Author Archives: nathanielwms

My Full Worldcon Schedule

Posted on August 11, 2016 by nathanielwms

I’m listing my full events schedule for the 74th World Science Fiction Convention (MidAmeriCon II) in Kansas City.  I’ll be at these events for sure–on some as a panelist, and moderating or assisting others.  I’m rounding up the end times (they … Continue reading →

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Read My New Short Story at Sockdolager

Posted on July 5, 2016 by nathanielwms

I have a short story in the Summer 2017 issue of Sockdolager Magazine.  It’s called “River Styx Leads to Athens: The Nearly Complete U.L.O. Story.” It’s probably better the less I say about it.  Read it before you read the … Continue reading →

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Science Fiction Novels I’ll Be Teaching

Posted on June 14, 2016 by nathanielwms

As I mentioned previously, I am teaching the second half of the University of Kansas’ flagship Intensive Institute on Science Fiction Literature. I’ll be teaching the same novels used in previous years, so I can’t take credit for the curriculum.  It … Continue reading →

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Science Fiction Panel at ALA San Francisco

Posted on April 22, 2016 by nathanielwms

The panel I’ve helped put together for the American Literature Association’s conference will be at 8:10 a.m. on Friday, May 26, 2016 in San Francisco.  ALA has posted a draft of the full program if you’d like to see who is … Continue reading →

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Nebulas & Sturgeons: 2016 Short Fiction Nominees (So Far)

Posted on April 12, 2016 by nathanielwms

The Center for the Study of Science Fiction just released their list of nominees for the 2016 Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award for best short science-fiction/fantasy story. The list is really strong.  (Full disclosure: I’m on CSSF’s advisory board, but not on … Continue reading →

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Juggling Fiction and Non-Fiction

Posted on March 31, 2016 by nathanielwms

As of this week, I’ve had interest from more than one university press for my non-fiction book proposal. My book manuscript is a study of 19th-century American fiction, tentatively titled Gears and God: Technocratic Fiction, Faith, and Empire in Mark … Continue reading →

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I’m Teaching this Summer’s SF Institute at KU

Posted on March 6, 2016 by nathanielwms

I’m currently scheduled to teach the 2nd half of the two-week Intensive Institute on Science Fiction Literature at the University of Kansas this summer. The course runs the last weeks of June and full information, including a reading list, is … Continue reading →

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Star Wars Fun with Samuel Clemens and Edgar A. Poe

Posted on January 26, 2016 by nathanielwms
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Rickman Rocked It (From Hogwarts to CBGB)

Posted on January 14, 2016 by nathanielwms

Today, news of Alan Rickman’s death flooded the internet, just days after David Bowie’s passing. He played in many sf/fantasy films, including Galaxy Quest and as Snape in the Harry Potter movies. He also did films that had a more magic-realist spin–including … Continue reading →

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On Bowie’s Death

Posted on January 12, 2016 by nathanielwms

I’ve written about David Bowie on You Sell Wonderment because he’s probably the best example of science fiction and pop music co-mingling to produce cool results. I’m still in shock about his passing.  It seemed like he’d be around forever.  Not much more … Continue reading →

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2016 Kansas City Worldcon: Academics and Wonderment

Posted on January 1, 2016 by nathanielwms

I’m one of the organizers for the academic track at MidAmeriCon II, the World Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention in my hometown of Kansas City, MO, in 2016. We’re looking for many types of presentations, particularly ones that will appeal to Worldcon’s broad range of attendees … Continue reading →

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At Work with Twain, Millar, Vowell, and more

Posted on November 29, 2015 by nathanielwms

It’s been a busy November, so I’m giving a few updates about my writing.  Stuff I’ve done rather than write blog entries here: Finishing an entry on “science and technology” for a Mark Twain-themed encyclopedia called All Things Twain. Participating in … Continue reading →

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Ian Dury’s Multifaceted Connections to Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Posted on November 14, 2015 by nathanielwms

I’ve been listening to a lot of Ian Dury recently.  A few nights ago, I finally rented Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll, the fictionalized film account of Dury’s career. Why should fantasy/science-fiction fans care about a little-known music biopic? … Continue reading →

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Steampunk Images from Hannibal

Posted on October 10, 2015 by nathanielwms

Just posting some photos from the Big River Steampunk Festival in Hannibal, MO.  My parents went up there over Labor Day weekend and snapped these. As I said in an earlier post, it’s nice to see one of America’s best … Continue reading →

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Doctor Who’s Connecticut Yankee References: Season 9, Episode 1

Posted on September 26, 2015 by nathanielwms

My UC Davis class on Mark Twain’s technocratic writing ended the weekend before the Season 9 premiere of Doctor Who.  I re-read A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court just weeks prior, not knowing that writer/producer Steven Moffat, actor Peter Capaldi, … Continue reading →

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Mark Twain’s Town Discovers Steampunk

Posted on August 10, 2015 by nathanielwms

I recently returned from a Mark Twain conference in Hannibal, MO, and I noticed a change in Twain’s hometown since the last time I was there in 2011. There’s a lot more steampunk stuff. The town is already a tourist destination, … Continue reading →

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Tor’s “David Bowie is Sci-Fi and Fantasy”

Posted on July 5, 2015 by nathanielwms

I’m providing a link to this awesome article by Bridget McGovern about David Bowie’s influence on F&SF. It does a great job of nailing latter-day Bowie references in The Venture Bros. and Neil Gaiman’s work.  The list of his supporting … Continue reading →

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Mystery Science Theater and the Replacements

Posted on June 24, 2015 by nathanielwms

I just read a great post on the Replacements/Paul Westerberg facebook page with a connection between my favorite band and science fiction. Filmmaker Hansi Oppenheimer spoke to Joel Hodgson, creator of Mystery Science Theater 3000.  Apparently, Hodgeson told her he followed the Replacements’ … Continue reading →

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Mark Twain “Travel and Technocracy” Class at UC Davis

Posted on May 4, 2015 by nathanielwms

The course announcement for my UC Davis “Studies in an Individual Author” class on Mark Twain went live a few weeks ago.  I’m posting the link and a screen clip here. We’re focusing on travel and technocracy, especially stories where … Continue reading →

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The Book Project

Posted on March 25, 2015 by nathanielwms

Just a quick update on my book about Edisonades and other proto-SF in American literature. I’ve taken the last few weeks to revise my revisions before I send out query letters to academic presses. Folks who are familiar with academic publishing … Continue reading →

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Steampunk Links from UC Davis Course

Posted on March 11, 2015 by nathanielwms

We just finished up this quarter’s Steampunk first-year seminar.  I thought I’d share a screenshot of the class’s SmartSite folder of external links and pictures to give a taste of what the students examined.   As you can see, we … Continue reading →

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Joe Ely and the Question of “Sci-Fi” Country Music

Posted on February 9, 2015 by nathanielwms

There’s a great article by Dave Heaton of PopMatters about Joe Ely, one of the great Texas songwriters.  Entitled “Do iPhones Dream of Boxcars”, it covers the recently re-released digital recordings Ely did in the 1980s (long after the Flatlanders … Continue reading →

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Dime Novel Sci-Fi at “God and the American Writer” Symposium

Posted on February 1, 2015 by nathanielwms

At the end of February, I’ll be presenting a paper on the Frank Reade, Jr. dime-novel inventor series at a special symposium on “God and the American Writer” sponsored by the American Literature Association. What do those early science-fiction stories–best … Continue reading →

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Rediscovering Michael Moorcock: Rock Music, Multiverses, and Buckaroo Banzai Nostalgia

Posted on January 9, 2015 by nathanielwms

On the last day of 2014, The New Yorker published a piece on legendary fantasy author and editor Michael Moorcock. I’ve been rediscovering Moorcock this year, mostly due to connections in SF, music, and 80s nostalgia. As the NY article notes, … Continue reading →

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Songs My Old Band Covered (Music Nostalgia)

Posted on December 22, 2014 by nathanielwms

Every now and then, someone asks me “What did you old band sound like?”  I often answer this by listing a few of the bands we covered rather than trying to explain the music in words. So, here’s a personal … Continue reading →

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