Created by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Pseudonyms include Kris Nelscott, Kristine Grayson, Sandy Schofield
Heavier than Nero Wolfe (400 pounds?) and easier to get along with than Sam Spade, with whom he unfortunately shares a name, SPADE is a private detective with an unusual beat–the world of science fiction conventions “as they used to be” in the 1990s.
He’s a big man, richer than hell thanks to some early Microsoft investments and therefore able to attend conventions all over the world. He describes himself as “a man who is huge, both in his appetite and in his education. I don’t go out much, except to science fiction conventions (a world in and of themselves) and to dinner with the rare comrade. I surround myself with books, computers, and televisions. I do not have orchids or an Archie Goodwin, but I do possess a sharp eye for detail and a critical understanding of the dark side of human nature.
It all reflects, of course, on two of the major interests of his creator, the prolific Kristine Kathryn Rusch, who writes both award-winning science fiction and detective fiction (including the Smokey Dalton series).
According to her web site, “As a Secret Master of Fandom, Spade works science fiction conventions, in charge of the finances of major conventions. As an unofficial detective, conventions hire him to solve problems that no one wants to see in the local media.”
So… although not exactly a private eye, he is a troubleshooter; a fixer-for-hire if you will.
After a few of his early adventures, he hooks up with a mysterious woman named PALADIN who fancies herself as a gun for hire. Presumably, she got her name from Richard Boone’s character in the old television series, Have Gun Will Travel. Her only contact is through an e-mail address, and not even spade knows her real name, although she occasionally pop up at science fiction conventions to lend him a hand..
UNDER OATH
- “This series is a fun glimpse into the world of science fiction fandom.”
—Gumshoes, Gats, and Gams
SHORT STORIES
- “Stomping Mad” (1997, Return of the Dinosaurs) | Buy the audio | Kindle it!
- “The Case of the Vanishing Boy” (January/February 2010, AHMM) | Buy the audio | Kindle it!
- “The Karnikov Card” (January/February 2011, AHMM) | Buy the audio | Kindle it!
- “Pandora’s Box” (January/February 2012, AHMM) | Buy the audio | Kindle it!
- “Trick or Treat” (December 2012, AHMM) | Buy the audio | Kindle it!
- “The Really Big Ka-Boom” (January/February 2015, AHMM) | Kindle it!
- “Unity Con” ( September/October 2018, AHMM) | Kindle it!
- “At Witt’s End”(2018, digital) | Kindle it!
- “The Case of the Stolen Memories” (2023, Pulphouse 23) | Kindle it!
COLLECTIONS
NOVELS
- Ten Little Fen (2021) | Buy the book | Kindle it!
Respectfully submitted by Kevin Burton Smith.
