John C. Wright
Encyclopedia
John C. Wright is an American author
of science fiction
and fantasy
novels, and a Nebula Award
finalist for his fantasy novel Orphans of Chaos
. Publishers Weekly
said he "may be this fledgling century's most important new SF talent" when reviewing his debut novel
, The Golden Age
.
at the College of William & Mary in 1987. As an undergraduate, he studied the Great Books
program at St. John's College of Maryland
in 1984. He was admitted to the practice of law in three jurisdictions (New York
, May 1989; Maryland
, December 1990; Washington, DC, January 1994). His law practice was unsuccessful and drove him into bankruptcy soon thereafter. He then worked for the newspaper St. Mary's Today. He currently works as a technical writer
in Virginia
, where he lives with his wife, fellow author L. Jagi Lamplighter (St. John's College of Maryland
, class of 1985), and their children. At the age of 42, Wright converted from atheism to Christianity. In 2008, he converted to the Roman Catholic Church, of which he approvingly stated: "If Vulcans
had a church, they'd be Catholics." For several years Wright has made regular posts to his website on many topics, especially science fiction and philosophy.
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
of science fiction
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...
and fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
novels, and a Nebula Award
Nebula Award
The Nebula Award is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America , for the best science fiction/fantasy fiction published in the United States during the previous year...
finalist for his fantasy novel Orphans of Chaos
Orphans of Chaos
Orphans of Chaos is a 2005 fantasy novel by John C. Wright. It is the first volume of a trilogy that continues with the novels Fugitives of Chaos and Titans of Chaos .-Plot synopsis:...
. Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
said he "may be this fledgling century's most important new SF talent" when reviewing his debut novel
Debut novel
A debut novel is the first novel an author publishes. Debut novels are the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to publish in the future...
, The Golden Age
The Golden Age (John C. Wright novel)
The Golden Age is a science fiction trilogy by the American writer John C. Wright. It consists of three books, The Golden Age, The Phoenix Exultant and The Golden Transcendence.-Plot introduction:...
.
Biography
A former attorney, newspaperman, and newspaper editor, he graduated from the Marshall-Wythe School of LawMarshall-Wythe School of Law
William & Mary Law School, located in Williamsburg, Virginia, is the oldest law school in the United States. William & Mary Law School is a part of the College of William & Mary, the second oldest college in the United States. The Law School maintains an enrollment of about six hundred students...
at the College of William & Mary in 1987. As an undergraduate, he studied the Great Books
Great Books
Great Books refers primarily to a group of books that tradition, and various institutions and authorities, have regarded as constituting or best expressing the foundations of Western culture ; derivatively the term also refers to a curriculum or method of education based around a list of such books...
program at St. John's College of Maryland
St. John's College, U.S.
St. John's College is a liberal arts college with two U.S. campuses: one in Annapolis, Maryland and one in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Founded in 1696 as a preparatory school, King William's School, the school received a collegiate charter in 1784, making it one of the oldest institutions of higher...
in 1984. He was admitted to the practice of law in three jurisdictions (New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, May 1989; Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, December 1990; Washington, DC, January 1994). His law practice was unsuccessful and drove him into bankruptcy soon thereafter. He then worked for the newspaper St. Mary's Today. He currently works as a technical writer
Technical writer
A technical writer is a professional writer who designs, creates, and maintains technical documentation...
in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, where he lives with his wife, fellow author L. Jagi Lamplighter (St. John's College of Maryland
St. John's College, U.S.
St. John's College is a liberal arts college with two U.S. campuses: one in Annapolis, Maryland and one in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Founded in 1696 as a preparatory school, King William's School, the school received a collegiate charter in 1784, making it one of the oldest institutions of higher...
, class of 1985), and their children. At the age of 42, Wright converted from atheism to Christianity. In 2008, he converted to the Roman Catholic Church, of which he approvingly stated: "If Vulcans
Vulcan (Star Trek)
Vulcans, or sometimes Vulcanians, are an extraterrestrial humanoid species in the Star Trek universe who evolved on the planet Vulcan, and are noted for their attempt to live by reason and logic with no interference from emotion. They were the first extraterrestrial species in the Star Trek...
had a church, they'd be Catholics." For several years Wright has made regular posts to his website on many topics, especially science fiction and philosophy.
The Golden Age
- The Golden AgeThe Golden Age (John C. Wright novel)The Golden Age is a science fiction trilogy by the American writer John C. Wright. It consists of three books, The Golden Age, The Phoenix Exultant and The Golden Transcendence.-Plot introduction:...
(2002) - The Phoenix Exultant (2003)
- The Golden Transcendence (2003)
War of the Dreaming
- Last Guardian of EvernessLast Guardian of EvernessLast Guardian of Everness is a fantasy novel by John C. Wright...
(2004) - Mists of EvernessMists of EvernessMists of Everness is John C. Wright's sequel to his novel Last Guardian of Everness, published in 2005, continuing the harrowing adventures of Raven, Wendy, Lemuel, Peter, and Galen. We learn here that to save the world from the evil tyrant Morningstar , they must hand it over to the "good" tyrant...
(2005)
Chronicles of Chaos
- Orphans of ChaosOrphans of ChaosOrphans of Chaos is a 2005 fantasy novel by John C. Wright. It is the first volume of a trilogy that continues with the novels Fugitives of Chaos and Titans of Chaos .-Plot synopsis:...
(2005) - Fugitives of Chaos (2006)
- Titans of Chaos (2007)
Other Novels
- Null-A Continuum (sequel to A. E. van VogtA. E. van VogtAlfred Elton van Vogt was a Canadian-born science fiction author regarded by some as one of the most popular and complex science fiction writers of the mid-twentieth century: the "Golden Age" of the genre....
's The World of Null-AThe World of Null-AThe World of Null-A, sometimes written The World of Ā, is a 1948 science fiction novel by A. E. van Vogt. It was originally published as a three-part serial in Astounding Stories...
, 2008)
Stories in the Night Land setting
- "Awake in the Night," (novella) William Hope Hodgson's Night Lands: Eternal Love, edited by Andy W. Robertson, Wildside PressWildside PressWildside Press is an independent publishing company located in Maryland, USA. It was founded in 1989 by John Gregory and Kim Betancourt. While the press was originally conceived as a publisher of speculative fiction in both trade and limited editions, it has broadened out somewhat since then, both...
(December 2003 http://www.thenightland.co.uk/nightawake.html). - "The Cry of the Night Hound," (novella) William Hope Hodgson's Night Lands: Nightmares of the Fall, also edited by Robertson (August 2007 http://www.thenightland.co.uk/nightcry.html).
- "Silence of the Night," as of 2008 only published on Robertson's nightland.co.uk website. (May 2007 http://www.thenightland.co.uk/nightsilenceofthenight.html).
- "The Last of All Suns," (novella) William Hope Hodgson's Night Lands: Nightmares of the Fall. (November 2003 http://www.thenightland.co.uk/nightlastofallsuns.html).
Other publications
- "Farthest Man from Earth," (novella) Asimov's Science FictionAsimov's Science FictionAsimov's Science Fiction is an American science fiction magazine which publishes science fiction and fantasy and perpetuates the name of author and biochemist Isaac Asimov...
, Vol. 19 # 4 & 5, No.229-230, April 1995. - "Guest Law," (novella) Asimov's Science FictionAsimov's Science FictionAsimov's Science Fiction is an American science fiction magazine which publishes science fiction and fantasy and perpetuates the name of author and biochemist Isaac Asimov...
, Vol. 21 # 6, No.258, June 1997.- Reprinted in Year's Best SF 3Year's Best SF 3Year's Best SF 3 is a science fiction anthology edited by David G. Hartwell that was published in 1998. It is the third in the Year's Best SF series.-Contents:The book itself, as well as each of the stories, has a short...
, ed. David G. Hartwell, HarperPrism, 1998, and in The Space Opera RenaissanceThe Space Opera RenaissanceThe Space Opera Renaissance is an anthology of short science fiction that fits the definition of space opera: adventure stories of grand vision, where the majority of the action happens somewhere other than Earth...
.
- Reprinted in Year's Best SF 3
- "Not Born a Man," (short story) Aberrations, #24, October 1994.
- Reprinted in No Longer Dreams, ed. Danielle McPhail, Lite Circle, 2005.
- "Forgotten Causes," (short story) Absolute MagnitudeAbsolute Magnitude (magazine)Absolute Magnitude is a discontinued, semi-professional science fiction magazine started in 1993 under the name Harsh Mistress. However, in 1994 after only two issues the name was changed to Absolute Magnitude. In 2002 the name was changed again to Absolute Magnitude & Aboriginal Science Fiction...
, #16, Summer 2001.- Reprinted in Breach the Hull, ed. Mike McPhail, Marietta, 2007.
- "Father's Monument," (short story) No Longer Dreams, ed. Danielle McPhail, Lite Circle, 2005.
- "The Kindred," (short story) No Longer Dreams, ed. Danielle McPhail, Lite Circle, 2005.
- "Peter Power Armor," (short story) Breach the Hull, ed. Mike McPhail, Marietta, 2007.
- "Choosers of the Slain," (short story) Clockwork Phoenix: Tales of Beauty and Strangeness, ed. Mike Allen, Norilana Books, 2008.
- "One Bright Star to Guide Them," (short story) The Magazine of Fantasy & Science FictionThe Magazine of Fantasy & Science FictionThe Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction is a digest-size American fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House and then by Fantasy House. Both were subsidiaries of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Publications, which took over as publisher in 1958. Spilogale, Inc...
, Vol. 116, #4 & 5, Whole No. 682, April/May 2009.
Interviews
- Interview conducted by Nick Gevers of Locus Online
- Interview on the SciFiDimensions Podcast