Scott Westerfeld: Author Profile
The Life of the Author of Uglies, Midnighters and Many More
Jun 5, 2008
Born to a computer programmer in the 60s, when computers really were "on-the-edge" technology, it's no wonder Scott Westerfeld went on to write about the future, creating technology that most poeple have only dreamed about. He struck gold with the Midnighters series and the Uglies series, even to the point that Twentieth Century Fox has chosen Uglies as one of their possible films for 2010.
Westerfield's Early Years
Westerfeld was born on May 5, 1963, in Dallas, Texas, but as a child, moved to Callifornia and Connecticut for his father, Lloyd's, job. His mother, Pamela and two older sisters, Wendy and Jackie, rounded out the Westefeld family. It must have been an exciting time, growing up with a father who traveled to new towns to work on the newest types of technology. He had the opportunity to see his dad working with the Apollo missions in Houston, on Boeing planes in California, and on submarines in Connecticut.
Education
Though Westerfeld seemed to live a fairly normal (though not necessarily ordinary) childhood, he received a very prestigious education. He graduated from Arts Magnet High School in Dallas. He then went on to get his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy at Vassar (located in Poughkeepsie, New York) in 1985. WIthout a break, Westefeld went right into his graduate work in Performance Studies at New York University. Throughout his life he has held a number of jobs, ranging from ghost writer, to textbook editor, substitute teacher, factory worker and software designer.
Current and Fun Facts About Westerfield
Westerfeld and his wife, fellow author Justine Larbalestier, bounce between New York and Sydney, Australia, so they can basically have perpetual summer. The following are some interseting facts about Scott Westerfeld and some of his favorites:
- Book as a Child: Charlotte's Web
- Sports: Basketball, cricket and tennis
- Food: Mexican and Thai
- Meal: Breakfast
Publications
The following is a list of Westerfeld's publications and the year of their release:
- Polymorph (1997)
- Fine Prey (1998)
- Evolution's Darling (2000)
- The Killing of Worlds (2003)
- The Rising Empire (2003)
- Midnighters: The Secret Hour (2004)
- So Yesterday (2004)
- Midnighters: Touching Darkness (2005)
- Uglies (2005)
- Peeps (2005)
- Pretties (2005)
- Midnighters: Blue Noon (2006)
- Specials (2006)
- The Last Days (2006)
- Extras (2007)
- The Guide to the Uglies (2008)
Though his two trilogies, Uglies and Midnighters are his most popular, be sure to look at his stand-alones as well. If you have never explored Westerfelds fiction, do so, and fast! If you are already a fan, never fear, a new book is set for release in 2009 called Leviathan. It will be set in an alternate history during World War I, and is set as the first book in a trilogy.
 |
