James Clancy Phelan

Infobox Writer


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name = James Phelan
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birthdate = 21 May 1979
birthplace = Melbourne, Australia
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nationality = Australian
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genre = Thriller
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website = http://www.jamesphelan.com.au/about

"James Clancy Phelan" (born 21 May 1979) is an Australian author, published as James Phelan. His first fiction novel, "Fox Hunt", went into reprint in its first month.

Biography

Phelan was born in Victoria, Australia. He was introduced to the world of books at an early age, with such works as The Hobbit, Treasure Island and The Jungle Book helping to inspire his overactive imagination. As a teenager, he read many action novels, like the work of Michael Crichton and Tom Clancy. In 1995, at the age of fifteen, he began his first novel and the character of the protagonist of Fox Hunt was born. After high school, he went on to study architecture and English literature and graduated with a Master of Arts in Writing from RMIT. As of 2006 he teaches writing at Swinburne University in Melbourne and is a PhD candidate there. [http://www.jamesphelan.com.au/biography/ 1]

Writing

Phelan's writing covers a broad range, from newspaper work to books of fiction and non-fiction. With his first published book being the non-fiction author interview book, "Literati", and his short story, "Soliloquy for One Dead", appearing in Griffith Review’s 2006 edition, “The Next Big Thing”, many believed he would embark on a career at the "literary" end of the writing spectrum. His first published novel, "Fox Hunt", surprised many by being a blatant commercial thriller, highlighting the diversity of his writing skills. He has also written for The Age newspaper and Cosmopolitan magazine. [http://www.jamesphelan.com.au/biography/ 1]

"Literati: Australian Contemporary Literary Figures Discuss Fear, Frustrations and Fame" was Phelan's first publication, released by John Wiley & Sons in 2005. In a series of interviews, Phelan asked questions of a broad range of literary figures in Australia, including Matthew Reilly, Tara Moss, John Marsden, John Birmingham and Peter Craven.

"Fox Hunt", Phelan's first fiction release, was released in August 2006, published by Hachette. Through the protagonist, Lachlan Fox, Phelan evokes the qualities typical of most action heroes; charisma, strength, intelligence and rugged good looks. The story is set as a bridge between the aftermath of the Cold War and the perilous age of the War on Terrorism, with Lachlan and his best friend thrown unwittingly into a war that crosses time. The book exists as both a homage to trials past and contemporary issues of today, emphasising the role of politics in issues as far reaching as political instability in Chechnya to the Star Wars Missile Defence system.

"Patriot Act", the second instalment in the adventures of Lachlan Fox, was released in August 2007. [http://www.jamesphelan.com.au/about/ 2] . Set mainly in New York city and France, it tells the story of Lachlan Fox investigating a series of murders in Europe that are linked to a pending hack on the NSA's computers. The USA Patriot Act is referenced throughout, as is the NSA program, ECHELON, and the Bilderberg Group. While Fox's character shows growth from the previous book, and there is hope in the form of a love interest in Kate Matthews, by the end of "Patriot Act" Fox is left dark and angry - hinting at the tone of the next book in the series.

James Phelan has stated in media interviews and on his website that the personal journey of Lachlan Fox has many parallels to that of Siddhartha, the protagonist of Hermann Hesse's novel Siddhartha. Fox's quest for enlightenment is set to span the first five books of the series. Gammaldi has similarities to Govinda, particularly as each character, as friends to the protagonists, follow them anywhere out of great respect for the potential in Fox and Siddhartha respectively.

The third Lachlan Fox novel, "Blood Oil", is due for publication 2008, and it set in Nigeria. Blood Oil is set to be non-linear in its time frame, as it depicts the chaos around Fox and Gammaldi, as well as that of Africa and a running theme throughout the book: Disaster Capitalism.

A fourth book "Liquid Gold" will appear in 2009. Phelan has said this book is set in Pakistan and India, and has a macro theme of water scarcity and religions. [http://www.jamesphelan.com.au/about]

Phelan is represented by United Talent Agency.

Bibliography

*"Fox Hunt" (2006)
*"Patriot Act" (2007)
*"Blood Oil" (2008)
*"Liquid Gold" (2009)

Non-fiction

*"Literati" (2005)

External links

* [http://www.jamesphelan.com.au/biography/ Phelan's Biography]
* [http://www.jamesphelan.com.au/about/ Phelan's Website]

Persondata
NAME=Phelan, James Clancy
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Contemporary Australian author
DATE OF BIRTH=21 May 1979
PLACE OF BIRTH=Australia
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=