-
Recent Posts
Top Posts & Pages
Archives
- May 2023
- January 2023
- November 2022
- August 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- January 2022
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- May 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- July 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- January 2016
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
Blogs I Follow
Categories
Meta
Tag Archives: Mark Twain
2023 Quarry Farm Symposium: Twain and Sci-Fi Theme
I’m chairing the annual Quarry Farm Symposium at Elmira College, October 6-8, 2023, and we’re looking for folks to come talk about early science fiction, steampunk, basically any science/literature overlaps during Mark Twain’s lifetime (1835-1910). If you’re reading this and … Continue reading
Talking Twain at Truman (Virtually)
At the end of this month, I’ll be giving a Zoom lecture called “Mark Twain and American Science Fiction’s Legacy” at part of Truman State University’s Folklore Minor Colloquium Series. This is a version of the talk I gave last … Continue reading
Conference Acceptances
Quick update: I’ll be presenting at the SFRA online conference and the State of Mark Twain Studies conference later this year. The SFRA paper will be based on work I did during my first-year seminar class on crime and prisons … Continue reading
New Mark Twain Article
Before putting 2021 behind me, I want to be sure to mention my article that came out in the Mark Twain Annual at the end of the year. It might interest anyone who wants to know more about Twain and … Continue reading
Posted in All Posts
Tagged A Marriage, A Murder, A Mystery, Jules Verne, Mark Twain, science fiction
Leave a comment
At Twain Museum for Big River Steampunk Fest
As I’ve noted before, Hannibal, Missouri hosts one of the biggest outdoor steampunk festivals in the Midwest. This year, I am coincidentally driving cross-country and will be in Hannibal for the event. So, on Sunday, Sept. 5 at 1pm, I’ll … Continue reading
Posted in All Posts
Tagged Big River Steampunk Festival, Hannibal, hollow earth, Jules Verne, Mark Twain, science fiction, steampunk
Leave a comment
Discussing The Mandalorian and Mark Twain on American Vandal Podcast
I’m part of this week’s edition of The American Vandal podcast from Elmira College’s Center for Mark Twain Studies. I discuss connections between Twain and The Mandalorian TV series (and Star Wars in general) with host Dr. Matt Seybold and … Continue reading
Gears and God Discount
University of Alabama Press has given me permission to share the 30% off price reduction code we set up for the C19 conference with the public. That means anyone can buy Gears and God: Technocratic Fiction, Faith and Empire in … Continue reading
Posted in All Posts
Tagged C19, dime novels, Gears and God, Mark Twain, Promotion, science vs. religion
Leave a comment
Americana Music in Sci-Fi Games
There’s a fascinating video on Polygon from last week that begins by asking “Why is there so much banjo music in science fiction video games today?” (I’m not a gamer, so I wasn’t up on this trend–but I’m obsessed with … Continue reading
Posted in All Posts
Tagged americana, banjos, Douglas Adams, gaming, lisa yaszek, Mark Twain, Science Fiction Music, steampunk
Leave a comment
More Gears and God Book Reviews
I’m pleased to share two great book reviews of Gears and God: Technocratic Fiction, Faith, and Empire in Mark Twain’s America that came out recently. Both do a fantastic job of covering the book’s focus on how dime-novel science fiction … Continue reading
Posted in All Posts
Tagged American Literary Realism, C19, dime novels, Gears and God, Mark Twain, Mark Twain Annual, science fiction
Leave a comment
Minor Updates: Writing & Teaching
October is always a busy month that starts with a birthday and ends with Halloween. Not having any major news doesn’t mean I’m not really busy. To wit: Drafting paper for MLA presentation on Twain’s love of sea adventure fiction. … Continue reading
Twain Trip and Strange Stars Review
I’ll have at least one more research trip to the Mark Twain Papers in Berkeley between now and December (before I present at MLA on Twain’s love of sea adventure novels). I’m hoping to work a Bay-area bookstore appearance in … Continue reading
Posted in All Posts
Tagged David Bowie, Mark Twain, Mark Twain Papers, Strange Stars
Leave a comment
American Novel to 1900 (Class Details)
This summer, I’m teaching UC Davis’s “American Novel to 1900” class. I used the class to try something I’d always wanted to do–something scholar Paul Lauter did while developing the uber-inclusive Heath Anthology of American Literature–namely, asking students to prioritize … Continue reading
August Updates: Book and Articles
My American Novels to 1900 class for UC Davis started last week, and I’m finishing up some big projects before fully diving into that pool. First, I’m doing final proofreading review for my “Science and Technology” chapter of Cambridge University … Continue reading
New Editing Gig at Mark Twain Annual
Last week, I formally agreed to be the new Book Review Editor for the Mark Twain Annual. The Annual is a fantastic journal–one that I look forward to each year. They publish Twain scholarship that takes risks, tries things, and … Continue reading
Gears and God Signing at Avid Reader
I’m doing a reading/signing for my book, Gears and God, at the Avid Reader in Davis this Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. Please share with friends who like Mark Twain, science fiction, or U.S. history!
Posted in All Posts
Tagged Avid Reader, Davis, Gears and God, Mark Twain, science fiction, steampunk
Leave a comment
Mark Twain Forum Reviews Gears and God
As promised earlier, here is a link to the full text of John Bird’s review of Gears and God on the Mark Twain Forum. Here’s an excerpt: Gears and God is important for the way it places Mark Twain’s works within … Continue reading
Posted in All Posts
Tagged dime novels, Gears and God, John Bird, Mark Twain, Mark Twain Forum, steampunk, Technology
Leave a comment
Mark Twain Center Hosts “Gears and God” Short Essay
A few months ago, Joe Lemak from the Center for Mark Twain Studies at Elmira College asked me if I’d like to write something to promote my book for their web site. Today, they’ve published that essay, along with some … Continue reading
Posted in All Posts
Tagged A Connecticut Yankee, Elmira College, Frank Reade, Gears and God, Mark Twain, science fiction
Leave a comment
My Book’s on Amazon Now
My publisher wrote to let me know that Gears and God is now available for pre-order at Amazon. It gives the release date as July 10, 2018 (so just in time for Worldcon). You can read the publisher’s summary, the … Continue reading
Posted in All Posts
Tagged amazon, american literature, dime novels, Gears and God, Mark Twain, science fiction, worldcon 2018
Leave a comment
Twain and Dime-Novel Science Fiction
If you’re interested in listening to my October 11, 2017 guest lecture on “Mark Twain and the Inventor Fiction Boom, 1876-1910” the audio is now available online. You can’t watch the slideshow that went with it, but there is a … Continue reading
Posted in All Posts
Tagged A Connecticut Yankee, dime novels, Electric Bob, Frank Reade, Mark Twain, steampunk, Tom Edison Jr, Tom Sawyer Abroad
Leave a comment
Gears and God Book Editing
BOOK UPDATE: I received publisher’s final copy-edits on my book, Gears and God, from University of Alabama press last night. I have about three weeks to spend going over them, checking for accuracy or making small revisions. I’ll be doing … Continue reading
Posted in All Posts
Tagged Gears and God, Mark Twain, Quarry Farm Fellowship, University of Alabama Press
Leave a comment
Upcoming Mark Twain Lecture
Here are final details on my upcoming presentation at Elmira College’s “Trouble Begins” Mark Twain Lecture Series: “Mark Twain and the Inventor Fiction Boom: Technology Meets American Conceit, 1876-1910” Wednesday, October 11 at The Barn at Quarry Farm Elmira, NY … Continue reading
Posted in All Posts
Tagged dime novels, Edisonades, Elmira, Inventor Fiction, Mark Twain, Technology, Trouble Begins
Leave a comment
I Sold My Academic Book
So here’s the big announcement: last week, I signed a contract with University of Alabama Press to publish my non-fiction book on 19th-century fiction and technology. It will likely be out in 2018. Its tentative title is Gears and God: Technocratic Fiction, … Continue reading
Juggling Fiction and Non-Fiction
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
Posted in All Posts
Tagged Albert Bigelow Paine, Frank Reade, Mark Twain, science fiction, university press
Leave a comment
Nathaniel Williams 