Justin Allen

 

 

 

Justin was born in Boise, Idaho in 1974. He graduated from Boise State University with a degree in philosophy, was named one of the school’s Top Ten Scholars, and invited to present the valedictory address at the commencement of the College of Arts and Sciences. Soon after, Justin moved to New York City, where he enrolled in Columbia University’s Writing Program, specializing in fiction and sincerely hoping to become the next Jack Kerouac. While at Columbia he wrote what he has later come to call his ‘Barbarian Story,’ and turned it in for judging by his workshop class. He expected to weather a fearsome barrage of scorn, and was happily surprised at how well they took it.

While working on that story, Justin was first introduced to Uruk, a prehistoric hunter from the jungles of sub-Saharan Africa, and the hero of his first novel, SLAVES OF THE SHINAR. It took him fully six more years, umpteen rough drafts, buckets of tears and torrents of blood, to finish the novel and get it placed with The Overlook Press. During that time he also met and married his true-love, Day Mitchell, traveled with her to Tahiti, New Zealand, Kenya, Belize, Nicaragua, and a myriad of other, equally wonderful locales, and began work on two new novels, THE AMERICAN and TOMMOROWLAND, and a book of travel essays about the American National Parks.

Along with his writing, Justin also has a passion for classical ballet, taking class as often as six times a week, and performing occasionally with such companies as Dances Patrelle (for whom he has also worked as administrative director), and Eidolon Ballet in Concert. He first began dancing while a student at Boise State University, and first performed with Idaho Dance Theatre.

Justin is roughly six feet tall, weighs somewhere around 185 pounds (often more, to his chagrin), has dark-brown hair and eyes, and suffers from near-sightedness, motion-sickness, and a tendency to get angry at airport personnel. His wife, a licensed social worker, is trying to help him overcome this last item, but finds the going hard.

In 2001, Justin and Day adopted a houseplant and affectionately named her Phil. Worrying that Phil was growing up alone, last year they adopted again, and are proud to be the somewhat negligent parents of a second plant, Phil Jr. They live in New York City.

 

Praise for SLAVES OF THE SHINAR (The Overlook Press, July ’07)

“Ancient Mesopotamian civilizations clash in Allen’s promising debut. Uruk, a thief and warrior from the jungles of Africa, and Ander, a slave escaped from the brutal Niphilim people, cross paths in the megalopolis of Kan-Puram, where Uruk has gone seeking a friendlier place to ply his trade and where Ander has gone to rally opposition to the coming Niphilim onslaught. The “fantasy” label is perhaps misapplied; Uruk and Ander fight their battles - brutal enough for an Erikson set piece - with mundane weapons, brawn and brains, and only the wholly fictional Niphilim society prevents it from being legitimate historical fiction. No part of the story involves any significant supernatural element. Yet despite the lack of wizardry, gods or strange beasts, something in Allen’s writing raises the mundane to the level of the fantastic, and the feel of magic crackles through the pages, even if it’s nowhere to be found in the words.” – Publishers Weekly

“Allen’s high-quality first novel depicts a fictional war in ancient Sumer from the perspectives of wandering thief Uruk, from the jungles south of the Sahara, and Ander, an escaped slave of the Nephilim. Uruk leaves the great city Ur for Kan-Puram, city of thieves, where he meets the king of thieves and winds up owing him a life-debt. Ander reaches Kan-Puram just before the Nephilim army arrives. Uruk’s debt keeps him in town, and Ander is determined to fly no further. Moreover, their knowledge and wits may keep the Nephilim from rolling over Kan-Puram. The Nephilim are a historical mystery, said in Genesis to be giants descended from the sons of God and the daughters of men. Allen makes them proto-Spartans, who enslave anyone they can to work at providing their necessities, including mining the metal for their superior weapons. The plot is quite plausible, the characters are well drawn, the setting is credible, and what is known of Sumer isn’t contradicted” - Booklist

“Long before the rule of Gilgamesh, king of the Sumarian city of Uruk near the Euphrates River (present-day Iraq), people told stories of the land of Shinar. From this harsh and inhospitable land rose two men destined to become living legends… a thought-provoking glimpse into the beginnings of a land and people very much in the forefront of current events.” – Library Journal

“part epic fantasy, part historical novel with lashings of sword play… Allen provides a living breathing world in which to set his story… I actually cared what happened to Ander and Uruk, though Ander’s thirst for revenge, at any price, did alienate me. But then this is also the mark of a well written character - if at the end of the book you have an emotional stance about their actions and choices. If the book has a hero it is nomad warrior thief Uruk, most probably Allen’s greatest creation in the book. Early on in the book he is told that he will die after he has failed to save the life of a friend. This little device is included like a detective novel clue. If he cannot outrun his fate, then who will play the part of the dead friend? As the book progresses many are offered up as the possible friend and Allen is guilty of more than a little misdirection, making the reveal all the more effective… Slaves of the Shinar is an impressive first novel and well worth a read. Apparently Allen is working on his second novel, having read Shinar I look forward to its publication.” – Charles Packer for Sci-Fi Online

“The author has researched this era thoroughly and there is a feeling of reality about it missing even in most historical fiction, let alone fantasy. It’s also a pretty gripping story. Call it fantasy or call it historical, but read it if you possibly can.” - Don D’Ammassa of Critical Mass

“This debut work from Justin Allen hasn’t received much attention…but it should. This isn’t strictly fantasy per se. It’s actually an imaginative story set in the distant legendary past (those familiar with the land of Shinar will recognize it as taking place in the antediluvian world…indeed one of the minor characters turns out to be the father of Noah). So we see here Allen’s imaginative understanding of who the Nephilim of the Old Testament were….as they prepare to sweep across Shinar (ancient Mesopotamia) and conquer it all. This book shares many things in common with Locke Lamora…unflinching violence, many of the main characters are thieves and cutthroats. However we see glimpses in this text that there is something worth fighting to preserve. There are ordinary citizens of the Mesopotamian towns who are interested in being peacable and not shafting others. Indeed, out of the epic conflict with the Nephilim, many of the theiving and hard bitten characters begin to grope toward something like civilization. It’s a good read…not exactly uplifting, but neither is it cynical.” - Russell Smith of The Eagle and Child

“Historical fantasy, something like a long-range prequel to the ancient Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh… An evocative, tenacious, often arresting series of incidents… worth a try for sheer spectacle” - Kirkus Reviews

“an exciting, hard-to-put-down tale that shows how the basics of warfare were invented on the fly, and how early civilization was created out of necessity.” - Henry Leon Lazarus