Dan Wells (author)

Daniel Andrew Wells (born March 4, 1977) is an American horror and science fiction author. Wells's first published novel, I Am Not a Serial Killer, was adapted into a movie in 2016.

Early life

Dan Wells spent his childhood in Salt Lake City, Utah, and began writing at a young age. While in the second grade, he wrote his first stories based on the Choose Your Own Adventure series. He has cited Where the Wild Things Are as one of his first influences.^[1] During his childhood, Wells was also exposed to science fiction and fantasy: namely, titles such as The Hobbit and Star Wars.^[2] He frequented the library and loved to read.^[3] In addition to sci-fi and fantasy novels, he read classics, including those of French and Russian literature.^[2] He also enjoyed writing scripts, songs, and poetry as a child.^[4]

In high school, Wells wrote a series of comic books, novellas, and a serial.^[5] He began to take writing more seriously in college,^[4] finishing his first serious novel when he was 22.^[5] He studied English and anthropology at Brigham Young University (BYU). It was there that he met his wife, Dawn.^[1] As a student, Wells also worked on BYU's speculative fiction magazine, Leading Edge, and began writing game reviews; he has since described himself as a "rabid gamer".^[2] Before becoming a published novelist, he worked as a corporate writer for NuSkin.^[6]

Career

Wells's debut novel,

Wells expanded into young adult dystopia with Partials Sequence in 2012.^[18][19] The series made an appearance on the New York Times Best Seller list for children's series in 2014.^[20] He followed up in 2016 with a Young Adult science fiction novel, Bluescreen, set in Los Angeles in the year 2050.^[21][22] He continued this Mirador series with Ones and Zeroes in 2017^[23][24] and Active Memory in 2018.^[25][26] Other releases include middle-grade sci-fi audiobooks Zero G (2018),^[27][28] Dragon Planet (2019),^[27] and Stargazer (2021).^[29][30]

Wells is one of the four authors (including Mary Robinette Kowal, Brandon Sanderson, and Howard Tayler) who regularly host the podcast Writing Excuses.^[1] Wells was a writer for the 2017 TV series Extinct and wrote his own stage play, "A Night of Blacker Darkness".^[31][32]

In 2022, he became the Vice President of Narrative for Brandon Sanderson's company, Dragonsteel Entertainment.^[33]

Personal life

He is the brother of author Robison Wells.^[6] He has six children.^[34] He has lived in Utah, Mexico, and Germany.^[32]

He also has his own YouTube channel

He and author Brandon Sanderson make the podcast Intentionally Blank together where they discuss everything from writing to other fantasy-related topics to their own lives and more.

Wells has described himself as a "card-carrying

He is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Critical reception

He is a cohost of Writing Excuses, which won the Hugo Award for Best Fancast and three Parsec Awards.^[42]

In February 2017, Wells was the Literary Guest of Honor and Keynote Speaker at the 35th annual Life, the Universe, & Everything professional science fiction and fantasy arts symposium.^[43]

Bibliography

John Wayne Cleaver series

• First trilogy
  • ISBN 978-0-7653-2247-0)^[7]
  • ISBN 978-0-7553-4882-4)^[11]
  • ISBN 978-0-7553-4883-1)^[13][44]
• Next of Kin (July 2014, Fearful Symmetry,
  ISBN 978-0-692-24603-0) (novella)^[45]
• Second trilogy
  • ISBN 978-3-492-26995-7)^[46]
  • ISBN 978-3-492-28024-2)^[47]
  • ISBN 978-0-7653-8071-5)^[48]

Partials Sequence

• ISBN 978-0-06-220818-7)^[49]
• ISBN 978-0-06-207104-0)^[50][51]
• ISBN 978-0-06-207107-1)^[52]
• ISBN 978-0-06-207110-1)^[53]

Mirador series

• Bluescreen (February 2016,
  ISBN 978-0-06-234787-9)^[22]
• Ones and Zeroes (February 2017, Balzer + Bray,
  ISBN 978-0-06-234790-9)^[23]
• Active Memory (February 2018, Balzer + Bray,
  ISBN 978-0-06-234793-0)^[25]

The Zero Chronicles

• Zero G (December 6, 2018, Audible Originals)[54]
• Dragon Planet (December 12, 2019, Audible Originals)^[27]
• Stargazer (February 18, 2021, Audible Originals)^[29]

Stand-alone novels

• A Night of Blacker Darkness, written as Frederick Whithers (author) and Cecil G. Bagsworth III (editor) (July 2011, Fearful Symmetry,
  ISBN 978-1-4660-0075-9)^[31]
• The Hollow City (July 2012,
  ISBN 978-0765331700)^[55]
• ISBN 978-0-7653-8562-8)^[56]
• Ghost Station (November 2019, Audible Originals)[57]

Apocalypse Guard

• The Apocalypse Guard
  (with Brandon Sanderson, forthcoming)

Short stories

• "The Amazing Adventures of George" in
  Leading Edge #40 (September 2000)^[58][59]
• "Charybdis" in
  Leading Edge #61 (June 2011)^[60]
• "The Mountain of the Lord" in Monsters & Mormons edited by Theric Jepson and Wm. Morris (October 2011, Peculiar Pages,
  ISBN 978-0-9827812-4-1)^[61]

Novellas

• The Butcher of Khardov (June 2013, Privateer Press,
  ISBN 978-1-939480-32-3)^[62]

Editorials

• How to Write Good (September 2000), in
  Leading Edge #40^[58][59]

Awards

• 2016
  Association for Mormon Letters Award for Best Novel – Over Your Dead Body^[63]
• 2015
  Whitney Award for Speculative Fiction – The Devil's Only Friend^[64]
• 2011 Whitney Award for Best Novel of the Year – I Don't Want to Kill You[65]
• 2010 Whitney Award for Best Novel of the Year – Mr. Monster^[66]
• 2009 Whitney Award for Best Novel by a New Author – I Am Not a Serial Killer^[67]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Clark, Cody (March 4, 2012). "Vanishing point: Humanity gets terminated - almost - in Orem author's grim teen sci-fi novel". The Daily Herald. Archived from the original on March 13, 2012. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
2. ^ ^{a b c} "About Dan". Dan Wells. October 15, 2015. Archived from the original on March 19, 2020. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
3. ^ "Dan Wells biography, bibliography and reviews". www.fantasybookreview.co.uk. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
4. ^ ^{a b c} Crowder, Ben (October 12, 2013). "Dan Wells — Mormon Artist". mormonartist.net. Archived from the original on October 12, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
5. ^ ^{a b} "Questions and Answers with Dan Wells - Hortorian.com". Archived from the original on June 5, 2010.
6. ^ ^{a b} "Brothers by the book". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
7. ^ ^{a b} "Title: I Am Not a Serial Killer". Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
8. ISSN 0261-3077
   . Retrieved March 3, 2020.
9. ^ "Formats and Editions of I am not a serial killer [WorldCat.org]". byu.worldcat.org. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
10. ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved March 3, 2020.
11. ^ ^{a b} "Title: Mr. Monster". Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
12. ^ "Mr. Monster | Dan Wells | Macmillan". US Macmillan. Retrieved March 3, 2020.^{[permanent dead link]}
13. ^ ^{a b} "Title: I Don't Want to Kill You". Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
14. ^ "I Don't Want to Kill You | Dan Wells | Macmillan". US Macmillan. Retrieved March 3, 2020.^{[permanent dead link]}
15. ^ Feldschau, Rick (June 15, 2017). "Book review: Utah author Dan Wells brings sixth book in sociopath sci-fi series". Deseret News. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
16. ^ Loftus, Hikari (April 30, 2016). "Dan Wells talks about right, wrong in horror fiction". Deseret News. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
17. ^ Sedai, Mashiara (June 8, 2016). "Fantasy Review: I Am Not a Serial Killer". Dragonmount.com. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
18. ^ Lawler, Ryan. "Partials by Dan Wells book review". www.fantasybookreview.co.uk. Archived from the original on August 3, 2015. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
19. ^ ^{a b} PARTIALS | Kirkus Reviews.
20. ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved March 3, 2020.
21. ^ "Bluescreen - Dan Wells - Hardcover". HarperCollins Publishers: World-Leading Book Publisher. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
22. ^ ^{a b} "Title: Bluescreen". Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
23. ^ ^{a b} "Title: Ones and Zeroes". Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
24. ^ ONES AND ZEROES | Kirkus Reviews.
25. ^ ^{a b} "Title: Active Memory". Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
26. ^ "Active Memory - Dan Wells - Hardcover". HarperCollins Publishers: World-Leading Book Publisher. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
27. ^ ^{a b c} "Title: Dragon Planet". Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
28. ^ "Zero G". Dan Wells. December 10, 2018. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
29. ^ ^{a b} "Title: Stargazer". Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
30. ^ Calendar, The Events (November 21, 2019). "DRAGON PLANET (ZERO G–Book 2) Release Date". Dan Wells. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
31. ^ ^{a b} "Title: A Night of Blacker Darkness". Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
32. ^ ^{a b} "Dan Wells | Authors | Macmillan". US Macmillan. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
33. ^ From Paperboys to Bestselling Authors - Ep. 71 of Intentionally Blank at FanX, retrieved October 12, 2022
34. ^ Binowski, Brittany (March 18, 2017). "36 writing tips from Dan Wells and other NYT bestselling authors". Deseret News. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
35. ^ "Dan Wells". YouTube.
36. ^ Cats is Marvelous! — Ep. 52 of Intentionally Blank, retrieved June 4, 2022
37. ^ SLJ. "Bluescreen by Dan Wells | SLJ Review". School Library Journal. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
38. ^ Leffel, Ashley (February 1, 2017). "Ones and Zeroes". School Library Journal. Archived from the original on September 14, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
39. ^ "Renovation - Hugo Awards". August 8, 2011. Archived from the original on March 11, 2012. Retrieved October 16, 2011.
40. ^ "2014 Hugo Awards". April 20, 2014. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
41. archive.org
    ; "(...) my own Sad Puppies nomination last year. I was on the slate, didn't take it seriously, and then when I actually ended up on the finals list for novella (...)
42. ^ "Dan Wells". HarperCollins Publishers: World-Leading Book Publisher. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
43. ^ "Life, the Universe, & Everything 35: The Marion K. "Doc" Smith Symposium on Science Fiction and Fantasy" (PDF). LTUE Press. February 1, 2018.
44. ^ Mandelo, Lee. "A review of I Don't Want to Kill You by Dan Wells". Tor.com. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
45. ^ "Title: Next of Kin". Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
46. ^ "Title: The Devil's Only Friend". Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
47. ^ "Title: Over Your Dead Body". Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
48. ^ "Title: Nothing Left To Lose". Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
49. ^ "Title: Isolation". Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
50. ^ "Title: Partials". Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
51. ^ Dan Wells. "Dan Wells talks about Partials". Retrieved September 17, 2011.
52. ^ "Title: Fragments". Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
53. ^ "Title: Ruins". Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
54. ^ "Title: Zero G". Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
55. ^ "Title: The Hollow City". Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
56. ^ "Title: Extreme Makeover". Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
57. ^ "Title: Ghost Station". Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
58. ^ ^{a b} "Stories, Listed by Author (2000)". Locus. 2000. Archived from the original on June 26, 2010. Retrieved February 24, 2010.
59. ^ ^{a b} "Publication: The Leading Edge, September 2000". Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
60. ^ "Title: Charybdis". Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
61. ^ "Publication: Monsters & Mormons". Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
62. ^ "Title: The Butcher of Khardov". Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
63. ^ "2016 AML Awards". Dawning of a Brighter Day. Archived from the original on June 4, 2017. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
64. ^ "2015 Winners – The Whitney Awards". whitneyawards.com. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
65. ^ "2011 Winners – The Whitney Awards". whitneyawards.com. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
66. ^ "2010 Winners – The Whitney Awards". whitneyawards.com. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
67. ^ "2009 Winners – The Whitney Awards". whitneyawards.com. Retrieved November 20, 2020.

Additional reading

• Interview with Teenreads, March 2, 2017

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dan Wells (author).

• Dan Wells's author website
• Dan Wells's blog
• Writing Excuses Website
• Dan Wells at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
• Dan Wells literary manuscripts, MSS 8073 at L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Brigham Young University