Cloaking his true identity beneath a variety of pseudonyms, British writer Samuel Youd has been most highly acclaimed for the science fiction novels he has written for younger readers under the pen name of John Christopher. Among these are the popular "Tripods," "Sword of the Spirits," and "Fireball" trilogies. Because of the high personal standards that Youd has placed on his written work for young people--detailed character development, believable dialogue, and a foundation in significant issues of personal and social development--he has been credited with almost single-handedly raising the reputation of science fiction novels for young readers well above the "pulp" level of the genre's comic book beginnings. Calling Youd "the first important English writer of science fiction specifically for young adults," Twentieth-Century Young Adult Writers contributor Gwyneth Evans praised the author as "a skilled writer with a strong social conscious who uses the genre ... to explore concerns...