Michael Z. Williamson
Encyclopedia
Michael Z. Williamson is a science fiction
and military fiction
author. Born in Birkenhead, England, he and his family emigrated to Canada
, then the United States
in 1978. Williamson frequently utilizes the pen names "Mad Mike", and "Crazy Einar". He is retired from the United States military
.
Williamson's first book, Freehold, was released in January 2004. The novel
is set in a future
wherein the United Nations
is a fascist
empire
. Williamson's next novel, The Hero, was written with New York Times best-selling author John Ringo
and takes place within the universe of Ringo's Legacy of the Aldenata
series. Both Freehold and The Hero were published by Baen Books
. He also has many short stories published in various anthologies.
Williamson has written or published several other works: The Weapon, covering events concurrent to Freehold told from a different point of view; Better To Beg Forgiveness, a story set in the Freehold universe but before the Grainne War series and a follow-on book to that with the same characters: Do Unto Others; and Contact with Chaos set 20 years after the events of The Weapon.
Michael has also written the "Target: Terror" series, which thus far includes The Scope of Justice, Targets of Opportunity, and Confirmed Kill. These cover the story of two U.S. Army
Rangers
, engaged in black operations against terrorist groups threatening the United States
.
In his free time Williamson also sells, restores and crafts swords
and other edged weapons.. He is married and has two children.
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 military fiction
War novel
A war novel is a novel in which the primary action takes place in a field of armed combat, or in a domestic setting where the characters are preoccupied with the preparations for, or recovery from, war...
author. Born in Birkenhead, England, he and his family emigrated to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, then the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1978. Williamson frequently utilizes the pen names "Mad Mike", and "Crazy Einar". He is retired from the United States military
Military of the United States
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
.
Williamson's first book, Freehold, was released in January 2004. The novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
is set in a future
Future
The future is the indefinite time period after the present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the nature of the reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently exists and will exist is temporary and will come...
wherein the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
is a fascist
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
empire
Empire
The term empire derives from the Latin imperium . Politically, an empire is a geographically extensive group of states and peoples united and ruled either by a monarch or an oligarchy....
. Williamson's next novel, The Hero, was written with New York Times best-selling author John Ringo
John Ringo
John Ringo is an American science fiction and military fiction author. He has had several New York Times best sellers. His books range from straightforward science fiction to a mix of military and political thrillers...
and takes place within the universe of Ringo's Legacy of the Aldenata
Legacy of the Aldenata
The Legacy of the Aldenata, also known as the Posleen War Series is the fictional universe of one of John Ringo's military science fiction series.- Premise :...
series. Both Freehold and The Hero were published by Baen Books
Baen Books
Baen Books is an American publishing company established in 1983 by long time science fiction publisher and editor Jim Baen. It is a science fiction and fantasy publishing house that emphasizes space opera, hard science fiction, military science fiction, and fantasy...
. He also has many short stories published in various anthologies.
Williamson has written or published several other works: The Weapon, covering events concurrent to Freehold told from a different point of view; Better To Beg Forgiveness, a story set in the Freehold universe but before the Grainne War series and a follow-on book to that with the same characters: Do Unto Others; and Contact with Chaos set 20 years after the events of The Weapon.
Michael has also written the "Target: Terror" series, which thus far includes The Scope of Justice, Targets of Opportunity, and Confirmed Kill. These cover the story of two U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
Rangers
United States Army Rangers
United States Army Rangers are elite members of the United States Army. Rangers have served in recognized U.S. Army Ranger units or have graduated from the U.S. Army's Ranger School...
, engaged in black operations against terrorist groups threatening the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
In his free time Williamson also sells, restores and crafts swords
Swords
A sword is a cutting/thrusting weapon made of metal. Sword or swords may also refer to:* Swords, County Dublin, Ireland* Suit of swords, a suit in Latin-suited playing cards and Tarot decks* SWORDS, a ground-based military robot...
and other edged weapons.. He is married and has two children.
Books
- FreeholdFreehold (novel)Freehold is a science fiction novel written by Michael Z. Williamson, published in 2004 by Baen Books. The Freehold series is continued in The Weapon which begins prior to Freehold and ends approximately two years afterwards.-Plot:...
(Baen BooksBaen BooksBaen Books is an American publishing company established in 1983 by long time science fiction publisher and editor Jim Baen. It is a science fiction and fantasy publishing house that emphasizes space opera, hard science fiction, military science fiction, and fantasy...
, ISBN 0-7434-7179-2, January 2004) Freehold is now available as a free download from the Baen Free LibraryBaen Free LibraryThe Baen Free Library is a digital library of the science fiction and fantasy publishing house Baen Books where 112 full books can be downloaded free in a number of formats, without copy protection...
. - The WeaponThe Weapon (novel)The Weapon is a science fiction novel written by Michael Z. Williamson, published in 2005 by Baen Books. The Weapon continues the Freehold series. It begins prior to Freehold and ends approximately two years afterwards and follows the story of Kenneth Chinran.-External links:**...
(Baen BooksBaen BooksBaen Books is an American publishing company established in 1983 by long time science fiction publisher and editor Jim Baen. It is a science fiction and fantasy publishing house that emphasizes space opera, hard science fiction, military science fiction, and fantasy...
, ISBN 1-4165-0894-5, August 2005) - Rogue (Baen BooksBaen BooksBaen Books is an American publishing company established in 1983 by long time science fiction publisher and editor Jim Baen. It is a science fiction and fantasy publishing house that emphasizes space opera, hard science fiction, military science fiction, and fantasy...
, ISBN 978-1439134627, September 2011) - Contact With Chaos (Baen BooksBaen BooksBaen Books is an American publishing company established in 1983 by long time science fiction publisher and editor Jim Baen. It is a science fiction and fantasy publishing house that emphasizes space opera, hard science fiction, military science fiction, and fantasy...
, ISBN 1-4165-9154-0 (Hardback), April 2009; ISBN 1-43913-373-5 (Paperback), July 2010)
Ripple Creek (Freehold Universe)
- Better To Beg Forgiveness... (Baen BooksBaen BooksBaen Books is an American publishing company established in 1983 by long time science fiction publisher and editor Jim Baen. It is a science fiction and fantasy publishing house that emphasizes space opera, hard science fiction, military science fiction, and fantasy...
, ISBN 1-4165-5508-0 (Hardback), November 2007; ISBN 1-4165-9151-6 (Paperback), February 2009) - Do Unto Others... (Baen BooksBaen BooksBaen Books is an American publishing company established in 1983 by long time science fiction publisher and editor Jim Baen. It is a science fiction and fantasy publishing house that emphasizes space opera, hard science fiction, military science fiction, and fantasy...
, ISBN 1-4391-3383-2 (HB) August 2010; ISBN 1439134596 (PB), July 2011)
Target: Terror series
- The Scope of Justice (AvonAvon (publishers)Avon Publications was an American paperback book and comic book publisher. As of 2010, it is an imprint of HarperCollins, publishing primarily romance novels.-History:...
, ISBN 0-06-056524-1, July 2004) - Targets of Opportunity (AvonAvon (publishers)Avon Publications was an American paperback book and comic book publisher. As of 2010, it is an imprint of HarperCollins, publishing primarily romance novels.-History:...
, ISBN 0-06-056525-X, March 2005) - Confirmed Kill (AvonAvon (publishers)Avon Publications was an American paperback book and comic book publisher. As of 2010, it is an imprint of HarperCollins, publishing primarily romance novels.-History:...
, ISBN 0-06-056526-8, September 2005)
Legacy of the Aldenata (with John Ringo)
- The Hero (Baen BooksBaen BooksBaen Books is an American publishing company established in 1983 by long time science fiction publisher and editor Jim Baen. It is a science fiction and fantasy publishing house that emphasizes space opera, hard science fiction, military science fiction, and fantasy...
, ISBN 1-4165-0914-3, June 2004)
Short stories
- "Naught But Duty" (December 2005), short story in the anthology Crossroads and Other Tales of Valdemar ISBN 0-7564-0325-1, edited by Mercedes LackeyMercedes LackeyMercedes "Misty" Lackey is a best-selling American author of fantasy novels. Many of her novels and trilogies are interlinked and set in the world of Velgarth, mostly in and around the country of Valdemar...
. DAW BooksDAW BooksDAW Books is an American science fiction and fantasy publisher, founded by Donald A. Wollheim following his departure from Ace Books in 1971. The company therefore claims to be "the first publishing company ever devoted exclusively to science fiction and fantasy." The first DAW Book published was... - "The Humans Called It Duty" (March 2007), short story in the anthology Future Weapons of War ISBN 1-41652-112-7, edited by Joe Haldeman and Martin H. Greenberg. Baen BooksBaen BooksBaen Books is an American publishing company established in 1983 by long time science fiction publisher and editor Jim Baen. It is a science fiction and fantasy publishing house that emphasizes space opera, hard science fiction, military science fiction, and fantasy...
- "The Sword Dancer" (December 2008), short story in the anthology Moving Targets and Other Tales of Valdemar ISBN 0-75640-528-9, edited by Mercedes LackeyMercedes LackeyMercedes "Misty" Lackey is a best-selling American author of fantasy novels. Many of her novels and trilogies are interlinked and set in the world of Velgarth, mostly in and around the country of Valdemar...
- "Wounded Bird" (December 2009), short story in the anthology Changing the World: All-New Tales of Valdemar ISBN 0-75640-580-7, edited by Mercedes LackeyMercedes LackeyMercedes "Misty" Lackey is a best-selling American author of fantasy novels. Many of her novels and trilogies are interlinked and set in the world of Velgarth, mostly in and around the country of Valdemar...
- "The Price" (May 2010), short story in the anthology Citizens ISBN 1-43913-347-6, edited by John RingoJohn RingoJohn Ringo is an American science fiction and military fiction author. He has had several New York Times best sellers. His books range from straightforward science fiction to a mix of military and political thrillers...
and Brian Thomsen. Baen BooksBaen BooksBaen Books is an American publishing company established in 1983 by long time science fiction publisher and editor Jim Baen. It is a science fiction and fantasy publishing house that emphasizes space opera, hard science fiction, military science fiction, and fantasy... - "The Groom's Price" (December 2010), short story in the anthology Finding the Way and Other Tales of Valdemar ISBN 0-75640-633-1, edited by Mercedes LackeyMercedes LackeyMercedes "Misty" Lackey is a best-selling American author of fantasy novels. Many of her novels and trilogies are interlinked and set in the world of Velgarth, mostly in and around the country of Valdemar...
- "Battle's Tide" (August 2011), short story in the anthology Exiled: Clan of the Claw ISBN 1439134413, edited by Bill Fawcett. Baen BooksBaen BooksBaen Books is an American publishing company established in 1983 by long time science fiction publisher and editor Jim Baen. It is a science fiction and fantasy publishing house that emphasizes space opera, hard science fiction, military science fiction, and fantasy...
- "The Brute Force Approach" (August 2011), free short story published in Free Short Stories 2011 by Baen BooksBaen BooksBaen Books is an American publishing company established in 1983 by long time science fiction publisher and editor Jim Baen. It is a science fiction and fantasy publishing house that emphasizes space opera, hard science fiction, military science fiction, and fantasy...
. - "Heads you Lose" (August 2011), short story in the anthology Lawyers in Hell ISBN 1-93703-501-8, edited by Janet Morris and Chris Morris.
- "The Bride's Task" (December 2011), short story in the anthology Under the Vale and Other Tales of Valdemar ISBN 075640696X, edited by Mercedes LackeyMercedes LackeyMercedes "Misty" Lackey is a best-selling American author of fantasy novels. Many of her novels and trilogies are interlinked and set in the world of Velgarth, mostly in and around the country of Valdemar...
.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | First They Came for... | Red Star Police #1 | Short Film |
| 2009 | The Best Defense | Himself | TV |
| 2011 | Starship II: Rendezvous with Ramses | Production Crew - Armorer | Film (In Production) |
External links
- Michael Z. 'Mad Mike' Williamson's Homepage
- Sharp Pointy Things
- Freehold is available as a free download or can be read online.
- Nomination for the Prometheus Award
- Book review from Michael M. Jones
- Book review
- BlackFive TV Interview
- Buzznews.net Interview by Travis Clemmons
- IMDB - Michael Z. Williamson