Tim Powers at the Israeli ICon 2005 SF&F Convention

Timothy Thomas Powers (born February 29, 1952) is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1281x2011, 291 KB) Summary Tim Powers, the Science Fiction and Fantasy writer, at the Israeli SF, F & Role-Playing Festival, ICon 2005, in Tel Aviv. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1281x2011, 291 KB) Summary Tim Powers, the Science Fiction and Fantasy writer, at the Israeli SF, F & Role-Playing Festival, ICon 2005, in Tel Aviv. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... February 29th, or bissextile day, is the 60th day of a leap year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 306 days remaining. ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... For other definitions of fantasy see fantasy (psychology). ...

Most of Powers's novels are "secret histories": he uses actual, documented historical events featuring famous people, but shows another view of them in which occult or supernatural factors heavily influence the motivations and actions of the characters. A secret history (or shadow history) is a version of history that is at odds with commonly accepted historical events and which is claimed to have been deliberately suppressed or forgotten. ...

Typically, Powers strictly adheres to established historical facts. He reads extensively on a given subject, and the plot develops as Powers notes inconsistencies, gaps and curious data; regarding his award-winning 2000 novel Declare, Powers stated^[1], "I made it an ironclad rule that I could not change or disregard any of the recorded facts, nor rearrange any days of the calendar - and then I tried to figure out what momentous but unrecorded fact could explain them all."

Powers is scheduled to appear at Eastercon LX, the 60th British National Science Fiction Convention, in 2009. Eastercon is the common name for the British National Science Fiction Convention, which since the 1960s has been held over the four-day Easter holiday weekend although the traditional numbering of the conventions goes back to 1948, when the national convention was held over the three-day Whitsun bank holiday... Science fiction conventions are gatherings of the community of fans (called science fiction fandom) of various forms of speculative fiction including science fiction and fantasy. ...

Biography

Powers was born in Buffalo, New York, and grew up in California, where his Roman Catholic family moved in 1959. This article is becoming very long. ... The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic Church (see terminology below) is the Christian Church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, currently Pope Benedict XVI. It traces its origins to the original Christian community founded by Jesus Christ and led by the Twelve Apostles, in particular Saint Peter. ...

He studied English Literature at Cal State Fullerton, where he first met James Blaylock and K. W. Jeter, both of whom remained close friends and occasional collaborators; the trio have half-seriously referred to themselves as "steampunks"^[2] in contrast to the prevailing cyberpunk genre of the 1980s. Powers and Blaylock invented the poet William Ashbless while they were at Cal State Fullerton. The term English literature refers to literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; Joseph Conrad was Polish, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, Salman Rushdie is Indian, V.S... California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), often referred to as Fullerton State or Cal State Fullerton, is a part of the California State University System. ... James P. Blaylock (born September 20, 1950) is an American fantasy author. ... Kevin Wayne Jeter (born 1950) is an American science fiction and horror author known for his literary writing style, dark themes, and paranoid, unsympathetic characters. ... A rocket lands on the moon in Le Voyage dans la Lune, the film adaptation of Jules Vernes From the Earth to the Moon. ... Berlins Sony Center reflects the global reach of a Japanese corporation. ... William Ashbless is a fictional poet, invented by fantasy writers James Blaylock and Tim Powers. ...

Another friend Powers first met during this period was noted science fiction writer Philip K. Dick; the character named "David" in Dick's novel VALIS is based on Powers and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (Blade Runner) is dedicated to him. Philip Kindred Dick (December 16, 1928 – March 2, 1982) was an American writer, mostly known for his works of science fiction; additional to forty-four books currently in print, Dick wrote several short stories and minor works published in pulp magazines. ... It has been suggested that Black Iron Prison be merged into this article or section. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Blade Runner is an influential 1982 cyberpunk film directed by Ridley Scott from a screenplay written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, adapted from the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick. ...

Powers's first major novel was The Drawing of the Dark (1979), but the novel that earned him wide praise was The Anubis Gates, which won the Philip K. Dick Award, and has since been published in many other languages. The Anubis Gates (1983) is a time travel fantasy novel by Tim Powers. ... The Philip K. Dick Memorial Award is a science fiction award sponsored by the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society, and named after science fiction writer Philip K. Dick. ...

Powers also teaches part-time in his role as Writer in Residence for the Orange County High School of the Arts where his friend, Blaylock, is Director of the Creative Writing Department. Powers and his wife, Serena, currently live in Muscoy, California. OCHSA Established in 1987, the prestigious Orange County High School of the Arts (a. ... Creative writing is a term used to distinguish certain imaginative or different types of writing from technical writing. ... Muscoy is a census-designated place located in San Bernardino County, California. ...

He also taught part time at the University of Redlands. The University of Redlands is a private liberal arts and sciences university located in Redlands, California. ...

Bibliography

Novels

• The Skies Discrowned
  • also published as Forsake The Sky: a science fiction adventure novel.
• An Epitaph in Rust
  • also published as Epitaph in Rust.
• Powers of Two, (2004)
  • re-release of Skies Discrowned and Epitaph in Rust.
• The Drawing of the Dark
  • The siege of Vienna was actually a struggle between Muslim and Christian magicians over the spiritual center of humans in the West, which happens to be a small inn and brewery in Vienna. The "dark" of the title is a beer that has been brewing for centuries, which the Fisher King will eventually drink.
• The Anubis Gates
  • A time travel story set mostly in 1810, featuring a brainwashed Lord Byron, magic, Egyptian gods and a werewolf.
• Dinner at Deviant's Palace
  • unusually for Powers, this is set in the future, in a postatomic America in which an extraterrestrial psychic vampire is slowly taking over.
• On Stranger Tides
  • moves to the 18th century Caribbean; with pirates (many of them real characters), voodoo, zombies, Juan Ponce de Leon, and a strangely quantum-mechanical Fountain of Youth.
• The Stress of Her Regard
  • concerning the dealings of the Romantic poets—Byron and Shelley are major characters—with vampire-like beings from Greek mythology.
• Fault Lines
  • series
    • Last Call:
      • a professional poker player finds out that he lost far more than he won in a game played with Tarot cards two decades ago.
    • Expiration Date
      • a boy possessed by the spirit of Thomas Edison is hunted through Los Angeles by people wanting to consume the ghost he carries.
    • Earthquake Weather
      • sequel to both Last Call and Expiration Date, involving the characters of both: two fugitives from a psychiatric hospital, the magical nature of multiple personality disorder, and the secret history of wine production in California.
• Declare
  • a Cold War espionage thriller which evokes Lovecraftian horror and the Epic of Gilgamesh, involving Kim Philby, djinn and the Ark on Mount Ararat.
• Three Days to Never
  • time travel, Charlie Chaplin, Albert Einstein, and more.

Vienna (German: , see also other names) is the capital of Austria, and also one of the nine States of Austria. ... A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Turkish: Müslüman, Persian and Urdu: مسلمان, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of Islam. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Christianity. ... This article is about the Fisher King from Arthurian legend. ... The Anubis Gates (1983) is a time travel fantasy novel by Tim Powers. ... Time travel is a concept that has long fascinated humanity—whether it is Merlin experiencing time backwards, or religious traditions like Mohammeds trip to Jerusalem and ascent to heaven, returning before a glass knocked over had spilt its contents. ... 1810 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Lord Byron, English poet Lord Byron (1803), as painted by Elisabeth Vigee-Lebrun George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron, (January 22, 1788 – April 19, 1824) was the most widely read English language poet of his day. ... The Sorceress by John William Waterhouse Magic and sorcery are the influencing of events, objects, people and physical phenomena by mystical, paranormal or supernatural means. ... Egyptian mythology or Egyptian religion is the succession of tentative beliefs held by the people of Egypt for over three thousand years, prior to major exposure to Christianity and Islam. ... A werewolf (also lycanthrope or wolfman) in folklore is a person who shapeshifts into a wolf or wolflike creature, either purposely, by using magic, or after being placed under a curse. ... An energy vampire, or psychic vampire, in mythology, is a being said to have the ability to feed off the life force (aka chi, prana, vitality) of other living creatures. ... On Stranger Tides (Ace Books, 1987, ISBN 0441626831) is a fantasy novel written by Tim Powers. ... West Indian redirects here. ... Voodoo (Vodou, Vodoun, Vudu, or Vudun in Benin, Togo, southeastern Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Senegal; also Vodou in Haiti) is a name attributed to a traditionally unwritten West African spiritual system of faith and ritual practices. ... This article is about the undead. ... See also Agueybana Hayuya Jumacao Discoverer of the Americas Categories: People stubs | 1460 births | 1521 deaths | History of Puerto Rico | Conquistadores ... Fig. ... The Fountain of Youth by Lucas Cranach the Elder The Fountain of Youth is a legendary spring that reputedly restores the youth of anyone who drinks of its waters. ... The Stress of Her Regard is a 1989 horror/fantasy novel by Tim Powers. ... Wanderer above the sea of fog by Caspar David Friedrich Romanticism is an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in 18th century Western Europe. ... Lord Byron, Anglo-Scottish poet George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (January 22, 1788–April 19, 1824) was an Anglo-Scottish poet and a leading figure in Romanticism. ... Percy Bysshe Shelley (August 4, 1792 – July 8, 1822; pronounced ) was one of the major English Romantic poets and is widely considered to be among the finest lyrical poets of the English language. ... Vampires (or vampyres) are mythological or folkloric beings that subsist on human and/or animal lifeforce. ... The bust of Zeus found at Otricoli (Sala Rotonda, Museo Pio-Clementino, Vatican) Greek mythology is the telling of stories created by the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world and their own cult and ritual practices. ... Last Call (1992) is a fantasy novel by Tim Powers. ... A game of Texas holdem, the most popular form of poker, in progress. ... Assumption is a fictional variation of Poker created and featured in the novel Last Call by Tim Powers. ... Visconti-Sforza tarot deck The tarot is a set of cards featuring 21 trump cards and a special card called The Fool, in addition to the usual suit (face and pip) cards found in ordinary playing cards. ... Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847 – October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman who developed many devices which greatly influenced life around the world. ... Nickname: City of Angels Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: State California County Los Angeles County Incorporated April 4, 1850 Government  - Type Mayor-Council  - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D)  - City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo  - Governing body City Council Area  - City  498. ... A ghostly woman coming down the stairs. ... Overview In psychiatry, Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is the current name of the condition formerly listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD) and Multiple Personality Syndrome. ... A glass of red wine This article is about the alcoholic beverage. ... Declare is a World Fantasy Award-winning supernatural secret history cold war spy novel by Tim Powers in which an agent for a secret British spy organization learns the true nature of several beings living on Mount Ararat. ... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... Spy and Secret agent redirect here. ... Thriller is a broad genre of literature, film, and television. ... Howard Phillips Lovecraft (August 20, 1890 – March 15, 1937) was an American author of fantasy, horror and science fiction, noted for combining these three genres within single narratives. ... Horror fiction is, broadly, fiction in any medium intended to scare, unsettle, or horrify the reader. ... The Epic of Gilgamesh is an epic poem from Babylonia and is among the earliest known literary works. ... Harold Adrian Russell Kim Philby or H.A.R. Philby (1 January 1912 – 11 May 1988) was a high ranking member of British intelligence who led a lifelong career as a spy for the Soviet Union. ... GEnie was an online service created by a General Electric business - GEIS (now GXS) that ran from 1985 through the end of 1999. ... A painting by the American Edward Hicks (1780–1849), showing the animals boarding Noahs Ark two by two. ... Mount Ararat (Turkish: , Armenian: , Kurdish: , Greek: , Persian: ‎, Russian: , Hebrew: ‎, Tiberian Hebrew: ) is the tallest peak in Turkey. ... Three Days to Never is a 2006 fantasy novel by Tim Powers. ... “Charles Chaplin” redirects here. ... Albert Einstein( ) (March 14, 1879 – April 18, 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist who is widely considered to have been one of the greatest physicists of all time. ...

Short story collections

• Night Moves and Other Stories
• On Pirates (with James Blaylock)
• The Devils in the Details (with James Blaylock)
• Strange Itineraries: 2005, published by Tachyon Publications of San Francisco, California

Other published work

• The Complete Twelve Hours of the Night (1986) Joke pamphlet cowritten by James Blaylock and published by Cheap Street Press; features in The Anubis Gates
• A Short Poem by William Ashbless (1987) Another joke chapbook written by Phil Garland which Tim Powers and James Blaylock went along with. Published by The Folly Press.
• The Bible Repairman (2005) A chapbook containing an original short story. Published by Subterranean Press.
• Nine Sonnets by Francis Thomas Marrity (2006) A chapbook containing nine sonnets "written" by one of the main characters in Three Days to Never. Published by Subterranean Press and given away with the collectors' edition of Three Days To Never.
• A Soul in a Bottle (2007) A ghost story about a poetess largely based on American poet Edna St Vincent Millay. This novella published by Subterranean Press.
• 3 sonnets by Cheyenne Fleming (2007) Printed loose and inserted into the collectors' edition of A Soul in a Bottle.

Cheap Street Press was a small publishing company started up and operated by the husband-wife duo, George and Jan ONale, in Newcastle, VA. Cheap Street concentrated on publishing forced-scarcity or artificially rare books - signed, numbered limited edition books of Science Fiction and Fantasy works. ... This article is in need of attention. ... Francesco Petrarca, or Petrarch, one of the best-known early Italian sonnet writers. ... A ghost story may be any piece of fiction, or drama, that includes a ghost, or simply takes as a premise the possibility of ghosts or the belief of some character(s) in them. ... Edna St. ... A novella is a narrative work of prose fiction somewhat longer than a short story but shorter than a novel. ...

External links

• The Works of Tim Powers - this is the author's "official" internet presence and includes a very long interview
• Tim Powers at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
• Stranger Tides - fan site with FAQ and book descriptions
• Die Tore zu Anubis Reich - German Homepage with Bio, Bibliography, Interviews, Artwork, Extracts
• January 2001 interview at Powell's City of Books by Dave Weich
• February 2005 interview at Strange Horizons by Lyda Morehouse
• June 2006 interview at Emerald City by John Shirley
• September 2006 interview at JimmyAkin.Org by Jimmy Akin
• The Tim Powers Spot at Fanpop
• Tim Powers Yahoo! Group (Electronic mailing list)