Steve Libbey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Born: | February 1, 1969 Cincinnati, Ohio |
|---|---|
| Occupation: | musician, author |
| Nationality: | American |
| Writing period: | 1990 to present |
| Genres: | fiction |
| Subjects: | science fiction |
| Website: | Steve Libbey's official site |
Steve Libbey (born February 1, 1969) is a Portland, Oregon-based musician and author. He is best known for his heavy involvement in the Cincinnati independent music scene during the 1990's, and for his written work with fantasy author Mercedes Lackey.
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[edit] Biography
Steve Libbey was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on February 1, 1969. His early years were heavily influenced by science fiction television and writing, as well as an early introduction to punk rock. As a college student, he began to write short fiction for local publications, as well as starting his music career. Soon after his graduation from the University of Cincinnati in 1992 with a Bachelor of Arts in English, he started an independent literary magazine with an associate. However, as his musical career began to grow and flourish, he left writing behind and focused heavily on his music.
After spending a better part of the 1990's in Cincinnati, playing with such bands as Snowblind and Martian Electric, Libbey left for Atlanta, Georgia. While in Atlanta, he started his own music label, known as Imperial Fuzz, and began playing with the Shut-Ups, a New Wave band. After seven years in Atlanta, he moved to Portland, Oregon, and began to write again. This writing garnered the attention of Mercedes Lackey, a prominent figure in the fantasy genre, and the two struck up a friendship. This soon lead to the Secret World Chronicle.
[edit] Writing
[edit] Secret World Chronicle
- Book One: Invasion (2006) with Mercedes Lackey
The Secret World Chronicle is a series of "braided novels," based on characters and ideas created by Lackey and Libbey in an on-line role-playing environment, transposed into an entirely new setting. Although there are plans to set future works in different eras, Invasion is set in the present-day in a world where "metas" (short for metahumans, that setting's term for superheroes) first appeared during World War II and now play an important role in keeping the world safe. In Invasion, the world is invaded by a mysterious force of armored Nazi soldiers, some of whom are subsequently found not to be human.
The first book of The Secret World Chronicle began serialization in podcast form in September, 2006, read aloud by actors Adam Higgins and Laura Patterson. No plans have yet been announced for print publication.
[edit] The Aqua Pura Trilogy
The forthcoming Aqua Pura trilogy takes place in a fictional world similar to the Roman Empire. The first book, The Blood Baths, is currently in final edit. The second book, The Quartz Odalisque is currently in progress, and a third, The Good King's Tomb, has been announced.
[edit] Evil Dog Publication
Evil Dog was a Cincinnati-area 'zine devoted to offbeat literary work. Libbey and Jeff Wilson founded the publication in the early 1990's, which stopped production in 1997. It was profiled in Cincinnati CityBeat on June 15, 1995.
[edit] Short Fiction
- “4/4″ (A Cincinnati Conspiracy, anthology, 1990)
- “The Miracle of Modern Lethargy” (Mind in Motion, 1991)
- “Rabbit Died” (The Monthly Independent Tribune Times Journal Post Gazette, 1991)
- “A Partial Solution” (Puppet Smut, 1992)
- “The Man with One Leg” (originally published by Clifton Magazine, 1991, and again by Feedback, 1994 and Blue Penny Quarterly, 1994)
- “A Ray of Hope for the Children of the Night” (Evil Dog, 1995)
[edit] Superhero Short Fiction
Libbey has written significant amounts of fiction in the City of Heroes universe. The supergroup Coalition of Communist Crusaders for the Proletariat (or CCCP) was founded by Libbey during the game's beta test phase, and moved to the Pinnacle server when the game went live. Based around Cold War-era Soviet stereotypes, the CCCP has proven to be fertile ground for writers. Libbey further expanded the CCCP's mold by creating the Pinnacle RP Congress, a coalition of roleplay supergroups on the Pinnacle server.
Libbey was interviewed by G4Tech TV for a segment on Pulse, in which he discussed the CCCP.
His story, The Magic in a Devushka's Heart, was published in the Top Cow City of Heroes comic in 2005.
[edit] Extra Medium Sketch Comedy Troupe
Libbey has written a number of skits for Extra Medium, a Portland-based comedy troupe. He occasionally also appears on stage with them, though not often.
[edit] Music
[edit] Robotic Storm Cloud
Robotic Storm Cloud was Libbey's foray into electronica, after having a taste of it while recording tracks for Martian Electric. His first album, Ambush on All Sides, met with glowing reviews and local acclaim. RSC continues to record, with the latest being background music for The Secret World Chronicle.
[edit] Martian Electric
An alternative pop trio, Martian Electric was well-received in the Cincinnati area before disbanding in 1996. Their album release, Sky-Fi was listed as one of Cincinnati's top local releases in 1996 [1].
[edit] The Shut-Ups
Libbey was the guitarist for the Shut-Ups, an Atlanta, Georgia based New Wave group, before leaving Atlanta to move to Portland, Oregon. He recorded two albums with the group before his departure.
[edit] Imperial Fuzz Records
Originally titled Royal Fuzz, Imperial Fuzz was an independent music label started by Libbey after leaving Cincinnati for Atlanta. A number of bands released albums under his label, including Ruby Vileos, Minamina Goodsong and Psyche Origami.
[edit] The Golden Greats
The Golden Greats are a Portland-area funk band. They are currently working on a studio album, release TBA.
[edit] External links
- Official website
- The Secret World Chronicle
- Robotic Storm Cloud
- The Shut-Ups
- The Golden Greats
- Coalition of Communist Crusaders for the Proletariat - A City of Heroes supergroup & fan-based fiction site
- Pinnacle RP Congress - A City of Heroes fan fiction site.
[edit] References
- Solar Flare, "Mercedes Lackey and Steve Libbey Announce Secret World Chronicle" 17 October 2006
- Mike Breen, Spill It, Cincinnati City Beat Vol. 7 Issue 13, 15 February 2001
- Allyson Jacob, Where Are They Now?, Cincinnati City Beat, 01 September 2004
