Paul J. McAuley (born 23 April 1955) is a British botanist and science fiction author. A biologist by training, McAuley writes mostly

hard science fiction Hard science fiction is a category of science fiction characterized by concern for scientific accuracy and logic. The term was first used in print in 1957 by P. Schuyler Miller in a review of John W. Campbell's ''Islands of Space'' in the Novemb ...

. His novels dealing with themes such as

biotechnology Biotechnology is the integration of natural sciences and engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms, cells, parts thereof and molecular analogues for products and services. The term ''biotechnology'' was first used b ...

alternative history Alternate history (also alternative history, althist, AH) is a genre of speculative fiction of stories in which one or more historical events occur and are resolved differently than in real life. As conjecture based upon historical fact, alter ...

/alternative reality, and space travel. McAuley began with far-future

space opera Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes space warfare, with use of melodramatic, risk-taking space adventures, relationships, and chivalric romance. Set mainly or entirely in outer space, it features technological and soci ...

'' Four Hundred Billion Stars'', its sequel ''Eternal Light'', and the planetary-colony adventure '' Of the Fall''. ''Red Dust'', set on a far-future Mars colonized by the Chinese, is a

planetary romance Planetary romance is a subgenre of science fiction in which the bulk of the action consists of adventures on one or more exotic alien planets, characterized by distinctive physical and cultural backgrounds. Some planetary romances take place ag ...

featuring many

emerging technologies Emerging technologies are technologies whose development, practical applications, or both are still largely unrealized. These technologies are generally new but also include older technologies finding new applications. Emerging technologies ar ...

and SF motifs:

nanotechnology Nanotechnology, also shortened to nanotech, is the use of matter on an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scale for industrial purposes. The earliest, widespread description of nanotechnology referred to the particular technological goal o ...

artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech re ...

, personality downloads,

virtual reality Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience that employs pose tracking and 3D near-eye displays to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video games), educ ...

. The Confluence series, set in an even more distant future (about ten million years from now), is one of a number of novels to use Frank J. Tipler's Omega Point Theory (that the universe seems to be evolving toward a maximum degree of complexity and consciousness) as one of its themes. About the same time, he published ''Pasquale's Angel'', set in an alternative

Italian Renaissance The Italian Renaissance ( it, Rinascimento ) was a period in Italian history covering the 15th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Europe and marked the trans ...

and featuring Niccolò Machiavegli ( Machiavelli) and

Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 14522 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, Drawing, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially res ...

as major characters. McAuley has also used biotechnology and nanotechnology themes in near-future settings: ''Fairyland'' describes a dystopian, war-torn Europe where genetically engineered "dolls" are used as disposable slaves. Since 2001 he has produced several SF-based

techno-thriller A techno-thriller or technothriller is a hybrid genre drawing from science fiction, Thriller (genre), thrillers, spy fiction, action (fiction), action, and War novel, war novels. They include a disproportionate amount (relative to other genres) o ...

s such as ''The Secret of Life'', ''Whole Wide World'', and ''White Devils''. ''Four Hundred Billion Stars'', his first novel, won the

Philip K. Dick Award The Philip K. Dick Award is an American science fiction award given annually at Norwescon and sponsored by the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society and (since 2005) the Philip K. Dick Trust. Named after science fiction writer Philip K. Dick, ...

in 1988. ''Fairyland'' won the 1996

Arthur C. Clarke Award The Arthur C. Clarke Award is a British award given for the best science fiction novel first published in the United Kingdom during the previous year. It is named after British author Arthur C. Clarke, who gave a grant to establish the award i ...

and the 1997

John W. Campbell Memorial Award The John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel, or Campbell Memorial Award, is an annual award presented by the Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of Kansas to the author of the best science fiction no ...

for Best SF Novel. " The Temptation of Dr. Stein", won the

British Fantasy Award The British Fantasy Awards (BFA) are awarded annually by the British Fantasy Society (BFS), first in 1976. Prior to that they were known as The August Derleth Fantasy Awards (see August Derleth Award). First awarded in 1972 (to ''The Knight of S ...

. ''Pasquale's Angel'' won the

Sidewise Award for Alternate History The Sidewise Awards for Alternate History were established in 1995 to recognize the best alternate history stories and novels of the year. Overview The awards take their name from the 1934 short story "Sidewise in Time" by Murray Leinster, in wh ...

(Long Form).

Bibliography

Novels

Four Hundred Billion Stars Series

* hilip K. Dick Award winner, 1988ref name="WWE-1988"/> * ''

Secret Harmonies Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups who do not have the "need to know", perhaps while sharing it with other individuals. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret. Secrecy is often controvers ...

''. London: Gollancz, 1989. . (Published in the United States as ''Of the Fall'') * ''Eternal Light''. London: Gollancz, 1991. — ''BSFA Award nominee'', 1991 and ''Clarke Award nominee, 1992''

The Confluence Series

* ''Child of the River''. London: Gollancz, 1997. * ''Ancients of Days''. London: Gollancz, 1998. * ''Shrine of Stars''. London: Gollancz, 1999. * ''Confluence - The Trilogy''. London: Gollancz, 2014.

The Quiet War series

* '' The Quiet War'': London, Gollancz, 2008. — Clarke Award nominee, 2009 * '' Gardens of the Sun''. London: Gollancz, 2009. * ''

In the Mouth of the Whale ''In the Mouth of the Whale'' is a 2012 science fiction novel by Paul J. McAuley, the third in his '' Quiet War'' sequence. Summary While '' The Quiet War'' and '' Gardens of the Sun'' were set in a mid-term future solar system, ''In the Mouth ...

''. London: Gollancz, 2012. * ''

Evening's Empires '' Evening's Empires'' is a 2013 science fiction novel by Paul J. McAuley, the fourth in his '' Quiet War'' sequence. Summary Reception Dave Hardy of SF Crowsnest noted "In essence, this is a quest. Not a magical one, of course, but, for most ...

'': London, Gollancz, 2013. * ''Stories from the Quiet War'' (2011), a collection of five stories: ** "Making History", first published in 2000 ** "Incomers", first published in 2008 ** "Second Skin", first published in 1997 in Asimov's ** "Reef", first published in 2000 ** "Karyl’s War", first published in this collection

The Jackaroo series

* '' Something Coming Through'': London, Gollancz, 2015. * '' Into Everywhere''. London: Gollancz, 2016. * ''Dust'' (short story) (2006) * ''Winning Peace'' (short story) (2007) * ''City of the Dead'' (short story) (2008) * ''Adventure'' (short story) (2008) * ''Crimes and Glory'' (short story) (2009) * ''The Choice'' (short story) (2011) * ''Bruce Springsteen'' (short story) (2012) * ''The Man'' (short story) (2012) * ''Something Happened Here, But We're Not Quite Sure What It Was'' (short story) (2016)

Other novels

* ''Red Dust''. London: Gollancz, 1993. * ''Pasquale's Angel''. London: Gollancz, 1994. — Clarke and British Fantasy Awards nominee, 1995,

Sidewise Award The Sidewise Awards for Alternate History were established in 1995 to recognize the best alternate history stories and novels of the year. Overview The awards take their name from the 1934 short story " Sidewise in Time" by Murray Leinster, in ...

winner * ''Fairyland''. London: Gollancz, 1995. — BSFA Award nominee, 1995; Clarke Award winner, 1996; Campbell Award winner, 1997 * ''The Secret of Life''. London: Voyager, 2001. — BSFA Award nominee, 2001; Clarke Award nominee, 2002 * ''Whole Wide World''. London: Voyager, 2002. * ''White Devils''. London: Simon & Schuster, 2004. — Campbell Award nominee, 2005 * ''Mind's Eye''. London: Simon & Schuster, 2005. — Campbell Award nominee, 2006 * ''Players''. London: Simon & Schuster, 2007. * ''Cowboy Angels''. London: Gollancz, 2007. * ''Austral'': London: Gollancz, 2017. * ''War of the Maps''. London: Gollancz, 2020. * ''Beyond the Burn Line''. London: Gollancz, 2022.

Novellas

* ''Making History''. Harrogate: PS Publishing, 2000. * '' The Eye of the Tyger''. Tolworth, Surrey: Telos Publishing, 2003. (a ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

novella A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian ''novella'' meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) facts ...

)

Collections

* ''King of the Hill''. London: Gollancz, 1988. ** The King of the Hill ** Karl and the Ogre ** Transcendence ** The Temporary King ** Exiles ** Little Ilya and Spider and Box ** The Airs of Earth ** The Heirs of Earth * ''The Invisible Country''. London: Gollancz, 1996. — Philip K. Dick Award nominee, 1998 ** "Gene Wars" (1991) ** Prison Dreams ** "Recording Angel" (1995) ** Dr Luther's Assistant ** "The Temptation of Dr. Stein" (1996) — set in the same timeline than ''Pasquale's Angel'' (1994) ** Children of the Revolution ** The True History of Doctor Pretorius ** Slaves * ''Little Machines''. Harrogate: PS Publishing, 2005. ** The Two Dicks ** Residuals ** 17 ** All Tomorrow's Parties ** Interstitial ** How we Lost the Moon ** Under Mars ** Danger: Hard Hack Area ** The Madness of Crowds ** The Secret of My Success ** The Proxy ** I Spy ** The Rift ** Alien TV ** Before the Flood ** A Very British History ** Cross Roads Blues * ''A Very British History''. Harrogate: PS Publishing, 2013. ** Little Ilya and Spider and Box ** The Temporary King ** Cross Road Blues ** Gene Wars ** Prison Dreams ** Children of the Revolution ** Recording Angel ** Second Skin ** All Tomorrow's Parties ** 17 ** Sea Change, With Monsters ** How We Lost the Moon, A True Story by Frank W. Allen ** A Very British History ** The Two Dicks ** Meat ** Rocket Boy ** The Thought War ** City of the Dead ** Little Lost Robot ** Shadow Life ** The Choice

Short Stories

* * "A Brief Guide To Other Histories" * "Edna Sharrow" * "Inheritance" * "Planet of Fear" (2015) in ''

Old Venus ''Old Venus'' is a "retro Venus science fiction"-themed anthology edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois, that was published on March 3, 2015. All of the stories are set on the planet Venus as styled in the pre-space probe pulp magazin ...

'' (anthology) * "Rocket Boy" * Set in the Jackaroo universe: ** "Winning Peace" (2016), in the collection ''Galactic Empires'' by Neil Clarke. ** "Something Happened Here, But We’re Not Quite Sure What It Was" (2016), published as a freebie on Tor.com.

Critical studies and reviews of McAuley's work

* Reviews ''Cowboy Angels''.

References

External links

Paul J. McAuley's official site

by

Michael Swanwick Michael Swanwick (born 18 November 1950) is an American fantasy and science fiction author who began publishing in the early 1980s. Writing career Swanwick's fiction writing began with short stories, starting in 1980 when he published "Ginungagap ...

*
Review, ''The Secret of Life''Review, ''Whole Wide World''Review, ''Confluence - trilogy omnibus''Interview on ActusfComplete list of sci-fi award wins and nominations by novelStory Behind Quiet War (How I wrote the Quiet War novels and stories) - Online Essay at ''Upcoming4.me''Story behind Confluence by Paul McAuley - Collaborating With Myself - Online Essay at ''Upcoming4.me''
{{DEFAULTSORT:McAuley, Paul J. 1955 births British alternative history writers British biologists British botanists British science fiction writers Sidewise Award winners Living people British male novelists