Stross, Charles (1964-…), is an English author of science-fiction, fantasy, and horror stories and novels. Stross is best known for science-fiction works that imaginatively portray humanity’s inability to control rapidly accelerating technology in the near future.
Stross first gained recognition for his short stories, many collected in Toast: And Other Rusted Futures (2002). Accelerando (2005) is a collection of related short stories about three generations of the Macx family. The action begins in the early 2000’s. The stories start by describing the impact of a rapidly changing global economy on Earth. They end in worlds populated by highly advanced human beings in the outer solar system.
Stross’s first novel is Singularity Sky (2003). The story takes place in the 2400’s. The novel describes a world called the New Republic that opposes the highly advanced technology of human colonies scattered throughout the solar system. Stross wrote a sequel, Iron Sunrise (2004). His “Merchant Princes” series deals with human beings who have the ability to travel between parallel Earths. Parallel Earths are various versions of our world that differ in certain details. The series began with The Family Trade (2004). Another series follows the adventures of a computer genius named Bob Howard. Howard works for a secret British government agency called the Laundry. The series began with The Atrocity Archives (2004).
Stross’s other novels include Glasshouse (2006), Halting State (2007), Saturn’s Children (2008), and Empire Games (2017). His later short stories were collected in Wireless (2009).
Charles David George Stross was born on Oct.18, 1964, in Leeds, England. He received a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from the University of London in 1986 and an advanced degree in computer science from the University of Bradford in 1990.
Stross lives in Edinburgh, Scotland. He has written nonfiction articles for science-fiction magazines and computer journals.
