K.W. Jeter is best known as a prolific author of media tie-in and so called franchise novels - most famously the two sequels to the film BLADE RUNNER. In regards to the art of writing, this -- in my opinion -- is a less important part of his career. My idea in compiling these pages is to present his previous, highly original novels, as well as some of his thoughts and ideas about that art of writing. What I have here so far is some biographical material , a few quotes and some links, as well as an opinionated bibliography. More to come. Enjoy.
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"It's hard to pick up a copy of Shakespeare or Shelley or something like that, without already having had a lot of stuff put into your head about what you're supposed to think about it. Whereas with sf, it was essentially a way of thumbing your nose and saying Hey, what you think is important I don't think is important. I'm just going to go over here with these people and hang out with them."
- K.W. Jeter
Kevin Wayne Jeter was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1950. Besides taking a liking to irritate any adults who were in close proximity, he also started reading science fiction and suspense novels at an early age. When others in class were reading the 'acknowledged' classics, K.W. made his book reports on novels by authors like Philip K. Dick and Robert Sheckley. Writing about something called CLANS OF THE ALPHANE MOON wasn't exactly what the teachers had had in mind, so "Once you start taking the position that your teacher doesn't know all there is to know about literature - as a matter of fact, he or she might be completely wrong about what they think they know - this is the genesis of an anti-authoritarian set of opinions. "
He went to college at Cal State Fullerton in the late 60's to early 70's, eventually graduating with a degree in sociology. He completed his first novel, DR. ADDER in 1972. Soon afterwards he met Tim Powers and through Tim another budding writer, James Blaylock.
These three, aspiring writers all, discussed science fiction plot outlines in campus bars and both Powers and Blaylock had already started sending their poetry to the campus newspaper, signing them as William Ashbless. K.W. had already met Phil Dick, when a professor of his, Willis McNally, had shown the manuscript of DR. ADDER to Phil. Phil, very much in character, liked it but suspected that Jeter was actually a government agent, so they broke off personal contact until 1976.
K.W. kept on with his interest in science fiction, and eventually a friend (presumably McNally) who knew Barry Malzberg, a prolific and highly original author, showed the manuscript to him. Despite Malzberg's many connections in the publishing circuit the novel seemed impossible to sell (but it gained a reputation in the sf editorial circles). Yet he did manage to point K.W. to the right direction, and get his first novels published. The publisher was Harlequin Publications of Canada, and they had this idea that sf novels are to men what romances are to women. This may sound like an odd place to start with, but the novels he wrote and published were quite entertaining and original: SEEKLIGHT (1975) and THE DREAMFIELDS (1976). The first one was a nicely downbeat novel about a young outcast boy on a journey across a planet in entropic decline, and the second one a phildickian tale of imaginary landscapes and conspiracies of the oppressive government.
By this time he had also written about half of DEATH ARMS, another novel which would wait for nearly 15 years before publication and had resumed his friendship with Phil Dick (late 1976). He, as well as Tim Powers (whom K.W. had recommended to his publisher, and who also wrote his first two novels for them) both had contracts for one further novel to be published in the Harlequin's Laser books line, but it folded before either one was finished. The unfinished novel of Jeter's, THE LAST WRONG NUMBER he describes: "It was all about some secret government agency that's booby-trapped everyone's telephones. They can just dial a number and it goes off in your ear and you die. Some phone phreak - like Capt. Crunch - finds out what the number is and starts calling up his old grade school teachers and blowing their heads off.."
Soon after the Laser books went down, he finished DEATH ARMS and his first Victorian pastiche MORLOCK NIGHT (1979). His marriage failed at this point and he had a very hard time accomplishing anything as far as writing goes; he kept up his friendship with Phil, though, often helping him out of his periodic depressions and discussing whatever their current fancy. This is the period when Phil wrote one of his finest novels, VALIS (1981), which is based on real people and real events, only transported into an imaginary reality. The cynical and sceptical Kevin in the book is drawn on K.W., while David, the good-natured christian is essentially Tim Powers. Phil appears as two characters, Horselover Fat and Philip K. Dick.
K.W. was working a night shift at this time, often spending time on phone with Phil or assembling bits on another unfinished novel EVERY SHOT WILL HIT. Nothing did come out of it and the only work he managed to get was another deal with Roger Elwood, who was also the personality behind the Laser books. This time he wrote a 'teenage Christian action adventure' novel and by his own words, a pretty good one at that. The publisher however decided to do extensive rewrites on it, thus violating the contract. It turned out to be the best money he had so far made on a book.
Soon enough he hooked up with his future wife, Geri, and quickly recovered from his funk.
to be continued.. Quotes from various interviews with K.W. Jeter - listed in the bibliography section.
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