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Who Is He?

John G. Hemry is a retired U.S. Navy officer. His father (LCDR Jack M. Hemry, USN ret.) is a mustang (an officer who was promoted through the enlisted ranks), so John grew up living everywhere from Pensacola, Florida to San Diego, California, including an especially memorable few years on Midway Island.

John graduated from Lyons High School in Lyons, Kansas in 1974, then attended the U.S. Naval Academy (Class of '78), where he was labeled "the un-Midshipman" by his roommates.

His active duty assignments in the U.S. Navy included:
- USS SPRUANCE (DD963) (Navigator, Gunnery Officer)
- Defense Intelligence Agency (Production Control Officer)
- Navy Anti-Terrorism Alert Center (Watch Officer, Operations Officer)
- Amphibious Squadron Five (Staff Intelligence Officer/N2)
- Navy Operational Intelligence Center (Readiness Division)
- Chief of Naval Operations Staff N3/N5 (Plans, Policy and Operations)

John speaks the remnants of Russian painstakingly pounded into him by Professor Vladimir Tolstoy (yes, he was related to that Tolstoy).

He lives in Maryland with a wife who is too good for him and three great kids. The two eldest children are diagnosed as autistic and suffer from Neuro-Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (NIDS), an auto-immune ailment which causes their illness, but are progressing under the treatment of Dr. Michael Goldberg.

"A centuries-old interstellar conflict. Millions dead. Entire star systems obliterated. A tough-as-nails leader trying to lead a lost fleet back home from deep in enemy territory. Military science fiction fans who are searching for a fast-paced, no-holds-barred, deep-space military-powered adventure should check out the Lost Fleet saga by Jack Campbell (pseudonym for veteran genre writer John G. Hemry), a surprisingly multi-layered series that incorporates elements of space opera, apocalyptic thriller, and, at times, subtly allegorical social commentary." Paul Goat Allen - The Barnes and Noble Review, 30 January 2007

The Alliance has been fighting the Syndics for a century - and losing badly. Now its fleet is crippled and stranded in enemy territory. Their only hope is a man who's emerged from a century-long hibernation to find he had been heroically idealized beyond belief . Captain John "Black Jack" Geary's legendary exploits are known to every schoolchild. Revered for his heroic "last stand" in the early days of the war, he was presumed dead. But a century later, Geary miraculously returns from survival hibernation and reluctantly takes command of the Alliance fleet as it faces annihilation by the Syndics. Appalled by the hero-worship around him, Geary is nevertheless a man who will do his duty. And he knows that bringing the stolen Syndic hypernet key safely home is the Alliance's one chance to win the war. But to do that, Geary will have to live up to the impossibly heroic "Black Jack" legend.

"The best novel of its type that I've read. Black Jack is very real, very human, and so compelling he'll leave you wanting more. Jack Campbell knows fleet actions, and it shows." David Sherman, author with Dan Cragg of the Starfist series.

"A rousing adventure . . . the kind of hero Hornblower fans will love!" William C. Dietz, author of Runner

"A slam-bang good read that kept me up at night. A solid, thoughtful, exciting novel loaded with edge-of-your-seat combat." Elizabeth Moon, Nebula Award-winning author of Marque and Reprisal

"Military science fiction at its best. Not only does he tell a yarn of great adventure and action, but he also develops the characters with satisfying depth. I thoroughly enjoyed this rip-roaring read, and can hardly wait for the next book." Catherine Asaro, Nebula Award-winning author of Alpha

"In Fearless, the sequel to 2006's Dauntless, legendary war hero Captain John "Black Jack" Geary is once again faced with a seemingly hopeless situation. Recently rescued from an escape pod found floating in space after nearly a century in suspended animation, Geary is desperately trying to find a way to bring what's left of the Alliance fleet back home. In his possession is a device acquired from an enemy starship that could end the war forever. But with the entire military force of the Syndicate Worlds hot on his trail, Geary is up against impossible odds -- especially when he frees a labor camp of Alliance POWs and rescues an egomaniacal captain whose irrational machismo could doom the entire fleet."
"It's obvious that Hemry, a retired naval officer, has an intimate knowledge of the saga's militaristic underpinnings; and although his expertise at re-creating traditional military ethics and doctrine, battle formations and strategies, the mind-set and culture of the soldier, etc., is exceptional, the real power behind this series is the masterfully complex characterization of his protagonist. The disturbing societal revelations for this heroic Rip Van Winkle, a true man out of time, are just beginning. Future installments should prove to be even more entertaining." Paul Goat Allen - The Barnes and Noble Review, 30 January 2007

"Recalls nothing so much as The Caine Mutiny in space, and it attains the same high level of achievement." Booklist

"In A Just Determination, John Hemry catches the soul of a space navy in this treatment of an ensign's first space-side tour of duty. Hemry explores gallantry, honor, duty, and patriotism - as well as their opposites -- in a book where both the court scenes and the space-chase scenes are page turners. Not your ordinary space combat adventure, by any means." Steve Miller, Co-author of the award-winning Liaden Universe(R)

"Young Paul Sinclair is exactly the kind of guy you want to serve with, and exactly the kind of reluctant hero that great series are made from." Ernest Lilley, SFRevu

"One of the more worthwhile and provocative novels to come my way in 2003...A Just Determination is that most unusual of military stories: one unabashedly pro-service that still acknowledges the too-human flaws in the system and the moral dilemmas commonly faced in military life." sfreviews.net

"Hemry is the real thing...thrilling excitement on every page." CAPT. David E. Meadows, USN, author of The Sixth Fleet and Joint Task Force series.

After a long tour as legal officer aboard the USS Michaelson, Paul Sinclair is anticipating shore duty. Too bad it's canceled when a group of religious fanatics hijacks a freighter and invades an asteroid. Fearing they could threaten the earth, starships from several countries converge on the scene. But their mission turns deadly when the South Asian Alliance opens fire on the asteroid. After the smoke clears, Paul suspects the Michaelson's rules of engagement have been compromised - suspicions that are confirmed when NCIS asks him to work covertly. Someone onboard the Michaelson is selling secrets, and to uncover the traitor, Paul must walk the dangerous line between duty and honor.

"John G. Hemry has an interesting series going in his tales of Paul Sinclair in the US space navy. . . If you crave a legalistic space-Hornblower, you'll enjoy this one and you'll forward to what he gets into next." Tom Easton in Analog Magazine

"Gripping. Sgt. Stark is an unforgettable character...Stark's War reads as if Hemry has been there."
Jack McDevitt, author of Odyssey

"A rip roaring race through tomorrow's battlefield, where knowledge is power, but stupidity still reigns. Hemry's debut is a great yarn--and a thoughtful cautionary tale." Mike Shepherd/Moscoe, author of the Kris Longknife series

"John Hemry has perfectly captured the cynicism of the professional soldier and the camaraderie that develops in any good military unit--the sense of interdependence, the confidence that one's comrades are the only ones to be fully trusted." Rick Shelly, author of Colonel

"When it comes to combat, Hemry delivers." William C. Dietz, author of When All Seems Lost

"Overall I was quite impressed and pleased...Hemry's story is set on the moon, and depicts conflict there in very realistic terms. That was enough to hold my interest in itself, but he also managed to create an intriguing character, a man who performs his duties even though he has some reservations about his government." Don D'Ammassa, SF Chronicle

"A gripping tale of military science fiction, in the tradition of Heinlein's Starship Troopers and Haldeman's Forever War." Michael M. Jones, Absolute Magnitude

"Stark's War is a high caliber military science fiction thriller. The fast-paced story line reads as if the audience is seeing the war first hand due to the non-stop action and the likable characters." The Midwest Book Review

Bibliography - the Long and the Short of it:
Novels
STARK'S WAR (Ace Books, April 2000)
STARK'S COMMAND (Ace Books, April 2001)
STARK'S CRUSADE (Ace Books, March 2002)
A JUST DETERMINATION (Ace Books, May 2003)
BURDEN OF PROOF (Ace Books, March 2004)
RULE OF EVIDENCE (Ace Books, March 2005)
AGAINST ALL ENEMIES (Ace Books, March 2006)
THE LOST FLEET: DAUNTLESS (as Jack Campbell) (June 2006)
THE LOST FLEET: FEARLESS (as Jack Campbell) (February 2007)
THE LOST FLEET: COURAGEOUS (as Jack Campbell) (December 2007)
THE LOST FLEET: VALIANT (as Jack Campbell) (June 2008)
THE LOST FLEET: RELENTLESS (as Jack Campbell) (2009)
THE LOST FLEET: VICTORIOUS (as jack Campbell) (TBD)

Short Fiction (most available in eformat from Fictionwise, click on the link just below this section)
ONE SMALL SPIN (Analog Magazine, September 1997)
AGENT PROBLEMS (Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Magazine, Autumn 1997)
ODYSSEUS (Analog Magazine, February 1999)
WHERE DOES A CIRCLE BEGIN? (Amazing Stories, Fall 1999)
CROW'S FEAT (Analog Magazine, November 2000)
DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE (Analog Magazine, May 2001)
GENERATION GAP (Analog Magazine, December 2002)
SECTION SEVEN (Analog Magazine, September 2003)
SMALL MOMENTS IN TIME (Analog Magazine, December 2004)
MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD in Turn The Other Chick (Baen Books, November 2004))
STANDARDS OF SUCCESS (Analog Magazine, March 2005)
WORKING ON BORROWED TIME (Analog Magazine, June 2005)
LADY BE GOOD (Analog Magazine, April 2006) (winner of 2006 Anlab vote for best novelette)
KYRIE ELEISON (Analog Magazine, September 2006) (winner of 2006 Anlab vote for best short story)
AS YOU KNOW, BOB (Analog Magazine, April 2007)
DO NO HARM (Analog Magazine, July/August 2007)
THESE ARE THE TIMES (Analog Magazine, November 2007)
THE BOOKSELLER OF BASTET (Analog Magazine, March 2008)
END GAME (BREACH THE HULL anthology, Marietta Publishing, November 2007)

Non-fiction
INTERSTELLAR NAVIGATION (Analog Magazine, November 2000) (available from Fictionwise)
PROJECT HORIZON AND LUNEX (science fact article) (Artemis, Summer 2002) (available from Fictionwise)
THREE IS A MAGIC NUMBER in Totally Charmed (Benballa Books)
THE MIRROR OF GILGAMESH in The Man From Krypton (Benbella Books)
MILLIONS FOR SPECIAL EFFECTS, NOT ONE CENT FOR WRITERS in Star Wars on Trial (Benbella Books)
TOTO, I DON"T THINK WE'RE IN NARNIA ANYMORE in Benbella Books' upcoming anthology on Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy

Imagine The Maltese Falcon or The Thin Man set in Regency England, with an Agent of Inquiry (private investigator) named Sarah Tolerance whose mind is as sharp as the sword she wields with expert skill. Miss Tolerance moves from the lowest whore houses of London to the heights of society as she pursues mysteries, solves murders and avoids threats on her life. Point of Honour and Petty Treason are marketed as Regency Romances, but really anyone who likes Dashiell Hammett should enjoy these brilliantly realized detective stories set in a slightly alternate history. They'll also learn some sword play, since Madeleine Robins makes her battles as realistic as everything else about the period. If only they can get Kiera Knightly to play Miss Tolerance in a movie version.