K. W. Jeter
Encyclopedia
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and horror
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
known for his literary writing style, dark themes, and paranoid, unsympathetic characters. He has written novels set in the Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
and Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
universes, and has written three (to date) sequels to Blade Runner
Blade Runner
Blade Runner is a 1982 American science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, and Sean Young. The screenplay, written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, is loosely based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K...
.
Biography
Jeter attended college at California State University, FullertonCalifornia State University, Fullerton
California State University, Fullerton is a public university located in Fullerton, California. It is the largest institution in the CSU System by enrollment, it offers long-distance education and adult-degree programs...
where he became friends with James P. Blaylock and Tim Powers
Tim Powers
Timothy Thomas "Tim" Powers is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Powers has won the World Fantasy Award twice for his critically acclaimed novels Last Call and Declare...
, and through them, Philip K. Dick
Philip K. Dick
Philip Kindred Dick was an American novelist, short story writer and essayist whose published work is almost entirely in the science fiction genre. Dick explored sociological, political and metaphysical themes in novels dominated by monopolistic corporations, authoritarian governments and altered...
. Jeter was actually the inspiration for the character named Kevin in Dick's novel, Valis
VALIS
VALIS is a 1981 science fiction novel by Philip K. Dick. The title is an acronym for Vast Active Living Intelligence System, Dick's gnostic vision of one aspect of God....
. Many of Jeter's books focus on the subjective nature of reality in a way that is reminiscent of works by Dick.
Jeter wrote an early Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a postmodern and science fiction genre noted for its focus on "high tech and low life." The name is a portmanteau of cybernetics and punk, and was originally coined by Bruce Bethke as the title of his short story "Cyberpunk," published in 1983...
novel, Dr. Adder
Dr. Adder
Dr. Adder is a dark science fiction novel by K. W. Jeter set in a future where the United States has largely broken down into reluctantly cooperating enclaves run by a wide variety of strongmen and warlords, with a veneer of government control that seems largely interested in controlling...
, which was enthusiastically recommended by Philip K. Dick. Due to its violent and sexually-provocative content, it took Jeter approximately ten years to find a publisher for it. Jeter is also the first to coin the term "Steampunk
Steampunk
Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. Steampunk involves a setting where steam power is still widely used—usually Victorian era Britain or "Wild West"-era United...
," in a letter to Locus magazine in April 1987, to describe the retro-technology, alternate-history works that he published along with his friends, Blaylock and Powers. Jeter's Steampunk novels were Morlock Night
Morlock Night
Morlock Night is a science fiction novel by K. W. Jeter. It was published in 1979. In a letter toLocus Magazine in April 1987, Jeter coined the word "steampunk" to describe it and other novels by James Blaylock and Tim Powers....
and Infernal Devices
Infernal Devices (Jeter)
Infernal Devices is a steampunk novel by K. W. Jeter, published in 1987. The novel was republished in 2011 by Angry Robot Books with a new introduction by the author, cover art by John Coulthart, and an afterword by Jeff VanderMeer.-Plot summary:...
.
He currently lives in San Francisco with his wife, Geri.
As well as his own original novels, K. W. Jeter has written a number of authorized novel sequels to the critically acclaimed 1982 motion picture Blade Runner
Blade Runner
Blade Runner is a 1982 American science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, and Sean Young. The screenplay, written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, is loosely based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K...
, which was adapted from Philip K. Dick
Philip K. Dick
Philip Kindred Dick was an American novelist, short story writer and essayist whose published work is almost entirely in the science fiction genre. Dick explored sociological, political and metaphysical themes in novels dominated by monopolistic corporations, authoritarian governments and altered...
's novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.
Original novels
- Seeklight (1975)
- The Dreamfields (1976)
- Morlock NightMorlock NightMorlock Night is a science fiction novel by K. W. Jeter. It was published in 1979. In a letter toLocus Magazine in April 1987, Jeter coined the word "steampunk" to describe it and other novels by James Blaylock and Tim Powers....
(1979; a sequel to H. G. WellsH. G. WellsHerbert George Wells was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books and rules for war games...
' The Time MachineThe Time MachineThe Time Machine is a science fiction novella by H. G. Wells, published in 1895 for the first time and later adapted into at least two feature films of the same name, as well as two television versions, and a large number of comic book adaptations. It indirectly inspired many more works of fiction...
) - Soul Eater (1983)
- Dr. AdderDr. AdderDr. Adder is a dark science fiction novel by K. W. Jeter set in a future where the United States has largely broken down into reluctantly cooperating enclaves run by a wide variety of strongmen and warlords, with a veneer of government control that seems largely interested in controlling...
(1984) - The Glass Hammer (1985)
- Infernal Devices (1987)
- Dark Seeker (1987)
- Mantis (1987)
- Death Arms (1989)
- Farewell Horizontal (1989)
- In the Land of the Dead (1989)
- The Night Man (1989)
- Madlands (1991)
- Wolf Flow (1992)
- Noir (1998)
- The Kingdom of Shadows (2011)
Star Wars books
- The Mandalorian ArmorThe Mandalorian ArmorThe Mandalorian Armor is a Star Wars Expanded Universe novel.-Plot:The book mainly talks about the web in which Boba Fett is trapped. The book is set shortly after Jabba the Hutt's barge is destroyed and flashes back to when the Bounty Hunters Guild still existed.This book is set during the events...
(1998) - Slave ShipSlave Ship (Star Wars novel)Slave Ship is the second book in The Bounty Hunter Wars trilogy of books in the Star Wars Universe. It was written by K. W. Jeter.-External links:*...
(1998) - Hard MerchandiseHard MerchandiseHard Merchandise is the final book in The Bounty Hunter Wars trilogy of books in the Star Wars Universe. It was written by K. W. Jeter.-Description:...
(1999)
Blade Runner sequels
- Blade Runner 2: The Edge of HumanBlade Runner 2: The Edge of HumanBlade Runner 2: The Edge of Human is a novel by K. W. Jeter, and a continuation of both the film Blade Runner, and the novel upon which it was based, Philip K...
(1995) - Blade Runner 3: Replicant NightBlade Runner 3: Replicant NightBlade Runner 3: Replicant Night is a novel by K. W. Jeter that continues the story of Rick Deckard. It is the sequel to Blade Runner 2: The Edge of Human, which was a sequel to Ridley Scott's 1982 film Blade Runner, and the book on which the film was based, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?.-...
(1996) - Blade Runner 4: Eye and TalonBlade Runner 4: Eye and TalonBlade Runner 4: Eye and Talon is the third book to continue the storyline of the film Blade Runner. It was written by K. W. Jeter and published in 2000 by Gollancz.- Plot summary :...
(2000)
The Kim Oh Thrillers (writing as Kim Oh)
- Real Dangerous Girl, (Editions Herodiade Oct. 2011)
- Real Dangerous Job, (Editions Herodiade Oct. 2011)
- Real Dangerous People, (Editions Heordiade Oct. 2011)
External links
- K. W. Jeter website
- Cyberpunk timeline at cyberpunkreview.com.