Peter Watts
Encyclopedia
Peter Watts is a Canadian
science fiction
author
and marine-mammal biologist.
His latest book, Blindsight
, was released in October 2006 and was nominated for a Hugo Award
. The novel has been described by Charles Stross
thus: "Imagine a neurobiology-obsessed version of Greg Egan
writing a first contact with aliens
story from the point of view of a zombie
posthuman
crewman aboard a starship captained by a vampire, with not dying as the boobie prize
." Watts is currently writing two novels: Sunflowers and State of Grace, a "sidequel" about what happened on Earth during Blindsight.
Watts has made his novels and some short fiction available on his website under Creative Commons
license. He believes that doing so has "actually saved [his] career outright, by rescuing Blindsight from the oblivion to which it would have otherwise been doomed."
In addition to his novels and short stories, Watts has also worked in other media. He was peripherally involved in the early stages of the animated science fiction
film and television project Strange Frame
. He also worked briefly with Relic Entertainment
on one of the early drafts of the story that would eventually, years later, become Homeworld 2
. However, the draft Watts worked on bears no resemblance to the one used for the released game. More recently, he has been recruited by Crytek
as a writer and art consultant on Crysis 2
. Technological elements from Blindsight have been referenced in the fictional Crysis 2 "Nanosuit Brochure".
The creative director of Bioshock 2
has cited Watts's work as an influence on that game.
in his leg, which he has blogged about on his website.
He married fellow author Caitlin Sweet
in August 2011.
to subdue Watts after Watts became aggressive toward officers. According to Watts, he was assaulted, punched in the face, pepper-sprayed and thrown in jail for the night. On March 19, 2010 a jury found Watts guilty of obstructing a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer. He faced a maximum sentence of two years in prison. On April 26, 2010 he was given a suspended sentence, and a fine. However, due to immigration laws, Watts' felony conviction prevents him from re-entering the United States.
Watts' report on the incident, published in his blog, has received publicity on the Internet and the matter has since become somewhat controversial. A local newspaper, the Port Huron Times-Herald, submitted a FOIA
request to US Customs and Border Protection to be given the video recording of the incident. On January 14, 2010, the paper reported that the agency denied the request because "it is an ongoing investigation".
"The Things":
The Island:
Blindsight
A Niche:
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...
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...
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:...
and marine-mammal biologist.
Career
His first novel Starfish (1999) reintroduced Lenie Clarke from his 1990 short story, "A Niche"; Clarke is a deep-ocean power-station worker physically altered for underwater living and the main character in the sequels: Maelstrom (2001), βehemoth: β-Max (2004) and βehemoth: Seppuku (2005). The last two volumes comprise one novel, published split in two for commercial considerations. Starfish, Maelstrom and βehemoth comprise a trilogy usually referred to as "Rifters" after the modified humans designed to work in deep-ocean environments.His latest book, Blindsight
Blindsight (science fiction novel)
Blindsight is a hard science fiction novel by Peter Watts, published by Tor Books in 2006. On 29 March 2007, it was nominated for the Hugo Award in the Best Novel category. Watts has also released the novel online under the by-nc-sa Creative Commons license...
, was released in October 2006 and was nominated for a Hugo Award
Hugo Award for Best Novel
The 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...
. The novel has been described by Charles Stross
Charles Stross
Charles David George "Charlie" Stross is a British writer of science fiction, Lovecraftian horror and fantasy. He was born in Leeds.Stross specialises in hard science fiction and space opera...
thus: "Imagine a neurobiology-obsessed version of Greg Egan
Greg Egan
Greg Egan is an Australian science fiction author.Egan published his first work in 1983. He specialises in hard science fiction stories with mathematical and quantum ontology themes, including the nature of consciousness...
writing a first contact with aliens
First contact (science fiction)
First contact is a common science fiction theme about the first meeting between humans and extraterrestrial life, or of any sentient race's first encounter with another one....
story from the point of view of a zombie
Philosophical zombie
A philosophical zombie or p-zombie in the philosophy of mind and perception is a hypothetical being that is indistinguishable from a normal human being except in that it lacks conscious experience, qualia, or sentience...
posthuman
Posthuman
Posthuman may refer to:*Posthuman, a hypothetical future being whose basic capacities so radically exceed those of present humans as to be no longer human by our current standards...
crewman aboard a starship captained by a vampire, with not dying as the boobie prize
Booby prize
A booby prize is a joke prize usually given in recognition of a terrible performance or last-place finish. A person who finishes last, for example, may get a booby prize such as a worthless coin. Booby prizes are sometimes humorously and jokingly coveted as an object of pride.Booby prizes, however,...
." Watts is currently writing two novels: Sunflowers and State of Grace, a "sidequel" about what happened on Earth during Blindsight.
Watts has made his novels and some short fiction available on his website under Creative Commons
Creative Commons
Creative Commons is a non-profit organization headquartered in Mountain View, California, United States devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has released several copyright-licenses known as Creative Commons...
license. He believes that doing so has "actually saved [his] career outright, by rescuing Blindsight from the oblivion to which it would have otherwise been doomed."
In addition to his novels and short stories, Watts has also worked in other media. He was peripherally involved in the early stages of the animated 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...
film and television project Strange Frame
Strange frame
Strange Frame is a film by musician Shelley Doty and filmmaker GB Hajim. It began in 1999 when they decided to collaborate on a project using their individual talents and their passion for science fiction especially that of John Varley and Shinichiro Watanabe.They agreed that some of the...
. He also worked briefly with Relic Entertainment
Relic Entertainment
Relic Entertainment is a Canadian game development company that specializes in 3D real-time strategy games and has released a number of unique PC games. Relic specializes in creative, visually appealing, and combat intense RTS games.-History:...
on one of the early drafts of the story that would eventually, years later, become Homeworld 2
Homeworld 2
Developed by Relic Entertainment and released in 2003 by now defunct publisher Sierra Entertainment, Homeworld 2 is a real-time strategy computer game sequel to Homeworld. It takes place after the events in Homeworld and concerns Hiigara's response to a new enemy called the Vaygr. Its gameplay...
. However, the draft Watts worked on bears no resemblance to the one used for the released game. More recently, he has been recruited by Crytek
Crytek
Crytek is a German video game company founded in 1999 by three Turkish brothers: Cevat, Avni and Faruk Yerli. Crytek's main headquarters are in Frankfurt, Germany, with five other studios in Kiev, Budapest, Nottingham, Sofia and Seoul. The company is best known for developing the game Far Cry and...
as a writer and art consultant on Crysis 2
Crysis 2
Crysis 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Crytek, published by Electronic Arts and released in North America, Australia, and Europe in March 2011 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360...
. Technological elements from Blindsight have been referenced in the fictional Crysis 2 "Nanosuit Brochure".
The creative director of Bioshock 2
BioShock 2
BioShock 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by 2K Marin for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The sequel to the 2007 video game BioShock, it was released worldwide on February 9, 2010....
has cited Watts's work as an influence on that game.
Personal life
In February 2011, he contracted the rare disease necrotizing fasciitisNecrotizing fasciitis
Necrotizing fasciitis , commonly known as flesh-eating disease or Flesh-eating bacteria syndrome, is a rare infection of the deeper layers of skin and subcutaneous tissues, easily spreading across the fascial plane within the subcutaneous tissue.Necrotizing fasciitis is a quickly progressing and...
in his leg, which he has blogged about on his website.
He married fellow author Caitlin Sweet
Caitlin Sweet
Caitlin Sweet is a Canadian fantasy author. Her first published novel, A Telling of Stars, was a finalist at the 2004 Aurora Awards and nominated for the 2004 Locus Awards. Her second novel, The Silences of Home, was a finalist at the 2006 Aurora Awards...
in August 2011.
Border incident
On December 8, 2009, Watts was detained at the US/Canadian border by American border guards performing a reportedly random search of the rental vehicle he was driving. Watts is alleged to have assaulted a Customs Officer and was turned over to local authorities to face charges. According to a border patrol officer, the authorities used pepper sprayPepper spray
Pepper spray, also known as OC spray , OC gas, and capsicum spray, is a lachrymatory agent that is used in riot control, crowd control and personal self-defense, including defense against dogs and bears...
to subdue Watts after Watts became aggressive toward officers. According to Watts, he was assaulted, punched in the face, pepper-sprayed and thrown in jail for the night. On March 19, 2010 a jury found Watts guilty of obstructing a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer. He faced a maximum sentence of two years in prison. On April 26, 2010 he was given a suspended sentence, and a fine. However, due to immigration laws, Watts' felony conviction prevents him from re-entering the United States.
Watts' report on the incident, published in his blog, has received publicity on the Internet and the matter has since become somewhat controversial. A local newspaper, the Port Huron Times-Herald, submitted a FOIA
Freedom of Information Act (United States)
The Freedom of Information Act is a federal freedom of information law that allows for the full or partial disclosure of previously unreleased information and documents controlled by the United States government. The Act defines agency records subject to disclosure, outlines mandatory disclosure...
request to US Customs and Border Protection to be given the video recording of the incident. On January 14, 2010, the paper reported that the agency denied the request because "it is an ongoing investigation".
Rifters trilogy
- Starfish (July 1999, Tor BooksTor BooksTor Books is one of two imprints of Tom Doherty Associates LLC, based in New York City. It is noted for its science fiction and fantasy titles. Tom Doherty Associates also publishes mainstream fiction, mystery, and occasional military history titles under its Forge imprint. The company was founded...
, ISBN 978-0312868550) (available online) - Maelstrom (October 2001, Tor Books, ISBN 978-0312878061) (available online)
- βehemoth (published in two volumes) (available online)
- βehemoth: β-Max (July 2004, Tor Books, ISBN 978-0765307217)
- βehemoth: Seppuku (December 2004, Tor Books, ISBN 978-0765311726)
Others
- BlindsightBlindsight (science fiction novel)Blindsight is a hard science fiction novel by Peter Watts, published by Tor Books in 2006. On 29 March 2007, it was nominated for the Hugo Award in the Best Novel category. Watts has also released the novel online under the by-nc-sa Creative Commons license...
(October 2006, Tor Books, ISBN 978-0765312181) (available online) - Crysis: Legion [Paperback], released on March 22, 2011. Novelization of the game Crysis 2.
Collections
- Ten Monkeys, Ten Minutes (November 2002, Tesseract Books, ISBN 978-1895836745)
Short stories
- "A Niche" (Tesseracts, 1990)
- "Nimbus" (On SpecOn SpecOn Spec is a digest-sized, perfect-bound, Canadian quarterly magazine publishing stories and poetry in science fiction, fantasy, and allied genres broadly grouped under the "speculative ficton" umbrella. Based in Edmonton, Alberta, On Spec was founded in 1989 by a small group of Edmonton writers...
, 1994) - "Flesh Made Word" (Prairie Fire Magazine, 1994)
- "Fractals" (On SpecOn SpecOn Spec is a digest-sized, perfect-bound, Canadian quarterly magazine publishing stories and poetry in science fiction, fantasy, and allied genres broadly grouped under the "speculative ficton" umbrella. Based in Edmonton, Alberta, On Spec was founded in 1989 by a small group of Edmonton writers...
, 1995) - "Bethlehem" (Tesseracts 5, 1996)
- "The Second Coming of Jasmine Fitzgerald" (Divine Realms, 1998)
- "Home" (On SpecOn SpecOn Spec is a digest-sized, perfect-bound, Canadian quarterly magazine publishing stories and poetry in science fiction, fantasy, and allied genres broadly grouped under the "speculative ficton" umbrella. Based in Edmonton, Alberta, On Spec was founded in 1989 by a small group of Edmonton writers...
, 1999) - "Bulk Food" (On SpecOn SpecOn Spec is a digest-sized, perfect-bound, Canadian quarterly magazine publishing stories and poetry in science fiction, fantasy, and allied genres broadly grouped under the "speculative ficton" umbrella. Based in Edmonton, Alberta, On Spec was founded in 1989 by a small group of Edmonton writers...
, 2000) with Laurie Channer - "Ambassador" (Ten Monkeys, Ten Minutes, 2002)
- "A Word for Heathens" (ReVisions, 2004)
- "Mayfly" (Tesseracts 9, 2005) with Derryl Murphy
- "Repeating the Past" (Nature Magazine, 2007)
- "The Eyes of God" (The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction: Volume 2, 2008)
- "Hillcrest v. Velikovsky" ("Nature Magazine", 2008)
- "The Island" (The New Space Opera 2, 2009)
- "The Things" (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...
, January 2010) - "Malak" (Engineering Infinity, edited by Jonathan Strahan) January 2011
Awards and critical reception
"Whenever I find my will to live becoming too strong, I read Peter Watts." -- James Nicoll, SF critic."The Things":
- Finalist 2010 Parsec Award for Best Speculative Fiction Story (Short Form)
- Nominee 2010 BSFA AwardBSFA awardThe BSFA Awards are literary awards presented annually since 1970 by the British Science Fiction Association to honor works in the genre of science fiction. Nominees and winners are chosen based on a vote of BSFA members...
for Best Short Story - Winner 2010 Shirley Jackson AwardShirley Jackson AwardThe Shirley Jackson Awards are literary awards named after Shirley Jackson in recognition of her legacy in writing. These awards for outstanding achievement in the literature of psychological suspense, horror and the dark fantastic are presented at Readercon, an annual conference on imaginative...
for Best Short Story - Nominee 2011 Hugo Award for Best Short StoryHugo Award for Best Short StoryThe 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...
- 3rd Place 2011 Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award
- Finalist 2011 Locus AwardLocus AwardThe Locus Award is a literary award established in 1971 and presented to winners of Locus magazine's annual readers' poll. Currently, the Locus Awards are presented at an annual banquet...
for Best Short Story
The Island:
- Won the 2010 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 the Best NoveletteHugo Award for Best NoveletteThe 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... - Nominee for the 2010 Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award http://www.sfawardswatch.com/?p=3335
- Nominee for the 2010 Locus Award for Best Novelette http://www.locusmag.com/News/2010/04/locus-awards-finalists.html
Blindsight
Blindsight (science fiction novel)
Blindsight is a hard science fiction novel by Peter Watts, published by Tor Books in 2006. On 29 March 2007, it was nominated for the Hugo Award in the Best Novel category. Watts has also released the novel online under the by-nc-sa Creative Commons license...
- Nominated for the 2007 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 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...
(official announcement) - Longlisted (on the preliminary ballot) for the 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...
in January 2008 (preliminary ballot) - Shortlisted for the 2010 Geffen AwardGeffen AwardThe Geffen Award is an annual literary award given by the Israeli Society for Science Fiction and Fantasy since 1999, and presented at the Annual Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention, ICon Festival...
- Won the SFinks Prize (by Polish s-f oriented quarterly magazine "SFinks") for Best Non-Polish Language Novel for the 2008.
A Niche:
- Tied with "Breaking Ball" by Michael Skeet for the Aurora AwardAurora AwardThe Prix Aurora Awards are given out annually for the best Canadian science fiction and fantasy literary works, artworks, fan activities from that year, and are awarded in both English and French...
in 1992.
External links
- http://www.rifters.com – personal website
- http://www.rifters.com/real/newscrawl_2007.htm – old weblog
- http://www.rifters.com/crawl – new weblog
- http://www.rifters.com/real/shorts.htm -- novels & short stories available online
- Review of Ten Monkeys, Ten Minutes, short story collection available online
- 2004 Interview at The Agony Column
- 2007 interview at SF Diplomat
- Audio review and discussion of Starfish at The Science Fiction Book Review Podcast