Best selling author Janet Morris began writing in 1976 and has since published more than 30 novels, many co-authored with her husband Chris Morris or others. She has contributed short fiction to the shared universe fantasy series Thieves World, in which she created the Sacred Band of Stepsons, a mythical unit of ancient fighters modeled on the Sacred Band of Thebes. She created, orchestrated, and edited the Bangsian fantasy series Heroes in Hell, writing stories for the series as well as co-writing the related novel, The Little Helliad, with Chris Morris. She wrote the bestselling Silistra Quartet in the 1970s, including High Couch of Silistra, The Golden Sword, Wind from the Abyss, and The Carnelian Throne. This quartet had more than four million copies in Bantam print alone, and was translated into German, French, Italian, Russian and other languages. In the 1980s, Baen Books released a second edition of this landmark series. The third edition is the Author's Cut edition, newly revised by the author for Perseid Press. Most of her fiction work has been in the fantasy and science fiction genres, although she has also written historical and other novels. Morris has written, contributed to, or edited several book-length works of non-fiction, as well as papers and articles on nonlethal weapons, developmental military technology and other defense and national security topics.

Janet says: 'People often ask what book to read first. I recommend "I, the Sun" if you like ancient history; "The Sacred Band," a novel, if you like heroic fantasy; "Lawyers in Hell" if you like historical fantasy set in hell; "Outpassage" if you like hard science fiction; "High Couch of Silistra" if you like far-future dystopian or philosophical novels. I am most enthusiastic about the definitive Perseid Press Author's Cut editions, which I revised and expanded.'

Chris Morris (author)

Christopher Crosby Morris

Born 1946

Pen name: Chris Morris

Occupation: Author, musician, defense analyst

Christopher Crosby Morris (born 1946) is an American author of fiction and non-fiction, as well as a lyricist, musical composer, and singer-songwriter. He is married to author Janet Morris. He is a defense policy and strategy analyst and a principal in M2 Technologies, Inc. He writes primarily as Chris Morris, but occasionally uses pseudonyms.

Chris Morris began writing music in 1966, fiction in 1984, and nonfiction in 1989. Much of his fiction and nonfiction literary work, including all of his book-length science fiction and fantasy, has been written in collaboration with his wife Janet Morris, including two novels under the joint pseudonym of Daniel Stryker and one novel under the pseudonym of Casey Prescott. He has contributed stories to the shared universe series Thieves' World, Heroes in Hell, and Merovingen Nights and co-authored with Janet Morris five titles in The Sacred Band of Stepsons series.

Chris Morris also writes song lyrics and melodies, and is chief songwriter, singer, and leader of the "Christopher Morris Band", formed in 1976, whose first members were Chris Morris, Janet Morris, Leslie Kuipers and Vince Colaiuta. The "Christoper Morris Band" album, (MCA 2282) produced by Al Kooper of Blood, Sweat and Tears fame and featuring the Tower of Power horn section, was released by MCA Records in 1977. The album's nine songs, all sung by Morris, included eight songs written or co-written by him. The "Christopher Morris Band" album was reviewed by Ken Tucker in Rolling Stone Magazine and in GIG Magazine; it was one of Billboard Magazine's "Top Album Picks" (7/16/77) and listed by WBCN Boston as among WBCN's "52 Heaviest Records for 1977." The "Christopher Morris Band" album was also reviewed in Record World, July 23, 1977. The Christopher Morris Band was reviewed after their first major live performance as a headliner in The Boston Globe by Tom Long. Chris Morris was the band leader, and the original Christopher Morris Band was the core back-up band, for Al Kooper's 1976-1977 "Act Like Nothing's Wrong" national tour.

In nonfiction, Chris Morris has authored books and articles on military and defense matters in collaboration with Janet Morris and others. Chris Morris was Research Director and Senior Fellow (1989–1994) at the United States Global Strategy Council, as well as Adjunct Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (1993–1995). At USGSC, Morris co-authored the nonlethal weapons concept and the seminal paper, Nonlethality: A Global Strategy, and co-led the USGSC's Nonlethality Policy Review Group. Morris' seminal work in nonlethal weapons is chronicled in Chapter 15 of War and Anti-War, by Alvin Toffler and Heidi Toffler, (Little, Brown, 1993). In 1998-1999, Chris Morris was made a member of the Council on Foreign Relations Independent Task Force on Nonlethal Technologies and his views are reflected in the associated report, Nonlethal Technologies: Progress and Prospects, Council on Foreign Relations,1999. He subsequently served in 2003-2004 as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations Independent Task Force on Nonlethal Weapons, which produced the report Nonlethal Weapons and Capabilities in 2004.

Fiction Bibliography

Thieves' World shared universe

"What Women Do Best" (1984) (with Janet Morris) in Blood Ties, Asprin & Abbey, ed.

"Red Light, Love Light" (1988) in Uneasy Alliances, Asprin & Abbey, ed.

The Sacred Band of Stepsons saga

City at the Edge of Time (1988) (with Janet Morris)

Tempus Unbound (1989) (with Janet Morris)

Storm Seed (1990) (with Janet Morris)

The Sacred Band (2010) (with Janet Morris)

the Fish the Fighters and the Song-girl (2012)(with Janet Morris)

Heroes in Hell

The Little Helliad (1988) (with Janet Morris)

Co-editor, Lawyers in Hell (2011)

Co-editor, Rogues in Hell (2012)

Threshold

Threshold (1990) (with Janet Morris)

Trust Territory (1992) (with Janet Morris)

The Stalk (1994) (with Janet Morris)

Merovingen Nights

Festival Moon (1987) (with Janet Morris)

Fever Season (1987)

Troubled Waters (1988)

Divine Right (1989)

Flood Tide (1990) (with Janet Morris)

Endgame (1991) (with Janet Morris)

Other novels

The 40-Minute War (1984) (with Janet Morris)

Medusa (1986) (with Janet Morris)

Outpassage (1988) (with Janet Morris)

Hawkeye (1991) (with Janet Morris, as by Daniel Stryker)

Cobra (1991) (with Janet Morris, as by Daniel Stryker)

Asset In Black (1985) (with Janet Morris, as Casey Prescott)

Short stories

“Cross-Currents“ (1984)

“What Women Do Best“ (1984) (with Janet Morris)

"Undercover Angel" (1986)

“Sanctuary Is for Lovers“ (1986) (with Janet Morris)

"Son of the Morning" (1986)

“The Shattered Sphere“ (1986)

"Snowballs in Hell" (1987)

"The Nature of Hell" (1987) (with Janet Morris)

"Sword Play" (1987) (with Janet Morris)

"Night Action" (1987)

"Hearts and Minds" (1987)

"Handmaids in Hell" (1987)

"The Ransom of Hellcat" (1987)

"Saying Yes to Drugs" (1987)

“Battle for the Plain of Just Desserts“ (1988) (with Janet Morris)

"Sign On" (1988)

"Mystery" (1988) (with Janet Morris)

“Red Light, Love Light“ (1988)

“Eye of a Needle“ (1989)

"Postpartum Blues (1989)

"Rapproachment" (1990) (with Janet Morris)

“The Price of Victory“ (1990)

"Escape from Merovingen: Finale in Two Acts - Act One: The Fool Must Die" (1991) (with Janet Morris)

"Escape from Merovingen: Finale in Two Acts - Act Two: Escape From Merovingen" (1991) (with Janet Morris)

"Escape from Merovingen (Act One Reprised)" (1991) (with Janet Morris)

"Escape from Merovingen (Act One Reprised) (#2)" (1991) (with Janet Morris)

"Interview with the Devil" (2011) (with Janet Morris)

"Erra and the Seven" (2011)

"Babe in Hell" (2012) (with Janet Morris)

"Battle of Tartaros" (2012)

Select Non-Fiction Bibliography

Nonlethality: A Global Strategy (1990, 2010) (with Janet Morris)

Weapons of Mass Protection (1995) (with Morris and Baines)

The American Warrior (1992) (Morris and Morris, ed.)

Discography

Christopher Morris Band, (MCA 2282), 1977

Everybody Knows, (Singing Horse Music), 2010