Tad Williams
Encyclopedia
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, is the author of several fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
and science fiction
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...
novels, including Tailchaser's Song
Tailchaser's Song
Tailchaser's Song is a fantasy novel by Tad Williams about a personified cat named Fritti Tailchaser.-Plot introduction:The novel is set in the world as cats see it, with Man being a mysterious and distrusted creature in the eyes of feral cats. The cats see themselves as the first and most...
, the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn
Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn
Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn is Tad Williams's epic fantasy trilogy, comprising The Dragonbone Chair , Stone of Farewell , and To Green Angel Tower...
series, the Otherland
Otherland
Otherland is a science fiction tetralogy written by Tad Williams and published between 1996 and 2001. The story is set on Earth near the end of the 21st century, probably between 2082 and 2089 , in a world in which...
series, and The War of the Flowers
The War of the Flowers
The War of the Flowers is a fantasy novel by Tad Williams about a rocker who is drawn into a magical world while reading a book.-Plot introduction:Theo Vilmos is a thirty-year-old lead singer in a marginally successful rock band...
.
Williams has just completed the Shadowmarch series, the first volume of which was published in November 2004. The second volume, Shadowplay, was published in March 2007. The third volume, Shadowrise, was published in March 2010, and the fourth volume, "Shadowheart" completed the series when published in November 2010.
In July 2006, Williams started publishing a new six issue comic mini-series called The Next through DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
. A second series for DC Comics called The Factory is currently in planning stages.
In addition, Tad wrote Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis for DC Comics starting with issue #50, a project which began in March 2007 and ended with issue #57.
Tad Williams is also currently working on a series of young-adult books co-written with his wife Deborah Beale called Ordinary Farm. The first volume, The Dragons of Ordinary Farm was published in June 2009 and a second book, The Secrets of Ordinary Farm is expected June 2011. Three more volumes are planned.
Memory, Sorrow, and ThornMemory, Sorrow, and ThornMemory, Sorrow, and Thorn is Tad Williams's epic fantasy trilogy, comprising The Dragonbone Chair , Stone of Farewell , and To Green Angel Tower...
- Book 1 - The Dragonbone ChairThe Dragonbone ChairThe Dragonbone Chair is the first novel in Tad Williams' Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy. The saga follows a young man named Simon as he is caught up in an epic adventure.-Plot introduction:...
(Hardcover 1988, Paperback 1989) - Book 2 - Stone of FarewellStone of FarewellStone of Farewell is the second novel in Tad Williams' Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy. The saga follows a young man named Simon as he is caught up in an epic adventure.-Plot introduction:...
(Hardcover 1990, Paperback 1991) - Book 3 - To Green Angel TowerTo Green Angel TowerTo Green Angel Tower is the third and final novel in Tad Williams' Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy. Due to the length of the novel, the paperback version had to be split into two separate volumes, known as To Green Angel Tower: Part 1 and Part 2...
(Hardcover 1993)- Book 3 was split into 2 parts for paperback publication (1994):
- To Green Angel Tower, Part 1 and To Green Angel Tower, Part 2 (US Edition)
- To Green Angel Tower: Siege and To Green Angel Tower: Storm (UKUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
edition)
- Book 3 was split into 2 parts for paperback publication (1994):
- Novelette - The Burning Man (Legends (book)Legends (book)Legends: Short Novels by the Masters of Modern Fantasy is a collection of 11 novellas by a number of noteworthy fantasy authors, edited by Robert Silverberg. All the stories were original to the collection, and set in the authors' established fictional worlds...
) 1998
Graphic Novel- The Burning man
OtherlandOtherlandOtherland is a science fiction tetralogy written by Tad Williams and published between 1996 and 2001. The story is set on Earth near the end of the 21st century, probably between 2082 and 2089 , in a world in which...
- Book 1 - City of Golden ShadowCity of Golden ShadowCity of Golden Shadow is the first book in Tad Williams' Otherland series.-Plot introduction:The science fiction novel tells the story of a frightening virtual network created by a group of rich men known as The Grail Brotherhood...
(Hardcover 1996, Paperback 1998) - Book 2 - River of Blue FireRiver of Blue FireRiver of Blue Fire is the second book in Tad Williams' acclaimed Otherland Series. It was originally published in 1998, the paperback in 1999....
(Hardcover 1998, Paperback 1999) - Book 3 - Mountain of Black GlassMountain of Black GlassMountain of Black Glass is the third book in Tad Williams' acclaimed Otherland Series. It was first published in 1999 with a paperback edition in 2000....
(Hardcover 1999, Paperback 2000) - Book 4 - Sea of Silver LightSea of Silver LightSea of Silver Light is the fourth and final installment of Tad Williams' Otherland series. It was published in 2001 with a paperback release in 2002....
(Hardcover 2001, Paperback 2002) - Novelette - The Happiest Dead Boy in the World (Legends IILegends II (book)Legends II: New Short Novels by the Masters of Modern Fantasy is a collection of 11 short stories by a number of noteworthy fantasy authors, edited by Robert Silverberg. All the stories were original to the collection, and set in the authors' established fictional worlds...
2004)
Shadowmarch
- Book 1 - ShadowmarchShadowmarchShadowmarch is the first novel in the Shadowmarch tetralogy, by Tad Williams. It was released in hardcover on November 2, 2004, and in trade paperback on November 1, 2005. A paperback edition was released in September, 2006. The second book in the series, Shadowplay was published on March 6, 2007...
(Hardcover 2004, Trade Paperback 2005, Mass-Market Paperback 2006) - Book 2 - ShadowplayShadowplayShadowplay is the second book in the Shadowmarch tetrology, by Tad Williams. It was released in hardcover in the US in March, 2007 and has been released with a region-specific hard cover in the United Kingdom . Book one, Shadowmarch, was published in November 2004. Book three of Shadowmarch,...
(Hardcover, 2007, Trade Paperback 2008, Mass-Market Paperback 2009) - Book 3 - Shadowrise (Hardcover, 2010, Trade Paperback 2010).
- Book 4 - Shadowheart (Hardcover, 2010).
Similar to the Otherland series that was initially intended to be a trilogy but became a tetralogy instead, Book 3 became so lengthy that it was not possible to be published in one volume.
Ordinary Farm series
Young-adult, written with Deborah Beale (his wife)- Book 1 - The Dragons of Ordinary Farm (Hardcover, June 2009)
- Book 2 - The Secrets of Ordinary Farm (currently in progress, to be published in late 2011)
- Book 3 - (forthcoming)
- Book 4 - (forthcoming)
- Book 5 - (forthcoming)
The Bobby Dollar Books
Noir fantasy thrillers- Book 1 - Sleeping Late on Judgement Day (forthcoming)
- Book 2 - Happy Hour in Hell (forthcoming)
- Book 3 - Angels Rush In (forthcoming)
Standalone Novels
- Tailchaser's SongTailchaser's SongTailchaser's Song is a fantasy novel by Tad Williams about a personified cat named Fritti Tailchaser.-Plot introduction:The novel is set in the world as cats see it, with Man being a mysterious and distrusted creature in the eyes of feral cats. The cats see themselves as the first and most...
(Hardcover 1985, Paperback 1986) - Child of an Ancient City (Paperback 1992, written with Nina Kiriki HoffmanNina Kiriki HoffmanNina Kiriki Hoffman is an American fantasy, science fiction and horror writer.-Profile:Hoffman started publishing short stories in 1975. Her first nationally published short story appeared in Asimov's Science Fiction magazine in 1983...
) - Caliban's Hour (Hardcover 1994)
- The War of the FlowersThe War of the FlowersThe War of the Flowers is a fantasy novel by Tad Williams about a rocker who is drawn into a magical world while reading a book.-Plot introduction:Theo Vilmos is a thirty-year-old lead singer in a marginally successful rock band...
(Hardcover 2003, Paperback 2004)
Collections
- Rite: Short WorkRite: Short WorkRite: Short Work is a short story collection, published in limited edition, by fantasy writer Tad Williams.It contains short stories and novellas, three teleplays, four nonfiction pieces, and short introductions by Tad Williams to each tale....
(Hardcover, 2006) Subterranean Press. Published in January 2007. - Rite: Short WorkRite: Short WorkRite: Short Work is a short story collection, published in limited edition, by fantasy writer Tad Williams.It contains short stories and novellas, three teleplays, four nonfiction pieces, and short introductions by Tad Williams to each tale....
(Trade Paperback, May 2008) Subterranean Press/Far Territories. Reprint of the limited hc edition without the non-fiction pieces. The reprint only contains the short stories.
Comic Books
- Tad Williams' Mirrorworld 2 issues. Series was cancelled after two issues because the publisher went out of business.
- The Next 6 issue mini-series published by DC Comics. Published between July and December 2006.
- Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis published by DC Comics. Williams replaced writer Kurt Busiek with issue #50 in March 2007. His run lasted till issue #57 when the comic was cancelled.
- The Helmet of FateDoctor FateDoctor Fate is the name of a succession of fictional sorcerers who appear in books published by DC Comics. The original version was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, and first appeared in More Fun Comics #55...
; Ibis the InvincibleIbis the InvincibleIbis the Invincible is a fictional character, a comic book superhero originally published by Fawcett Comics in the 1940s and then by DC Comics beginning in the 1970s. Like many magician superheroes introduced in the Golden Age of Comics, Ibis owes much to the popular comic strip character Mandrake...
, 2007 one-shot for DC.
External links
- Tad Williams' US website
- Interview (several) with Tad Williams at SFFWorld.com
- Interview: Tad Williams - The Next by Rajan Khanna, July 2006.
- Book Reviews at FantasyLiterature.com
- Interview with Fantasy Author Tad Williams at FlamesRising.com (April '08)
- Interview with Michael A. VentrellaMichael A. VentrellaMichael A. Ventrella founded Animato! in the mid 80s. He sold it in the early 90s. Under the pseudonym "Thelma Scumm" he wrote the gossip column and later continued that for fps magazine...
, October '09 - Interview at TheOneRing.net, March 2010