her. A reviewer writing in Publishers Weekly wrote: "David's tale is an action-packed no-brainer full of guilty pleasures for even the most cerebral reader."

Ship of the Damned is a stand-alone sequel to Fragments. It is based on the Philadelphia Experiment, which was a World War II attempt to make warships invisible. Dr. Wes Martin and Elizabeth Foxworth are investigating people who are all having the same dream—they are wandering on an empty ship in the desert. They discover that the ship is real—it is the U.S.S. Norfolk, and for fifty years it has survived in its own universe called Pot of Gold, monitored by the Office of Special Projects. The people aboard have gained psychic powers. A plan is devised to destroy the ship's generators, which are keeping it separate from the real world. A Publishers Weekly contributor wrote of the novel: "David crafts a great summer read, a swift amusement park ride of shipboard battles, telekinetic showdowns and potential nuclear catastrophe."

David writes of a time traveler who goes back in time to stop the serial killer who murdered his daughter in Before the Cradle Falls. The killer is known as the Cradle Robber because he kills babies. Portland police detective Kyle Sommers is on the killer's trail when he discovers that a time traveler is saving many of the baby victims before the Cradle Robber can kill them. Before long, Sommers is searching for the "blue man" (named because of the blue glow he emits) to see if he can save Sommers's daughter, who was killed in a tragic accident that Sommers believes was his fault. A Publishers Weekly contributor called the novel a "superbly paced mix of science fiction, thriller and police procedural." David Pitt, writing in Booklist, referred to Before the Cradle Falls as "a believable thriller that will appeal to both mystery and fantasy fans."

In Judgment Day, a fundamentalist group known as the Light in the Darkness Fellowship has acquired a spaceship from aliens to begin an exodus to a new planet and escape from the anti-Christ, who happens to be the President of the United States. In a review in Booklist, John Mort commented that "the climactic battle in the heavens is passionate and affecting, adding something new to the apocalyptic genre."

Thunder of Time is a sequel to David's debut novel, Footprints of Thunder. Although a nuclear bomb was exploded in Seattle to seal the time rifts that allow dinosaurs to roam modern-day earth, more rifts are appearing while a mysterious pyramid is found on the moon and in the Yucatan. As scientists investigate the pyramids, a third one is discovered by an eco-terrorist who wants to use it to destroy civilization and create a new world order. Writing in Booklist, Carl Hays noted that the author's "storytelling has markedly improved." A Publishers Weekly contributor referred to the novel as "action-packed."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, September 15, 1995, Carl Hays, review of Footprints of Thunder, p. 144; May 15, 2002, David Pitt, review of Before the Cradle Falls, p. 1578; February 15, 2005, John Mort, review of Judgment Day, p. 1035; March 15, 2006, Carl Hays, review of Thunder of Time, p. 35.

Kirkus Reviews, August 15, 1995, review of Footprints of Thunder, p. 1128; May 15, 1997, review of Fragments, p. 737; July 1, 2000, review of Ship of the Damned, p. 903; April 15, 2002, review of Before the Cradle Falls, p. 512; March 15, 2006, review of Thunder of Time, p. 250.

Library Journal, September 1, 1995, Rex E. Klett, review of Footprints of Thunder, p. 211.

Publishers Weekly, September 4, 1995, review of Footprints of Thunder, p. 49; May 19, 1997, review of Fragments, p. 64; July 17, 2000, review of Ship of the Damned, p. 175; April 29, 2002, review of Before the Cradle Falls, p. 47; February 20, 2006, review of Thunder of Time, p. 135.

Science Fiction Chronicle, February, 1998, Don Dammassa, review of Fragments, p. 62.