Adrian Tchaikovsky

Adrian Czajkowski
Adrian Tchaikovsky
Born	1972 (1972) (age 52) Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom
Occupation	Author and legal executive
Language	English
Nationality	British
Alma mater	University of Reading
Period	2008 – present
Genre	Fantasy and science fiction [1]
Subject	Zoology and psychology
Notable works	Shadows of the Apt series Children of Time Dogs of War
Notable awards	Arthur C. Clarke Award (2016) Hugo Award for Best Series (2023) [a]
Children	1
Website
www.adriantchaikovsky.com

Adrian Czajkowski (spelt as Adrian Tchaikovsky for his books; born June 1972) is a British fantasy and science fiction author. He is best known for his series Shadows of the Apt, and for his Hugo Award-winning ^[a] Children of Time series. ^[2]

Children of Time was awarded the 30th Arthur C. Clarke Award in 2016. Author James Lovegrove described it as "superior stuff, tackling big themes – gods, messiahs, artificial intelligence, alienness – with brio". ^[3]

Biography

Adrian Czajkowski was born in Lincolnshire in Woodhall Spa in June 1972. ^[4] He is of Polish descent. ^[5] He cites the natural world as an early influence, along with naturalists such as Gerald Durrell and David Attenborough, and he was fascinated by the Natural History Museum. "From there", he says in interview, "wanting to understand the behaviour – the minds – of the nonhuman started to take precedence." ^[6]

He studied zoology and psychology at the University of Reading, although he eventually became disillusioned with the content of the course. ^[7] He then qualified as a legal executive. ^[8] He was employed as a legal executive for the Commercial Dispute Department of Blacks, Solicitors, of Leeds ^[9] until late 2018, when he became a full time writer. ^[8]

Tchaikovsky's first foray into writing was in 1996, when he submitted several stories for publication in Xenos magazine. In the early 2000 he won Xenos's annual competition with the short story The Roar of the Crowd, only for the magazine to fold pre-publication. ^[10]

In 2008, after Tchaikovsky had spent fifteen years trying to get published, his novel Empire in Black and Gold was finally published by Tor Books (UK) –an imprint of Pan Macmillan  –in the United Kingdom. ^[11] The series was later published in America by Pyr Books. Tchaikovsky expressed the desire that the Polish editions of his novels feature the original Polish spelling of his surname, ^[12] but these too used "Tchaikovsky". ^[13]

On 23 January 2019, Tchaikovsky was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of the Arts by the University of Lincoln. ^[14]

He lives in Leeds with his wife and son. ^{[15] [16] [17]}

Writing career

Tchaikovsky revealed the basis of Shadows of the Apt in an online essay entitled "Entering the Shadows" at Upcoming4.me. ^[18]

Whilst studying at the University of Reading he managed a role-playing game named Bugworld. The game concerned the story of the insect-people of the Lowlands, threatened by the encroaching Wasp Empire. From this original scenario the entire series of books grew. ^[19]

Tchaikovsky still uses role-playing games to help develop his stories, but now also uses live action role-playing, which assists in describing the numerous action and battle sequences in his books. He is currently involved with the LARP game Empire. ^[20]

Tchaikovsky has regularly expressed his intention regarding the Shadows of the Apt series not to make science better than magic, ^[21] or vice versa: "This is another key element, really: the magic/tech divide is a concept that turns up here and there in fantasy, but usually one side is good (mostly magic) and the other (dirty polluting tech) is bad. With the world of the kinden, they’re basically both as bad as the people who use them, whether it’s blood sacrifice in a Mantis-kinden grove or the Wasp Empire’s city-levelling weaponry." ^[22]

Themes

Themes in Tchaikovsky's books include: "the frailties of human bureaucracy and the difficulty we have in seeing beyond the human perspective," ^[23] and "the terrible things we do to each other and the dogged resistance offered by the victim-participants in the vile mills of misery that are totalizing governments and wars of aggression." ^[24] Critics have commented positively on his "definitive" depiction of alien civilizations ^[25] and his treatment of "huge themes about belief, artificial intelligence, legacy, discovery, alienness and much more." ^[26] In an interview with Jon Sutton for the British Psychological Society, Tchaikovsky says that "Human perception of time is one of the biggest limitations of being human," and that this shortcoming lies behind many current problems, such as climate change. ^[27]

Awards and nominations

Tchaikovsky has received the following literary awards and nominations:

Table key

§	Indicates a declined award

Year	Work	Award	Result	Ref.
2016	Children of Time	Arthur C. Clarke Award	Won	[3]
2017	The Tiger and the Wolf	British Fantasy Award for Best Fantasy Novel	Won	[28]
2019	Children of Ruin	BSFA Award for Best Novel	Won	[29]
2020	The Doors of Eden	Philip K. Dick Award	Nominated	[30]
		Sidewise Award for Alternate History for Long-form	Won	[31] [32]
2021	Shards of Earth	BSFA Award for Best Novel	Won	[29]
2022	City of Last Chances	BSFA Award for Best Novel	Won	[29]
	Elder Race	Hugo Award for Best Novella	Nominated	[33]
2023	Ogres	Hugo Award for Best Novella	Nominated	[34]
	The Children of Time series	Hugo Award for Best Series	Won§ [a]	[36]
	And Put Away Childish Things	BSFA for Best Shorter Fiction	Won	[29]

Bibliography

Novels

Shadows of the Apt
Main novels

• Empire in Black and Gold (2008), ISBN   978-0-230-73646-7
• Dragonfly Falling (2009), ISBN   978-0-230-70415-2
• Blood of the Mantis (2009), ISBN   978-0-230-70416-9
• Salute the Dark (2010), ISBN   978-0-330-51144-5
• The Scarab Path (2010), ISBN   978-0-330-51145-2
• The Sea Watch (2011), ISBN   978-0-330-51146-9
• Heirs of the Blade (2011), ISBN   978-0-230-75699-1
• The Air War (2012), ISBN   978-0-230-75700-4
• War Master's Gate (2013), ISBN   978-0-230-75701-1
• Seal of the Worm (2014), ISBN   978-0-230-77001-0

Tales of the Apt (short story collections in the Apt universe)

• Spoils of War (2016), ISBN   978-1-910935-21-7
• A Time for Grief (2017), ISBN   978-1-910935-46-0
• For Love of Distant Shores (2018), ISBN   978-1-910935-71-2
• The Scent of Tears (2018), ISBN   978-1-910935-93-4

Children of Time

• Children of Time (2015), ISBN   978-1-4472-7328-8
• Children of Ruin (2019), ISBN   978-1-5098-6585-7
• Children of Memory (2022), ISBN   978-1-5290-8717-8

Echoes of the Fall

• The Tiger and the Wolf (2016), ISBN   978-0-230-77006-5
• The Bear and the Serpent (2017), ISBN   978-1-5098-3022-0
• The Hyena and the Hawk (2018), ISBN   978-1-5098-3026-8

Bioforms

• Dogs of War (Head of Zeus, 2017), ISBN   978-1-78669-388-4
• Bear Head (Head of Zeus, 2021), ISBN   978-1-80024-154-1

The Tyrant Philosophers

• City of Last Chances (2022), ISBN   978-1-80110-842-3
• House of Open Wounds (2023), ISBN   978-1-0359-0138-8
• Days of Shattered Faith (2024), ISBN   978-1-0359-0152-4

The Final Architecture

• Shards of Earth (Tor, 2021), ISBN   978-1-5290-5188-9
• Eyes of the Void (Tor, 2022), ISBN   978-1-5290-5193-3
• Lords of Uncreation (Tor, 2023), ISBN   978-1-5290-5198-8

Standalone novels

• Guns of the Dawn (2015), ISBN   978-0-230-77003-4
• Spiderlight (Tor.com, 2016), ISBN   978-0-7653-8836-0
• Cage of Souls (Head of Zeus, 2019), ISBN   978-1-78854-724-6
• The Doors of Eden (2020), ISBN   978-1-5098-6588-8
• Alien Clay (Orbit, 2024), ISBN   978-0-316-57896-7
• Service Model (Tor.com, 2024), ISBN   978-1-250-29028-1

After the War series

Redemption's Blade (Solaris Books, 2018), ISBN   978-1-78108-579-0, is the first book in a multi-author series. The series was continued with Salvation's Fire by Justina Robson and published on 4 September 2018.

Warhammer 40,000

Tchaikovsky's first Warhammer 40,000 novel Day of Ascension (2022), like his short story "Raised in Darkness" from Inferno! Volume 6 (2021), concerns the insidious Genestealer Cults.

• Day of Ascension (2022)

Novellas

Expert Systems

• The Expert System's Brother (Tor.com, 2018), ISBN   9781250197566
• The Expert System's Champion (Tor.com, 2021), ISBN   978-1250766397

Terrible Worlds
Revolutions

• Ironclads (Solaris Books, 2017), ISBN   978-1781085684
• Firewalkers (Solaris Books, 2020), ISBN   9781781088487
• Ogres (Solaris Books, 2022), ISBN   978-1786185280

Destinations

• Walking to Aldebaran (Solaris Books, 2019), ISBN   9781781087060
• One Day All This Will Be Yours (Solaris Books, 2021), ISBN   978-1781088746
• And Put Away Childish Things (Solaris Books, 2023), ISBN   978-1786188793.

Transformations

• Saturation Point (Solaris Books, 2023), ISBN   978-1837861743.

Standalone Novellas

• Made Things (Tor.com, 2019), ISBN   9781250232991
• The House on the Old Cliff (Dyslexic Friendly Quick Read) (BOTH Press, 2021), ISBN   9781913603045
• Elder Race (Tor.com, 2021), ISBN   978-1250768728

Short stories

• "The Final Conjuration" in Two Hundred and Twenty-One Baker Streets: An Anthology of Holmesian Tales Across Time and Space (Abaddon Books, 2014) ISBN   978-1781082225, a collection of Sherlock Holmes short stories
• "Where the Brass Band Plays" in Urban Mythic 2 (Alchemy Press, 2014), ISBN   978-0-9573489-9-8 ^[37]
• "Shadow Hunter" in Grimdark Magazine, issue #1 ^[38]

Other collections

• Feast and Famine (New Con Press, 2013), ISBN   978-1907069543. This collection contains the stories "Feast and Famine", "The Artificial Man", "The Roar of the Crowd", "Good Taste", "The Dissipation Club", "Rapture", "Care", "2144 and All That", "The God Shark" and "The Sun in the Morning".

• The Private Life of Elder Things (2016), ISBN 978-1911034025. Co-authored by Keris McDonald and Adam Gauntlett. A collection of new Lovecraftian fiction about confronting, discovering and living alongside the creatures of the Mythos.

• Terrible Worlds: Revolutions (Solaris, 2023), ISBN   978-1786188885. Collects three novellas: Ironclads, Firewalkers and Ogres.

Critical studies and reviews of Tchaikovsky's work

The Doors of Eden

• West, Michelle (July–August 2020). "Musing on Books". F&SF . 139 (1&2): 88‒94.

Notes

1. Tchaikovsky has since disavowed the award due to the subsequent controversy regarding that year's Hugo ballot. ^[35]

References

1. "Summary Bibliography: Adrian Tchaikovsky". www.isfdb.org.
2. Tomio, Jay (26 September 2008). "Bug Out with Adrian Tchaikovsky Before Children of Time". Nekoplz. Retrieved 11 March 2010.
3. Flood, Alison (24 August 2016). "Arthur C Clarke award goes to Adrian Tchaikovsky's novel of 'universal scale'". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 August 2016– via www.theguardian.com.
4. Clute, John (13 June 2022). "Tchaikovsky, Adrian". In Clute, John; Langford, David (eds.). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (4th ed.).
5. "About the author : Shadows of the Apt".
6. Tabler, Beth (7 March 2021). "Interview - Adrian Tchaikovsky". BEFOREWEGOBLOG. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
7. Tabler, Beth (7 March 2021). "Interview - Adrian Tchaikovsky". BEFOREWEGOBLOG. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
8. "Adrian Tchaikovsky: From Star to Star". Locus . Vol. 88, no. 5. 9 May 2022.
9. "Who's Who?" (PDF). www.lawblacks.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 December 2015. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
10. "Clarkesworld Magazine - Science Fiction & Fantasy". Clarkesworld Magazine. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
11. "Adrian Tchaikovsky interview". Archived from the original on 9 November 2009. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
12. Tchaikovsky, Adrian (30 March 2008). "The Long Good Lunch". Empire Rising. Archived from the original on 13 March 2012. However, as the possibility of the Polish rights being sold seems extremely viable, there is an epilogue to this tale of Frankish ignorance, for in Poland, one would strongly assume, I may finally see my name in print in its unadulterated form.
13. "Imprerium Czerni i złota – Adrian Tchaikovsky" (in Polish). Rebis. Archived from the original on 9 October 2010. Retrieved 12 October 2010.
14. "First nursing associates graduate among 1,000 students in Lincoln". The Lincolnite. 23 January 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
15. "Pan Macmillan author page". Archived from the original on 13 January 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
16. Tchaikovsky, Adrian (2010). The Scarab Path. Tor Books. ISBN   978-0-330-51145-2.
17. Wright, Jonathan (September 2009). "Meet a Brit author in the vanguard of the new heroic fantasy…". SFX Magazine. Archived from the original on 8 March 2010. Retrieved 15 March 2010.
18. "Story behind Shadows of the Apt by Adrian Tchaikovsky – Entering the Shadows". Upcoming4.me. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
19. "Story behind Shadows of the Apt by Adrian Tchaikovsky - Entering the Shadows - Upcoming4.me". 6 October 2014. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
20. "Profound Decisions – Empire". www.profounddecisions.co.uk. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
21. See Magic in fiction
22. "Interview with Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of Shadow of the Apt series". www.londoncalling.com. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
23. Brooks, Robin (6 June 2024). "'Service Model' by Adrian Tchaikovsky: A Book Review". GeekDad. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
24. "Russell Letson Reviews House of Open Wounds by Adrian Tchaikovsky". Locus Online. 15 March 2024. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
25. Hamilton, Peter F. (24 June 2020). "Top 10 books about remaking the future". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 9 June 2024.
26. Insider, WIRED. "29 of the Best Science Fiction Books Everyone Should Read". Wired. ISSN   1059-1028 . Retrieved 9 June 2024.
27. "'Human perception of time is one of the biggest limitations of being human'". BPS. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
28. "Announcing the 2017 British Fantasy Award Winners". Tor.com. 1 October 2017..
29. "Previous BSFA Award Winners".
30. "Nominations 2021". 21 January 2021.
31. "Adrian Tchaikovsky: From Star to Star". Locus Online. 9 May 2022. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
32. "Sidewise Award". Lincoln City Libraries. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
33. "2022 Hugo Awards". World Science Fiction Society. 4 September 2022. Archived from the original on 5 September 2022. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
34. "2023 Hugo Awards". 6 July 2023.
35. Tchaikovsky, Adrian. "A Statement on the 2023 Hugo Awards". adriantchaikovsky.com. Archived from the original on 21 February 2024. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
36. "The 2023 Hugo Award Winners Are Here". Gizmodo . 24 October 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
37. "Urban Mythic 2". 12 August 2014. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
38. "Grimdark Magazine #1".

External links

• speculative fiction
  portal
• biography
  portal

• Adrian Tchaikovsky older website, still up
• official website
• Adrian Tchaikovsky at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database