| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | |
| DATE: | June 16, 2006 |
| CONTACT: | Dr. David Mead, Chair of the Department of English, (361) 825-2360; or Steve Paschal, Public Affairs, (361) 825-2336 |
Science Fiction Stories by A&M-Corpus Christi Professor and Former Student Takes Readers through Futuristic Journey
“Infinite Wonderlands” to make debut at National Science Fiction Meeting
At least that’s the spin Steven Spielberg might put on the literary collaboration between A&M-Corpus Christi English professor David Mead and his former student Oscar De Los Santos, a 1987 graduate of Corpus Christi State University who is now a professor of English at Western Connecticut University. The American edition of their book “Infinite Wonderlands” will be released during the annual Science Fiction Research Association meeting in White Plains, New York on Thursday, June 22.
“Infinite Wonderlands” is a collection of tales in the tradition of Rod Serling’s “Twilight Zone” short stories. Teacher and former pupil have created a future “filled with both hope and uncertainty” where “the human race may well be its own worst enemy.”
Literature is often inspired by irony so it is only fitting that “Infinite Wonderlands” was the result of a chance encounter between Mead and De Los Santos at a conference of science fiction writers almost 20 years after they parted ways. De Los Santos, who was under contract to write a multi-volume collection of stories for the publisher of his previous book, was suffering from a touch of writer’s block. While discussing his creative frustration over coffee with Mead the two noticed a steady stream of people going in-an-out of a nearby store that specialized in nutritional supplements.
That observation led to a conversation about the obsession of some human beings with obtaining the perfect body. And, as their imaginations took over, the arch-villain “writer’s block” was vanquished, and the alien-possession story “May We Help You?” was born. Their collaboration established, De Los Santos and Mead penned eight or nine short stories over the next six months and “Infinite Wonderlands” was completed. It is being published by the Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press in China as well as by Fine Tooth Press here in the United States.
“It’s really been a nice collaboration,” said Mead who is serving his second two-year term as president of the Science Fiction Research Association www.sfra.org. “The book contains stories that speak to people outside the constraints of prejudice, bias and preconceived notions. We don’t focus so much on the trappings of science as we do on getting the characters into an interesting story.”
De Los Santos believes that the best of science fiction deserves a place alongside the best of mainstream literature. He is encouraged that science fiction, fantasy and horror writers are taking their place with the acknowledged literary greats.
“It’s all about good story telling, period,” stressed De Los Santos. “Innovative ideas, engaging themes, and some conflict, that’s what makes a good story, regardless of genre.
While Del Los Santos and Mead didn’t have to travel through time to form a literary team, their perspectives of the science fiction genre from distinctly different generations. As a youngster in the 1950s, Mead whetted his literary appetite on the stories of science fiction pioneers Jack Vance and Jack Williams. Nearly a generation later, De Los Santos delighted in the tales of such greats as Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein and Arthur C. Clark. His passion was also fueled by the additional influence of television programs such as “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea,” the satirical “Lost in Space” and the classic “Star Trek” series.
“I’ve been in love with science fiction since I was a kid,” De Los Santos said. “Of course, back then I was more interested in the cheesier sci-fi offerings of network television. But when I was about 10, I read a collection of Bradbury short stories called ‘R is for Rocket’ that turned me on to the real wonder at the heart of the best science fiction stories. It’s been more than 20 years since David Mead was my teacher, but he’s the one who showed me that you don’t have to give up your love of genre stories like science fiction once you get into academe.”