Susan R. Matthews


Susan R. Matthews is an American science fiction writer.
Matthews was born in Fort Benning, Georgia. She lives in Seattle. She served in the US Army as operations and security officer of a Combat Support Hospital, later worked as an auditor for Boeing and graduated from Seattle University with an MBA in accounting.
Her debut novel, An Exchange of Hostages, was published by Avon Books in 1997. It was nominated for the 1997 Philip K. Dick Award and for the 1998 John W. [Campbell Award for Best New Writer]; it also obtained fourth place in the poll for the 1998 Locus Award for Best First Novel. Like its sequels, An Exchange of Hostages is set in a dystopic space opera future ruled by an autocratic judiciary. The novel and most of its sequels follow Andrej Koscuisko, a ship's surgeon and state torturer, and are primarily concerned with his reactions to the violence he is called on to commit in the name of the state. The seven-book Under Jurisdiction series concluded in 2017 with Blood Enemies.

Publications

;Under Jurisdiction series
  1. An Exchange of Hostages,
  2. Prisoner of Conscience,
  3. Hour of Judgment,
  4. Angel of Destruction,
  5. The Devil and Deep Space,
  6. Warring States,
  7. Blood Enemies,
  8. Crimes Against Humanity,
;Under Jurisdiction Baen Omnibus series
  1. Fleet Inquisitor,
  2. #An Exchange of Hostages
  3. #Prisoner of Conscience
  4. #Angel of Destruction
  5. Fleet Renegade,
  6. #
  7. Hour of Judgment
  8. #The Devil and Deep Space
  9. #Warring States
  10. Fleet Insurgent, 
;The High Pamir series
  1. The Wild High Places,
  2. The Ley Lines of Kashgar
;Other novels
  • Avalanche Soldier,
  • Colony Fleet,

    Recurring Judiciary characters

  • Andrej Koscuisko: He is a ship's surgeon and Inquisitor licensed to use torture, which is very troubling for him. He is the oldest son of wealthy Prince Alexie Ilmyanitch and will eventually inherit the Koscuisko family corporation, the Dolgorukij Combine. He is from the Anzary homeworld. He is blond and muscular.
  • Mergau Noycannir: an ambitious Clerk of Court and a member of First Secretary Verlaine’s personal staff. She was a fellow student with Andrej Koscuisko in the Jurisdiction training program.
  • Garol Vogel: A Bench Intelligence Specialist, he is one of the few empowered to uphold the rule of Law by any means, including assassination. He only has to answer to a Judge Presiding.
  • Jils Ivers: A Bench Intelligence Specialist for Chilleau Judiciary.
  • Captain Griers Verigson Lowden: The corrupt Captain of the experimental spaceship Ragnarok, who is known for his sadistic behavior.