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{{short description|American writer, game designer, and poet}}
]
{{about|the American science fiction and fantasy writer also known as Dr. Mike|the Soviet-born American celebrity doctor|Doctor Mike|other uses|Doctor Mike (disambiguation)|the Lord Mayor of Georgetown, Guyana|John Meredith Ford}}
'''John Milo "Mike" Ford''' (], ] – ], ]) was an ] ] and ] writer, ], and ].
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2014}}

{{Infobox writer <!-- for more information see ] -->
Ford was widely regarded, and all obituaries, tributes and memories describe him, as an extraordinarily intelligent, erudite and witty man. He was a popular contributor to several ]s. He composed ]s, often improvised, in both complicated forms and ], notably Shakespearean ]; he also wrote pastiches and ] of many other authors and styles. At ] and other ]s he would perform "Ask Dr. Mike", giving humorous answers to scientific and other questions in a lab coat before a whiteboard.
| name = John Milo Ford
| image = JohnMFord 2001 ddb.jpg<!-- just the filename, without the File: or Image: prefix or enclosing ] -->
| caption = John M. Ford portrait 2000
| birth_date = {{birth date|1957|4|10}}
| birth_place = ], US
| death_date = {{death date and age|2006|9|25|1957|4|10}}<ref name="ssdi"/>
| death_place = ], US
| occupation = {{flatlist|
* Novelist
* writer
* ]
}}
| genre = Science fiction, ], ]
| movement =
| notableworks =
| partner = ]
| website =
}}
] 38 in 2003]]
'''John Milo "Mike" Ford''' (April 10, 1957 – September 25, 2006) was an American science fiction and ] writer, ], and poet.


A contributor to several ]s,<ref name="makl060925"/> Ford composed poems, often improvised, in both complicated forms and ]; he also wrote pastiches and ] of many other authors and styles. At ] and other ]s he would perform "Ask Dr. Mike", giving humorous answers to scientific and other questions in a lab coat before a whiteboard.<ref name="shetintro" />
] 38 in 2003]]


==Life== ==Life==
Ford was born in ], and raised in ].<ref name=vezner/> In the mid-1970s he attended ], where he was active in the IU ] and ] (using the name Miles Atherton de Grey); while there, he published his first short story "This, Too, We Reconcile" in the May 1976 '']''.<ref>{{cite book
|last1 = Ashley
|first1 = Mike
|author-link = Mike Ashley (writer)
|year = 2000
|title = Gateways to Forever: The Story of the Science-fiction Magazines from 1970 to 1980
|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=2qkmF8HvP_gC&pg=PA21
|publisher = ]
|page = 21
|access-date = 2019-05-02
|isbn = 9781846310034
}}</ref>


Ford left IU and moved to New York to work on the newly founded '']'',<ref name=vezner /> where, starting in mid-1978, he published poetry, fiction, articles, and game reviews. Although his last non-fiction appeared there in September 1981, he was tenth most frequent contributor for the 1977–2002 period.<ref name="asim0304"/> About 1990, he moved to ].<ref name=vezner /> In addition to writing, he worked at various times as a hospital orderly, computer consultant, ] reader, and ].<ref name="makl051225"/>
Ford was born in ], and raised in ].<ref name=vezner>Tad Vezner, , '']'', October 28, 2006. of the article and a few factual errors in it by fans</ref> In the mid-] he attended ], where he was active in the IU ] and ] (using the name Miles Atherton de Grey); while there, he published his first ] "This, Too, We Reconcile" in the May ] '']''.


Ford suffered from complications related to ] since childhood and also had ] dysfunction which required ] and, in 2000, a ], which improved his quality of life considerably. He was found dead from natural causes in his Minneapolis home on September 25, 2006,<ref name="makl060925"/> by his partner since the mid-1990s, ].<ref name="vezner"/> He was a prominent member of the ''Friends of the ]'', which established a ''John M. Ford Book Endowment'' after his death with the donations to be used as ]-generating capital for yearly purchase of new books.<ref name="hyim061002"/>
Ford left IU and moved to ] to work in the newly-founded '']'',<ref name=vezner /> where since mid-1978 he published poetry, fiction, articles, and game reviews; although his last non-fiction appeared there in September 1981, he was tenth most frequent contributor for the 1977-] period.<ref>], , ''Asimov's'' 4/2003. See also .</ref> About 1990, he moved to ].<ref name=vezner /> In addition to writing, he worked at various times as a hospital orderly, computer consultant, ] reader, and ].<ref> at a "four things" ] blogpost on 25 December 2005</ref>

Ford suffered from complications related to ] since childhood and also had ] dysfunction which required ] and in ], a ] which improved his quality of life considerably. He was found dead from natural causes in his Minneapolis home on ], ]<ref>Elise Matthesen's message relayed on </ref> by his partner<ref name="vezner" /> since the mid-1990s, Elise Matthesen. He was a prominent member of the ''Friends of the ]'', which established a ''John M. Ford Book Endowment'' after his death with the donations to be used as ]-generating capital for yearly purchase of new books.


==Work== ==Work==
Ford's works were varied in setting and style.<ref name="sleight" /> Several were of the ] (coming-of-age) type: in '']'', '']'', ''Princes of the Air'', ''Growing Up Weightless'', and ''The Last Hot Time'', Ford wrote variations on the theme of growing up, learning about one's world and one's place in it, and taking responsibility for it – which involves taking on the power and wisdom to influence events, to help make the world a better place.
: ''The best-selling fantasy genre writer in the country, James Rigney (pen name: ]), called Ford "the best writer in America — bar none." New York Times best-selling sci-fi author and Wisconsinite ] called Ford "my best critic … the best writer I knew." &nbsp; ...''

Ford spent part of his career working in other people's universes. His 1983 book '']'' for ]'s '']'' had an influence on subsequent productions from Paramount.<ref name="designers">{{Cite book|author=Shannon Appelcline|title=Designers & Dragons|publisher=Mongoose Publishing|year=2011| isbn= 978-1-907702-58-7}}</ref>{{rp|121}} He also wrote a comedic novel set in the Star Trek universe called '']'', where the ''Enterprise'' crew compete with a Klingon crew for control of a planet whose unhappy colonists defend their peace in inventive and farcial ways. The book includes song lyrics that satirize many 20th century stage ].<ref name="sleight" />


Ford authored the award-winning adventure '']'' (1985) for ]' '']'' role-playing game.<ref name="designers"/>{{rp|189}}
: ''"Most normal people had the slight sense that something large and super-intelligent and trans-human had sort of flown over," said ]... "There would be a point where basically the plot would become so knotted and complex he would lose all of us."''<ref name=vezner />


Ford used a variety of styles to suit the world, characters, and situations he chose to write about. Author and critic ] wrote in the 1993 '']'' that "two decades into his career, there remains some sense that JMF remains unwilling or unable to create a definitive style or mode; but his originality is evident, a shifting feisty energy informs almost everything he writes, and that career is still young."<ref>Clute, John; Nicholls, Peter (1993). ''The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction''. London: Orbit Books.</ref>{{page needed|date=May 2019}}
Though Ford's novels varied in setting and style, several were of the ] (coming-of-age) type: in ''Web of Angels'', '']'', ''Princes of the Air'', '']'', and ''The Last Hot Time'', Ford wrote variations on the theme of growing up, learning about one's world and one's place in it, and taking responsibility for it &mdash; which involves taking on the power and wisdom to influence events, to help make the world a better place.


Ford was much respected by his fellow writers, editors, critics and fans.<ref name="sleight" /> ], Ford's lifelong close friend, called Ford "the best writer in America – bar none." ] called Ford "my best critic{{nbsp}}... the best writer I knew." ] said, "Most normal people had the slight sense that something large and super-intelligent and trans-human had sort of flown over{{nbsp}}... There would be a point where basically the plot would become so knotted and complex he would lose all of us."<ref name=vezner />
Otherwise, Ford's works are characterized by an aversion to doing things that have been done before. This is perhaps most notable in his two ] novels, ''The Final Reflection'' (1984) and '']'' (1987). ''The Final Reflection'' is the story of a small group of ]s who prevent a war between the ] and the ] while the regular series characters are relegated to cameo appearances. (This novel introduced the ] '']''.) In ''How Much for Just the Planet?'', the ''Enterprise'' crew compete with a Klingon crew for control of a planet, whose colonists are not happy with this and defend their peace in inventive ways, which soon make everything a ]. Both novels present the Klingons in a more positive light, not just as the token evil menace of the week,<ref>It has been suggested that Ford's sympathetic portrayal of Klingon culture influenced the later canonical TV and movie depictions of honor-driven Klingons (such as ]); certainly it influenced many Klingon fans. See ] and Burns's article linked below.</ref> while giving strong hints that the ] is not quite the shining utopia of goodwill and interspecies fellowship generally depicted in the television series.


After his death, almost all of Ford's work was out of print. The rights to his work had reverted to his legal heirs, but no one had managed to get in touch with them. After an investigation by a journalist, Isaac Butler, Ford's editors at ] were able to reconnect with his family, and in November 2019 an agreement was reached to reissue all his published works, starting in 2020 with ''The Dragon Waiting.''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://slate.com/culture/2019/11/john-ford-science-fiction-fantasy-books.html |title=The Disappearance of John M. Ford |last=Butler |first=Isaac |date=November 15, 2019 |website=Slate |access-date=27 January 2020}}</ref>
Ford avoided repetition not only of the work of others, but also of his own work. Where many writers make a name for themselves by developing a known style that repeats in many books, Ford always surprised with his ability to use a variety of styles that best suited the world, characters, and situations he had chosen to write about. This might have limited his readership, however he was much respected by his fellow writers, editors, critics and fans.


==Bibliography== ==Bibliography==
===Books===
*''Web of Angels'' (1980, ], ISBN 0-671-82947-5; 1992, ], ISBN 0-8125-0959-5), an early exploration of some topics that would later be described as ]
*''The Princes of the Air'' (1982, Pocket Books, ISBN 0-671-44482-4; 1991, Tor Books, ISBN 0-8125-0958-7), a ]
* '']'' (1983, Timescape Books, ISBN 0-671-47552-5; 1985, ], ISBN 0-380-69887-0; 2002, ], ISBN 0-575-07378-0), a fantasy ] combining ]s, the ]s, and the convoluted English politics surrounding ] and ]; winner of the 1984 ]
*'']'' (1984, Pocket Books, ISBN 0-671-47388-3; 1985, Ultramarine, ISBN 0-318-37547-8; 1985, Gregg Press, ISBN 0-8398-2885-3; 1991, Pocket Books, ISBN 0-671-74354-6; 2004, Pocket Books, ISBN 0-7434-9659-0 ), a ] tie-in novel
*'']'' (1987, Pocket Books, ISBN 0-671-62998-0; 1990, ISBN 0-671-72214-X; 1991, ISBN 0-671-03859-1), a Star Trek tie-in novel
*''The Scholars of Night'' (1988, Tor Books, ISBN 0-312-93051-8; 1989, ISBN 0-8125-0214-0), a ] ] ] involving an undiscovered ] play
* ''Casting Fortune'' (1989, Tor Books, ISBN 0-8125-3815-3), a collection of stories set in the ] ], reprints "A Cup of Worrynot Tea" and "Green Is the Color" and original story "The Illusionist"
*''Fugue State'' (1990, Tor Books, ISBN 0-8125-0813-0), a longer version of the novella of the same name, published as ] No. 25 with ''The Death of Doctor Island'' by ]
* '']'' (1993, ], ISBN 0-553-37306-4; 1994, ISBN 0-553-56814-0), a ] set on a human-colonized ]; joint winner of the 1993 ]
*''Timesteps'' (1993, Rune Press), a selection of poems
* ''From the End of the Twentieth Century'' (1997, ], ISBN 0-915368-74-9, ISBN 0-915368-73-0), a collection of short stories, poetry, and essays
* '']'' (2000, Tor Books, ISBN 0-312-85545-1; 2001 paperback, ISBN 0-312-87578-9), ] set in a magical ]
* ''Heat of Fusion and Other Stories'' (2004, Tor Books, ISBN 0-312-85546-X), a collection of short stories and poetry, finalist for the World Fantasy Award in 2005


===Books===
With ] and ], Ford co-authored ''On Writing Science Fiction (The Editors Strike Back!)'' (1981, Owlswick Press, ISBN 0-913896-19-5; ] 2000, ISBN 1-880448-78-5), a writers' manual with advice illustrated by short stories that were first sales to IASFM .
* ''Web of Angels'' (1980, ], {{ISBN|0-671-82947-5}}; 1992, ], {{ISBN|0-8125-0959-5}}), an early exploration of some topics that would later be described as ]
* ''The Princes of the Air'' (1982, Pocket Books, {{ISBN|0-671-44482-4}}; 1991, Tor Books, {{ISBN|0-8125-0958-7}}), a ]
* '']'' (1983, ], {{ISBN|0-671-47552-5}}; 1985, ], {{ISBN|0-380-69887-0}}; 2002, ], {{ISBN|0-575-07378-0}}), a fantasy ] combining ]s, the ]s, and the convoluted English politics surrounding ] and ]; winner of the ]
* '']'' (1984, Pocket Books, {{ISBN|0-671-47388-3}}; 1985, Ultramarine, {{ISBN|0-318-37547-8}}; 1985, Gregg Press, {{ISBN|0-8398-2885-3}}; 1991, Pocket Books, {{ISBN|0-671-74354-6}}), a ] tie-in novel; (also 2004, Pocket Books, {{ISBN|0-7434-9659-0}} )
* '']'' (1987, Pocket Books, {{ISBN|0-671-62998-0}}; 1990, {{ISBN|0-671-72214-X}}; 1991, {{ISBN|0-671-03859-1}}), a Star Trek tie-in novel
* ''The Scholars of Night'' (1988, Tor Books, {{ISBN|0-312-93051-8}}; 1989, {{ISBN|0-8125-0214-0}}), a ] ] ] involving an undiscovered ] play
* ''Casting Fortune'' (1989, Tor Books, {{ISBN|0-8125-3815-3}}), a collection of stories set in the ] ], reprints "A Cup of Worrynot Tea" and "Green Is the Color" and original story "The Illusionist"
* ''Fugue State'' (1990, Tor Books, {{ISBN|0-8125-0813-0}}), a longer version of the novella of the same name, published as ] No. 25 with ''The Death of Doctor Island'' by ]
* '']'' (1993, ], {{ISBN|0-553-37306-4}}; 1994, {{ISBN|0-553-56814-0}}), a ] set on a human-colonized ]; joint winner of the 1993 ]
* ''Timesteps'' (1993, Rune Press), a selection of poems
* ''From the End of the Twentieth Century'' (1997, ], {{ISBN|0-915368-74-9}}, {{ISBN|0-915368-73-0}}), a collection of short stories, poetry, and essays<ref name="nesfa060805"/>
* '']'' (2000, Tor Books, {{ISBN|0-312-85545-1}}; 2001 paperback, {{ISBN|0-312-87578-9}}), ] set in a magical ]
* ''Heat of Fusion and Other Stories'' (2004, Tor Books, {{ISBN|0-312-85546-X}}), a collection of short stories and poetry, finalist for the World Fantasy Award in 2005
*'']'' (2022, Tor Books, {{Isbn|9781250269034}}), the final novel written by Ford.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Aspects|url=https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250269034/aspects|access-date=2021-09-07|website=Macmillan|language=en-US}}</ref>


With ] and ], Ford co-authored ''On Writing Science Fiction (The Editors Strike Back!)'' (1981, Owlswick Press, {{ISBN|0-913896-19-5}}; ] 2000, {{ISBN|1-880448-78-5}}), a writers' manual with advice illustrated by short stories that were first sales to ''IASFM''.<ref name="wcat1981"/>
===Some shorter works===


===Short works and poetry===
* "A Cup of Worrynot Tea" in ''Liavek: The Players of Luck'' (1986, edited by ] and ]) * "A Cup of Worrynot Tea" in ''Liavek: The Players of Luck'' (1986, edited by ] and ])
* "Green Is the Color", "Eel Island Shoals" (song), "Pot-Boil Blues" (song) in ''Liavek: Wizard's Row'' (1987, edited by ] and ]) * "Green Is the Color", "Eel Island Shoals" (song), "Pot-Boil Blues" (song) in ''Liavek: Wizard's Row'' (1987, edited by ] and ])
* "Winter Solstice, Camelot Station" (in ''Invitation to Camelot'', edited by ])
* "Riding the Hammer" in ''Liavek: Spells of Binding'' (1988, edited by ] and ]) * "Riding the Hammer" in ''Liavek: Spells of Binding'' (1988, edited by ] and ])
* "The Grand Festival: Sestina" (poem), "Divination Day: Invocation" (poem), "Birth Day: Sonnet" (poem), "Procession Day/Remembrance Night: Processional/Recessional" (poem), "Bazaar Day: Ballad" (poem), "Festival Day: Catechism" (poem), "Restoration Day: Plainsong" in ''Liavek: Festival Week'' (1990, edited by ] and ]) * "The Grand Festival: Sestina" (poem), "Divination Day: Invocation" (poem), "Birth Day: Sonnet" (poem), "Procession Day/Remembrance Night: Processional/Recessional" (poem), "Bazaar Day: Ballad" (poem), "Festival Day: Catechism" (poem), "Restoration Day: Plainsong" in ''Liavek: Festival Week'' (1990, edited by ] and ])
* "Scrabble with God", IASFM October 1985, reprinted in ''From the End of the Twentieth Century'' * "Scrabble with God", IASFM October 1985, reprinted in ''From the End of the Twentieth Century''


===Other published works===
Ford published a variety of short fiction and poetry, from ] that are essentially fantastic jokes, to ]s revealing a deep understanding of human frailties and emotions. His poem "Winter Solstice, Camelot Station" won the ] for ] in 1989.
* Ford wrote extensively for the ].
* Ford published some children's fiction under pseudonyms that he did not make public, and two children's ]s under ] Michael J. Dodge (''Star Trek: Voyage to Adventure'', 1984) and Milo Dennison (''The Case of the Gentleman Ghost'', 1985).
* Ford plotted three issues of the '']'' ] comics in the late 1980s and wrote issue number 10, "Driving North."
* Ford also contributed to ''The World of Robert Jordan's ]'' (2001, Tor Books, {{ISBN|0-312-86936-3}}), drawing some of the maps.


===Games===
Ford published some children's fiction under ]s that he did not make public, and two children's ]s under ] Michael J. Dodge (''Star Trek: Voyage to Adventure'', 1984) and Milo Dennison (''The Case of the Gentleman Ghost'', 1985).
* ]

* '']'' (1985, West End Games, {{ISBN|0-87431-027-X}}), an adventure for the ] roleplaying game
Ford plotted three issues of '']'' ] ] in the late 1980s and wrote issue number 10, "Driving North."
* '']'' with ] and Doug Kaufman (1985, West End Games)

* '']'' with ] (1991, ], {{ISBN|1-55634-115-6}}), a resource book for the ] roleplaying game
Ford also contributed to ''The World of Robert Jordan's ]'' (2001, Tor Books, ISBN 0-312-86936-3), drawing some of the maps.
* ''GURPS Y2K'' with Steve Jackson et al. (1999, Steve Jackson Games, {{ISBN|1-55634-406-6}}), a resource book for the GURPS roleplaying game

* ''GURPS Traveller: Starports'' (2000, Steve Jackson Games, {{ISBN|1-55634-401-5}}), a resource book for the ] roleplaying game
=== Games ===
*'']'' (1985, West End Games, ISBN 0-87431-027-X), an adventure for the ] roleplaying game * '']'' with Steve Jackson and ] (2005, Steve Jackson Games, {{ISBN|1-55634-734-0}}), a resource book for the GURPS roleplaying game
*''GURPS Time Travel'' with ] (1991, ], ISBN 1-55634-115-6), a resource book for the ] roleplaying game * ] with Bill Slaviscek (1987, ], {{ISBN|0874310628}}), a module for the ].
* Ford further wrote Klingon manuals for the ],<ref name="sfpm070120"/> and a number of ] articles, which appeared in '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', and '']''.
*''GURPS Y2K'' with Steve Jackson et al. (1999, Steve Jackson Games, ISBN 1-55634-406-6), a resource book for the GURPS roleplaying game
* In '']'' he described a chess-like game played by Klingons, ''klin zha,'' which has been adopted by Klingon fandom.<ref name="klin zha"/>
*''GURPS Traveller: Starports'' (2000, Steve Jackson Games, ISBN 1-55634-401-5), a resource book for the ] roleplaying game
*''GURPS Infinite Worlds'' with Steve Jackson and ] (2005, Steve Jackson Games, ISBN 1-55634-734-0), a resource book for the GURPS roleplaying game

Ford further wrote Klingon manuals for the ] , and a number of ] articles, which appeared in ''Autoduel Quarterly'', '']'', ''Roleplayer'', ''Space Gamer'', and ''Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society''.

In '']'' he described a chess-like game played by Klingons, '','' which has been adopted by Klingon fandom.


==Awards== ==Awards==
* 2005 ] for Role-Playing Game Supplement of the Year – ''] 4th Edition'' * 2005 ] for Role-Playing Game Supplement of the Year – ''] 4th Edition''
* 1998 ] for Fantasy & Science Fiction – ''From the End of the Twentieth Century'' * 1998 ] for Fantasy & Science Fiction<ref name="mhc1998"/>
* 1993 ] – ''Growing Up Weightless'' * 1993 ] – ''Growing Up Weightless''
* 1991 ] for Best Roleplaying Supplement – ''GURPS Time Travel'' * 1991 ] for Best Roleplaying Supplement – ''GURPS Time Travel''
* 1989 ] – "Winter Solstice, Camelot Station" (in ''Invitation to Camelot'', edited by ]) * 1989 ] – "]" (in ''Invitation to Camelot'', edited by ])
* 1989 ] for Long Poem – also "Winter Solstice, Camelot Station" * 1989 ] for Long Poem – also "Winter Solstice, Camelot Station"
* 1985 ] for Best Roleplaying Supplement – ''The Yellow Clearance Black Box Blues'' * 1985 ] for Best Roleplaying Supplement – ''The Yellow Clearance Black Box Blues''
Line 83: Line 116:
* 2005 ] – ''Heat of Fusion and Other Stories'' * 2005 ] – ''Heat of Fusion and Other Stories''
* 1996 ] – "Erase/Record/Play" (in ''Starlight 1'', edited by ]) * 1996 ] – "Erase/Record/Play" (in ''Starlight 1'', edited by ])
* 1996 ] – also "Erase/Record/Play" * 1996 ] – also "Erase/Record/Play"
* 1995 ] for Long Poems – "Troy: The Movie" (in '']'', Spring 1994) * 1995 ] for Long Poems – "Troy: The Movie" (in '']'', Spring 1994)
* 1991 Rhysling Award for Long Poems – "Bazaar Day: Ballad" (in ''Liavek: Festival Week'', edited by ] and ]) and "Cosmology: A User’s Manual" (in '']'', January 1990) * 1991 Rhysling Award for Long Poems – "Bazaar Day: Ballad" (in ''Liavek: Festival Week'', edited by ] and ]) and "Cosmology: A User’s Manual" (in '']'', January 1990)
* 1990 Rhysling Award for Long Poems – "A Holiday in the Park" (in '']'', Winter 1988/1989) * 1990 Rhysling Award for Long Poems – "A Holiday in the Park" (in '']'', Winter 1988/1989)
* 1987 Nebula Award for Best Novelette (final ballot) – "Fugue State" (in ''Under the Wheel'', edited by Elizabeth Mitchell) * 1987 Nebula Award for Best Novelette (final ballot) – "Fugue State" (in '']'', edited by Elizabeth Mitchell)


==References== ==References==
{{Reflist|30em|refs=
<references />
<ref name="ssdi">{{cite web |work=] |title=John Milo Ford, September 25, 2006 |via=] |url=https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/J5TC-LZN |access-date=February 16, 2013}}</ref>
<ref name=vezner>{{cite news|first=Tad |last=Vezner |url=http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/15868982.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929090235/http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/15868982.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 29, 2007 |title=Crafters of sci-fi attend obscure writer's eulogy: Peers laud Minneapolis author for his unpredictable works |work=] |date=October 28, 2006 }} ( of the article and a few factual errors in it.)</ref>
<ref name="asim0304">{{cite web|first=James Patrick |last=Kelly |author-link=James Patrick Kelly |url=http://www.asimovs.com/_issue_0304/onthenet.shtml |title=On the Net: Frequent Fliers |work=] |date=April 2003 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060806033229/http://www.asimovs.com/_issue_0304/onthenet.shtml |archive-date=August 6, 2006 }} (See also {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070430070141/http://www.asimovs.com/cgi-bin/searcheng.cgi?searchstring=ford |date=April 30, 2007 }} in the ''Asimov's'' index.)</ref>
<ref name="shetintro">{{cite web|first=Will |last=Shetterly |author-link=Will Shetterly |url=http://www.asimovs.com/_issue_0304/onthenet.shtml |title=An Introduction to John M. Ford |work=player.org |date=February 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061004005143/http://www.player.org/pub/flash/ford/ |archive-date=October 4, 2006 }}</ref>
<ref name="makl051225">{{cite web |title=Ford's comment at a "four things" meme blogpost |url=http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007117.html#107842 |work=] |date=December 25, 2005}}</ref>
<ref name="makl060925">{{cite web |first=Elise |last=Matthesen |work=] |url=http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/008033.html |title=John M. Ford, 1957–2006 |date=September 25, 2006}}</ref>
<ref name="hyim061002">{{cite web|first=Elise |last=Matthesen |author-link=Elise Matthesen |work=Honour Your Inner Magpie |title=The John M. Ford Book Endowment |url=http://elisem.livejournal.com/907925.html |date=October 2, 2006 |access-date=April 29, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150425012527/http://elisem.livejournal.com/907925.html |archive-date=April 25, 2015 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
<ref name="sfpm070120">{{cite web|url=http://community.livejournal.com/nemesis_draco/16572.html |title=Against Entropy |date=January 20, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110105051615/http://community.livejournal.com/nemesis_draco/16572.html |archive-date=January 5, 2011 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
<ref name="wcat1981">{{cite book |publisher=] |title=On Writing Science Fiction (The Editors Strike Back!) |date=1981 |oclc=7885690 }}</ref>
<ref name="nesfa060805">{{cite web |publisher=] |title=From the End of the Twentieth Century |url=http://nesfa.org/press/Books/Ford.html |date=August 5, 2006 |access-date=April 5, 2011 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
<ref name="sleight">{{cite web |first=Graham |last=Sleight |work=] |url=https://locusmag.com/2012/04/graham-sleights-yesterdays-tomorrows-john-m-ford/ |title=Graham Sleight's Yesterday's Tomorrows: John M. Ford |date=April 15, 2012}}</ref>
<ref name="klin zha">{{cite web |first=Jean-Louis |last=Cazaux |work=chessvariants.com |url=https://www.chessvariants.com/shape.dir/klinzha/klinzha.html |title=Klin Zha |date=November 24, 2001}}</ref>
<ref name="mhc1998">{{cite web |publisher=The Minnesota Humanities Commission |location=] |title=1998 Minnesota Book Awards Nominees and Winners |url=http://www.thinkmhc.org/Book/1998.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020819133122/http://thinkmhc.org/Book/1998.htm |archive-date=August 19, 2002}}</ref>
}}


== Further reading ==
==External links==
* {{isfdb name|id=John_M._Ford|name=John M. Ford}}
* at the Pen & Paper RPG Database
* up to 1997 by ]
* http://www.johnmford.com – fan/memorial website
* at Fantastic Fiction
<!--- this first part intended for official-looking bibliographies etc.-->


=== Texts by Ford online=== ===Texts by Ford online===
* , , , , , , , : selection of Ford's comments to Patrick and ]'s weblog ''Making Light'', with links to context * to Twelve and : selection of Ford's comments to Patrick and ]'s weblog ''Making Light'', with links to context
* Ford's poem , written about the ] * , poem written about the ]
* Ford's poem , 1994 * , 1994 poem
* Ford's poem , 1989 * , 1989 poem
* Ford's short story (in ''Dragons of Light'', ed. ], Ace Books, 1980) * , short story (in ''Dragons of Light'', ed. ], Ace Books, 1980)
* Ford's short story , written as the script for of '']'' * , short story written as the script for of '']''
* '']'' * '']''
* ]'s (and other ink] participants) * ]'s (and other ink] participants)
* ]'s * Alex Krislov's
* , * {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070509221314/http://www.j-bradford-delong.net/movable_type/2003_archives/001284.html |date=May 9, 2007 }},
* 1994–5, in ] archive


===About Ford=== ===About Ford===
* ]: . With links to online works by Ford, articles, weblog posts and memories about him etc. * ]: . With links to online works by Ford, articles, weblog posts and memories about Ford
* ]:
*
* ]:
* ]: * ]:
* ]: remembering Ford * ]: remembering Ford
* ]: , in '']''
* ], '']'': with discussion of Ford's influence on Klingons in Star Trek
* ]: , in '']'' * : , in '']''
* ]: '']'' December 2006
* : , in '']''
*
* ]: , in '']''
*
* ]:

* - a ] community
==External links==
*
* {{isfdb name|name=John M. Ford}}
*
* at BoardGameGeek.Com
* up to 1997 by ]
*
* at Fantastic Fiction
<!--- this first part intended for official-looking bibliographies etc.-->{{World Fantasy Award Best Novel}}{{World Fantasy Award Best Short Fiction}}{{Philip K. Dick Award}}{{Authority control}}


{{Persondata
|NAME=Ford, John M.
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Ford, Mike; Dr. Mike (nickname)
|SHORT DESCRIPTION=American author
|DATE OF BIRTH=], ]
|PLACE OF BIRTH=]
|DATE OF DEATH=], ]
|PLACE OF DEATH=]
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ford, John M.}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Ford, John M.}}
] ]
] ]
] ]
]
] ]
]
] ]
] ]
]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
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]

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]

Latest revision as of 08:40, 20 November 2024

American writer, game designer, and poet This article is about the American science fiction and fantasy writer also known as Dr. Mike. For the Soviet-born American celebrity doctor, see Doctor Mike. For other uses, see Doctor Mike (disambiguation). For the Lord Mayor of Georgetown, Guyana, see John Meredith Ford.

John Milo Ford
John M. Ford portrait 2000John M. Ford portrait 2000
Born(1957-04-10)April 10, 1957
East Chicago, Indiana, US
DiedSeptember 25, 2006(2006-09-25) (aged 49)
Minneapolis, Minnesota, US
Occupation
GenreScience fiction, fantasy, cyberpunk
PartnerElise Matthesen
Dr. Mike at Minicon 38 in 2003

John Milo "Mike" Ford (April 10, 1957 – September 25, 2006) was an American science fiction and fantasy writer, game designer, and poet.

A contributor to several online discussions, Ford composed poems, often improvised, in both complicated forms and blank verse; he also wrote pastiches and parodies of many other authors and styles. At Minicon and other science fiction conventions he would perform "Ask Dr. Mike", giving humorous answers to scientific and other questions in a lab coat before a whiteboard.

Life

Ford was born in East Chicago, Indiana, and raised in Whiting, Indiana. In the mid-1970s he attended Indiana University Bloomington, where he was active in the IU science fiction club and Society for Creative Anachronism (using the name Miles Atherton de Grey); while there, he published his first short story "This, Too, We Reconcile" in the May 1976 Analog.

Ford left IU and moved to New York to work on the newly founded Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, where, starting in mid-1978, he published poetry, fiction, articles, and game reviews. Although his last non-fiction appeared there in September 1981, he was tenth most frequent contributor for the 1977–2002 period. About 1990, he moved to Minneapolis. In addition to writing, he worked at various times as a hospital orderly, computer consultant, slush pile reader, and copy editor.

Ford suffered from complications related to diabetes since childhood and also had renal dysfunction which required dialysis and, in 2000, a kidney transplant, which improved his quality of life considerably. He was found dead from natural causes in his Minneapolis home on September 25, 2006, by his partner since the mid-1990s, Elise Matthesen. He was a prominent member of the Friends of the Minneapolis Public Library, which established a John M. Ford Book Endowment after his death with the donations to be used as interest-generating capital for yearly purchase of new books.

Work

Ford's works were varied in setting and style. Several were of the Bildungsroman (coming-of-age) type: in Web of Angels, The Final Reflection, Princes of the Air, Growing Up Weightless, and The Last Hot Time, Ford wrote variations on the theme of growing up, learning about one's world and one's place in it, and taking responsibility for it – which involves taking on the power and wisdom to influence events, to help make the world a better place.

Ford spent part of his career working in other people's universes. His 1983 book The Klingons for FASA's Star Trek: The Role Playing Game had an influence on subsequent productions from Paramount. He also wrote a comedic novel set in the Star Trek universe called How Much for Just the Planet?, where the Enterprise crew compete with a Klingon crew for control of a planet whose unhappy colonists defend their peace in inventive and farcial ways. The book includes song lyrics that satirize many 20th century stage musicals.

Ford authored the award-winning adventure The Yellow Clearance Black Box Blues (1985) for West End Games' Paranoia role-playing game.

Ford used a variety of styles to suit the world, characters, and situations he chose to write about. Author and critic John Clute wrote in the 1993 Encyclopedia of Science Fiction that "two decades into his career, there remains some sense that JMF remains unwilling or unable to create a definitive style or mode; but his originality is evident, a shifting feisty energy informs almost everything he writes, and that career is still young."

Ford was much respected by his fellow writers, editors, critics and fans. Robert Jordan, Ford's lifelong close friend, called Ford "the best writer in America – bar none." Neil Gaiman called Ford "my best critic ... the best writer I knew." Patrick Nielsen Hayden said, "Most normal people had the slight sense that something large and super-intelligent and trans-human had sort of flown over ... There would be a point where basically the plot would become so knotted and complex he would lose all of us."

After his death, almost all of Ford's work was out of print. The rights to his work had reverted to his legal heirs, but no one had managed to get in touch with them. After an investigation by a journalist, Isaac Butler, Ford's editors at Tor Books were able to reconnect with his family, and in November 2019 an agreement was reached to reissue all his published works, starting in 2020 with The Dragon Waiting.

Bibliography

Books

With Darrell Schweitzer and George H. Scithers, Ford co-authored On Writing Science Fiction (The Editors Strike Back!) (1981, Owlswick Press, ISBN 0-913896-19-5; Wildside Press 2000, ISBN 1-880448-78-5), a writers' manual with advice illustrated by short stories that were first sales to IASFM.

Short works and poetry

  • "A Cup of Worrynot Tea" in Liavek: The Players of Luck (1986, edited by Emma Bull and Will Shetterly)
  • "Green Is the Color", "Eel Island Shoals" (song), "Pot-Boil Blues" (song) in Liavek: Wizard's Row (1987, edited by Emma Bull and Will Shetterly)
  • "Winter Solstice, Camelot Station" (in Invitation to Camelot, edited by Parke Godwin)
  • "Riding the Hammer" in Liavek: Spells of Binding (1988, edited by Emma Bull and Will Shetterly)
  • "The Grand Festival: Sestina" (poem), "Divination Day: Invocation" (poem), "Birth Day: Sonnet" (poem), "Procession Day/Remembrance Night: Processional/Recessional" (poem), "Bazaar Day: Ballad" (poem), "Festival Day: Catechism" (poem), "Restoration Day: Plainsong" in Liavek: Festival Week (1990, edited by Emma Bull and Will Shetterly)
  • "Scrabble with God", IASFM October 1985, reprinted in From the End of the Twentieth Century

Other published works

Games

Awards

Nominations

References

  1. "John Milo Ford, September 25, 2006". United States Social Security Death Index. Retrieved February 16, 2013 – via FamilySearch.
  2. ^ Matthesen, Elise (September 25, 2006). "John M. Ford, 1957–2006". Making Light.
  3. Shetterly, Will (February 2005). "An Introduction to John M. Ford". player.org. Archived from the original on October 4, 2006.
  4. ^ Vezner, Tad (October 28, 2006). "Crafters of sci-fi attend obscure writer's eulogy: Peers laud Minneapolis author for his unpredictable works". St. Paul Pioneer Press. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. (Discussion by fans of the article and a few factual errors in it.)
  5. Ashley, Mike (2000). Gateways to Forever: The Story of the Science-fiction Magazines from 1970 to 1980. Liverpool University Press. p. 21. ISBN 9781846310034. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
  6. Kelly, James Patrick (April 2003). "On the Net: Frequent Fliers". Asimov's. Archived from the original on August 6, 2006. (See also Ford's entries Archived April 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine in the Asimov's index.)
  7. "Ford's comment at a "four things" meme blogpost". Making Light. December 25, 2005.
  8. Matthesen, Elise (October 2, 2006). "The John M. Ford Book Endowment". Honour Your Inner Magpie. Archived from the original on April 25, 2015. Retrieved April 29, 2015.
  9. ^ Sleight, Graham (April 15, 2012). "Graham Sleight's Yesterday's Tomorrows: John M. Ford". Locus Online.
  10. ^ Shannon Appelcline (2011). Designers & Dragons. Mongoose Publishing. ISBN 978-1-907702-58-7.
  11. Clute, John; Nicholls, Peter (1993). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. London: Orbit Books.
  12. Butler, Isaac (November 15, 2019). "The Disappearance of John M. Ford". Slate. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  13. "From the End of the Twentieth Century". NESFA Press. August 5, 2006. Retrieved April 5, 2011.
  14. "Aspects". Macmillan. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  15. On Writing Science Fiction (The Editors Strike Back!). WorldCat. 1981. OCLC 7885690.
  16. "Against Entropy". January 20, 2007. Archived from the original on January 5, 2011.
  17. Cazaux, Jean-Louis (November 24, 2001). "Klin Zha". chessvariants.com.
  18. "1998 Minnesota Book Awards Nominees and Winners". St. Paul, MN: The Minnesota Humanities Commission. Archived from the original on August 19, 2002.

Further reading

Texts by Ford online

About Ford

External links

World Fantasy Award—Novel
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
World Fantasy Award—Short Fiction
1975–2000
2001–present
Philip K. Dick Award
Categories: