Craig Alanson

Craig Odell, better known by his pen name Craig Alanson, is an American author and audio playwright of science fiction and fantasy works, most notably the Expeditionary Force series.

Career Alanson began writing in 2006, developing his novels at nights and on weekends while working full-time. He began self publishing novels on Amazon in 2016. Alanson signed with Podium Publishing to produce the audiobook versions of the novels (Podium had previously produced the audiobook of Andy Weir's The Martian). The Expeditionary Force books are performed by award-winning narrator R. C. Bray, who had also narrated The Martian. The audiobook for Columbus Day was nominated for an "Audiobook of the Year" Audie Award in 2018.

In 2017 Alanson wrote a standalone novella called Trouble in Paradise, expanding on the events that take place between books three and four in the ExForce series. The novella laid the foundations for a short spin-off series set within the same fictional universe, entitled Mavericks. In 2019, Alanson committed to write a total of fourteen novels for Expeditionary Force and three Mavericks novels, though the third Mavericks novel was later revised as an ExForce title making it fifteen books in total for ExForce and two for Mavericks..

In 2019, the Homefront story within the Expeditionary Force series was released as an audio drama starring Star Trek alumni Kate Mulgrew, Zachary Quinto and Robert Picardo along with the audiobook narrator R.C. Bray. Alanson has expressed a desire to write and release a novelization of the play.

The audiobook for the twelfth novel in the series, Breakaway, debuted at number one on Audible for audio fiction and reached No. 5 on The New York Times Best Seller list in June 2021. and reached No. 10 on the New York Times Best Seller list.

Alanson has announced that after completing ExForce in 2022, his next series will be an urban fantasy called Convergence, with the first book in the series also called Convergence. In June 2022, Alanson announced on an AMA Reddit that while the ExForce series will officially end after book 15, he will write at least one additional novella set in the same fictional universe. In May 2023, Alanson announced at the end of the latest Convergence audio book that Expeditionary Force would be returning for a further 3 books in the main series, with book 16 being available for pre-order on Audible the following week.

Personal life

Alanson lives in South Hero, Vermont with his wife Irene. Alanson began working at United Technologies in Connecticut straight from school, working on aerospace projects. describing the events after humanity is thrust into a galactic war following an alien invasion of Earth. The chief protagonists are Joe Bishop, a soldier in the United States Army, and Skippy, an advanced artificial intelligence from an ancient civilization who befriends Joe.

Unlike many military science fiction stories, the Expeditionary Force novels include a considerable amount of comedy, especially (though not entirely limited to) the many comic interactions between long-suffering Joe Bishop and practical joker Skippy.

Alanson describes Battle: Los Angeles as the initial inspiration for the story.

Mavericks A spin-off from Expeditionary Force focused on a group of human soldiers cut off from Earth.

Convergence A contemporary urban fantasy series.

Ascendant A young-adult fantasy series following a boy with magical abilities as he discovers he is a Wizard.

Others BookDateAcesDecember 2017

Audio dramas TitleDate CastHomefront (Expeditionary Force 7.5) June 2019R. C. Bray, Kate Mulgrew, Zachary Quinto, Robert Picardo, Lisa Renee Pitts, P. J. Ochlan and Peter Berkrot

Awards

Columbus Day – Audie Award – Audiobook of the Year 2018 (Nominated)