Dr. Phil D’Amato is the central character in three
science fiction mystery novelette
Novelette may also refer to:
* ''Novelette'' (ballet), a solo modern dance work choreographed by Martha Graham
* Novelette (music), a short piece of lyrical music
* Novelette (literature), a work of narrative prose fiction that is longer than a ...
s and three novels written by
Paul Levinson. The first novelette, "The Chronology Protection Case", was adapted into a
radio play which was nominated for an
Edgar Award
The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, popularly called the Edgars, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America, based in New York City. Named after American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), a pioneer in the genre, the awards honor the bes ...
by the
Mystery Writers of America. The first novel, ''The Silk Code'', won the
Locus Award for the Best First Novel of 1999. The fictional D'Amato, who has a PhD in
forensic science
Forensic science, also known as criminalistics, is the application of science to criminal and civil laws, mainly—on the criminal side—during criminal investigation, as governed by the legal standards of admissible evidence and criminal ...
, is a detective with the
NYPD.
Novelettes
"The Chronology Protection Case"
Dr. Phil D’Amato debuted in "The Chronology Protection Case", published in the American magazine ''
Analog
Analog or analogue may refer to:
Computing and electronics
* Analog signal, in which information is encoded in a continuous variable
** Analog device, an apparatus that operates on analog signals
*** Analog electronics, circuits which use analo ...
'' in 1995. The novelette was nominated for
Nebula
A nebula ('cloud' or 'fog' in Latin; pl. nebulae, nebulæ or nebulas) is a distinct luminescent part of interstellar medium, which can consist of ionized, neutral or molecular hydrogen and also cosmic dust. Nebulae are often star-forming regio ...
and
Sturgeon Awards.
It has been reprinted five times:
*''The Mammoth Book of Time Travel SF'' edited by
Mike Ashley, 2013
*''The Best Time Travel Stories of All Time'' edited by
Barry N. Malzberg
Barry Nathaniel Malzberg (born July 24, 1939) is an American writer and editor, most often of science fiction and fantasy.
Biography
Malzberg originated from a Jewish family and graduated from Syracuse University in 1960. He worked as an investi ...
, 2003
*''Nebula Awards 32: SFWA's Choices for the Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year'' edited by
Jack Dann, 1998
*''Supernatural Sleuths'' edited by Charles G. Waugh &
Martin H. Greenberg, 1996
*''Infinite Edge'', a webzine, 1997
The novelette was adapted into a radio play written by Mark Shanahan (with Paul Levinson and Jay Kensinger) in 2002, and performed at New York City's
Museum of Television and Radio
The Paley Center for Media, formerly the Museum of Television & Radio (MT&R) and the Museum of Broadcasting, founded in 1975 by William S. Paley, is an American cultural institution in New York City, New York with a branch office in Los Angeles, ...
. In addition to being nominated for the
Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Play
Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Play:
Winners
1950-1999
2000-2012
See also
* Edgar Award
The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, popularly called the Edgars, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America, based in New York City. Named ...
, the radio play was later recorded and released as an
audiobook by Listen & Live/
Audible.com in 2004.
"The Chronology Protection Case" was also adapted into a student film by director Jay Kensinger, which premiered at the I-Con SF Convention in 2002, and was later released on DVD by MODVEC Productions. A review can be foun
here A re-cut version of the movie, in black-and-white and with a new extended ending, was released in 2013 on Amazon Prime Video.
"The Chronology Protection Case" extrapolates from
Stephen Hawking’s
chronology protection conjecture,
and posits a vengeful universe that seeks to protect itself from time travel by killing any scientists who discover or even begin to understand how to do it.
"The Copyright Notice Case"
D’Amato returned in "The Copyright Notice Case", published in ''Analog'' in 1996. The novelette was nominated for a
Nebula Award
The Nebula Awards annually recognize the best works of science fiction or fantasy published in the United States. The awards are organized and awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), a nonprofit association of profe ...
, won the
HOMer Award
Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...
, and was reprinted in Levinson’s anthology, ''Bestseller: Wired, Analog, and Digital Writings'' in 1999.
The novelette explores what might happen had an inviolable
copyright notice been embedded in human
DNA in the prehistoric past. Phil meets Jenna Katen for the first time in this story.
"The Mendelian Lamp Case"
D’Amato’s last appearance in short fiction to date came in "The Mendelian Lamp Case", a novelette published in ''Analog'' in 1997.
It was reprinted three times:
*''The Hard SF Renaissance'' edited by
David G. Hartwell
David Geddes Hartwell (July 10, 1941 – January 20, 2016) was an American critic, publisher, and editor of thousands of science fiction and fantasy novels. He was best known for work with Signet, Pocket, and Tor Books publishers. He was also no ...
&
Kathryn Cramer, 2002
*''Science Fiction Theater'' edited by Brian Forbes, 1999
*''Year's Best SF3'' edited by
David G. Hartwell
David Geddes Hartwell (July 10, 1941 – January 20, 2016) was an American critic, publisher, and editor of thousands of science fiction and fantasy novels. He was best known for work with Signet, Pocket, and Tor Books publishers. He was also no ...
, 1998
While investigating the mysterious death of a friend, D'Amato discovers an
Amish-like group who use innocent-looking bio-technology for nefarious ends.
Novels
''The Silk Code''
Levinson continues the intrigue of "The Mendelian Lamp Case" in his first novel, ''The Silk Code'' (Tor Books, 1999). Phil D’Amato uses his debut in longer form to explore not only bio-technology and groups masquerading as Amish, but the possible survival of
Neanderthals
Neanderthals (, also ''Homo neanderthalensis'' and erroneously ''Homo sapiens neanderthalensis''), also written as Neandertals, are an Extinction, extinct species or subspecies of archaic humans who lived in Eurasia until about 40,000 years ag ...
into the present day.
''The Silk Code'' won the Locus Award for Best First Novel of 1999. A Polish translation —''Kod Jedwabiu''— was published in 2003. An "author's cut" Kindle edition was published by JoSara Media in 2012.
''The Consciousness Plague''
D’Amato’s next novelistic outing was in ''The Consciousness Plague'', published in 2002 by Tor Books. Here D’Amato gets caught up in the possibility that our very consciousness may be engendered by microorganisms that live in the brain. Paths of exploration in this novel range from
Lindisfarne
Lindisfarne, also called Holy Island, is a tidal island off the northeast coast of England, which constitutes the civil parish of Holy Island in Northumberland. Holy Island has a recorded history from the 6th century AD; it was an important ...
to
Julian Jaynes’s ''
Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind''.
''The Consciousness Plague'' won the
Media Ecology Association’s Mary Shelley Award and was translated into Polish as ''Zaraza Swiadomosci'' and published in 2005. An audiobook narrated by Mark Shanahan was released by Listen and Live in 2005, and nominated for the
Audie Award that year. An "author's cut" Kindle edition was published by JoSara Media in 2013.
''The Pixel Eye''
Phil D’Amato’s most recent appearance is in ''The Pixel Eye'', published in 2003 by Tor Books. In this chilling post 9/11 tale set in
New York City, D’Amato contends with
squirrel
Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-size rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrels. Squ ...
s and other critters whose brains are outfitted with microchips that transmit everything they see and hear.
Holography figures prominently in the story. Although all of the D’Amato stories are set in New York, ''The Pixel Eye'' has the most extensive New York ambiences - from
Central Park to the
New York Public Library
The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second largest public library in the United States (behind the Library of Congress ...
on Fifth Avenue to
Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal (GCT; also referred to as Grand Central Station or simply as Grand Central) is a commuter rail terminal located at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Grand Central is the southern terminus ...
.
''The Pixel Eye'' was nominated for the
Prometheus Award in 2004. An "author's cut" Kindle edition was published by JoSara Media in 2014.
Critical commentary
Multiple Nebula and Hugo Award winning author
Connie Willis said "Forensic detective Phil D’Amato is one of my favorite characters."
[Se]
''Connie Willis Recommends''
/ref>
See also
*'' The Plot to Save Socrates''
* Paul Levinson
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:D'Amato, Phil
Fictional American Jews
D'Amato, Phil
Science fiction characters
Literary characters introduced in 1995
Characters in American novels of the 20th century
Characters in American novels of the 21st century
Fiction about neanderthals
Cyborgs in fiction
Holography in fiction