MEET DEN VALDRON

Den Valdron, is a maritime born Canadian writer and fan, who lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba. 

Like many writers, he's held a variety of odd jobs, including journalist, projectionist, drive-in theatre worker, ditchdigger, teacher, mechanic, carpenter, etc.

Along the way, he obtained a University education, studying history and anthropology, as well as education and law. Currently, he's a lawyer practicing aboriginal law and working directly with a northern Cree band. 

As a fan, he discovered science fiction before he was a teenager and never looked back, his cultural influences are notably devoid of official art and culture, but are chock full of 50's sci-fi films, Godzilla movies, 70's drive in movies and 80's, video releases.  In print, he's read everything from Adams and Asimov to Yolen and Zelasny, but holds a special fondness for Edgar Rice Burroughs, particularly the wilder stuff. 

Partly inspired by the interest in SF, he's also read extensively in the areas of biology, physics, history, anthropology, politics, etc., and applies a combination of academic training and real world practicality to these studies.

As a writer, he's had short stories published in magazines and anthologies in Canada, the United States, Britain and Australia, as well as having his work translated and published in France and Russia.  Six of his stories have merited honourable mentions in Years Best Fantasy, Horror or Science Fiction collections.  He's the author of an Experimental Multi-media novel called Spacerunners, as well as the creator of two Chapbook series, Dark Icons (a six volume series of horror stories, each volume focusing on a different archetype of horror - Vampires, Shapeshifters, Ghosts, Serial Killers etc.), and Lite Fancies (a three volume series of comic fantasy/sci fi stories).  In addition, he has story credits on two short films.

The big 'almost' claim to fame was to be a book on the strange and surreal saga of the LEXX television series.  Invited to do the book by the creator of the series, the project ended up taking almost three years and going through two publishers.  Unfortunately, it was never published, although there is quite a nifty manuscript waiting to be discovered, and portions of the book have been published or circulated among fans.

Among his diversions is writing essays about the backgrounds of various film, television or literary works.  Sometimes these are literary, such as a dissection of the Starlost TV series as an artifact of Canadian culture.

As often as not, they are excursions into what might be called the Archeology of Unreality  (AU).  Essentially, treating a particular film, film series, television show or book series as real, and then applying rules of biology, physics or geology to work out how it works, or what its history is.

The Burroughs series of articles on the ERBzine site is a good example of the "Archeology of Unreality." 

Other areas that Valdron has written AU essays on include Pokemon, LEXX, Farscape, Blake's 7, Starlost, Matrix, Terminator, Godzilla, Gamera, Tremors, Aliens and Vampires, as well as creating hypothetical shared universes of 50's and 60's sci fi films called the Retroverse, and for 80's and 90's sci fi films called Gigerverse. Yes, this is a man with two much time on his hands.

For those who are interested, here is a nifty "Scientific Analysis of the Graboids" of the Tremors movies/TV series:
http://www.scifi.com/tremors/monsters/analysis/index.html

Also, the Godzilla and Gamera fans will find an entire series of Valdron articles in the Guest section at Chris N's "Godzilla Saga" site: 
http://www.angelfire.com/ego/g_saga/

When not writing "pointless" things like this, Valdron works on novels in the hope of getting real (serious money) publishing credits, and spends time renovating the house.  He leads a busy life.

World Fantasy Convention 2002: Minneapolis, MN

Josepha Sherman, Darlene D. Bolesny, Den Valdron, Matt Hughes 

Den Valdron presenting some of his published works to fellow Manitoban Bill Hillman in Brandon

.All comments are welcome and encouraged. 
Send your feedback to our Readers' Forum at ERBzine 1580
via 
Author Den Valdron at:  dgvaldron@yahoo.ca
or
ERBzine Editor Bill Hillman at: ERBzine@westman.wave.ca