Alec Nevala-Lee

Alec Nevala-Lee is an American novelist, biographer, and science fiction writer. He is a Hugo and Locus Award finalist[1][2] for the group biography Astounding: John W. Campbell, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, L. Ron Hubbard, and the Golden Age of Science Fiction, which was named one of the best books of 2018 by The Economist,[3] and which the science fiction writer Barry N. Malzberg called "the most important historical and critical work my field has ever seen."[4] Nevala-Lee's next book will be a biography of the architectural designer and futurist Buckminster Fuller.[5]

Alec Nevala-Lee
BornMay 31, 1980
Castro Valley, California
OccupationWriter
NationalityAmerican
GenreScience fiction, Biography, Thriller
Website
www.nevalalee.com

Biography

Nevala-Lee was born in Castro Valley, California on May 31, 1980[6][7] and graduated from Harvard College with a bachelor's degree in Classics.[8] He currently lives in Oak Park, Illinois.[9] His novels include The Icon Thief, City of Exiles, and Eternal Empire, all published by Penguin Books,[10] and his short fiction has appeared in Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Lightspeed Magazine,[11] and two editions of The Year’s Best Science Fiction.[12] He has written for such publications as the New York Times,[13][14] the Los Angeles Times, Salon, The Daily Beast, Longreads, The Rumpus, Public Books, and the San Francisco Bay Guardian.[15] His nonfiction book Astounding: John W. Campbell, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, L. Ron Hubbard, and the Golden Age of Science Fiction was released by Dey Street Books, an imprint of HarperCollins, on October 23, 2018.[16]

In the course of researching Astounding, Nevala-Lee discovered a previously unknown draft of John W. Campbell's novella "Who Goes There?", the basis for the movie The Thing.[17] The manuscript, Frozen Hell, is currently being developed as a feature film by Blumhouse Productions.[18] Frozen Hell was published in 2019 by Wildside Press with introductory material by Nevala-Lee and Robert Silverberg.[19][20] Nevala-Lee also uncovered an unpublished manuscript, "A Criticism of Dianetics," co-authored by L. Ron Hubbard in 1949, which the noted Scientology critic Tony Ortega has described as "a stunning document."[21] Astounding served as a resource for the Washington Post podcast series Moonrise, which was produced by the reporter Lillian Cunningham,[22] and Analog editor Trevor Quachri partially credited the critical picture of Campbell in Nevala-Lee's book with the decision to rename the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, which became the Astounding Award in August 2019.[23] Nevala-Lee's work has been cited by multiple publications, including The Atlantic,[24] for its treatment of the author Isaac Asimov's conduct toward women and its impact on the science fiction community.[25] Syndromes, an audio original collection of thirteen of Nevala-Lee's stories from Analog read by Jonathan Todd Ross and Catherine Ho, was released in 2020 by Recorded Books.[26]

Work

Nevala-Lee’s debut novel, The Icon Thief, a conspiracy thriller inspired by the work of artist Marcel Duchamp,[27] received a starred review from Publishers Weekly.[28] A sequel, City of Exiles, is partially based on the Dyatlov Pass incident,[29] while the concluding novel in the trilogy, Eternal Empire, incorporates elements from the myth of Shambhala.[30] On the science fiction side, Locus critic Rich Horton has called Nevala-Lee “one of [Analog editor Stanley Schmidt’s] best recent discoveries...One of Nevala-Lee’s idea engines is to present a situation which suggests a fantastical or science-fictional premise, and then to turn the idea on its head, not so much by debunking the central premise, or explaining it away in mundane terms, but by giving it a different, perhaps more scientifically rigorous, science-fictional explanation.”[31] Analog has referred to him as "a master of…tale[s] set in an atypical location, with science fiction that arrives from an unexpected direction,”[32] while Locus reviews editor Jonathan Strahan has said that Nevala-Lee's fiction "has been some of the best stuff in Analog in the last ten years."[33] The Wall Street Journal has called Nevala-Lee "a talented science fiction writer,"[34] and Jim Killen of Tor has written that he has earned "a reputation as one of the smartest young SFF writers out there."[35]

Nevala-Lee's book Astounding—a group biography of the editor John W. Campbell and the science fiction writers Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, and L. Ron Hubbard[36]—is a 2019 Hugo Award finalist for Best Related Work[37] and Locus Award finalist for Non-Fiction.[38] The Economist named it one of the best books of 2018, calling it "an indispensable book for anyone trying to understand the birth and meaning of modern science fiction in America from the 1930s to the 1950s—a genre that reshaped how people think about the future, for good and ill."[39] The author George R.R. Martin praised it as "an amazing and engrossing history...Insightful, entertaining, and compulsively readable."[40] In a starred review, Publishers Weekly described it as "a major work of popular culture scholarship,"[41] while Kirkus Reviews referred to it as "first-rate...a welcome contribution to the study of popular literature."[42] Writing in The Wall Street Journal, the scholar Michael Saler called it an "engrossing, well-researched history,"[43] while James Sallis of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction described it as a "wonderfully researched, expansive biography."[44] Gary K. Wolfe wrote in Locus: "As literary and cultural history, Astounding may well stand as the definitive account of this important era in the growth of modern SF."[45] The editor Patrick Nielsen Hayden praised it as "one of the greatest works of science fiction history ever,"[46] while Michael Dirda of The Washington Post called it "enthralling" and concluded: "In the end, Nevala-Lee’s Astounding isn’t just Arrakisian spice for science-fiction fans—it’s also a clarion call to enlarge American literary history."[47]

Bibliography
This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Nonfiction
  • Nevala-Lee, Alec (2018). Astounding: John W. Campbell, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, L. Ron Hubbard, and the Golden Age of Science Fiction. New York: Dey Street Books / HarperCollins. ISBN 9780062571946.

Novels
  • Nevala-Lee, Alec (2012). The Icon Thief. New York: Signet / New American Library.
  • Nevala-Lee, Alec (2012). City of Exiles. New York: Signet / New American Library.
  • Nevala-Lee, Alec (2013). Eternal Empire. New York: Signet / New American Library.

Short fiction
Title Year First published Reprinted/collected Notes
Inversus 2004 "Inversus". Analog Science Fiction and Fact. 124 (1, 2): 200–227. January 2004.
The Last Resort 2009 "The Last Resort". Analog Science Fiction and Fact. 129 (9): 54–71. September 2009. Finalist for the Analytical Laboratory Award[48]
Kawataro 2011 "Kawataro". Analog Science Fiction and Fact. 131 (6): 90–103. June 2011.
The Boneless One 2011 "The Boneless One". Analog Science Fiction and Fact. 131 (11): 86–103. November 2011. The Year’s Best Science Fiction, 29th Annual Collection, edited by Gardner Dozois. Locus Recommended Reading List[49]
Ernesto 2012 "Ernesto". Analog Science Fiction and Fact. 132 (3): 42–49. March 2012. "Ernesto". Lightspeed Magazine (76). September 2016.
The Voices 2012 "The Voices". Analog Science Fiction and Fact. 132 (9): 56–67. September 2012.
The Whale God 2013 "The Whale God". Analog Science Fiction and Fact. 133 (9): 8–22. September 2013. Cover story; Locus Recommended Reading List[50]
Cryptids 2014 "Cryptids". Analog Science Fiction and Fact. 134 (5): 8–21. May 2014. Cover story; finalist for the Analytical Laboratory Award[48]
Stonebrood 2015 "Stonebrood". Analog Science Fiction and Fact. 135 (10): 8–25. October 2015. Lead story
The Proving Ground 2017 "The Proving Ground". Analog Science Fiction and Fact. 137 (1, 2): 8–30. January 2017. "The Proving Ground". Lightspeed Magazine (94). March 2018. The Year's Best Science Fiction: Thirty-Fifth Annual Collection, edited by Gardner Dozois. Cover story; Locus Recommended Reading List;[51] finalist for the Analytical Laboratory Award[48]
The Spires 2018 "The Spires". Analog Science Fiction and Fact. 138 (3, 4): 8–24. March 2018. The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2019 Edition, edited by Rich Horton.[52] Lead story; Locus Recommended Reading List[53]
At the Fall 2019 "At the Fall". Analog Science Fiction and Fact. 139 (5, 6): 182–197. May 2019. Finalist for the Analytical Laboratory Award[54]
Retention 2020 "Retention". Analog Science Fiction and Fact. 140 (7, 8): 108–112. July 2020.

Collections
  • Nevala-Lee, Alec (2020). Syndromes: Science Fiction Stories. Prince Frederick, Maryland: Recorded Books.

Selected articles
  • "Marcel Duchamp’s Turning Point." Los Angeles Times, March 18, 2012.
  • "Karl Rove’s Labyrinth." The Daily Beast, November 20, 2012.
  • "Lessons from The X-Files." Salon, September 17, 2013.
  • "Xenu’s Paradox: The Fiction of L. Ron Hubbard and the Making of Scientology." Longreads, February 1, 2017.
  • "The Campbell Machine." Analog Science Fiction and Fact, July/August 2018.
  • "Dawn of Dianetics: L. Ron Hubbard, John W. Campbell, and the Origins of Scientology." Longreads, October 23, 2018.
  • "What Isaac Asimov Taught Us About Predicting the Future." The New York Times, October 31, 2018. Appeared in the print edition on November 3, 2018, under the headline "Back to the Future."
  • "How Astounding Saw the Future." The New York Times, January 10, 2019. Appeared in the print edition on January 13, 2019, under the headline "Simply Astounding."
  • "A 1995 Novel Predicted Trump's America." The New York Times, July 12, 2019. Essay on The Tunnel by William H. Gass. Appeared in the print edition on July 14, 2019, under the headline "The Party of the Disappointed People."
  • "Making Waves: The Inventions of John W. Campbell." Analog Science Fiction and Fact, January/February 2020. Written with Edward J. Wysocki, Jr.
  • "Asimov's Empire, Asimov's Wall." Public Books, January 7, 2020.

Other media
  • “Retention.” Episode of the audio science fiction series The Outer Reach. Released on December 21, 2016. Featuring the voices of Aparna Nancherla and Echo Kellum.
gollark: "I favor X being Y, so therefore X must be Y, it is right for X to be Y, and X could not be anything *but* Y."
gollark: Ah, TJ09s.
gollark: It wouldn't *have* to be.
gollark: What would be limited?
gollark: By CBness anyway.

References
  1. "Hugo Finalists for 2019 Hugo Awards and 1944 Retro Hugos". Dublin 2019. Retrieved 2019-04-02.
  2. "2019 Locus Awards Finalists". Locus Online. 2019-05-07. Retrieved 2019-05-07.
  3. "The Economist's books of the year". The Economist. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  4. "Astounding - Alec Nevala-Lee - Hardcover". HarperCollins Publishers: World-Leading Book Publisher. Retrieved 2018-11-09.
  5. "Publishers Marketplace". www.publishersmarketplace.com. Retrieved 2018-11-26."Alec Nevala-Lee's BUCKMINSTER FULLER, a biography of architectural designer and creator of the geodesic dome, futurist Buckminster Fuller, thought to be the precursor to some of today's most iconic innovators and thinkers—including Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk, again to Carrie Thornton at Dey Street Books."
  6. "Authors : Nevala-Lee, Alec : SFE : Science Fiction Encyclopedia". www.sf-encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2018-12-08.
  7. Horton, Rich (2019-05-31). "Strange at Ecbatan: Birthday Review: Stories of Alec Nevala-Lee". Strange at Ecbatan. Retrieved 2019-06-09.
  8. Levin, Trevor J. (April 26, 2016). "The Springboard: Alumni in the Arts Recall Studies at Harvard". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2018-10-15.
  9. Borrelli, Christopher. "What happened to all the women in science fiction?". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2018-11-09.
  10. "Alec Nevala-Lee | Penguin Random House". PenguinRandomhouse.com. Retrieved 2018-12-12.
  11. "Summary Bibliography: Alec Nevala-Lee". www.isfdb.org. Retrieved 2018-12-12.
  12. "sfadb : Alec Nevala-Lee Titles". www.sfadb.com. Retrieved 2018-12-12.
  13. "What Isaac Asimov Taught Us About Predicting the Future". Retrieved 2018-10-31.
  14. Nevala-Lee, Alec (2019-01-10). "How Astounding Saw the Future". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-01-16.
  15. "Alec Nevala-Lee". HarperCollins Publishers: World-Leading Book Publisher. Retrieved 2018-07-15.
  16. "Astounding—Alec Nevala-Lee". HarperCollins.
  17. Whalen, Andrew. "Rumored 'The Thing' Remake Based on 'Frozen Hell': A Lost Manuscript May Change Horror History". Newsweek.
  18. "Universal and Blumhouse Developing New Version of 'The Thing' That Will Adapt Long Lost Original Novel". Bloody Disgusting.
  19. "A new Kickstarter project will publish an undiscovered novel that inspired The Thing". The Verge. Retrieved 2018-10-21.
  20. "Frozen Hell by John W Campbell". www.fantasticfiction.com. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
  21. "In 1949, psychiatrists wouldn't touch Dianetics — so L. Ron Hubbard invented one who would « The Underground Bunker". tonyortega.org. Retrieved 2018-11-03.
  22. "Visionaries of the Void". Washington Post. July 30, 2019.
  23. Libbey, Peter (August 28, 2019). "John W. Campbell Award Is Renamed After Winner Criticizes Him". The New York Times.
  24. Lindell, Yosef (January 31, 2020). "Isaac Asimov's Throwback Vision of the Future". The Atlantic.
  25. Gabler, Jay (May 14, 2020). "What to Make of Isaac Asimov, Sci-Fi Giant and Dirty Old Man?". Lithub.
  26. "Syndromes: Science Fiction Stories". Recorded Books.
  27. Lausch, Monica. (2016). "The Library as a Laboratory in the Search for New Perspectives: The Artist-Librarian Marcel Duchamp." Art and Book: Illustration and Innovation. Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, p. 33. "Duchamp's artworks have become intertextual signifiers....As icons they have extended themselves in book culture in recent fiction novels, including a thriller entitled The Icon Thief by Alec Nevala-Lee and the futuristic 2666 by Robert Bolaño."
  28. "Fiction Book Review: The Icon Thief". Publishers Weekly.
  29. "City of Exiles". Publishers Weekly.
  30. Steinbock, Steve (March 2014). "The Jury Box". Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine.
  31. Horton, Rich. (August 2013). "Locus Looks at Short Fiction." Locus Magazine.
  32. Quachri, Trevor (August 2013). "In Times to Come." Analog Science Fiction and Fact,
  33. Strahan, Jonathan. "Episode 330: Books, reading and wolves..." The Coode Street Podcast. Retrieved 2018-05-07.
  34. Saler, Michael (2018-10-19). "It Came From the Future". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2018-10-19.
  35. "Meet Hackers, Gunslingers, and Witches in Barnes & Noble Booksellers Picks for October". Tor.com. 2018-10-02. Retrieved 2018-10-02.
  36. "Authors : Nevala-Lee, Alec : SFE : Science Fiction Encyclopedia". www.sf-encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2018-12-08.
  37. Cheryl (2019-04-02). "2019 Hugo Award & 1944 Retro Hugo Award Finalists". The Hugo Awards. Retrieved 2019-04-02.
  38. "2019 Locus Awards Finalists". Locus Online. 2019-05-07. Retrieved 2019-05-07.
  39. "The Economist's books of the year". The Economist. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  40. "Hugo Eligibility – Fire & Blood | Not a Blog". Retrieved 2019-02-04.
  41. "Nonfiction Book Review: Astounding: John W. Campbell, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, L. Ron Hubbard, and the Golden Age of Science Fiction by Alec Nevala-Lee. Dey Street, $28.99 (320p) ISBN 978-0-06-257194-6". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  42. "Astounding". Kirkus Reviews. May 15, 2018.
  43. Saler, Michael (2018-10-19). "It Came From the Future". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2018-10-19.
  44. Sallis, James (November 2018). "Books: Review of Astounding". The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction: 66–67.
  45. Wolfe, Gary K. (November 2018). "Locus Looks at Books". Locus: 16–17.
  46. "P Nielsen Hayden on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 2018-11-16.
  47. "Review | Let us praise the giants of science fiction: Campbell, Asimov and, yes, L. Ron Hubbard". Washington Post. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
  48. "Alec Nevala-Lee Awards". Science Fiction Awards Database.
  49. "2011 Recommended Reading List". Locus Online. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  50. "2013 Locus Recommended Reading List". Locus Online. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  51. "2017 Locus Recommended Reading List". Locus Online. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  52. ""Selections Announced for Horton's 2019 Year's Best SF & F"". File 770. May 6, 2019.
  53. "2018 Locus Recommended Reading List". Locus Online. Retrieved 2019-02-03.
  54. "2019 Analog AnLab and Asimov's Readers' Awards Finalists". Locus Online.
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