Walter Jon Williams
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...
.
Several of Williams' novels have a distinct 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...
feel to them, notably Hardwired
Hardwired (novel)
Hardwired is a 1986 cyberpunk science fiction novel by Walter Jon Williams.-Plot introduction:The Orbital Corporations now control the world...
(also an homage to Roger Zelazny
Roger Zelazny
Roger Joseph Zelazny was an American writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels, best known for his The Chronicles of Amber series...
's novel Damnation Alley
Damnation Alley
Damnation Alley is the title of a 1967 science fiction short story by Roger Zelazny, which he expanded into a novel in 1969. A film adaptation of the novel was released in 1977.-Plot introduction:...
), Voice of the Whirlwind
Voice of the Whirlwind
Voice of the Whirlwind is a 1987 cyberpunk science fiction novel by Walter Jon Williams.-Plot introduction:Etienne Steward is a clone, also known as a beta. When he awakes, his memories are fifteen years old, because the original Steward -- the alpha -- never bothered to have his memories...
and Angel Stationn. However, he has explored a number of different styles and genres, including farce
Farce
In theatre, a farce is a comedy which aims at entertaining the audience by means of unlikely, extravagant, and improbable situations, disguise and mistaken identity, verbal humour of varying degrees of sophistication, which may include word play, and a fast-paced plot whose speed usually increases,...
(e.g., the Majistral series), postcyberpunk space opera
Space opera
Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes romantic, often melodramatic adventure, set mainly or entirely in outer space, generally involving conflict between opponents possessing advanced technologies and abilities. The term has no relation to music and it is analogous to "soap...
(Aristoi
Aristoi (novel)
Aristoi is a 1992 science fiction novel by Walter Jon Williams. It was one of the preliminary candidates for the 1993 Hugo Award for Best Novel in a particularly competitive year...
), military science fiction
Military science fiction
Military science fiction is a subgenre of science fiction in which the principal characters are members of a military service and an armed conflict is taking place, normally in space, or on a planet other than Earth...
(Dread Empire's Fall
Dread Empire's Fall
The Dread Empire's Fall is a science fiction series by Walter Jon Williams. It began in 2002 when The Praxis was published. Being well-received by many, The Sundering was released the subsequent year, and the series was brought to a conclusion in the summer of 2005 with the publication of The...
series), alternative history (Wall, Stone, Craft), science fantasy
Science fantasy
Science fantasy is a mixed genre within speculative fiction drawing elements from both science fiction and fantasy. Although in some terms of its portrayal in recent media products it can be defined as instead of being a mixed genre of science fiction and fantasy it is instead a mixing of the...
(Metropolitan and City on Fire
City on Fire (novel)
City on Fire is an arcanepunk novel by Walter Jon Williams, first published in 1997 and nominated for the Nebula Award in 1997 and the Hugo Award in 1998...
), disaster thriller (The Rift
The Rift (novel)
The Rift is a novel by author Walter Jon Williams. Published in 1999, it is a 726 page epic concerning the effects of a massive earthquake in Missouri, Mississippi, and Louisiana...
), a 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...
novel (The New Jedi Order
The New Jedi Order
The New Jedi Order is a series of nineteen science fiction novels, published from 1999 to 2003, set in the Star Wars Expanded Universe. The series revolves around the Yuuzhan Vong invasion of the galaxy 21–26 years after the events depicted in Return of the Jedi...
: Destiny's Way
Destiny's Way
Destiny's Way is the fifteenth installment of the New Jedi Order series of Star Wars novels. It was written by Walter Jon Williams and published in 2002 by Del Rey Books .-Synopsis:...
) and historical adventure (Privateers and Gentlemen series), and police procedural
Police procedural
The police procedural is a subgenre of detective fiction which attempts to convincingly depict the activities of a police force as they investigate crimes. While traditional detective novels usually concentrate on a single crime, police procedurals frequently depict investigations into several...
(Days of Atonement), usually in a science fiction context. He has also contributed to some of the Wild Cards
Wild Cards
Wild Cards is a science fiction and superhero anthology series set in a shared universe. The series was created by a group of New Mexico science fiction authors, but it is mostly pulled together and edited by best-selling author George R. R. Martin with assistance by Melinda Snodgrass, also a...
cooperative novels.
Williams was born in Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
and attended the University of New Mexico
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
, where he received his BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in 1975. He currently lives in Valencia County, south of Albuquerque in New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
.
Williams played roleplaying games (in a group with other sf authors including George R. R. Martin
George R. R. Martin
George Raymond Richard Martin , sometimes referred to as GRRM, is an American author and screenwriter of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He is best known for A Song of Ice and Fire, his bestselling series of epic fantasy novels that HBO adapted for their dramatic pay-cable series Game of...
and Melinda Snodgrass) and has written both fiction and rulebooks for the games Privateers and Gentlemen from Fantasy Games Unlimited
Fantasy Games Unlimited
Fantasy Games Unlimited, often referred to as just FGU, is a publishing house for both table-top and role-playing games. They have no in-house design teams and rely on submitted material from outside talent.-History:...
and Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk 2020
Cyberpunk 2020 is a cyberpunk role-playing game written by Mike Pondsmith and published by R. Talsorian Games.- Overview :This role-playing game is based on the works of William Gibson, Bruce Sterling, and other authors of the "Mirrorshades group"...
from R. Talsorian Games
R. Talsorian Games
R. Talsorian Games, based in Renton, WA , is a publisher of role-playing game books and accessories. Their titles include the Cyberpunk 2020 series and for anime-related titles such as Dragonball Z. Their major product line today is the Fuzion system.The company's chairman is Mike Pondsmith,...
.
In 2006, Williams founded the Taos Toolbox, a two-week writer's workshop for fantasy and science fiction writers.
Novels
- Hardwired series
- HardwiredHardwired (novel)Hardwired is a 1986 cyberpunk science fiction novel by Walter Jon Williams.-Plot introduction:The Orbital Corporations now control the world...
(1986) - Solip:SystemSolip:SystemSolip:System is a 1989 cyberpunk science fiction novelette by Walter Jon Williams.-Plot introduction:Solip:System begins shortly before the ending of Hardwired and continues beyond that point. In Solip:System, the main character is the computer personality Reno...
(1989) - Voice of the WhirlwindVoice of the WhirlwindVoice of the Whirlwind is a 1987 cyberpunk science fiction novel by Walter Jon Williams.-Plot introduction:Etienne Steward is a clone, also known as a beta. When he awakes, his memories are fifteen years old, because the original Steward -- the alpha -- never bothered to have his memories...
(1987) - Angel Station (1989)
- Hardwired
- Drake MaijstralDrake MaijstralDrake Maijstral is the fictional protagonist of a series of science fiction novels by Walter Jon Williams. He appears in The Crown Jewels , House of Shards , and Rock of Ages .SF Site has described the Maijstral books as a comedy of manners, and compared Maijstral to Vlad...
series- The Crown Jewels (1987)
- House of Shards (1988)
- Rock of Ages (1995)
- Metropolitan series
- Metropolitan (1995), Nebula AwardNebula AwardThe Nebula Award is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America , for the best science fiction/fantasy fiction published in the United States during the previous year...
nominee - City on FireCity on Fire (novel)City on Fire is an arcanepunk novel by Walter Jon Williams, first published in 1997 and nominated for the Nebula Award in 1997 and the Hugo Award in 1998...
(1997), Hugo AwardHugo AwardThe Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...
nominee; Nebula AwardNebula AwardThe Nebula Award is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America , for the best science fiction/fantasy fiction published in the United States during the previous year...
nominee
- Metropolitan (1995), Nebula Award
- Dread Empire's FallDread Empire's FallThe Dread Empire's Fall is a science fiction series by Walter Jon Williams. It began in 2002 when The Praxis was published. Being well-received by many, The Sundering was released the subsequent year, and the series was brought to a conclusion in the summer of 2005 with the publication of The...
series- The PraxisThe PraxisThe Praxis is a science fiction novel by Walter Jon Williams. Published in 2002, it is the first novel in Dread Empire's Fall series.The novel is of the space opera subgenre.-Plot summary:...
(2002) - The SunderingThe SunderingThe Sundering is a science fiction novel by Walter Jon Williams. Published in 2004, it is the second novel in Dread Empire's Fall series....
(2003) - The Conventions of WarThe Conventions of WarThe Conventions of War is a science fiction novel by Walter Jon Williams. Published in 2005, it is the third novel in Dread Empire's Fall series.The novel is of the space opera subgenre....
(2005)
- The Praxis
- Privateers and Gentlemen series, as Jon Williams
- To Glory Arise, originally The Privateer (1981)
- The Tern Schooner, originally The Yankee (1981)
- Brig of War, originally The Raider (1981)
- The Macedonian (1981)
- Cat Island (1981)
- Other novels
- Ambassador of Progress (1984)
- Knight MovesKnight Moves (novel)Knight Moves is a 1985 space opera novel by American author Walter Jon Williams.-Overview:The book is set in the far future where humanity has mostly left the solar system for other worlds. The book follows Doran Falkner, a genius who is primarily responsible for the scientific discoveries which...
(1985), Philip K. Dick Award nominee - Elegy for Angels and Dogs (1990)
- Days of Atonement (1991)
- AristoiAristoi (novel)Aristoi is a 1992 science fiction novel by Walter Jon Williams. It was one of the preliminary candidates for the 1993 Hugo Award for Best Novel in a particularly competitive year...
(1992), on preliminary list for Hugo Award for Best NovelHugo Award for Best NovelThe Hugo Awards are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...
; cover art nominated for Hugo AwardHugo AwardThe Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...
for Best Original Artwork - The RiftThe Rift (novel)The Rift is a novel by author Walter Jon Williams. Published in 1999, it is a 726 page epic concerning the effects of a massive earthquake in Missouri, Mississippi, and Louisiana...
(1999), as by Walter J. Williams - The New Jedi Order: Destiny's WayDestiny's WayDestiny's Way is the fifteenth installment of the New Jedi Order series of Star Wars novels. It was written by Walter Jon Williams and published in 2002 by Del Rey Books .-Synopsis:...
(2002) - Implied SpacesImplied SpacesImplied Spaces is a 2008 space opera novel by American author Walter Jon Williams. It explores themes of transhumanism, artificial intelligence and ontology.-Setting:...
(2008) - This Is Not a GameThis Is Not a GameThis is Not a Game is a 2009 thriller written by American science fiction author Walter Jon Williams.-Overview:The novel is set in the near future where Dagmar Shaw works as a producer of augmented reality games for the company Great Big Idea which is run by her college friend Charlie, a software...
(2009) - Deep State (2011)
Short fiction collections
- Facets (1990)
- Frankensteins and Foreign Devils (1998)
- The Green Leopard Plague and Other Stories (Trade Hardcover: Night Shade Books, 2010, ISBN 978-1-59780-177-5)
Notable short fiction
- "Dinosaurs" (1987), Hugo AwardHugo AwardThe Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...
nominee - "Witness" (1987), Nebula AwardNebula AwardThe Nebula Award is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America , for the best science fiction/fantasy fiction published in the United States during the previous year...
nominee - "Surfacing" (1988), Hugo Award and Nebula Award nominee
- "Solip:System" (1989)
- "Prayers on the Wind" (1991), Nebula Award nominee
- "Wall, Stone, Craft" (1993), Hugo Award and Nebula Award nominee
- "Foreign Devils" in War of the Worlds: Global DispatchesWar of the Worlds: Global DispatchesWar of the Worlds: Global Dispatches is a 1996 Bantam Spectra science fiction anthology, edited by Kevin J. Anderson. It is a tribute to H. G...
(1996), Sidewise Award for Alternate HistorySidewise Award for Alternate HistoryThe Sidewise Awards for Alternate History were established in 1995 to recognize the best alternate history stories and novels of the year.The awards take their name from the 1934 short story "Sidewise in Time" by Murray Leinster, in which a strange storm causes portions of Earth to swap places with...
winner - "Lethe" (1999), Nebula Award nominee
- "Daddy's World" (2000), Nebula Award winner
- "Argonautica" (2001), Nebula Award nominee
- "The Last Ride of German Freddie", in Worlds That Weren't (2002), Sidewise Award for Alternate HistorySidewise Award for Alternate HistoryThe Sidewise Awards for Alternate History were established in 1995 to recognize the best alternate history stories and novels of the year.The awards take their name from the 1934 short story "Sidewise in Time" by Murray Leinster, in which a strange storm causes portions of Earth to swap places with...
nominee - "The Tang Dynasty Underwater Pyramid" (2004)
- "The Green Leopard PlagueThe Green Leopard PlagueThe Green Leopard Plague is a 2004 novella by Walter Jon Williams that won the Nebula Award, and was nominated for the Hugo Award.It is based on the idea of a genetically engineered virus that allows people to photosynthesize food, leading the world to an agalmic society, where there are no more...
" (2004), Nebula Award winner, Hugo Award nominee
External links
- Walter Jon Williams Home Page and personal blog
- The Tang Dynasty Underwater Pyramid
- The Green Leopard Plague
- Walter Jon Williams discussion at theforce.net Message Boards
- Angel Station - Former location of Walter Jon Williams' personal blog.
- Interview with Williams on Bibliophile Stalker
- Practice for Something Else: Walter Jon Williams, Interview by Jeremy L. C. Jones, Clarkesworld MagazineClarkesworld MagazineClarkesworld Magazine is an American online fantasy and science fiction magazine. The first issue was published October 1, 2006 and it has maintained a regular monthly schedule since, publishing fiction by authors such as Sarah Monette, Catherynne Valente, Elizabeth Bear, Caitlin R...
, 01/11 - Interview With a Writer: Science Fiction Writer Walter Jon Williams, Interview by Tom Chandler, Writer Underground blog, 04/11