Bio:
Jesse Gordon is an American science fiction/fantasy author. Born in 1978, he started writing Star Trek stories at an early age, as a hobby. He didn't consider writing for publication until he was fourteen and read Piers Anthony's Phthor. Shortly thereafter, he started submitting to various small press and online magazines.
Gordon's first published story, "Yet Another Reality," appeared in the March, 1999 issue of Aphelion, and was noted for its frank portrayal of a child abuse victim. Other stories followed, most notably "On a Cold Winter's Night" (From Beyond/1999), "Color Conformity" (Aphelion/1999), "Swarm" (Deep Magic/2003), and "Distributed Logic" (Aphelion/2005). Most of Gordon's work is character-oriented, and his social sci-fi pieces consistently prove most popular.
In 2004, Gordon made an effort to focus on longer projects, and closed out the year with a pair of novels: Time Chaser and The Knack. While the former has been noted as being an unabashed space opera, the latter, a contemporary fantasy novel, showcases Gordon's knack for character development, as well as his affinity for combining literary elements from various genres. In 2005, he released an anthology of stories and novellas, covering the spectrum of his work in the short form. Stories from the Steel Garden, his third novel, followed in 2006, and marked a simpler, more accessible approach. The novel also marked the launch of Gordon's own imprint, Jessture Books. In 2007, The Reformed Citizen anthology was released under the new imprint, and was generally well-received despite the dark (and oftentimes morbid) themes present throughout.
More recently, Gordon has returned to the lighter style demonstrated in Stories from the Steel Garden. Heroes' Day, published in 2008 by Vertigo Alley Books, chronicles the experiences of a young gymnast as she competes for resources in a future where score points and political muscle are one and the same. Regarding style, the story is told from a single point of view, and is largely devoid of the usual sex or violence common in other Gordon works.
Style:
In terms of plot, Gordon tends to build slowly, taking time to flesh out his characters and offer various insights into their motives. Regardless of genre or scope, Gordon's focus is primarily character-based, and he will often set forth his more grandiose themes from a single character's viewpoint. When writing in the third-person, he frequently jumps from narrative to first-person character insight and back again (often in the same paragraph).
Other:
In addition to his own name, Jesse Gordon has also written under various pen names, including A.J. Thompson and Paul Hartness. He is also the creator of a humorous "text-strip" titled :( Text Message ;), which he describes as, "Imaginary IMs inspired by real-life ones."
Brief Bibliography:
Time Chaser (2004)
The Knack (2004)
The Midnight Recollections (2005)
Stories from the Steel Garden (2006)
The Reformed Citizen (2007)
Heroes' Day (2008)