Joe Bergeron

Joe Bergeron grew up in the twin hamlets of Endicott and Endwell in upstate New York. As a boy he began a thorough examination of the heavens using various small telescopes. A devoted hiker, Joe prowled his surroundings at all hours of the day and night, often discovering semi-abandoned sites of human activity which his imagination invested with the mystery of ancient ruins.

Fascinated by superheroes, science fiction, and fantasy, Joe began to invent the mythos of the Endurian Universe while in grade school, resulting in a basic framework for the epic tale by the time he reached high school. It remained in the form of short writings, drawings, and comic strips until 1982, when Joe commenced writing one of the earliest stories in the mythos, "The Astronomer Who Didn't Like Magic."

Called upon to produce planetarium shows during a summer job, Joe taught himself to paint so he could create visuals for the shows. Soon he was selling artwork at science fiction art shows, winning a window full of awards and meeting many of his writer and artist heroes. Later he broadened his artistic skills by getting a degree in studio art from Binghamton University. He has illustrated various science fiction books and magazines, including titles by Isaac Asimov, Piers Anthony, and James Tiptree, Jr. He also served as director of a small planetarium. For three years Joe worked as staff artist at Morehead Planetarium in North Carolina.

Joe eventually made a series of trips to the West, a landscape which has fascinated him since his first visits there as a child. He spent a summer as a volunteer in Zion National Park, where he used his telescope to acquaint park visitors with the glories of the desert skies. Currently living in Broome County, NY, Joe has also lived in California's Mojave Desert and has spent a lot of time in Arizona, Utah, and throughout the West. He has served as an astronomy volunteer at both Grand Canyon and Capitol Reef National Parks.

Joe has completed nine novels of the Endurian Universe, as well as "The Way of an Eagle", a standalone novel.

Joe's writing and artwork are influenced by his decades as an amateur astronomer. He attends star parties all over the country, though most often he can be found out alone on clear nights, either somewhere in the desert or beside a frog-infested pond.

Joe has produced hundreds of paintings in several media and a similar number of highly polished digital images. He is a Fellow of the International Association of Astronomical Artists and is considered one of the best space artists in the world. He also enjoys painting landscapes, figures, and portraits. He has even been known to compose and perform a bit of original music.

Joe's artwork, as well as many curious facts about him, can be discovered at his web site, www.joebergeron.com.