Jack McDevitt

Jack McDevitt (b. April 14, 1935) is a super SF writer who's novels have frequently explored first-contact with alien races as well as ancient archeology of long lost aliens (xenoarcheology). His novels particularly have been nominated for a huge number of Nebula Awards.

Jack first published short fiction in 1981 (The Emerson Effect, in The Twilight Zone Magazine) and over the next few years published other short fiction until he published the excellent novella Voice in the Dark, in Asimov's Science Fiction, in 1986. This was an extract from The Hercules Text, his first novel (also 1986). Since then, Jack has, to date, published 24 novels and over 80 short stories.

While he has written numerous non-series standalone novels, McDevitt is probably most famous for two ongoing series of books that feature recurring characters: The Alex Benedict series (8 novels so far) and the Priscilla Hutchins series (also 8 books to date).

Major Awards and Award Nominations

1984  Nebula Award Nomination - Cryptic (Short Story)
1987  Locus Award Winner - The Hercules Text (Novel)
1989  Hugo Award Nomination - The Fort Moxie Branch (Short Story)
1989  Nebula Award Nomination - The Fort Moxie Branch (Short Story)
1996  Nebula Award Nomination - The Engines of God (Novel)
1997  Arthur C. Clarke Award Finalist - The Engines of God (Novel)
1997  Hugo Award Runner-Up - Time Travelers Never Die (Novella)
1997  Nebula Award Nomination - Time Travelers Never Die (Novella)
1998  Nebula Award Nomination - Ancient Shores (Novel)
1999  Nebula Award Nomination - Moonfall (Novel)
2000  Nebula Award Nomination - Good Intentions (Novelette)
2000  Phoenix Award Winner
2001  Nebula Award Nomination - Infinity Beach (Novel)
2002  Hugo Award Nomination - Deepsix (Novel)
2002  Nebula Award Nomination - Deepsix (Novel)
2003  Nebula Award Nomination - Nothing Ever Happens in Rock City (Short Story)
2004  Nebula Award Nomination - Chindi (Novel)
2004  Campbell Memorial Award Winner - Omega (Novel)
2005  Nebula Award Nomination - Omega (Novel)
2006  Nebula Award Nomination - Polaris (Novel)
2007  Nebula Award Winner - Seeker (Novel)
2007  Nebula Award Nomination - Henry James, This One's for You (Short Story)
2008  Nebula Award Nomination - Odyssey (Novel)
2009  Nebula Award Nomination - Cauldron (Novel)
2011  Nebula Award Nomination - Echo (Novel)
2012  Nebula Award Nomination - Firebird (Novel)
2015  Nebula Award Nomination - Coming Home (Novel)
2015  Robert A. Heinlein Award Winner

Bibliography

Non-Series Novels
   The Hercules Text (1986) - contains the novella Voice in the Dark
   Eternity Road (1998)  - very enjoyable far future 'Earth-as-wasteland' novel
   Moonfall (1998)
   Infinity Beach (2000)  - great  first-contact novel
   Time Travelers Never Die (2009)
   The Cassandra Project  (2012) - with Mike Resnick

Ancient Shores Series
   Ancient Shores (1996)
   Thunderbird (2015)

Alex Benedict Series
   A Talent for War (1989)  - Super novel told from perspective of Alex Benedic t
   Polaris (2004)  - Sequels told from perspective of Chase Kolpath
   Seeker (2005) - winner of Nebula Award - a search for a lost ship and colony - excellent
   The Devil's Eye (2008) - this one's a bit different and more of a space-opera
   Echo (2010)
   Firebird (2011)
   Coming Home (2014)
   Octavia Gone (2019)

Academy Series - 'Priscilla Hutchins'
   StarHawk (2013) - prequel
   The Engines of God (1994)  - very good novel with big ideas
   Deepsix (2001) 
   Chindi (2002)
   Omega (2003)
   Odyssey (2006)
   Cauldron (2007)
   The Long Sunset (2018)

Short stories set in Priscilla Hutchins 'Academy Universe'
   "Melville on Iapetus" (1983)
   "Promises to Keep" (1984)
   "Oculus" (2002)
   "The Big Downtown" (2005)
   "Kaminsky at War" (2006)
   "Maiden Voyage" (2012)
   "Waiting at the Altar" (2012)
   "The Cat's Pajamas" (2012)

Short stories set in 'Alex Benedict Universe' 
   "In the Tower" (1987)
   "A Voice in the Night" (2013)

Short Fiction Collections
   Standard Candles (1996)
   Ships in the Night (2005)
   Outbound (2006)
   Cryptic: The Best Short Fiction of Jack McDevitt (2009)
   A Voice in the Night (2018)