Jack L. Chalker

<span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span>

Author Jack L. Chalker (December 17, 1944 - February 11, 2005) was born in Baltimore, Maryland. Although many biographical sources (including Who's Who) cite Norfolk as Chalker's birthplace, the author gave up protesting the error, stating, "I really don't mind since I have roots and tons of family in Norfolk, anyway."

1 Education
2 Career
3 Personal Life
4 Awards
5 External Links

Education

Chalker attended Baltimore public schools and B.S. Towson State College (now known as Towson University), with graduate degrees from Johns Hopkins University, gaining degrees in history and English, and in addition, having a strong science background.

His graduate specialty was the "History of Ideas," of which he said, "I'm a certified expert on isms and ologies." He taught history at the high school and college levels, and lectured at the Smithsonian, The National Institutes of Health, and numerous colleges and universities, mostly on science fiction and technology subjects.

Career

Aside from the usual "kid occupations," Chalker was a professional typesetter, a sound engineer for outdoor rock concerts, an audio and computer reviewer, a freelance editor, a publisher (founder of The Mirage Press, Ltd.), a book packager, an Air National Guard Information Director, a new and used book dealer, and a teacher.

He was a special forces air commando during the Vietnam war period but never served west of Amarillo, Texas. He noted that no Viet Cong penetrated east of Albuquerque while he was there. Chalker added, "I was, however, in the war—my TDY duty tour in Vietnam lasted a bit over four hours, but I got the ribbon and combat pay." Starting in 1978, Chalker made his living solely by writing.

Personal Life

Chalker married Eva C. Whitley on the ferryboat Roaring Bull in the middle of the Susquehanna River in 1978. They had two sons, David Whitley Chalker, born in 1981, and Steven Lloyd Chalker, born in 1991.