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Author Archives: nathanielwms
Pop Songs in Science-Fiction Movies and TV Shows
This week, Tor.com posted a list of songs that did (and didn’t) work in SF and fantasy TV shows and films. Natalie Zutter, Emily Asher-Perrin and Leah Schnelbach compiled a fun list. Face it–if you grew up without cable TV and before … Continue reading
About Soderbergh’s Black-and-White Raiders Edit
Raiders of the Lost Ark is my favorite film. Ever. More than just 80s nostalgia to me. I finally watched a good-sized chunk of the Steven Soderbergh edit of Raiders of the Lost Ark. If you haven’t heard, he basically … Continue reading
What Stories Were Most Popular in SF Course?
I’ve submitted final grades for my summer Science Fiction class at UC Davis. I will post some more info about the class in the coming weeks, including a lesson plan or two for any teachers out there looking for suggestions. … Continue reading
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Tagged bradbury, cadigan, e.m. forster, merill, russ, science fiction, simak, teaching science fiction, UC Davis
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Defining Science Fiction: A Writing Assignment
For the first paper of my summer SF class, I had them think about what we mean when we say “science fiction.” Here’s the paper assignment (for anyone playing along at home): For the first paper, you will defend a … Continue reading
Vote for Kansas City in 2016 at Worldcon
If you or someone you know is heading to the World Science Fiction Convention in London in 15 days (Aug 14-18), I encourage you to support Kansas City’s bid to host the 2016 Worldcon. They’ve done a splendid job of planning. … Continue reading
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Tagged Arthur Bryant's, Doc Savage, Heinlein, Kansas City, Lester Dent, Mark Twain, Worldcon
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New Flash Fiction – “Have You Seen Lucky?”
My short story “Have You Seen Lucky?” was recently published by Abyss & Apex. Dog lovers and Replacements fans should enjoy it. While you’re there, buy a copy of The Best of Abyss & Apex, Vol. 1 which features great short … Continue reading
Neko Case and Kelly Hogan’s “Droids” is Awesome and Snarky
One of my favorite musical memories is watching these ladies perform back-to-back sets at the legendary Grand Emporium in Kansas City in 2000. Now, they’re tackling science-fiction fandom and coming up with some pretty funny stuff. Some people are … Continue reading
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Tagged Kelly Hogan, Neko Case, nerd culture, Sci Fi, science fiction, sexism in SF
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11 Musicians Who Each Match A Doctor Who
When Peter Capaldi announced recently that his portrayal of Doctor Who was influenced by David Bowie, I came up with the following list of doppelgangers. (UPDATE: full descriptions are in “Comments” below because the plug-in I used now cuts off after 1st … Continue reading
KU Science Fiction: A Sketch of Pohl, Gunn, and Harrison
I’m going through all my notes from the Intensive Institute on the Teaching of Science Fiction at the University of Kansas. I found the sketch below in notes from the first Campbell Conference I attended. Fred Pohl, James Gunn, and Harry … Continue reading
My Summer Science Fiction Class at UC Davis
I’ll be teaching Science Fiction during Summer Session II at the University of California, Davis. I’m excited by the opportunity. My course’s full info is available on the UC Davis English Department’s site. The reading list (which includes the first … Continue reading
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I’m Missing Bradley Denton’s Show at ConQuesT
I noticed a month or two back that the Center for the Study of Science Fiction’s Writers Workshop website now has a picture of author Bradley Denton and me playing guitars. Sure was fun. Tonight, probably at the moment I’m typing … Continue reading
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Tagged Bradley Denton, Caroline Spector, ConQuesT, James Hollaman, Kansas City, Sergeant Chip
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Jack Wright in D.C., Twain and Faulkner at ALA
I spent most of Wednesday reading two Jack Wright dime novels at the Library of Congress. Both are great examples of proto-science fiction that imagines inventors making a difference in real-world affairs. In “Running the Blockade; or, Jack Wright Helping the Cuban … Continue reading
Story Sold to Abyss & Apex
Last week, the awesome online science fiction magazine, Abyss & Apex, accepted some of my fiction. My short story—”Have You Seen Lucky?”—will appear on their site in 2015. I am thrilled. I will post a link when it is released. … Continue reading
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Tagged Abyss & Apex, have you seen lucky?, nathaniel williams, science fiction, speculative fiction
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Scott Westerfeld & Justine Larbalestier Interview is Out
The interview Laurie Glover and I did with YA science-fiction giants Scott Westerfeld and Justine Larbalestier is now out. It appears in the Spring 2014 issue of Writing on the Edge (WOE), pages 96-106. It’s not available online, so Larbalestier/Westerfeld … Continue reading
Phase II: Music, Nostalgia, SF, Fantasy
Quick update. I’ve got a few announcements coming, including a fiction acceptance and other publication info. Before I do that, I’m thinking about the next batch of posts. I’m not teaching anything SF- or music-related over the next quarter at … Continue reading
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Forthcoming Westerfeld and Labalestier Interview
Last week, Laurie Glover and I interviewed authors Scott Westerfeld and Justine Labalestier for UC Davis’s interdisciplinary writing journal, Writing on the Edge. I’ve been transcribing and editing for the past few days with a February 28th deadline. We discussed … Continue reading
Steampunk Final Exam, Part 2
As promised, here is the second half of the final questions I posed to students in my Steampunk first-year seminar at UC Davis. This was the essay portion of the exam, and their answers were thoughtful. Instructions: Take a position … Continue reading
Steampunk Final Exam for First-Year University Seminar, Part 1
O.K., I didn’t actually give my students a final exam for our Steampunk seminar. I did, however, make a mock final and asked them to come up with answers for me. Part 1 was an identification section. Answers are listed … Continue reading
A Link to My New Short Story
“Eyesores” is up and ready for reading at the online magazine Perihelion. I’m providing a direct link to the story. It’s around 6,000 words, and it falls into the near-future SF category–with a little martial arts, a little extremist pediatrics. I … Continue reading
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Tagged Eyesores, martial arts sci-fi, mundane SF, nathaniel williams, Perihelion Science Fiction
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More Films from Steampunk Seminar
It took two class sessions, but we finally watched all of Howl’s Moving Castle. What a great movie. Lots of discussion regarding whether or not the steampunk setting–with the mechanical/magical castle and the old planes and the pre-WWI uniforms–was really … Continue reading
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Tagged anime, atlantis, howl's moving castle, scott mcloud, series of unfortunate events, steampunk, treasure planet
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Short Story Sold
This morning, I received an acceptance letter from the editors at Perihelion Science Fiction accepting my short story, “Eyesores,” for publication. Perihelion is a great fiction site with an emphasis on hard SF. Definitely worth checking out if you haven’t … Continue reading
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Tagged CSSF Writers Workshop, Eyesores, Fiction, Nate Williams, nathaniel williams, Perihelion, science fiction, Short Story
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Case Study in Steampunk: Jekyll and Hyde
So, when contemporary writers appropriate 19th-century fictional characters, what can we learn? Here’s how we tackled that question in my UC Davis first-year seminar class on steampunk… Last week, students read Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. … Continue reading
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Tagged Alan Moore, Hyde, Jekyll, Jess Nevins, Kevin O'Neill, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Robert Louis Stevenson, steampunk
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Steampunk University Seminar, Day 1 Overview
My First-Year Seminar on steampunk at UC Davis began last week. I thought I’d share the syllabus for starters: Required Texts and Materials VanderMeer, Ann and Jeff, eds. Steampunk, San Francisco: Tachyon, 2008 Moore, Alan and Kevin O’Neill. The League … Continue reading
Nathaniel Williams 