Tom Maddox
Encyclopedia
Tom Maddox is an American science fiction
writer, known for his part in the early cyberpunk
movement.
His first novel was Halo (ISBN 0-312-85249-5), published in 1991 by Tor Books. His story Snake Eyes appeared in the 1986 collection Mirrorshades
, edited by Bruce Sterling
.
He is perhaps best known as a friend and writing partner of William Gibson
. They wrote two episodes of The X-Files
together, "Kill Switch
" and "First Person Shooter
".
Maddox is the originator of the term Intrusion Countermeasures Electronics
(or ICE). According to Maddox, he coined the term in the manuscript of an unpublished story that he showed to Gibson at a science fiction convention in Portland, Oregon
. Gibson asked permission to use the acronym, and Maddox agreed. The term was then used in Gibson's early short stories and eventually popularized in the novel Neuromancer
, in which Maddox was properly acknowledged.
Tom Maddox has licensed his work under a Creative Commons
license, making a significant part of it available on his website: Tom Maddox Fiction and Nonfiction Archive.
Maddox is currently a professor of literary studies at The Evergreen State College
in Olympia, Washington.
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...
writer, known for his part in the early 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...
movement.
His first novel was Halo (ISBN 0-312-85249-5), published in 1991 by Tor Books. His story Snake Eyes appeared in the 1986 collection Mirrorshades
Mirrorshades
Mirrored sunglasses are sunglasses with a reflective optical coating on the outside of the lenses to make them appear like small mirrors. The lenses typically give the wearer's vision a brown or grey tint...
, edited by Bruce Sterling
Bruce Sterling
Michael Bruce Sterling is an American science fiction author, best known for his novels and his work on the Mirrorshades anthology, which helped define the cyberpunk genre.-Writings:...
.
He is perhaps best known as a friend and writing partner of William Gibson
William Gibson
William Gibson is an American-Canadian science fiction author.William Gibson may also refer to:-Association football:*Will Gibson , Scottish footballer...
. They wrote two episodes of The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
together, "Kill Switch
Kill Switch (The X-Files)
"Kill Switch" is an episode of the popular Canadian/American science fiction television series The X-Files.- Plot :The episode begins one night at a diner in Washington, D.C.. A man tries to access some files on a laptop computer, but is repeatedly denied...
" and "First Person Shooter
First Person Shooter (The X-Files)
"First Person Shooter" is the thirteenth episode of the seventh season of the science fiction television series The X-Files. It is the spiritual successor to Gibson's earlier episode "Kill Switch".-Plot summary:...
".
Maddox is the originator of the term Intrusion Countermeasures Electronics
Intrusion Countermeasures Electronics
Intrusion Countermeasures Electronics is a term used in cyberpunk literature to refer to security programs which protect computerized data from being accessed by hackers.-Origin of term:...
(or ICE). According to Maddox, he coined the term in the manuscript of an unpublished story that he showed to Gibson at a science fiction convention in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. Gibson asked permission to use the acronym, and Maddox agreed. The term was then used in Gibson's early short stories and eventually popularized in the novel Neuromancer
Neuromancer
Neuromancer is a 1984 novel by William Gibson, a seminal work in the cyberpunk genre and the first winner of the science-fiction "triple crown" — the Nebula Award, the Philip K. Dick Award, and the Hugo Award. It was Gibson's debut novel and the beginning of the Sprawl trilogy...
, in which Maddox was properly acknowledged.
Tom Maddox has licensed his work under a 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, making a significant part of it available on his website: Tom Maddox Fiction and Nonfiction Archive.
Maddox is currently a professor of literary studies at The Evergreen State College
The Evergreen State College
The Evergreen State College is an accredited public liberal arts college and a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. It is located in Olympia, Washington, USA. Founded in 1967, Evergreen was formed to be an experimental and non-traditional college...
in Olympia, Washington.
Short stories
- The Mind Like a Strange Balloon (1985)
- Snake-Eyes (1986)
- The Robot and the One You Love (1988)
- Florida (1989)--not really a short story but a very short broadside--a "bookmark"--contributed to Magicon.
- Baby Strange (1989)
- Gravity's Angel (1992)
- Spirit of the Night (2010)
External links
- An Incomplete Tom Maddox Fiction Archive
- An Incomplete Tom Maddox NonFiction Archive
- Tom Maddox reports on the Electronic Frontier series of articles for Locus Magazine