Dread Empire’s Fall Series

The Praxis (#1)

“What sets THE PRAXIS apart from its more conventional kin in the New Space Opera or military SF clans, though, is the adroitness with which it integrates battles and disasters and species-wide politicking with the intimate, the personal, and the social. A writer who can make a formal reception, a dinner party, or a staff meeting as gripping as a fleet action is a rarity and a treasure, and that is what we have in Williams.”

Locus

“This is a blend of military SF and political thriller and it harkens back to the old days of grand space opera, delivering the best of both worlds–an old fashioned story with strong literary qualities.”

San Francisco Chronicle

“This is a very good space opera, with an intelligently complex multi-species empire, and an interestingly diverse set of characters trying to preserve that empire from destruction […] There’s both great action and good character development here […] Highly recommended.”

The New England Science Fiction Association

“This book is unabashed Space Opera, and I found it extremely fun reading.”

SFF Net

“Williams focuses on the basics of all good fiction; the characters and the story arc. He absolutely excels at delivering both, and the result is a rip-roaring good-time reading experience.”

Agony Column

“Williams builds believable, sympathetic characters and action and danger is interspersed with soap opera while he makes his preparations for the full-on space opera that is to come. When it does, it is excellent […] The writing is excellent throughout, the build up is interesting and the characters are well rounded […] THE PRAXIS is an entertaining read and a promising beginning.”

The Zone

“This a hugely fun ride. It has empires crashing, cival wars aliens, humans, scheming plans, plucky young heroes and villains fighting space battles in huge starships–what more can you ask for? Similarities to historical empires–notably the Roman and the British–enhance the pleasure of this enjoyable space romp. Anyone who enjoys space opera will find this an enjoyable read and fans of Feintuch’s Hope series, Hornblower or Patrick O’Brien will love the Fleet aspects and starship battles.”

The Alien Online

“THE PRAXIS is a promising start to the Dread Empire’s Fall trilogy. The characters, political situations and society were all fascinating.”

Fantasy Book Cafe

“Walter Jon Williams is one of the best modern science fiction writers […] [THE PRAXIS] is arguably his best novel in quite some time…So far as galactic empire, space operas go THE PRAXIS delivers something very solid and very different and is a novel I could only put down upon the direst of needs.”

RPG Net

“Walter Jon Williams creates an exciting SF adventure that will remind readers of classic space opera. Williams balances political maneuvers with military maneuvers, develops the beginnings of a romance between the two lead characters, and provides enough science to satisfy hard-core SF readers.”

Books for a Buck

“Absorbing and entertaining, with some effective hard science and an edge of relationship-based humour that Jane Austen would have appreciated, it's a careful opening but one that gives little sign of any promised intergalactic conflict […] It’s to Williams’ credit that this strategy pays off magnificently, the plot accelerates into a breathless, unpredictable, effortlessly charming adventure that grips like a vice and isn’t afraid to throw some surprising comedy into the mix. One of the most shamelessly entertaining SF epics in recent memory, this is an impressive start to what promises to be a fearsomely inventive space opera.”

SFX

The Sundering (#2)

“Interstellar adventure has a new king, and his name is Walter Jon Williams.”

George R. R. Martin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Game of Thrones

“A spectacular far-future space opera.”

Locus

“The book is very exciting, with some first rate space action, and some ground-based action as well […] This series is great fun to read, one of the most entertaining space operas in many years.”

SF Site

“The plot is a well-balanced mix of political maneuvering, exciting combat sequences, and romantic entanglements […] It’s refreshing to read well-plotted space battles that pay attention to the laws of physics. The main characters are compelling and definitely have their share of flaws as well as virtues.”

Books for a Buck

“A great read.”

The Times of London

Conventions of War (#3)

“Space opera the way it ought to be: fast-paced, colorful, inventive, epic in scale, chock full of intrigue, derring-do, balls and battles, secrets and revelations, heroism and heartbreak, deft plot twists and poignant human moments.”

George R.R. Martin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Game of Thrones

“Williams brings the whole long story to a conclusion that is sweet, sour, satisfying, and not without a taste of irony.”

Locus

The Accidental War (#4)

“Williams is one of the field’s greats. He shows it in this novel as well as everything he writes. I expect I will have to find time to go back and read some of the other Praxis stories.”

SFRevu

“THE ACCIDENTAL WAR is the start of some­thing more, an unpacking of the givens of its setting and an exploration of the intersecting trajectories of its characters’ lives […] This world is capacious enough and its people complex enough to carry on indefinitely.”

Locus

“Walter Jon Williams is one of my favorite writers in the genre, with great ideas, worldbuilding, characters, and always a captivating story.”

Kevin J. Anderson, New York Times bestselling author of The Saga of Seven Suns

Fleet Elements (#5)

“Williams impresses with the second book of his sophisticated Praxis trilogy...Newcomers will have no problem getting oriented in this rip-roaring sci-fi world, and returning readers will be thrilled to dive back in.”

Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"The opera elements are as tight as the fleet elements, making readers care about those inside the starships desperately evading missiles and proton blasts. A satisfying setup for the final showdown at Zanshaa promised in the next book."

Booklist

"Political, military, and personal conflicts [are] not resolved but deepened and complicated. And, as the first trio of novels demonstrated, there is no guarantee of happily-ever-after when the curtain falls on the finale, which promises some grand and dangerous confrontations and revelations."

Locus

"We're back in the Praxis universe, and there's loads of action and intrigue."

Galaxy's Edge

Imperium Restored (#6)

"The Praxis novels are not only about what the protagonists do in war, but about what warfare and its machineries and its disrup­tions do to them and for them."

Locus

The Quillifer Series

Quillifer (#1)

"For all of you who need some great fantasy while you're waiting for THE WINDS OF WINTER [...] try QUILLIFER, by Walter Jon Williams. WJW is always fun, but this may be his best yet, a delight from start to finish, witty, colorful, exciting and amusing by turns, exquisitely written!"

George R.R. Martin, NY Times bestselling author of the Game of Thrones series

“In this sprawling, lively episodic adventure, Williams (Angel Station) returns to his swashbuckling historical fantasy roots while exploring new territory.”

Publishers Weekly

"Williams’ swashbuckling tale is reminiscent of George MacDonald Fraser’s Flashman Papers series in the maleadventure tradition, and it is enriched with the splendiferous vocabulary of likable Quillifer’s invented words."

Booklist

"A thoroughly enjoyable series of historical adventures in a faux-Europe."

Locus

“Williams, known for a long catalogue of Nebula Award-nominated science fiction, dives headlong into epic fantasy with high-spirited gusto. He renders each scene of court life in Selford with ever-increasing visual detail, giving each castle and royal courtier their own decadently fashioned identity. The colorful friends and enemies Quillifer meets along his way enter and leave his life like guests at a party rather than tools in a save-the-world quest. And at the center of it all is Williams’ wonderful protagonist—a flawed man, learning to live with his faults in a world destined to reinforce them.”

BookPage

“This is a light, but not lightweight fantasy adventure told in an irresistible narrative voice, inhabiting a world you’ll want to spend as much time in as possible.”

B&N SciFi & Fantasy Blog

“Williams’ deft hand with historical adventure shows in this fantasy novel, the first in a series featuring the title character, an engaging rogue with a talent for getting into trouble. The fantasy is restrained (aside from one goddess), making this ‘for the most part a thoroughly en­joyable series of historical adventures in a faux-Europe that is as meticulous in its details as it is vague in time and place.'”

Locus

“[T]he moment QUILLIFER arrived, I knew it was the most significant release of the current crop, by a pretty good margin.”

Black Gate

Quillifer the Knight (#2)

“Lively adventure, court politics, and clandestine romance combine in the exquisitely detailed […] follow up to 2018’s Quillifer.”

Publishers Weekly

“Throughout Williams’ episodic […] plot, Quillifer himself emerges as the chief change agent of his world… Williams knows exactly what to do with Quillifer, and it’s hugely entertaining.”

Locus

Lord Quillifer (#3)

"The book offers all the glories of its predecessor, from juicy prose to Poictesme-style worldbuilding and stirring accounts of lust, bravery, cowardice and opportunism."

Locus

Standalone

Implied Spaces

“An intelligent, delicate and precise novel of real depth: a pleasure to read, an undertaking to savor.”

Kirkus, Starred Review

“Williams tells the tale with enthusiasm and a crisp, dry wit well suited to this entertaining blend of high adventure, intrigue and postsingularity technology.”

Publishers Weekly

“The novel is a great deal of fun […] IMPLIED SPACES is very much mature SF, building on the ideas the field has been addressing in the past decade or more, and quiet nicely so. Recommended.”

SF Site

“This swift little novel is rewarding in proportion to its promise […] The book is shot through with some surprisingly rich philosophical issues that show he’s gotten to grips with the real human implications of a post-Singularity civilisation in a way that few writers achieve […] It’s fast, fun and smart – and you can’t ask for much more than that from a posthuman space opera.”

Velcro City

The Rift

“Rousing adventures involving an impressively vivid cast of characters: a plausible, sturdy, compelling doorstopper.”

Kirkus

“Part social commentary, part disaster novel, this near-future drama should appeal to fans of cataclysmic fiction. Highly recommended for general and sf collections.”

Library Journal

“THE RIFT is an engrossing, thought-provoking book. Science fiction author Walter J. Williams has done his homework. THE RIFT made me dream earthquakes.”

Seattle Post-Intelligencer

“A long and tasty read, easily his best work so far […] The dangers are so well-crafted and described that this book will likely cause many readers to consider augmenting their supplies of candles and canned goods–and, certainly, their ammunition.”

The Oregonian

“The tension level stays high, and the good, the bad and the indifferent characters keep our attention as much as does the ongoing, cinematic-scale destruction. It’d be a very good beach book, if you could put it down long enough to get into the water.”

San Diego Union Tribune

“This is the kind of novel that will appeal to readers of conventional thrillers as well as hi current fans. Despite the large cast of characters, the plot is tightly written and intricately interwoven. The disaster is plausible, the characters credible and the eventual conflict almost inevitable. This will certainly be counted among the major novels of 1999.”

Luce Press Clippings

“Reading Walter J. Williams’ THE RIFT bought back that nostalgic feel of the larger-than-life ‘70s disaster movie, featuring an all-star cast, groundbreaking special effects, and Sensurround sound. I would categorize THE RIFT as an epic disaster thriller of the highest order […] Irwin Allen has got nothing on Walter J. Williams. Read THE RIFT.”

The High Seas

Aristoi

“In ARISTOI, [Williams] dares the reader to follow him into a realm where there are no constraints on the desires of his characters, where the wish is not only father to the deed but virtually identical with it […] like one of ARISTOI's highly complex entertainments, this book offers manifold delights.”

The New York Times

“In this complex and rewarding novel, Williams has created a future which features many of the wonders sf has been promising us for years: virtual reality, genetic engineering, faster-than-light travel, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, telepathic links with computers, and more.”

Publishers Weekly

“Williams tests the borders of imagination in a novel that combines brilliant hard science and speculative vision with a firm grip on the central humanity of his characters. A priority purchase for sf collections.”

Library Journal

“Williams follows a course to which most science-fiction writers only pay lip service: with each novel, he tries something completely different […] Williams is prolific, with nine SF novels and innumerable short stories. ARISTOI, his latest novel, is one of his successes […] a fascinating thriller.”

The Seattle Times

“A spectacular, large-scale space opera, in vivid color, with all the stops pulled out. Even better, it chooses to explore themes, not in binary black and white, but with a grayscale palette that leaves the reader wondering who is really right. The result is that rare commodity, a successful entertainment which leaves sobering questions to linger afterwards.”

Locus

“Among the stars, virtual reality, biotechnology, and other advances create a society of nearly unlimited potential and equally great complexity […] Science-fiction world-building with technology extrapolated to the extreme limit is a demanding art. It is particularly demanding when one also wishes to make complex characters intelligible, even sympathetic, to a 20th century audience. Williams meets the demands he has set himself, thanks to meticulous care in presenting the details of his world and his characters’ live […] A fine, thoughtful work.”

Chicago Sun-Times

“ARISTOI has many fine literary elements, especially the depiction of multiple personalities within an individual member of the Aristoi and the transcriotion of these simultaneous conversations in the text […] in ARISTOI, [Williams’s] writing reaches a new level of grace and light. This work is highly recommended for grade nine to adult collections.”

Wilson Library Bulletin

Days of Atonement

“[DAYS OF ATONEMENT] is a genre-busting blend of science fiction and police procedural that succeeds on every level […] Williams is as much in command of his territory as Loren is of his. The scientific content and the world view that it engenders are essential to the story, making this true science fiction.”

The New York Times

“Williams’s longest, most densely realized and successful work to date […] Williams’s portrayal of a complex and violent man lends depth to his story, which can sometimes be a bit slick in its twists and turns […] DAYS OF ATONEMENT sends out deeper roots than Williams’s previous novels, and augurs interestingly for his future.”

Washington Post Book World

“The complex yet logical puzzles, the small-town New Mexico ambiance, the gritty realism [is] Rousing, vintage Williams.”

Kirkus

“A credible exploration of near-future community.”

Publishers Weekly

“[Williams] brings his gift for hardcore realism to this-near future tale of one man’s confrontation with the unknown. For most SF collections.”

Library Journal

“Williams’ most ambitious novel to date combines mystery, hard science, character study, and setting with impressive success […] In overall technical excellence, this proves to be the best book by an increasingly skilled author. It is also an above-average portrait of scientists at work. Highly recommended.”

Booklist

“This is a novel that works marvelously on a variety of levels – as an adventure story, a trek through personal entanglements, a study in detailed police techniques and an enlightening lesson in theoretical science. And if that isn’t enough, it also offers a totally unexpected ending – too often a rarity in Earthbound science fiction.”

Chicago Sun-Times

“Williams has done his best work to date in his latest novel, DAYS OF ATONEMENT. It’s so good that you’ll see it on the “Best of ’91” prize ballots. You may well see it in the winner’s circle […] If you like bang-up endings, you’ll love DAYS OF ATONEMENT.”

Analog

“A tightly plotted, hugely complex, but ultimately very satisfying novel.”

Interzone

“Williams has written one of the most arresting depictions of a character in recent times.”

Locus

Angel Station

“[An] intriguing far-future alien-contact/space-frontier yarn […] Broadly persuasive and inventive.”

Kirkus

“Williams colorfully evokes the life of the trader families and their honkytonk space stations. With its emphasis on youth, beauty, sex and mischief, the novel also conjures a contemporary mood agreeably distinct from its futuristic setting.”

Publishers Weekly

“Williams has produced another of his excellent adventure tales, this time set far in the future.”

Chicago Sun-Times

“Williams has advanced the cyberpunk theme to deep space without the depressing nihilism that often attends it […] Fast and clever, ANGEL STATION represents solid science fiction by a quickly maturing writer.”

The Detroit News

Ambassador of Progress

“Well-developed characters, an intriguing plot and a clear view of the double-edged sword called change make this an engrossing book to read. Young adults […] will find [a] special mixture of warm human relationships in an entirely different kind of world.”

Library Journal

Knight Moves

“KNIGHT MOVES is an engrossing and evocative read, a tale of immortality and love and death rendered in a style that reminds me more than a little of the early Roger Zelazny. Williams’ people are intriguing and sympathetic, and his portrait of an Earth left transformed and empty by a humanity gone to the stars, where aliens dig among ancient ruins for old comic books while the creatures of legends stir and walk again, will linger in my memory for a long time. Williams is a writer to watch, and—more importantly—to read.”

George R.R. Martin

“This is a rare SF novel in which one character’s distinctive voice opens up a world and a society that have been fundamentally changed by scientific innovation.”

Publishers Weekly

“KNIGHT MOVES uses an unmatched cast of characters, human and otherwise, to tell an intriguing story.”

Fred Saberhagen, author of the Book of Swords trilogy

Collections

The Green Leopard Plague and Other Stories

“Provocative, entertaining collection […] Coupled with extensive notes from the author, these stories invite readers to share and enjoy Williams’s extensive knowledge of history, psychology, and culture.”

Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

Facets

“Despite his manifest cyberpunk leanings, Williams has an imagination all his own–along with a supple, subtle technique and a polished, lucid prose style. Both enjoyable and impressive.”

Kirkus, Starred Review

Anthologies

The Best of Walter Jon Williams

"Across every entry, Williams displays his superior prose, an ability to craft well-rounded worlds, and a facility for creating engagement and empathy in readers, whether for a recognizable human character or an alien intelligence. This stellar volume should grow Williams’s devoted fan base."

Publisher's Weekly (starred review)

"I come away from this collection admiring not only Williams’s flexibility as a master of traditions and conventions and tropes, but also the way that these stories are not merely exercises or japes (though “The Golden Age” and “Prayers on the Wind” are plenty playful). When Williams takes on a genre, he also takes on the issues and tensions and themes such con­structs are meant to address. This is where craft crosses the fuzzy borderline and becomes art."

Locus

"The stories are strong and the collection is worthy of consideration...Very enjoyable interlude - well written and engaging.”

Nonstop Reader

"The Best of Walter Jon Williams has 600 pages and 200,000 words of his novellas (11 novellas and one short story). All of them are well worth your time and show that a master of the craft of writing does not need bloated 800-page novels to create a convincing background, fascinating characters, and a compelling plot."

SF Revu

"Fans will appreciate Subterranean Press’s beautiful hardcover edition of this collection (there’s also an audio edition). And for readers who aren’t familiar with this prolific writer, The Best of Walter Jon Williams is a good place to start getting to know him."

Fantasy Literature, 4.5 out of 5 stars!

Privateers & Gentlemen Series

Maijstral Series

The Crown Jewels (#1)

“A talented chameleon-like author, Williams has written superior science fiction ranging from cyberpunk to philosophical novels. Now he offers a light, roguish comedy of manners set in a stellar empire where style is so highly valued that thieves are allowed […] A deft, charming entertainment that honorably recalls the classic of this genre.”

Publishers Weekly

“THE CROWN JEWELS reveals the author’s flair for understated wit and delicate sarcasm. Known for his hard-biting cyberpunk novels, Williams deserves appreciation for his comedic fiction as well.”

Library Journal

“Sophisticated science fiction comedy at its best.”

Fantasy Literature

House of Shards (#2)

“A great romp and a good escapist read with a lot of staying power. Maijstral’s definitely turning into one of my favorite characters.”

Other Realms

Rock of Ages (#3)

“Literate farce is still a scarcity in science fiction. That’s why this third volume in the continuing series about Majistral, the Number One-rated allowed burglar in the Human Constellation, is such an amusing find […] The plot moves briskly from underwater palaces to holy Graceland (a marvelously silly land practically overflowing with Elvii of all species, genders and sizes), and the whirlwind pace helps keep the novel entertaining.”

Publishers Weekly

“This is a tongue-in-cheek, fun science fiction novel full of action, romance, adventure and irony. There are aliens, strange gadgets to get you into and out of trouble dead people who aren’t dead, and more Elvis impersonators than in Las Vegas.”

VOYA

Metropolitan Series

Metropolitan (#1)

“A potent atmosphere of urban dystopia […] Williams’s great strengths, though, are his depiction of future society-in ‘the city that girdles the world,’ street vendors sell roasted pigeon-on-a-stick-and his understanding of the roots of political rebellion; here, he presents a solid case that rebellion arises not in response to large evils but to small slights. Ever the expert storyteller, Williams is also careful to provide more than enough suspense to maintain reader interest.”

Publishers Weekly

“Although the author of DAYS OF ATONEMENT continues to explore new territory, his focus rests solidly on the creation of believable, sympathetic characters supported by a well-turned plot. Libraries should consider this a priority purchase.”

Library Journal

“[METROPOLITAN] is science fiction that can be read as fantasy. Whichever way you do it, it’s a fascinating book […] Williams does a wonderful job of portraying Aiah and her world. The changes in Aiah’s understanding of her city and the changes in her relationships with her family, her lover, and Constantine make a complex and well-rounded story.”

The Denver Post

“The most striking quality of METROPOLITAN is its sheer readability, due largely to pungent characterization and persuasive dialogue […] [Aiah] is about as three-dimensional a character as you’ll find in modern science fiction […] [Constantine] is Machiavelli’s Prince a thousand years from now.”

Book World

“Williams knows he has dynamite stuff here [...] What he does offer – in addition to that stunning opening – is an eerily convincing portrait of a very odd and curiously low-tech future […] The ancient, layered city of Jaspeer, with its abandoned tunnels, creepy streets, and vaulting skyscrapers, may show its cyperpunk origins, but it’s enough to make us want to see more of this world, and to wonder about its unresolved mysteries.”

Locus (Gary K. Wolfe)

“Williams’s striking new novel, METROPOLITAN, is one of those books of ambiguous generic identity; it could be an alternate-world tale or a future-supernatural-fantasy, or some mutant hybrid form with traits of both […]The stronger appeal of the book is in how real and solid it makes its odd world, with its familiar-but-distanced social tensions, its constant recycling of its finite space, its Shield, and its strange metaphysics in which the material and something like the spiritual interpenetrate. And that melding of the domestic and the marvelous is, I think, what makes METROPOLITAN finally feel more like science fiction than fantasy: the solidity of the milieu in all of its social and operational details, its imagining of magical force as something as amenable to plumbing as to zapping.”

Locus (Russell Letson)

“Insightful and well-told story about the temptations of power.”

Discover Magazine

“There’s a Jules Verne solidity to it, all girders and ductwork and massively clanking machineries, a Victorian feel of iron and stone and steam somehow, beautifully and cunningly rendered […] not only a well-realized work but a hopeful landmark of sorts.”

Norman Spinrad, award-winning author of The Iron Dream

City on Fire (#2)

“[CITY ON FIRE] is that rarest of entertainments, a sequel that improves on a successful predecessor […] By leaving [questions] unanswered, the author invites the reader to get beyond the where and the how of the story to the even more interesting questions of who and why. Mr. Williams’s prose is distinguished by a no-nonsense confidence that perfectly matches Constantine’s unshakable faith in his own destiny and in his ability to resist the corruption that notoriously comes with power.”

The New York Times

“Well-drawn, believable characters give emotional force to this fine novel, which walks the line between fantasy and science fiction. Ultimately, however, it is Williams’s complex world-city, more convincing than even Asimov’s in Foundation, and his endlessly inventive use of plasm that will hold readers’ fascinated attention.”

Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“[The] metaphors are lovingly and consistenly literalized – and it is this consistency and rationality (not primarily the technological furniture) that give the books their science-fictional feel. Whatever you call it, though, CITY ON FIRE is a splendid, riveting novel in which the most powerful magic is that of a writer directing the twin streams of reason and intuition to produce a dream with the texture of reality.”

Locus

“If [Metropolitan] is even half as good as the sequel, it must be wonderful […] CITY ON FIRE is fully satisfying in its own right.”

Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction

“CITY ON FIRE offers something for just about every kind of reader. It’s fantasy […] Williams blends all the elements into a well-written, fast-paced book […] All in all, CITY ON FIRE is even better than Williams’ other book, which was a finalist for the Nebula Award. Williams really gives the readers hours of entertainment with polished style, twisty plots, action and vivid characters.”

Louisville Courier-Journal

Hardwired Series

Hardwired (#1)

“Fast-moving, hard-driving […] stirring and heartening.”

Kirkus

“HARDWIRED is his best book to date […] as the parallel plotlines of a hotshot contraband flyer and a sleek bodyguard/assassin develop and gradually intersect, the book takes on a life of its own.”

Locus

“Fans of high-tech SF will enjoy Williams’s sizzling prose and fast-moving, taut story.”

Library Journal

“A combination of fast action, gritty realism, and high-tech polytechnics that is certain to be popular with Williams’ growing audience.”

Booklist

“The story moves with the speed of a hovercraft, the climax has all the action and excitement of Star Wars and the ending has a delightful twist.”

The Providence Sunday Journal

“Williams has created a three-dimensional world, characters who develop believably, and a fast-moving story. Any writer who has done all this shows enough respect for his readers to deserve theirs in turn.”

Chicago Sun-Times

“The story moves at a breakneck pace through a set of twists and twirls […] But the real wonderfulness of HARDWIRED is the language […] He plays with your mind, makes you work with him to create his world as he spews the mindscape with argot, slang, advert slogans with no explanation in sight. But even without the slang, the language pulls the reader willing or not into Williams’ vision. “

Other Realms

“Williams’ use of language is as explosive and as techno-tinged as the world he describes. Reading the book is like taking a jet ride across a futuristic America, with the acceleration forcing you back in your seat all the way.”

The Rockland Courier-Gazette

“I found this to be William’s most intense book to date, very compelling reading.”

Cacophony

“Cowboy is no Rambo; he is a thoughtful, intelligent hero. He and Sarah are two of the many good things about HARDWIRED. Another is the world they inhabit–an incredibly detailed future of personality transfers, bizarre drugs, cybernetic implants, and complex political and economic power maneuvers. Williams tells their story with a propulsive yet almost elegant prose. HARDWIRED is always on the move. Yet its greatest strengths are the mythic overtones of Cowboy’s story and the intricate power plays that that pervade the novel. For at its cold, brutal heart HARDWIRED is about power–and about what happens to enduring American myths when events conspire to render them obsolete. It is one of the best SF novels I have read in years; heartily recommend it.”

Fantasy Review

“HARDWIRED seems shorter than it is because it keeps you sprinting for the full distance. Williams knows how to hold a fine pace while fleshing out characters we care about–including the weasel-wielding Sarah, whose kiss can be horrifyingly lethal. Intrigued? Good; just remember to set your inputs at a few million baud, because Walter Jon Williams is on a UHF band.”

Dean Ing, The New York Times bestselling author of The Ransom of Black Stealth One

Voice of the Whirlwind (#2)

“Fast-moving, hard-driving, with a robust, well-handled plot, an unusual approach, and plenty of intriguing complications. All in all, a stirring and heartening performance.”

Kirkus, Starred Review

“Resonances of Vietnam-era moral concerns make this deft updating of the post-World War II genre of psychological thrillers about amnesiacs one of the best of its kind.”

Publishers Weekly

“[Williams] is a master of the intricate yet fast-paced plot–the essence of thrillers and novels of political intrigue.”

Locus

Dagmar Shaw Thrillers Series

This is Not a Game (#1)

“Williams weaves intriguing questions about games, gamers and their relationships with real life into this well-paced near-future thriller […] it’s convincingly written; the characters are realistic and absorbing, and the story deeply compelling.”

Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“Walter Jon Williams begins with a knowing and sympathetic grasp of gamer culture, and proceeds through schemes and stratagems with a good deal of gamesmanship himself. THIS IS NOT A GAME is a tale every bit as engaging as one of the intrigues its characters might have dreamed up.”

BookPage

“THIS IS NOT A GAME succeeds not only as a suspense novel, but as an incisive portrait of a subculture for whom reality is increasingly contingent, and increasingly mediated.”

Locus

“Masterfully written and executed, scarily relevant, and massively entertaining, THIS IS NOT A GAME is a gem of a novel and should be on everyone’s reading list.”

Fantasy Book Critic

“Williams’ dialogue is razor-sharp, his plotting breakneck, his eye for trends keen and his empathy with his characters deep. He allots equal time to the emotional development of Dagmar and the book’s conceptual brain candy. She emerges from this tale changed, but with her core values reinforced. A reluctant hero for our era, she proves that with and geekdom trump brute force and greed.”

Sci-Fi Wire

“In THIS IS NOT A GAME Walter Jon Williams provides an intricately-plotted and action-filled game-within-a-game story which is hard to put down. It’s also refreshingly to have a female protagonist who is neither a bubblehead nor a Buffy wannabe, but simply an intelligent and believable person who reacts to danger in a realistic way. “

Green Man Review

“THIS IS NOT A GAME is a technothriller with the distinction of being written with a respect for the reader’s intelligence.”

Strange Horizons

“If you enjoy a good (techno) thriller this book is as good as it gets […] thought THIS IS NOT A GAME was a very entertaining read.”

Book Spot Central

“This book is expertly written, with just the right mix of fast-paced action, careful plotting and the dash of humour that Williams is well-known for. The characters are well-formed and believable, and Walter does a good job of providing just enough information to set your imagination alight without over-cooking it. In fact, I’m incredibly hard-pushed to find anything negative about the book at all […] It’s a superb book, and is well worth reading.”

Concept Sci-Fi

“THIS IS NOT A GAME is great geeky fun […] I enjoyed how everything tied together in the end, the exciting plot, and Dagmar’s character.”

Fantasy Book Cafe

“THIS IS NOT A GAME is a wonderful exploration of current merging of online and offline worlds. It’s a thriller/crime tale that made this reader slightly paranoid. The events don’t need that much of a stretch the imagination […] I don’t really have any criticism. I love the small touches like the chapter titles, the way that email and forum entries are seamlessly inserted into the narrative and how scarily Williams blurs the lines so easily […] Highly Recommended.”

Gav Reads

“There are some really enjoyable touches of humour – Williams’ has great fun with his gamers and their responses to the unfolding drama – which both manages to give some welcome relief to the gritted tension elsewhere, yet also highlight the gravity of the underlying situation. It’s a neat trick to pull off.”

Brainfluff

“This is a novel that’s truly of the internet age; most of the behind-the-scenes action happening in the pages would have been inconceivable only a decade ago. However, that doesn’t mean that readers have to be familiar with the tech to appreciate the story. THIS IS NOT A GAME is at its heart a good suspense novel, a technothriller for the Facebook generation that will keep readers engaged until its final pages. Highly recommended.”

Enter the Octopus

Deep State (#2)

“DEEP STATE is a smart, absorbing trip through some maybe-not-so-imaginary back alleys and secret rooms in the company of a protagonist who is smart enough to know that it’s not very smart to mess with Big Brother, even with Uncle Sam, a Scottish rock-star/actor, and the spirit of Atatürk in your corner.”

Locus

“An entertaining slice of near-future action […] certainly worth reading — and is far more than a placeholder that second volumes all too frequently end up being.”

Brainfluff

“The story is well-paced. The opening, with the James Bond game, is as exciting as it should be […] DEEP STATE is immensely enjoyable.”

Australian Speculative Fiction in Focus

The Fourth Wall (#3)

“Williams and Dagmar fans will rejoice, and it should attract the near-futurists and techno-thriller crowd as well.”

Kirkus

“This is an absolute joy. This is the book where Williams really hits his stride […] one of the best books I’ve read in 2012.”

Brainfluff

“It’s a fast read, it’s a well-structured and pacey read, and it’s a lot of fun.”

Australian Speculative Fiction in Focus