The Reenactment

A short story about a history enthusiast, whose obsession with the Hamilton-Burr duel takes him to the Cliffs of Weehauken, and beyond. As produced by the great weird-tales podcast The Drabblecast. 

Android Karenina

From Quirk Books and Ben H. Winters, TImes-bestselling author of Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. Tolstoy's beloved epic, recast in a dystopian world of robots, cyborgs, and space travel! 

(SPECIAL TO VISITORS TO THIS SITE: If you're reading Android you might be interested in this  helpful glossary, or want to peruse this list of influences.)

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters

by Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters

A New York Times  best seller! Austen’s classic novel of love, heartache, and social distinction, except with nefarious pirates, primitive submarines, and rampaging giant mutant lobsters! 

Online incidental pieces... 

* An inside-baseball account of writing Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, for Slate.

* a recounting of my wrestling match with the plural of "octopus", for Visual Thesaurus.  

*  a virtual mix-tape of songs about the ocean and/or monstrousness, for the great Large-Hearted Boy blog.  

* and, on Huffington Post, a how-to guide, a call-to-arms, and an obituary.  

Uncle Pirate

A new musical, with a book by me and music & lyrics by the terrific Drew Fornarola. The debut production, directed by Jeremy Dobrish, will be at Vital Theater on the Upper West Side, starting Jan. 16th. It's about a timid, shy fourth grader, whose uncle turns out to be a...well, you can probably guess.

Worst-Case Scenarios

I have worked on numerous books in the best-selling humor series published by Chronicle, including...

Worst-Case Scenario Pocket Guide: New York City

The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Middle School 

Worst-Case Scenario Pocket Guide: Cars

Worst-Case Scenario Pocket Guide: San Francisco

Worst-Case Scenario Pocket Guide: Cats

Worst-Case Scenario Pocket Guide: Technology

Worst-Case Scenario Pocket Guide: Meetings

and

Worst-Case Scenario Pocket Guide: Sex

The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere

A musical for children about the silversmith turned patriot. Book and lyrics by me, music and more lyrics by Stephen Sislen. Touring forTheatreworksUSA since spring of 2006, and now available for licensefrom Samuel French. Check out the patriotic (yet goofy) anthem sung by the "Sons of Liberty."

A Tooth Fairy Tale

A musical for kids about a bored boy named Oliver who changes places with the Tooth Fairy. Mayhem and considerable silliness ensue. Book by me, music & lyrics by Rick Hip-Flores. Here's a swell review from the New York Times, and a sample (from the cast recording) , in which the Tooth Fairy longs for the life of a normal lady.

Breaking Up Is Hard to Do

Slut

Book and lyrics by me, music by Stephen Sislen. Off-color title notwithstanding, the show is a goofy, romantic, heartfelt musical comedy, A smash hit at the 2004 New York International Fringe Festival; Off-Broadway, fall of 2005; regional premiere at the Actors Theater of Charlotte in 2008.  Here you can listen to the opening number, “I’m Probably Not Gonna Call.”

Journalistic potpourri

In which I attend anarchist training camp (for In These Times),  join a cult (for NewCity Chicago), and cover the UN Conference on AIDS (for The Nation) by talking to a security guard in the cafe. 

From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:

"Ben H.Winters, author of the immensely popular Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, connects all of Tolstoy’s dots in the cleverly bizarre world he has created and he transforms a Russian novel into a delightfully demented work of science fiction." 

From the blog Masterswarm:

Android Karenina "...makes the reader think about what it truly means to be a person, to be human, and to be functioning member of society." 

And from the blog Running Bowline: 

"It would have been enough for Winters to modify and emulate the Russian master’s style, turning those skills to pure entertainment.  Throughout the novel, however, he uses this modified Victorian Russia to level a delicate criticism of modern society." 

More fun feedback on Android Karenina, like...

Four stars from the Florida State University newspaper!

A big recommendation from this "guys like to read, too!" website!

A very positive review from this puppet who works for a college bookstore! 

And an interview in Russian I remember giving, but can't understand!

(June 16) 

Some extremely positive feedback from the blogosphere on Android Karenina. 

* Galley Cat  says it's a "quick, light and funny read," but that the "true marvel of this mash-up is the way the author flips the events thoroughly and seamlessly from Czarist Russia to something more akin to 1984." 

* Popular Fidelity says "it's a credit to Winters that his additions work with and enhance Tolstoy's underlying themes, rather than detract from them."

* Geeks of Doom says "Android Karenina can definitely stand on its own as a great science fiction story." 

(June 15) 

Nice little interview and teaser in The Kansas City Star. 

(June 2)

The Detroit News says Breaking Up Is Hard to Do is "hard to resist." 

(May 17)  

In this interview with the Washington City Paper (to hype the appearance at the Smithsonian), I pray that with Sea Monsters i've "done justice to the original." 

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters is "weird, horrifying, irreverent...and really funny," says the Independence, Missouri Examiner. (Feb. 17)

What would Leo think? Defending and celebrating Android Karenina on Huffington Post. 

(June 15)

Behold, the weird and cool "trailer" for Android Karenina... 

It's official! Android Karenina is in stores! Pick up your copy today! (June 8)

Here I am on the CBC, talking about love and monsters:

Here I am talking up the audiobook version of Android Karenina on Suvudu.com.

(June 1)  

On June 8, the day Android Karenina hits the shelves, I'll be doing a reading and signing at the legendary Strand Books here in New York, where I'll be joined by Russophile extraordinaire Elif Batuman, author of The Possessed.

This will be an enormous amount of fun; if you're in New York, please come join us!

(May 28)

Spoke on Galleycat's Morning Media Menu today about Android Karenina and the art of the literary remix. 

And here's my contribution to their massive, multi-writer remake of Horatio Alger's Joe's Luck. 

(May 20) 

The nice people at the CBC asked me to give this short and informative talk on sea monsters and heartache. And in this clip from the Smithsonian Residents Associate book talk, I talk about why S&S&SM is so fun, and gesticulate a lot.

 (May 14)

Getting very close to pub. day for Android Karenina. I'll be reading and signing at the Steampunk World's Fair on Saturday, May 15th, at 9pm, signing at the Book Expo of America at 2:00pm on the afternoon of May 26, and hosting an online discussion group at Goodreads.com from June 14 through July 9.

Come join the Russo-Robotic fun! 

(May 10)

Update: Here I am at the Steampunk World's Fair. Man, that was some futuristic/historical fun.  

An excerpt from my play, Benjamin, appears in the new issue of The Dramatist. Warning, it contains the cursiest curse word in the English language, not once, but twice. (April 23)  

I added a bunch of stuff to the Calendar, including my upcoming appearance at C2E2, the massive Chicago comic/sci-fi convention, alongside the other Quirk Classics authors, Seth Grahame-Smith and Steve Hockensmith. (March 18)  

I hear (from my sci-fi digging Aunt Ann) the very cool news that Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters is an official Sci-Fi Book Club selection. (March 3) 

The cover of Android Karenina was unveiled today... (Feb 19). 

* Well, I revamped the website a bit, with the always-able assistance of Drew at Boom Creative.

(Feb. 17) 

* A very nice review for Uncle Pirate appears in this week's Time Out New York. Arrrr!  

(Jan. 29) 

* And another one in the New York Times. Double-arrrr!

(Feb. 5)

* My second novel, Android Karenina, will be published on June 8 by Quirk Classics. More info here, here, and here.

(Jan. 26)  

 * Don't forget to go see Uncle Pirate at Vital Theater, running through the end of February!

* Don't forget to come see me be pseudo-erudite at a Jane Austen panel at the famous Morgan Library! (If you can't make it, get the gist in this piece I did for Time Out, or the accompanying interview! 

(Jan. 23)

* Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters jumps back on the Times list; we also made our first appearance on the Publishers Weekly list, and (to my great delight) this list of campus best-sellers. The list of colleges surveyed includes my dear alma mater. Thank you, and go Bears.  (Dec. 4)

* Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, which is busily blitzing movie theaters even as we speak, got a great shout-out in this week's New York Magazine. 

Brilliant and borderline highbrow! I'll take it.

* Also, two new theatrical events on the calendar: A Great Big Miracle at Orlando Theater Project in December; and Uncle Pirate at Vital in January.

(Dec. 1)

Two exciting upcoming appearances to report: On November 14th at 1:00 pm I will be appearing at the Miami Book Fair, and on November  17th at the National Press Club author night! (Nov. 3)

Meanwhile, in the great alternative universe of the internet, I made my debut on the Huffington Post and did a little guest-blogging at Largehearted Boy. (Nov. 6)

After an exciting couple weeks in print, Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters just hit the New York Times best-seller list. Thanks to everyone who bought a copy -- enjoy!

(Sept. 25)

I'll be appearing on Fangoria Radio (on Sirius XM) tonight, September 18th, to plug Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. Tune in around 11 to hear me talk monsters with the host, Dee Snider of Twisted Sister.

In other radio news, I just taped an interview for Morning Edition on NPR, and that will appear on Monday (September 21).

Update: You can listen to the NPR piece here. (September 23)

We had a terrific "launch" party for Sea Monsters e at Idlewild Books in Chelsea, on September 15 at 7.  You can see some great pictures at the site of novelist Hannah Tinti, who stood in for Jane at the event. (Sept. 

A couple non-Sea Monster related updates for a change...

Number one is that Breaking Up is Hard to Do has been slated for the Coverdale Theater in Cincannati next spring.

Number two is that the musical version of the swell kids book Uncle Pirate, with music and lyrics by Drew Fornarola, and script by me, has officially been announced by Vital Theatre for their March/April 2010 slot. (August 10)

Amidst all the fun press greeting Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters -- including in Entertainment Weekly, a lot of cool blogs, and this awesome European paper that taught me the French word for sea monsters ("les calamars") -- it's important to note this wonderfully timely (and, I swear to God, coincidental) little news item, in which "jumbo squid invade San Diego shores, spook divers." (July 17

Lots of excitement about Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, including from the Wall Street Journal, Entertainment Weekly, and the Guardian UK.

And the good ole New York Times!

Hey, maybe you should be a fan of the book on Facebook!

Fun news: I'm the author -- er, co-author, with Jane Austen -- of Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, the follow-up to the international best-seller, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. The release date is September 15, but copies are available today (July 15) for advance order.

Check out the delightful "trailer" on the Quirk Classics youtube page.(7/15/09)

I am so excited and delighted and elated (and many other enthusiastic adjectives) to announce that HarperCollins Children's Books will be publishing my middle-grade novel, The Secret Life of Ms. Finkleman, in the fall of next year. (6/22/09)

Here's the announcement from Publisher's Weekly. (7/6/09)

The Orlando Theater Project will be presenting A Great Big Miracle, my Hanukkah play, this December. (6/10/09)

Four (whew) new Worst-Case "pocket guides" are coming out in September: Meetings, San Francisco, Cats, and (the one that was the most fun to write), Cars. If you want to know how to drive down stairs, here's the answer: you just do it. (5/24/09).

It looks like I'll be working on another show for Vital Theatre, this one adapted from the charming new novel  for kids by Douglas Rees, Uncle Pirate. (4/30/09)

Worst-Case Scenario Pocket Guide: New York City is out; get yours today!  (4/15/09)

A multiplicity of new productions of Breaking Up Is Hard to Do are on the calendar, including Wisconsin this spring and Cincinatti in spring 2010.(4/2/09)

The Billy Rose Theatre Collection at the New York Public Library of the Performing Arts is going to add a copy of Breaking Up Is Hard to Do, a fact which just tickles me pink. (2/25/09)

Worst Case: New York and Worst Case: Middle School will both be available within the next few weeks. (2/22/09)

The Ventura County Star has got Neil Sedaka saying some nice things about Breaking Up is Hard to Do, as well as a swell review. (1/16/09)

The next production of Breaking Up Is Hard to Do opens in Thousand Oaks, California on January 9; you can get tickets now. This production is the West Coast premiere, and the cast is terrific.

The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere will be leaving on its latest tour in late January 2009. To bring it to a school near you, contact TheatreWorks USA.

I've been named a Dramatists Guild Fellow for 2008-2009, in partnership with my frequent collaborator, the composer Stephen Sislen. 

As I have in the past, I wrote the script for the 2008 North Shore Animal League America Benefit Gala, which was at Capitale in Manhattan. Great gig, great cause.

Ben Allen H. Winters is a writer who lives in Brooklyn with all the other writers.  

I am represented as a playwright & librettist by Ron Gwiazda at the Abrams Agency; I am represented as a prose writer by Molly Lyons at Joelle Delbourgo Associates; I am represented at the United Nations, like all Americans, by Susan Rice.

Please send me an email, check out my Amazon page, or be my friend on Facebook.

For press copies of Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters or Android Karenina, or to schedule an interview about Quirk Classics, please contact Melissa at Quirk Books:  215-627-3581, X 271.

The H stands for "Hamilton vs. Burr"