Peter Heck

Peter Jewell Heck (born September 4, 1941, in Chestertown, Maryland) is an American science fiction and mystery author. His books include the "Mark Twain Mysteries"—historical whodunits featuring the famous author as a detective—and four books in the "Phule's Company" series, in collaboration with Robert Asprin, best described as "F-Troop in space". He also wrote the 36th chapter of Atlanta Nights, a book meant to ruin PublishAmerica's reputation.

Heck has also been an editor at Ace Books (where he edited Lynn S. Hightower and Robert J. Sawyer, among others), and created the SF newsletter Xignals and its mystery equivalent Crime Times for the Waldenbooks chain. He is also a regular reviewer for Asimov's Science Fiction and Kirkus Reviews.

In 2007, Heck began working as a reporter at the Kent County News in Chestertown, MD, where he and his wife moved after a number of years in Brooklyn, NY. His work for the paper includes articles on local government and history, health, environment, and the arts; it has won several awards from the MDDC Press Association. He also plays guitar and banjo in a local band, Col. Leonard's Irregulars. In 2017, Heck and his wife became editors of The Chestertown Spy, an online newspaper.

Bibliography

Novels

The Mark Twain Mysteries

1. Death on the Mississippi. New York: Berkley Prime Crime. 1995.
2. A Connecticut Yankee in criminal court. New York: Berkley Prime Crime. 1996.
3. The prince and the prosecutor. New York: Berkley Prime Crime. 1997.
4. The guilty abroad. New York: Berkley Prime Crime. 1999.
5. The mysterious strangler. New York: Berkley Prime Crime. 2000.
6. Tom's lawyer. New York: Berkley Prime Crime. 2001.

Phule's Company with Robert Asprin

1. A Phule and His Money. New York: Ace Books. 1999.
2. Phule Me Twice. New York: Ace Books. 2001.
3. No Phule Like an Old Phule. New York: Ace Books. 2004.
4. Phule's Errand. New York: Ace Books. 2006.

Review columns

Date	Review article	Work(s) reviewed
2012	"On Books". Asimov's Science Fiction. 36 (12): 107–111. December 2012.	Walton, Jo (2011). Among others. New York: Tor. McDevitt, Jack (2011). Firebird. New York: Ace Books. Stross, Charles (2012). The apocalypse codex. New York: Ace Books. Kosmatka, Ted (2012). The games. New York: Del Rey. Roberts, Keith. Pavane. Old Earth. Matthews, Hugh. Song of the serpent. Paizo.
2013	"On Books". Asimov's Science Fiction. 37 (3): 107–111. March 2013.	Reynolds, Alastair. Blue remembered Earth. New York: Ace Books. Bujold, Lois McMaster. Captain Vorpatril's alliance. Baen. Reid, Rob. Year Zero. New York: Del Rey. Lemonick, Michael D. Mirror Earth : the search for our planet's twin. Walker.
2013	"On Books". Asimov's Science Fiction. 37 (6): 108–111. June 2013.	Payton, T. Aaron. The Constantine Affliction. Night Shade Books. Doyle, A. Conan. The lost world. Piggy Toes Press. Aaronovitch, Ben. Whispers underground. Del Rey. Al-Khalili, Jim. Paradox : the nine greatest enigmas in physics. Broadway.
2013	"On Books". Asimov's Science Fiction. 37 (9): 107–111. September 2013.	Barrett, Neal Jr. Other seasons : the best of Neal Barrett, Jr. Subterranean Press. Blake, Victoria (ed.). Cyberpunk : stories of hardware, software, wetware, revolution and evolution. Underland Press. Mann, Charles C. 1491 : new revelations of the world before Columbus. Vintage. Mann, Charles C. 1493 : uncovering the new world Columbus created. Vintage.
2013	"On Books". Asimov's Science Fiction. 37 (12): 107–111. December 2013.	Mooney, J. E. & Bill Fawcett (eds.). Shadows of the New Sun : stories in honor of Gene Wolfe. Tor. Simmons, Dan. The guiding nose of Ulfänt Banderōz. Subterranean Press. Teppo, Mark. Earth thirst. Night Shade Books. Hough, Jason M. The Darwin Elevator. Del Rey.
2014	"On Books". Asimov's Science Fiction. 38 (2): 106–111. February 2014.	Moriarty, Chris. Ghost spin. Spectra. Willis, Connie. The best of Connie Willis : award winning stories. Del Rey. Valente, Catherynne M. The bread we eat in dreams. Subterranean Press. Spencer, Wes. Eight million gods. Baen. Smith, Michael Marshall. The gist. Translated by Benoit Domis; retranslated by Nicholas Royle. Subterranean Press.
2014	"On Books". Asimov's Science Fiction. 38 (6): 107–111. June 2014.	Stross, Charles. Neptune's brood. Ace. Baker, Kage. In the company of thieves. Tachyon. McAllister, Bruce. The village sang to the sea : a memoir of magic. Aeon. Karpyshyn, Drew. Children of fire. Del Rey. Resnick, Mike & Robert T. Garcia (eds.). Worlds of Edgar Rice Burroughs. Baen. Lansdale, Joe R. The ape-man's brother. Subterranean Press.
2014	"On Books". Asimov's Science Fiction. 38 (12): 107–111. December 2014.	Owen, Lauren. The Quick. Random House. Stross, Charles. Equoid. Subterranean Press. Steele, Allen. V-S Day. Ace. Purdom, Tom. Lovers & fighters, starships & dragons. Fantastic Books. Benford, Gregory & Larry Niven. Shipstar. Tor.

External links

• Peter Heck at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database