Steven Utley
Steven Utley, born in 1948, was an American science fiction writer known for his unique contributions to the genre, particularly through short stories and poetry. His upbringing as an "Air Force brat" exposed him to diverse environments and a wealth of science fiction literature, shaping his early fascination with the genre. Key influences included the expansive collections at military base libraries, which introduced him to notable works like Ray Bradbury's "The Martian Chronicles." In the early 1970s, while living in Austin, Texas, Utley became part of a vibrant community of aspiring writers, co-founding the Turkey City Neo-Pro Rodeo, a workshop for writers, alongside contemporaries like Howard Waldrop and Lisa Tuttle.
Utley's writing often featured themes of dinosaurs, archaeology, and alternate history, with his style characterized by thought-provoking narratives and a touch of humor. His collaborative work, including the Nebula Award-nominated "Custer's Last Jump," reflects his creative partnerships within the science fiction community. Despite his notable literary accomplishments, Utley maintained a degree of personal reticence about his life, choosing to focus on his writing rather than public persona. His body of work gained recognition in both prestigious magazines such as "Asimov's" and "Analog," as well as more obscure platforms, showcasing his commitment to his craft and his distinctive voice in the genre.
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Steven Utley
Fiction Writer
- Born: November 10, 1948
- Died: January 12, 2013
Biography
Steven Utley was born in 1948; his father was an Air Force noncommissioned officer. Growing up as an Air Force brat meant that he lived in many far-flung places. To a little boy fascinated by the bizarre, one of the advantages of moving often was discovering troves of unfamiliar science-fiction books and magazines in the newest base library. He especially remembered the collection at Naha Air Force Base in Okinawa, Japan, with its large collection of books, including entries in Conan stories, the Lost World series, young adult books, and adult science fiction. Upon moving back to the United States, Utley discovered Bradbury’s Martian Chronicles and Burroughs’s Mars tales at the same time he started high school. This was all it took to start him on a career in science fiction that followed a unique trajectory.
Utley’s early adulthood was shaped by residence in Austin, Texas, which he experienced as a midcontinent Bohemian enclave. In 1970, he met other aspiring science-fiction writers Howard Waldrop, George Proctor, Tom Reamy, Joe Pumilia, and Lisa Tuttle at the Dallas Area Science Fiction Society. In 1973, after each had made some sales, they founded the Turkey City Neo-Pro Rodeo, which was actually a writers’ workshop. They also issued an anthology, Lone Star Universe. Utley collaborated with Howard Waldrop on an alternate-history novelette, “Custer’s Last Jump,” which was a 1976 Nebula Award nominee. Although the group eventually scattered, Utley considered the members among his closest associates and influences.
About his subsequent life and career, Utley was reticent in the extreme. He would say only that he lived “on the buckle of the Bible Belt” surrounded by his books and cats. He was known to “fabulate” his biographical information, however: He claimed to have been born in 1736 and to be a professional golfer and an NFL lineman. Actually, he was among the few late twentieth century science-fiction writers to have won a solid reputation entirely with his short stories and poems. Even his published books, such as Ghost Seas, were story collections. He sold regularly to the subgenre’s top magazines such as Asimov’s and Analog, but his work also appeared in obscure online science-fiction magazines such as Bewildering Stories.
Dinosaurs were always an enthusiasm of Utley’s, and many of his works feature prehistoric elements, archaeological speculation, or alternate history. His stories sometimes deal with other “traditional” science-fiction motifs, but his fiction generally avoids recognized trends. Still, his work is often thought-provoking and usually carries an undercurrent of humor. Altogether, Steven Utley was an interesting example of a writer notable for going his own way even within a genre famous for its mavericks.