Nathan Lowell has been a writer for more than forty years, and first entered the literary world by podcasting his novels.
His sci-fi series, The Golden Age of the Solar Clippergrew from his long time fascination with space opera and his own experiences shipboard in the United States Coast Guard. Unlike most works which focus on a larger-than-life hero (prophesized savior, charismatic captain, or exiled prince), Nathan centers on the people behind the scenes–ordinary men and women trying to make a living in the depths of space. In his novels, there are no bug-eyed monsters, or galactic space battles, instead he paints a richly vivid and realistic world where the “hero” uses hard work and his own innate talents to improve his station and the lives of those of his community.
Dr. Nathan Lowell holds a Ph.D. in Educational Technology with specializations in Distance Education and Instructional Design. He also holds an M.A. in Educational Technology and a BS in Business Administration. He grew up on the south coast of Maine and is strongly rooted in the maritime heritage of the sea-farer. He served in the USCG from 1970 to 1975, seeing duty aboard a cutter on hurricane patrol in the North Atlantic and at a communications station in Kodiak, Alaska. He currently lives in the plains east of the Rocky Mountains with his wife and two children.
From Nathan:
My “golden age of science fiction” started when I was ten in 1962. I rapidly exhausted all the sci-fi titles at my school library. To feed my reading obsession, an aunt who was a voracious reader, dropped off a paper grocery bag full of Ace Doubles every month. For those unfamiliar, a double is two novellas in one book printed back to back. You read one to the middle, then flip it over and read the other. My inspiration comes from all the greats: Asimov, Bujold, Cherryh … through Lackey, Modesitt, Moon … all the way through Weber, Willis, and Zelazny. I always had a desire to write fiction and when I started listening to books on podcasts, I knew I found a media to tell the stories bottled up in me.
Just finished and greatly enjoyed Double Share. I still wonder about the title. Maybe I missed the explaination, or it was in another book and I forgot it. Do the 3rd through 1st officers get a double share? The book included much less about trading than the first three and maybe the reference to double share got left on the cutting room floor.
Several other threads seem to have gotten lost in the ending. When and how did did the home office get the information Ishmael uncovered? What was the chief engineer up to? Did the owner have two people in play at once? How did the information about the steward ‘s mugging get to the owner so fast? Did the previous 3rd officer go to corporate with the story of the shipboard problems or did other officers or crew report he issues.
Anyway, thanks for a very enjoyable series and a well thought out universe.
Sincerely,
Yes. All officers get a Double Share.
Lots of stuff happened that Ishmael wasn’t privy to, so it didn’t show up on the page. 😉
Also, all the Trader’s Tales titles are pay grades. That’s why there is no academy story. There is no cadet’s share.
It’s also why the series title changed after Owner’s Share. There’s no share higher than Owner and I needed to tell some different stories in order to keep writing in the Deep Dark.
Just finished tearing through the Ismael books; very nice! I had a very hard time closing the Kindle app each night.
I do have just one question: where can I find the recipe for Frank’s Finest? (Years ago I worked at a place with a company cafeteria, and Bob, the chef, had this killer recipe for hash browns… People would come in in the middle of the morning JUST to get an order. I’ve never managed to duplicate the recipe. But I’d love to try making Frank’s Finest is there’s a recipe and it’s not just fiction.)
There is not – as yet – an official recipe.
I know what I think it is but it’s fun having fans offer their own takes on just what a pile of fried breakfast potatoes might contain.
I’ve just finished reading Ravenswood, the first but not the last of your novels I’ve read and perhaps an odd comment but I was surprised to find from your bio that you’re not a Brit! A few words scattered through the book, “git” and “silly bugger”, made me think you were. As you might gather, I am.
Downeaster from New England. We share some common vernacular. 🙂
Thank you for your books. I love all of Ishmael’s world. I’ve bought all the kindle versions, all the Audible versions, and downloaded and all the ones through Apple podcasts where you read them (as there are some things that got edited out before final version that still make me laugh aloud). They are a comforting friend that I come back to visit again and again. I also greatly enjoy your TOMMW podcasts. I’m more of a dabbler than a writer, but signed up for the 4theWords game after you spoke about it so much. A very useful tool for all my writing needs, and great fun.
Just wanted to drop a big Thank you!
Thanks for your kind words. 🙂
I really like the idea that the story flows from the daily activities of people doing their jobs. The tension (plot) comes from the jealousy or avarice of others & isn’t magic swords or galactic intrigue (for that we have Glynn Stewart). The Tanyth Fairport books were great. More please. Robert
Found it at last…!!
A year or so ago I commented that at one point in the original narrations (by far the best imho), that David Burneside was referred to as Daniel…. well, after listening to the entire Solar clipper universe twice over (no hardship btw), I found it….
In double share, where Geoff Maloney was handing control of the william tinker over to Mel, he spoke of captain Rossett having his ticket pulled, and Daniel Burnside being blacklisted from here to Gretna and back….
I was beginning to thing I was going nuts…!!
I just finished The Wizard’s Butler and loved it. Will there be a sequel? Does Mulligan gain some magical talent? Whatever will become of Shackleford House?
I hope you will turn it into a series, and if you do, that I will live long enough to read it. Joe and I are contemporaries.
P.S. I live in Arizona so was pleased to see the references to my current home state. Lived 25 years in Colorado before moving south, and in New England before that. So your locales are familiar to me.
Yes. I’m planning a sequel.
No, I have no plans for Mulligan to gain magical talent.
Shackleford House has secrets yet to be revealed.
😀
Please hurry. I haven’t got a lot of waiting time, either. Thanks also for the Fairport series.
So glad to hear there’s a sequel to Wizard’s Butler. Enjoyed that very much, and also the Fairport series
Starting Quarter Share soon!
Thank you! It’s my favorite, too.
May I ask if Tanyth Fairport ever had more than 3 books? Having only recently found you via The Wizards Butler, I read the Tanyth Trilogy where it says more coming in 2015…Please tell me there are more? I miss her already!
Many thanks
I have not revisited her world yet.
Perhaps I’ll look in on her when I get The Wizard’s Cat off my desk 😀
Oh GOOD! Shackelford will continue! Thank you!
I absolutely loved the Wizard’s Butler and I hope there will more about him. I loved even more the Tanyth Fairport books. I do hope there will be a 4th, now that Tanyth and Frank are together.
Your writing is exquisite. Your stories make me feel comfortably happy and they soothe my soul.
Thank you.
Thank you for all your books. I have listened to nearly all of them. I find them comforting in many ways, from the interaction of the characters to the soothing sound of the narrator’s voice. The positive interactions between characters that are everyday people lifts my spirits in ways other books often don’t.
I deal with depression and anxiety and I find when I listen to any of your books that it eases my mind.
This really things a bell for me. Books are my escape when depression hits. TWB is an absolute favorite. I need to go listen to the clipper ship series!
PLEEEASE tell me that you are going to put out more books in the SC marble Collins series. I just binge read book 1 and was so disappointed to find out there wasn’t another yet. Love the premise. Love how they have to think their way through this whole thing from getting handed a ship to needing to figure out how to get the money to outfit it. Please, please write more.
The status of the Marva Collins books is in the monthly post. 🙂
Any idea when there might be another Shackleford House book? Have just re-listened to the Wizard’s Butler, and looking forward to what happens next for everyone. Thank you.
As I posted, the next Shackleford House book – The Wizard’s Cat – is on my word processor now. It’s the next one but as to when? I learned long ago not to get people’s hopes up with deadlines I seldom meet. 🙂
i am sure that you will get it to your starving readers as soon as YOU are able! Not many authors spark my interest in reading but you have. Thanks for the The Wizard’s Cat (when it comes out)
I loved reading the minutiae of Ishmael’s shipboard life. I recently lost someone very dear to me and those books held me together in the first month. Comfort food for the soul. Thank you.
Just started “School Days”, which seems to be the continuation of Pip’s and Ishmael’s story from “Owners Share”. I am looking forward to reading this, and hope there will be more when I have finished it 🙂
It didn’t hit me until I was rereading the shares and the books from the other series in the universe…. the chapter titles are dates, and Nathan Lowell is such a great author that he ties little events from the different series together using those dates. Fourth time I reread the series I read them based on dates and picked up even more little events tying it al together.
Amazing work Mr. Lowell.
Thanks!
It is rare that I look up an author to learn more about him/her. The Wizards Butler has been in the back of my mind for years now since I read it and have been very conscious of looking for a sequel. I’m very pleased to hear that there will be one and you are working, in your way, on it. Sorry to hear you have had a hard go recently and I wish you the best (purely for selfish reasons, of course). Seriously though, I will check out your other works and perhaps even make further comment. Thanks!
Poor Roger!!! I hope he and the Shackleford House are up for their next challenge.
Thanx!!!
Nathan,
Thank you for sharing you wonderful imagination. I can’t tell you how many times I have listened to all of the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper. I have been listening since the early podcast days. I used to deliver auto parts for a Lexus dealership and got tired of listening to the same 20 songs on the radio all day and found you and another one of my favorite authors Scott Sigler. I remember hearing Jeffrey Kafer for the first time a thought, ” This doesn’t sound like Ishmael” But, now I couldn’t imagine hearing anyone else narrating Ishmael’s story. I still have the early versions with you narrating and still love them. I just started listening to ‘Hard Knocks’ and already I’m not looking forward to the end. Although, I could just start all over with “Quarter Share”. Keep up the good work and safe voyage!
Dear Nathan
I am listening to all your audiobooks. I find that Zypheria’s Call is no longer available on audible. Is there a problem? How can I buy it and download it?
There is a problem. Spotify bought FindAWay Voices and their new TOS force me off the platform.
I’m working to find an alternate source.