William Sanders (April 28, 1942 - June 29, 2017) was an American speculative fiction writer, primarily of

short fiction A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest ...

, and was the senior editor of the now defunct online science fiction magazine '' Helix SF'' Sanders wrote several novels, including ''Journey to Fusang'' (1988), ''The Wild Blue and the Gray'' (1991) and ''The Ballad of Billy Badass & the Rose of Turkestan'' (1999). The first two are

alternate histories 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 ...

with a humorous bent while the last is a fantasy novel. He also wrote a number of

mystery Mystery, The Mystery, Mysteries or The Mysteries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters *Mystery, a cat character in ''Emily the Strange'' Films * ''Mystery'' (2012 film), a 2012 Chinese drama film * ''Mystery'' ( ...

novels, including a series featuring

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

writer Taggart Roper beginning with ''The Next Victim'' (St. Martin's Press 1993), as well as novels marketed by the publisher as Action/Adventure, beginning with ''Hardball'' (Berkley Jove 1992). In an author's afterword to his short story "Ninekiller and the Neterw", included in the Roger Zelazny tribute collection "

Lord of the Fantastic ''Lord of the Fantastic'' is a 1998 anthology honoring the work of science fiction writer Roger Zelazny. The title is both a play off his novel ''Lord of Light'' and an homage to Zelazny. Many authors and friends of Roger's came together to write ...

", Sanders credits

Roger Zelazny Roger Joseph Zelazny (May 13, 1937 – June 14, 1995) was an American poet and writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels, best known for ''The Chronicles of Amber''. He won the Nebula Award three times (out of 14 nomin ...

for talking Sanders into returning to writing SF/F stories with American Indian themes. Sanders, a former powwow dancer, is best known for his use of Native Americans in the United States, American Indian themes and his dry, often cynical sense of humor. His most-anthologized and perhaps best known work is "The Undiscovered", an Alternate history (fiction), alternate history in which Shakespeare is transported to Virginia and writes "Hamlet" for the Cherokee tribe. The story won the Sidewise Award for Alternate History in 1997. Sanders won a second Sidewise Award for his story ''Empire'' in 2002. Sanders said that he considers his best story to be ''Dry Bones''. A stickler for detail and accuracy, Sanders studied history, which led to the publication in 2003 of ''Conquest: Hernando de Soto and the Indians, 1539-1543'', a book begun some two decades earlier and researched by travelling extensively in the southeastern quarter of the US, by motorcycle and small boat and on foot, retracing Hernando de Soto, de Soto's probable routes. As a non-fiction writer, he wrote numerous articles on the martial arts and outdoor sports, as well as books on bicycle racing, kayaking, and Backpacking (wilderness), backpacking. As Sundown Slim he wrote a humor column for "Competitive Cycling", a bike racing magazine in the mid 1970s. He also contributed to Bike World Magazine in the same period. Sanders and his wife lived in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Sanders died after a prolonged illness on June 29, 2017.

Bibliography

*''The Bicycle Racing Book''. Domus Books, 1979. (non-fiction) *''Guide to Inflatable Canoes and Kayaks''. World Publications, 1979. (non-fiction) *''Backcountry Bikepacking''. Stackpole Books, 1982. (non-fiction) *''Kayak Touring''. Stackpole Books, 1984. (non-fiction) *''Journey to Fusang''. Warner Books, 1988. (comic alternative history) *''Pockets of Resistance''. Warner Books, 1990. written under Will Sundown pseudonym (speculative fiction) *''The Hellbound Train''. Popular Library, 1991. written under Will Sundown pseudonym (speculative fiction) *''The Wild Blue and the Gray''. Warner Books, 1991. (alternative history) *''Steel Wings''. Jove Books, 1991. (mystery) *''Hardball''. Diamond Books, 1992. Hardball series (action/adventure) *''Aryan Legion''. Diamond Books, 1992. Hardball series (action/adventure) *''Skorpion''. Diamond Books, 1992. Hardball series (action/adventure) *''The Next Victim''. St. Martin's Press, 1993. Taggart Roper series (mystery) *''A Death on 66''. St. Martin's Press, 1994. Taggart Roper series (mystery) *''Blood Autumn''. St. Martin's Press, 1995. Taggart Roper series (mystery) *''Billy Mitchell's Overt Act''. Baen Books, 1998 (short story), (collected in Harry Turtledove's anthology ''Alternate Generals'') *''The Ballad of Bill Badass and the Rose of Turkestan''. Yandro House, 1999. (modern fantasy) *''The Bernadette Operation''. Xlibris Corporation, 2000. (thriller) *''J.'' iPublish.com, 2001. (speculative fiction) *''Smoke''. Wildside Press, 2002. (mystery) *''Are We Having Fun Yet? American Indian Fantasy Stories''. Wildside Press, 2002. (short story collection) *''Empire''. Baen Books, 2002 (short story), (collected in Harry Turtledove's anthology ''Alternate Generals II'') *''Conquest: Hernando de Soto and the Indians, 1539-1543''. Wilside Press, 2003. (non-fiction) *''Is It Now Yet?'' Wildside Press, 2005. (short story collection) *''Not Fade Away''. Baen Books, 2005 (short story), (collected in Harry Turtledove's anthology ''Alternate Generals III'') *''East of the Sun and West of Fort Smith''. Noeilana Books, 2008. (short story collection)

References

External links

*William "Sundown" Sanders's personal page at http://www.mrbadexample.com/sanders/ * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sanders, William 1942 births 2017 deaths 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American short story writers 21st-century American novelists 21st-century American short story writers American male novelists American male short story writers American science fiction writers Native American writers Sidewise Award winners 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American male writers