From the walls of Daniel H. Wilson's office: Robo Equality Forever!
Daniel H. Wilson: Science Fiction, Science Fact and Game Writer
“For me, I remember thinking that reading was a form of time travel because I would disappear, and time would go by, I’d come out and it would be later.”
Books
Robogenesis: A Novel - 2014
Amped: A Novel - 2012*
Robocalypse: A Novel - 2011**
A Boy and His Bot - 2011
Bro-Jitsu: The Martial Art of Sibling Smackdown–2010*
The Mad Scientist Hall of Fame: Muwahahaha! – 2008
How to Build a Robot Army: Tips on Defending Planet Earth - 2007
Where’s My Jetpack?: A Guide to the Amazing Science Fiction Future that Never Arrived - 2007
How to Survive a Robot Uprising: Tips on Defending Yourself Against the Coming Rebellion- 2005*
Editor
Robot Uprisings (edited with John Joseph Adams) - 2014
Short Works
"The Executor" (The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination) – 2013
"Helmet" (Armored) – 2012
"Foul Weather" (Nightmare Magazine") – 2012
"Freshee’s Frogurt" (Diverse Energies) - 2012
"Parasite" (21st Century Dead) - 2011
"The Nostalgist" (Tor.com) - 2009**
Graphic Novels
Spooky Shit (w/ Sam Keith-illustrator, Chris Rydall, ed.) – 2012
Film
* Film rights have been optioned or sold.
** Film is either in development or completed
Daniel appeared in the documentary Countdown to Doomsday, and was a television host on The Works on the History Channel in 2008.
Honors and Awards
Wired Rave Award, How to Survive a Robot Uprising; ALA "Popular Paperback for Young Adults" - 2007
GQ Media Pick, Where's My Jetpack? - 2007
ALA "Quick Pick for Reluctant YA Readers," How to Build a Robot Army - 2009
YALSA Alex Award; Barnes & Nobel Best Book of 2011; NY Times and LA Times best seller, Robopocalypse - 2011
Nominee for John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel; and Endeavor Award - 2012
Guest of Honor, Capricon 33 science fiction convention -2013
The fireplace in Daniel's very tidy office. He is without a doubt the most organized writer we have interviewed.
It was a great interview.
Daniel sporting his Miskatonic shirt. Miskatonic University is a fictional east-coast university that first appeared in H.P. Lovecraft's 1922 story "Herbert West–Reanimator" and was later used by other writers.
Nope, you don't find a Sci-Fi entry but Victorian – calm and lovely.
The green green view from a window.
We found Daniel's hidden front door up a small hill and behind much Portlandesque vegetation.
A lovely mix of books - some children's, Daniel's newest book "Robogenesis" and a book on the Great Plains, where Daniel is from.
Daniel signing our prized book at his desk.
Art reflects roots. Daniel is a member of the
Cherokee Nation.
A little music on the mantle.
In this insightful and exciting interview, Wilson tells of his life’s trajectory, from those first books and stories to his most recent efforts in novels, movies and gaming. His books and conversation reflect his passion and degrees in Computer Science (BS), Robotics (MS), Machine Learning (MS), Robotics (PhD). Throughout our conversation he shares who and what helped influence him most, and his remarkable insights on the art of writing and the business of publishing. Daniel H. Wilson’s interview is one that will surely inspire readers and writers of all genres.
Late along that timeline a young boy in Oklahoma discovered what he called a “time machine.” It was science fiction books, paperbacks from his father’s small library and a local used bookstore. A strange thing happened when he opened one of these. Somehow the sun would shift, hours disappeared, and he felt different.
Those experiences would shape Wilson’s life as he tried to balance his goals of becoming a scientist, and his natural gift of being a writer. Like a machine he plowed ahead, winning a PhD in robotics from a leading university; and like a dreamer he continued to write, starting with non-fiction and short stories, and evolving into bestselling novels and movies.
It’s been an historical arc of five centuries, from the first known designs of a mechanical knight by Leonardo da Vinci, to the latest bestsellers detailing robot warfare by Daniel H. Wilson. Along that historical path are scattered the dreams of helpful automaton workers, and a myriad of nightmares about soulless robot predators.
Interview Movie
(Embedded version below)
Audio File
(Note: To download the podcast,
right click on the link if you are on a PC,
or control click if you are on a Mac. )
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Location: |
Portland, Oregon |
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Run Time: |
38:18 |
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Genre: |
Science Fiction, Science Fact, Short Stories, Novels, Games, Comics and Movies |
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Website: |
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Raised: |
Tulsa, Oklahoma |
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Youthful Influence: |
His dad’s small, randomly chosen, paperback science fiction library, his local used bookstore, his high school English teacher, Paul Dykes, and Sea of Glass by Barry B. Longyear. |
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Favorite Authors: |
Barry B. Longyear, Arthur C. Clarke, Sci-Fi short stories. |
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Creative Habit: |
Writes at the same time every day. Starts and ends with a walk, and tries to write 500 to 2,000 words a day. Always outlines and tracks progress, keeps separate copies of the day's writing, and just for the sake of magic, tries not to change too many variables. |
