Joel Rosenberg (science fiction author)

This article is about the science fiction author and handgun safety expert. For the evangelical Christian political pundit and author of thrillers, see Joel C. Rosenberg.

Joel Rosenberg
Joel Rosenberg at Windycon (1987)
Born	May 1, 1954(1954-05-01) Winnipeg, Manitoba
Died	June 2, 2011(2011-06-02) (aged 57) Minneapolis, Minnesota
Occupation	Novelist, handgun instructor
Language	English
Citizenship	USA, Canada
Alma mater	University of Connecticut
Period	1982 (1982)–2011
Genres	Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mysteries
Subjects	Second Amendment advocacy, textbooks for handgun training and regional gun control law (Minnesota, Missouri)
Notable work(s)	Guardians of the Flame series
Notable award(s)	Prometheus Award Best Novel nominee (1992) : D'Shai
Spouse(s)	Felicia Herman
Children	2 daughters
Relative(s)	Carol Rosenberg (sister)
Influences Robert Heinlein, Dungeons and Dragons, David Drake, Donald Hamilton
ellegon.com

Joel Rosenberg (May 1, 1954 – June 2, 2011) was a Canadian American science fiction and fantasy author best known for his long-running "Guardians of the Flame" series. Rosenberg was also a guns rights activist. He is the oldest brother of Miami Herald reporter Carol Rosenberg.

Writing career

Rosenberg began publishing in 1978, with an op-ed piece in The New York Times favoring nuclear power.

Fantasy

His first published fiction, "Like the Gentle Rains", appeared in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine in 1982. The following year, he published his first novel, The Sleeping Dragon which was the first in his long-running Guardians of the Flame series. This series placed a collection of college students into a fantasy setting similar to a role-playing world. Throughout numerous books, Rosenberg has traced these characters, their descendants and the changes they have made to society. He has shown no compunction about killing off popular characters.

The "Keepers of the Hidden Ways" trilogy similarly places people from the real world into a fantasy setting, making heavy use of Norse mythology. A third fantasy series, consisting of the novels D'Shai (1991) and Hour of the Octopus (1994) (both lightly humorous mysteries) is set in an Asian-influenced fantasy world with very strict cultural standards and etiquette.

Paladins, the first in his "Mordred's Heirs" series, was published by Baen Books in September 2004; the second, Knight Moves was published in November 2006. This series, an "alternate fantasy history", takes place in a world where Mordred defeated King Arthur, establishing the Pendragon Dynasty.

Science fiction

In addition to fantasy, Rosenberg wrote a number of science fiction novels. Although dealing with different characters, Ties of Blood and Silver (1984) and Emile and the Dutchman (1986) are both set in the same setting. Two other books set in this setting, Not for Glory (1988) and Hero (1990), focus on family members of the Metzadan Mercenary Corps from the Jewish (and others) settled World of Metzada (Masada).

Mysteries

In recent years, Rosenberg turned his hand to mysteries, publishing Home Front, the first of his "Sparky Hemingway" mysteries in 2003; the second, Family Matters, was published in early 2004.

Themes and influences

Rosenberg's novels frequently feature the theme of freedom (particularly in the Guardians of the Flame series, where the initial characters make it their life's goal to abolish slavery in their new world) and the right to keep and bear arms. Other themes include protecting children at all costs, and the message that people can overcome hardships and abuse suffered as children.

His heroes also frequently find inspiration in the heroic figures of the Greek classics and of American folklore and history.

Other careers

Outside of science fiction, Rosenberg is best known as a handgun instructor, Second Amendment advocate, and author of a manual for people wanting to get a handgun carry permit in Minnesota, Everything You Need to Know About (Legally) Carrying a Handgun in Minnesota, and a similar book for Missouri, Everything You Need to Know About (Legally) Carrying a Handgun in Missouri.

While his books of the Guardians of the Flame series have detailed descriptions of firearm technology, he began seriously dealing with self-defence issues after he thwarted a break-in into his house with a .22 lr pistol he kept in his home.

Some time afterwards, he began getting threatening eMails:

"They would say, 'You're a dead Jew,' with 'dead' almost invariably misspelled, or 'Stay away from the white women,' with 'white' spelled 'w-i-t-e.'"

Rosenberg once suspected that the threats might have something to do with his Metzada novels--"I do write about Jews in space with big guns." But to this day, he doesn't know anything about his stalker, except that he or she is violently anti-Semitic, and unlikely to win any spelling bees.

Arrest for carrying a handgun

In November 2010, Rosenberg openly wore a holstered handgun when coming into the Minneapolis city hall for a meeting with a representative of the city's police chief after providing prior notification as required by state law. After arrival, he was told that a court order prohibited people from carrying a gun anywhere in the building, which houses a small courtroom on one floor. He objected, citing the state gun laws, and avoided arrest when he agreed to carry his gun (which the police had confiscated, emptied of ammunition, and returned to him) back to his car. He subsequently filed a complaint against the police sergeant, and posted a YouTube video displaying how many weapons can be concealed on one's body.

In December 2010, he was charged with possession of a dangerous weapon in a courthouse, a felony, and contempt of court, a misdemeanor; arrested; and jailed in lieu of $100,000 bond.

Personal life and death

Rosenberg died June 2, 2011, after a sudden respiratory depression caused a heart attack, brain damage and major organ failures. His wife, Felicia G. Herman, posted on her blog "In accordance with his wishes, he shared the gift of life through organ and tissue donation. He is survived by his daughters, Judith Eleanor and Rachel Hannah, and his wife, Felicia Herman. Today [June 3rd] would have been his 32nd wedding anniversary."

Bibliography

Guardians of the Flame

1. The Sleeping Dragon (1983)
2. The Sword and the Chain (1984)
3. The Silver Crown (1985)
4. The Heir Apparent (1987)
5. The Warrior Lives (1988)
6. The Road to Ehvenor (1991)
7. The Road Home (1995)
8. Not Exactly the Three Musketeers (1999)
9. Not Quite Scaramouche (2001)
10. Not Really the Prisoner of Zenda (2003)

Keepers of the Hidden Ways

1. The Fire Duke (1995)
2. The Silver Stone (1996)
3. The Crimson Sky (1998)

Thousand Worlds

1. Ties of Blood and Silver (1984)
2. Emile and the Dutchman (1985)
3. Not for Glory (1988)
   A story of General Shimon Bar-El, and the trials between him and his nephew, Tetsuo Hanavi.
4. Hero (Metzadan Mercenary Corps.) (1990)

D'Shai

1. D'Shai (1991)
2. Hour of the Octopus (1994)
3. The Last Assassin (not yet published)

Mordred's Heirs

1. Paladins (2004)
2. Knight Moves (November 2006)

Sparky Hemingway

1. Home Front (2003)
2. Family Matters (2004)

RiftWar

• Murder in LaMut: Legends of the Riftwar, Book II with Raymond E. Feist (2003)

External links

• Rosenberg's personal blog
• Bibliography on SciFan
• Joel Rosenberg at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database