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WHO THE HELL IS WILLIAM ASHBLESS?!
A TIM POWERS EXPLORATION by Vladimir Verano and Steve Winter "I'm not a science fiction writer, so what am I doing on this panel?" ventured Tim Powers at a Worldcon panel. It was a discussion of the topic "The future of science fiction". Tim Powers is considered a fantasy writer in the sf&f genres. He won the World Fantasy award several years ago to prove it. Yet, however much he believed that he was at the wrong discussion; he wasn't. Tim Powers is one of the giants upon which the future of both genres will be built. Sure, he began his career writing 'fantasy', but since his debut with The Drawing Of The Dark almost twenty years ago, he has become extremely difficult to pigeonhole into sf or fantasy. To be accepted, a science fiction writer needs a firm grip of science literacy. Usually the words "research", and "credible" are attached to perceptions of their works. Tim Powers is a writer of tremendous skill, who has won over even hard sf writers like, Poul Anderson, as fans. He researches his topic to detail and then succeeds in translating that knowledge into books with credible environments, be it 19th century London, 50's Las Vegas, or 18th century Caribbean. His ability to write complex characters involved in extraordinary circumstances appears effortless. Through his work he manages to convey such an air of mystery and wonder about this world, it makes one forget the need to explore outer space. The reason for this article is simple: Read Tim Powers' novels! But we must support our statements and therefore what follows is a barrage of book reviews to hopefully change your mind.
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