Pike, Christopher

Pike, Christopher

Christopher Pike is the pseudonym of Kevin McFadden (1961–) one of the most popular writers of juvenile literature today. Few biographical details are known about the author, but he was born in Brooklyn and held various jobs while practicing his writing skills and trying to sell his first books. He did not have much success until an editor at a publishing company suggested that he try his hand at writing for a younger audience. The result was Slumber Party (1985), his first novel, which was well received and led to additional titles. By 1989 Pike had published seven books.

Pike specializes in mystery/suspense and the supernatural, not avoiding pure horror stories, aimed at adolescents making their transition to adulthood. He describes violent activity in some graphic detail. The primary characters are teenagers and the subtext of the stories generally follows some of the major concerns of teen existence. Among his best-selling books are the titles in the Spooksville series featuring stories set in the mythical town of Springville where spooky things occur all the time. The continuing characters—Sally, Adam, and Watch—explore the range of the sinister supernatural.

During the 1990s, Pike had occasionally turned to the vampire theme, the first time in his book Monster (1992). Even adults appreciated his six-part story of Alisa Perne, the youthful vampire in the series of novels, The Last Vampire. Alisa was an ancient vampire living as a high school student in contemporary Los Angeles. Her mate, Yaksha, who had originally forced her into the vampiric life, saved his own life by promising to kill all of the vampires he had made. Now, 5,000 years later, he had largely completed his task—only Alisa remained. Her mission became assisting the nearly invulnerable Yaksha to die, while preventing him from killing her.

The solution to that dilemma set the stage for the various adventures throughout the novels.

In 1994 Pike published The Midnight Club about a group of terminally ill teens at a hospice called Rotterdam House. Five of the residents began to meet together at midnight to tell stories. Then one night the members of the Midnight Club created a pact that the first to die would make an attempt to contact the others from wherever he or she was in the great beyond. In 1996, some youthful readers of The Midnight Club founded their own Midnight Club on the Internet. The club has evolved into the Christopher Pike Fan Club accessed through the author’s homepage on the Internet. Those who join the club are invited to take the name of one of Pike’s characters.

In 2009, The Last Vampire series was reissued as a two-volume set, The Thirst.

Sources:

Pisachas see: India, Vampires in