Sean Williams
Encyclopedia
Sean Llewellyn Williams (born 23 May 1967) is a New York Times best selling science fiction
author
who lives in Adelaide, Australia. He was born in Whyalla, Australia. He is the author of almost seventy published short stories and twenty-seven novels, including the Books of the Catalcysm and (with Shane Dix
) Evergence, Orphans and Geodesica series. He has co-written three books in the Star Wars: New Jedi Order series and is a multiple recipient of both the Ditmar
and Aurealis Award
s. His novelisation of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed was the first novelisation of a computer game to debut at #1 on the "New York Times" bestseller list.
He studied sciences and music at Pulteney Grammar School and matriculated thirty third in his year (1984), topping the state for Musical composition. That same year, he won the Young Composer's Award for a theme and three variations for string quartet with flute, oboe and trumpet soloists called "Release of Anger". He then went to Adelaide University and studied a Bachelor of Economics and wrote for the student newspaper "On Dit". He completed a Master of Arts
in Creative Writing at Adelaide University in 2005 and is currently a PhD candidate at the same institution.
Sean Williams is a supporter of Australians Against Racism and the "SETI@home" project. He is a member of "SFWA", the Extropian Institute and the Australian Society of Authors, and was Chair of the SA Writers' Centre from 2001-2003. His publishers include HarperCollins Australia, Del Rey, Ace, Pyr, Swift and Ticonderoga Publications
. He appears on the "Celebrity Atheist List". Williams has also tutored for the Clarion Workshop, and Clarion South Workshop.
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:...
who lives in Adelaide, Australia. He was born in Whyalla, Australia. He is the author of almost seventy published short stories and twenty-seven novels, including the Books of the Catalcysm and (with Shane Dix
Shane Dix
Shane Dix is an Australian science fiction author best known for his collaborative work with Sean Williams in the Star Wars: New Jedi Order series.His daughter Katelin Dix is also an author, with promising work in both teenage and fantasy fiction....
) Evergence, Orphans and Geodesica series. He has co-written three books in the Star Wars: New Jedi Order series and is a multiple recipient of both the Ditmar
Ditmar Award
The Ditmar Award has been awarded annually since 1969 at the Australian National Science Fiction Convention to recognise achievement in Australian science fiction and science fiction fandom...
and Aurealis Award
Aurealis Award
Aurealis Award for Excellence in Speculative Fiction is an annual literary award for Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror fiction. Only Australians are eligible for the award.-History:...
s. His novelisation of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed was the first novelisation of a computer game to debut at #1 on the "New York Times" bestseller list.
He studied sciences and music at Pulteney Grammar School and matriculated thirty third in his year (1984), topping the state for Musical composition. That same year, he won the Young Composer's Award for a theme and three variations for string quartet with flute, oboe and trumpet soloists called "Release of Anger". He then went to Adelaide University and studied a Bachelor of Economics and wrote for the student newspaper "On Dit". He completed a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in Creative Writing at Adelaide University in 2005 and is currently a PhD candidate at the same institution.
Sean Williams is a supporter of Australians Against Racism and the "SETI@home" project. He is a member of "SFWA", the Extropian Institute and the Australian Society of Authors, and was Chair of the SA Writers' Centre from 2001-2003. His publishers include HarperCollins Australia, Del Rey, Ace, Pyr, Swift and Ticonderoga Publications
Ticonderoga Publications
Ticonderoga Publications is an Australian independent publishing house founded by Russell B. Farr in 1996 and now run by Farr and Liz Grzyb. The publisher specialises in collections of science fiction short stories.-History and current:...
. He appears on the "Celebrity Atheist List". Williams has also tutored for the Clarion Workshop, and Clarion South Workshop.
Cogal (with Shane Dix)
- The Unknown Soldier (1995) - Re-imagined and rewritten as The Prodigal Sun
Evergence (with Shane Dix)
- The Prodigal Sun (1999)
- The Dying Light (2000) - Winner, Best Long Fiction, 2001 Ditmar AwardDitmar AwardThe Ditmar Award has been awarded annually since 1969 at the Australian National Science Fiction Convention to recognise achievement in Australian science fiction and science fiction fandom...
- The Dark ImbalanceThe Dark ImbalanceThe Dark Imbalance is a 2001 science fiction novel by Sean Williams. It is the third novel in the Evergence series and is preceded by The Dying Light which was published in 2000...
(2001) - Winner, Best Science Fiction Novel, 2001 Aurealis AwardAurealis AwardAurealis Award for Excellence in Speculative Fiction is an annual literary award for Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror fiction. Only Australians are eligible for the award.-History:...
The Books of the Change
- The Stone Mage & the Sea (2001)
- The Sky Warden & the Sun (2002)
- The Storm Weaver & the SandThe Storm Weaver and the SandThe Storm Weaver and the Sand is a 2002 fantasy novel by Sean Williams. It follows the second book in the series, The Sky Warden & the Sun, with Sal and Shilly finding shelter with the Stone Mages only to be betrayed and put forward for judgement by the Sky Wardens.-Background:The Storm Weaver and...
(2002) - Winner, Best Fantasy Novel, 2002 Aurealis AwardAurealis AwardAurealis Award for Excellence in Speculative Fiction is an annual literary award for Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror fiction. Only Australians are eligible for the award.-History:...
Orphans (with Shane Dix)
- Echoes of Earth (2002) - Winner, Best Australian Novel, 2002 Ditmar AwardDitmar AwardThe Ditmar Award has been awarded annually since 1969 at the Australian National Science Fiction Convention to recognise achievement in Australian science fiction and science fiction fandom...
- Orphans of Earth (2003)
- Heirs of Earth (2004)
Star Wars: New Jedi Order (with Shane Dix)
- Force Heretic I: RemnantForce Heretic: RemnantForce Heretic: Remnant is the first novel in a three-part story by Sean Williams and Shane Dix...
(2003) - Force Heretic II: RefugeeForce Heretic: RefugeeForce Heretic: Refugee is the second novel in a three-part story by Sean Williams and Shane Dix, the other two being Remnant , and Reunion...
(2003) - Force Heretic III: ReunionForce Heretic: ReunionForce Heretic: Reunion is the third novel in a three-part story by Sean Williams and Shane Dix...
(2003)
Star Wars
- The Force Unleashed (2008)
- Star Wars: The Old Republic: Fatal AllianceStar Wars: The Old Republic: Fatal AllianceStar Wars: The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance is a science fiction novel from the Star Wars franchise written by Australian author Sean Williams. It is a prequel to and the first novel based on the upcoming MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic under development by BioWare Corp., and was released on...
(2010) - The Force Unleashed II (2010)
The Books of the Cataclysm
- The Crooked LetterThe Crooked LetterThe Crooked Letter is a 2004 fantasy novel by Sean Williams. It follows the story of Seth and Hadrian who have gone to Europe on holidays. Seth is murdered and they discover that Earth is just one of many realms.-Background:...
(2004) - Winner, Best Novel, 2004 Ditmar AwardDitmar AwardThe Ditmar Award has been awarded annually since 1969 at the Australian National Science Fiction Convention to recognise achievement in Australian science fiction and science fiction fandom...
& Winner, Best Fantasy Novel, 2004 Aurealis AwardAurealis AwardAurealis Award for Excellence in Speculative Fiction is an annual literary award for Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror fiction. Only Australians are eligible for the award.-History:... - The Blood Debt (2005)
- The Hanging Mountains (2005)
- The Devoured Earth (2006)
Geodesica (with Shane Dix)
- Ascent (2005) - Winner, Best Novel, 2005 Ditmar AwardDitmar AwardThe Ditmar Award has been awarded annually since 1969 at the Australian National Science Fiction Convention to recognise achievement in Australian science fiction and science fiction fandom...
- Descent (2005)
The Broken Land
- The Changeling (2008) - Shortlisted for Best Young Adult Novel, and Best Children's Novel, in the 2008 Aurealis AwardAurealis AwardAurealis Award for Excellence in Speculative Fiction is an annual literary award for Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror fiction. Only Australians are eligible for the award.-History:...
. - The Dust Devils (2008) - Shortlisted for the Best Children's Novel, in the 2008 Aurealis AwardAurealis AwardAurealis Award for Excellence in Speculative Fiction is an annual literary award for Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror fiction. Only Australians are eligible for the award.-History:...
. - The Scarecrow (2009)
Astropolis
- Saturn Returns (2007) - Winner, Best Novel, 2008 Ditmar AwardDitmar AwardThe Ditmar Award has been awarded annually since 1969 at the Australian National Science Fiction Convention to recognise achievement in Australian science fiction and science fiction fandom...
- Cenotaxis (2007) - book 1.5, novella
- Earth Ascendant (2008)
- The Grand Conjunction (2009)
The Fixers
- Castle of the Zombies (2010)
- Planet of the Cyborgs (2010)
- Last of the Vampires (2010)
- Invasion of the Weird (2010)
Others
- Metal FatigueMetal Fatigue (novel)Metal Fatigue is a 1996 science fiction novel by Sean Williams. It is set in a world after nuclear war where the metropolis of Kennedy in the United States has become walled off in order to protect itself from the decline of the rest the country....
(1996) - Winner, Best Science Fiction Novel, 1996 Aurealis AwardAurealis AwardAurealis Award for Excellence in Speculative Fiction is an annual literary award for Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror fiction. Only Australians are eligible for the award.-History:... - The Resurrected Man (1998) - Winner, Best Long Fiction, 1999 Ditmar AwardDitmar AwardThe Ditmar Award has been awarded annually since 1969 at the Australian National Science Fiction Convention to recognise achievement in Australian science fiction and science fiction fandom...
Collections
- Doorways to Eternity (MirrorDanse BooksMirrorDanse BooksMirrorDanse Books , founded in 1994, is one of Australia's longest running independent book publishers of science fiction and horror.MirrorDanse Books publishes the The Year's Best Australian SF & Fantasy anthology series, edited by Bill Congreve and Michelle Marquardt...
, 1994) - A View Before Dying (Ticonderoga PublicationsTiconderoga PublicationsTiconderoga Publications is an Australian independent publishing house founded by Russell B. Farr in 1996 and now run by Farr and Liz Grzyb. The publisher specialises in collections of science fiction short stories.-History and current:...
, 1998) - New Adventures in Sci-Fi (Ticonderoga PublicationsTiconderoga PublicationsTiconderoga Publications is an Australian independent publishing house founded by Russell B. Farr in 1996 and now run by Farr and Liz Grzyb. The publisher specialises in collections of science fiction short stories.-History and current:...
, 1999) - Winner, Best Collected Work, 2000 Ditmar AwardDitmar AwardThe Ditmar Award has been awarded annually since 1969 at the Australian National Science Fiction Convention to recognise achievement in Australian science fiction and science fiction fandom... - Light Bodies Falling (Altair Australia, 2007)
- Magic Dirt: The Best of Sean Williams (Ticonderoga PublicationsTiconderoga PublicationsTiconderoga Publications is an Australian independent publishing house founded by Russell B. Farr in 1996 and now run by Farr and Liz Grzyb. The publisher specialises in collections of science fiction short stories.-History and current:...
, 2008) - Winner, Best Collection, 2008 Aurealis AwardAurealis AwardAurealis Award for Excellence in Speculative Fiction is an annual literary award for Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror fiction. Only Australians are eligible for the award.-History:...
Notable short stories
- "The Freezing of Sarah" (1997) in BloodsongsBloodsongsBloodsongs magazine was created by Steve Proposch and Chris A. Masters in 1993 as a vehicle for original horror fiction. It was published by Bambada Press in Melbourne Australia from 1993 to 1997....
#9 - "Entre les Beaux Morts en Vie (Among the Beautiful Living Dead)" (1998) in Dreaming Down-UnderDreaming Down-UnderDreaming Down-Under is a 1998 speculative fiction anthology edited by Jack Dann and Janeen Webb-Background:Dreaming Down-Under was first published in Australia in November 1998 by Voyager Books in trade paperback format....
(ed. Jack DannJack DannJack Dann is an American writer best known for his science fiction, an editor and a writing teacher, who has lived in Australia since 1994. He has published over seventy books, in the majority of cases as editor or co-editor of story anthologies in the science fiction, fantasy and horror genres...
, Janeen WebbJaneen WebbJaneen Webb is an Australian writer, critic, and editor working mainly in the field of science fiction and fantasy.-Biography:...
) - "Hunting Ground" (2003) in Southern Blood: New Australian Tales of the SupernaturalSouthern Blood: New Australian Tales of the SupernaturalSouthern Blood: New Australian Tales of the Supernatural is a 2003 speculative fiction anthology edited by Bill Congreve-Background:Southern Blood was first published in Australia in June 2003 by Sandglass Enterprises in trade paperback format...
(ed. Bill CongreveBill Congreve-Biography:Congreve's first work was published in 1987 with his short story "Collector" which was featured in the Summer 1986/1987 edition of Aphelion Science Fiction Magazine. In 1992 Congreve's first edited anthology was released by Five Islands Press, featuring a short story and introduction by...
) - "haikaiju" (2005) in Daikaiju! Giant Monster TalesDaikaiju! Giant Monster TalesDaikaiju! Giant Monster Tales is a 2005 speculative fiction anthology edited by Robert Hood and Robin Pen.-Background:Daikaiju! Giant Monster Tales was first published in Australia in 2005 by Agog! Press in hardback format. It won the 2006 Ditmar Award for best collected work. Daikaiju! Giant...
(ed. Robert HoodRob HoodRobert Hood is an Australian writer and editor recognised as one of Australia's leading horror writers. He has published five young adult novels, three collections of his short fiction, fifteen children's books and over 100 short stories in anthologies and magazines in Australia and overseas...
, Robin Pen) - "daihaiku" (2005) in Daikaiju! Giant Monster TalesDaikaiju! Giant Monster TalesDaikaiju! Giant Monster Tales is a 2005 speculative fiction anthology edited by Robert Hood and Robin Pen.-Background:Daikaiju! Giant Monster Tales was first published in Australia in 2005 by Agog! Press in hardback format. It won the 2006 Ditmar Award for best collected work. Daikaiju! Giant...
(ed. Robert HoodRob HoodRobert Hood is an Australian writer and editor recognised as one of Australia's leading horror writers. He has published five young adult novels, three collections of his short fiction, fifteen children's books and over 100 short stories in anthologies and magazines in Australia and overseas...
, Robin Pen) - Ghosts of the Fall
- White Christmas
- The Jackie Onassis Swamp-Buggy Concerto
- The Soap Bubble
- The Perfect Gun
- The Masque of Agamemnon (with Simon Brown)
- The Girl-Thing
- Star Wars: Or Die TryingOr Die TryingOr Die Trying is a short story set in the Star Wars galaxy. It was written by Sean Williams and Shane Dix for Star Wars Insider 75. The story takes place between The New Jedi Order books Force Heretic: Refugee and Reunion, 29 years after the Battle of Yavin.-Summary:Following the events of Force...
(with Shane Dix) - The Seventh Letter
- Midnight in the Cafe of the Black Madonna (Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
)
External links
- Personal Website
- Blog
- Interview with Sean Williams at Neth Space
- Interview with Sean Williams
- Interview by Tobias Buckell for 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...
- South Australian Writers Centre
- Interview 1 with www.theforce.net
- Interview 2 with www.theforce.net