Wil McCarthy

Wil McCarthy is a renowned author, entrepreneur, engineer, and journalist. He has made a significant contribution to the science fiction genre through his novels and short stories. In addition to his writing, McCarthy has had a successful career as a contributing science columnist for the “SciFi Channel” and as a contributing editor for “WIRED” magazine.

At the SciFi Channel, McCarthy wrote a popular column called “Lab Notes” for over a decade, between 1999 and 2009. His column was well-received and provided readers with insightful and thought-provoking information about science and technology. McCarthy's expertise in science and technology has also been recognized by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, who made him a lifetime member. He has been nominated for several awards, including the Nebula, Locus, Seiun, Colorado Book, Theodore Sturgeon, and Philip K. Dick awards.

Apart from his work in journalism and fiction, McCarthy has also worked in engineering and entrepreneurship. He has contributed to projects that have won various awards, including a Webbie, an Eppie, a Game Developers' Choice Award, and a General Excellence National Magazine Award. McCarthy's knowledge and expertise in engineering have led him to work for companies such as Lockheed Martin Space Launch Systems, Omnitech Robotics, and RavenBrick LLC, where he served as the president and Chief Technology Officer. Currently, he writes patents for a top law firm in Dallas and holds patents in seven countries, including 31 issued U.S. patents in the field of nanostructured optical materials.

In addition to his professional achievements, McCarthy's writing has also been recognized for its creativity and imagination. His imaginary world of “P2/Sorrow” was rated one of the 10 best science fiction planets of all time by Discover magazine. His short fiction has been published in various magazines, including Analog, Asimov's, WIRED, and SF Age. McCarthy's novels, such as "Bloom," "The Collapsium," and "To Crush the Moon," have received critical acclaim and have been translated into several languages. He has also written for TV and video games, appeared on The History Channel and The Science Channel, and published nonfiction in various magazines, including WIRED, Discover, GQ, Popular Mechanics, IEEE Spectrum, and the Journal of Applied Polymer Science.
The Queendom of Sol Books
# Title Year
1 The Collapsium 2000
2 The Wellstone 2003
3 Lost in Transmission 2004
4 To Crush the Moon 2005
Rich Man's Sky Books
# Title Year
1 Rich Man's Sky 2021
2 Poor Man's Sky 2023
3 Beggar's Sky 2024
The Waisters Books
# Title Year
1 Aggressor Six 1994
2 Flies from the Amber 1995
3 The Fall of Sirius 1996
Standalone Novels
# Title Year
1 Murder in the Solid State 1996
2 Bloom 1998
3 The Monarchs Of Sol 2003
4 Antediluvian 2019
Short Stories/Novellas
# Title Year
1 Dirtyside Down 1991
2 A Midnight Clear 1994
3 Talk Girl 2019
4 Policeman’s Daughter 2020
Non-Fiction Books
# Title Year
1 Hacking Matter 2003
Wil McCarthy Anthologies
# Title Year
1 Universe 3 1994
2 Christmas Magic 1994
3 Future Net 1996
4 Science Fiction: The Best of the Year, 2006 2006
5 Science Fiction: The Very Best of 2005 2006
6 The Complete Guide to Writing Science Fiction 2007
7 The Best of Jim Baen's Universe II 2008
8 Diamonds in the Sky 2009
9 Happily Ever After 2011
10 The Year's Top Short SF Novels 7 2018
11 Best Short Novels 2006 2020
12 The 2020 Look at Mars Fiction Book 2020