Nicholas Julian Zapata Sagan (born September 16, 1970) is an American

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire ...

and

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

. He is the author of the

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

novels '' Idlewild'', ''

Edenborn ''Edenborn'' is a 2004 science fiction novel by American writer Nick Sagan. It is the sequel to ''Idlewild'', and takes place 18 years after that book. The sequel to this book and the final installment of the trilogy is ''Everfree''. Plot summa ...

'', and '' Everfree'', and has also written scripts for episodes of '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' and '' Star Trek: Voyager''. He is the son of astronomer

Carl Sagan Carl Edward Sagan (; ; November 9, 1934December 20, 1996) was an American astronomer, planetary scientist, cosmologist, astrophysicist, astrobiologist, author, and science communicator. His best known scientific contribution is research on ex ...

and artist and writer

Linda Salzman Linda Salzman is an American artist and writer. Biography Salzman created the artwork for the plaque on the Pioneer spacecraft and coproduced the Voyager Golden Record. She co-authored the book '' Murmurs of Earth'' with her husband, astronome ...

Life

At age six, Sagan's greeting, "Hello from the children of planet Earth," was recorded and placed aboard

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeedin ...

Voyager Golden Record The Voyager Golden Records are two phonograph records that were included aboard both Voyager spacecraft launched in 1977. The records contain sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth, and are intended for ...

. Launched with a selection of terrestrial greetings, sights, sounds and music, the ''

Voyager 1 ''Voyager 1'' is a space probe launched by NASA on September 5, 1977, as part of the Voyager program to study the outer Solar System and interstellar space beyond the Sun's heliosphere. Launched 16 days after its twin '' Voyager 2'', ''V ...

'' and ''

Voyager 2 ''Voyager 2'' is a space probe launched by NASA on August 20, 1977, to study the outer planets and interstellar space beyond the Sun's heliosphere. As a part of the Voyager program, it was launched 16 days before its twin, '' Voyager 1'', ...

'' spacecraft are now the most distant man-made objects in the universe, with ''Voyager 1'' having left the Solar System on August 25, 2012, being the first to do so. Sagan went to the

Mirman School Mirman School is an independent, co-educational school for highly gifted children located at 16180 Mulholland Drive in Bel-Air, Los Angeles, California, United States,University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the Californ ...

. Sagan has been writing for Hollywood since 1992, crafting screenplays, teleplays, animation episodes and computer games. He has two older brothers; his brother Dorion is a science writer. He has worked for a variety of studios and production companies, including Paramount,

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

, New Line, Universal, Disney, actor/producer

Tom Cruise Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962), known professionally as Tom Cruise, is an American actor and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actors, he has received various accolades, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Go ...

, and directors

David Fincher David Andrew Leo Fincher (born August 28, 1962) is an American film director. His films, mostly psychological thrillers and biographical dramas, have received 40 nominations at the Academy Awards, including three for him as Best Director. F ...

and

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of many major accolades, incl ...

. Sagan co-wrote the award-winning computer adventure game, ''Zork Nemesis: The Forbidden Lands''. His film credits include adaptations of novels by

Orson Scott Card Orson Scott Card (born August 24, 1951) is an American writer known best for his science fiction works. He is the first and (as of 2022) only person to win both a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award in consecutive years, winning both awards for both ...

Ursula K. Le Guin Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (; October 21, 1929 – January 22, 2018) was an American author best known for her works of speculative fiction, including science fiction works set in her Hainish universe, and the '' Earthsea'' fantasy series. She was ...

, Pierre Ouellette and Charles Pellegrino. His television credits include two episodes of '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' and five episodes of '' Star Trek: Voyager'', where he worked as a story editor. At the turn of the millennium, astronaut

Sally Ride Sally Kristen Ride (May 26, 1951 – July 23, 2012) was an American astronaut and physicist. Born in Los Angeles, she joined NASA in 1978, and in 1983 became the first American woman and the third woman to fly in space, after cosmonau ...

recruited him to work for SPACE.com as Executive Producer of Entertainment & Games. During his tenure at SPACE.com, the inspiration for a series of novels came to Sagan, and he sold the Idlewild Trilogy to Penguin Putnam in 2002. ''Idlewild'' received a starred review from Kirkus, a Book Sense 76 pick, and selection from both Borders and Barnes & Noble as one of the best science fiction/fantasy novels of the year.

Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gra ...

called it "absolutely fun, like a roller-coaster ride of fusion fiction" and "the kind of book you simply don't want to stop reading." ''Edenborn'' continues the story from ''Idlewild'' (however it can also be read as a standalone). ''

SFX Magazine ''SFX'' is a British magazine covering the topics of science fiction and fantasy. Its name is a reference to the abbreviated form of "special effects". Description ''SFX'' magazine is published every four weeks by Future plc and was founded in 19 ...

'' gave ''Edenborn'' a perfect five star review, declaring it "one of the best post-apocalyptic novels you will ever read." SF Crowsnest hailed Sagan as "an adrenaline shot straight into the heart of science fiction," while SF Site called the novel "elegant SF, dark and haunting, with characters who linger in memory long after the last page is turned." The series' third instalment, ''Everfree'', was praised by ''Sci Fi Weekly'' as being "startlingly original" and "undeniably satisfying and triumphant." Kirkus remarked that "Sagan's mind-blowing post-apocalyptic trilogy comes to a satisfying, terrifying conclusion." They went on to hail the book as "a powerful plea for sensible human cooperation delivered via a knockout story." Sagan taught screenwriting at

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...

in the spring of 2007. He currently teaches screenwriting at

Ithaca College Ithaca College is a private college in Ithaca, New York. It was founded by William Egbert in 1892 as a conservatory of music and is set against the backdrop of the city of Ithaca (which is separate from the town), Cayuga Lake, waterfalls, and ...

. Both institutions are in

Ithaca, New York Ithaca is a city in the Finger Lakes region of New York, United States. Situated on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake, Ithaca is the seat of Tompkins County and the largest community in the Ithaca metropolitan statistical area. It is named ...

Works

Novels

* '' Idlewild'' (2003) * ''

'' (2004) * '' Everfree'' (2006)

Short stories

* "Tees and Sympathy" in Subterranean #4 (2006)

Television credits

* '' Star Trek: Voyager'' (1998-1999) ** "

In the Flesh In the Flesh may refer to: Books * ''In the Flesh'' (2009 graphic novel), a collection of stories by Koren Shadmi Film and TV * ''In the Flesh'' (1998 film), an American gay-themed murder mystery film * ''In the Flesh'' (2003 film), an Indian ...

" ** "

Gravity In physics, gravity () is a fundamental interaction which causes mutual attraction between all things with mass or energy. Gravity is, by far, the weakest of the four fundamental interactions, approximately 1038 times weaker than the stro ...

" with

Bryan Fuller Bryan Fuller (born July 27, 1969) is an American television writer and producer who has created a number of television series, including ''Dead Like Me'', ''Wonderfalls'', ''Pushing Daisies'', ''Hannibal'', and ''American Gods.'' Fuller worked as ...

** " Course: Oblivion" with

** "

Juggernaut A juggernaut (), in current English usage, is a literal or metaphorical force regarded as merciless, destructive, and unstoppable. This English usage originated in the mid-nineteenth century and was adapted from the Sanskrit word Jagannath. ...

" with

Kenneth Biller Kenneth Todd Biller (born December 23, 1964) is a television producer, writer, director and editor. He has worked on a number of American television shows including ''Beverly Hills, 90210'', '' Star Trek: Voyager'', '' Legend of the Seeker'' an ...

** " Relativity" with

& Michael Taylor * '' Captain Simian & The Space Monkeys'' (1996) ** "Gormongous!" * ''

Exosquad ''Exosquad'' is an animated television series created by Universal Animation Studios, Universal Cartoon Studios for MCA TV's Universal Family Network broadcast syndication, syndicated programming block. The show is set in the beginning of the 22n ...

'' (1995) ** "A Night Before Doomsday" with Mark Edens * ''

Space Precinct ''Space Precinct'' is a British television series that was first broadcast from 1994 to 1995 on Sky One and later on BBC Two from 1995 to 1996 in the UK, and in first-run syndication in the United States. Many US stations scheduled the show in ...

'' (1995) ** "Predator and Prey" * '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (1993-1994) ** " Attached" ** " Bloodlines" * '' Jack's Place'' (1993) ** "The Seventh Meal" with

Games

* '' OurColony'' (2005) * '' Zork: Nemesis'' (1996) with Cecilia Barajas and

Adam Simon Adam Simon (born February 6, 1962) is an American director, producer, and screenwriter. His directing credits include '' Brain Dead'' (1990), '' Body Chemistry II: The Voice of a Stranger'' (1992), and '' Carnosaur'' (1993). Simon, along with p ...

References

External links

* * *
''Science Fiction Weekly'' Interview
conducted by

John Joseph Adams John Joseph Adams (born 1976) is an American science fiction and fantasy editor, critic, and publisher. Career Editor Adams worked as Assistant Editor at ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'' from May 2001 to December 2009. In January 20 ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sagan, Nick 1970 births Living people 21st-century American novelists American people of Russian-Jewish descent American male novelists American science fiction writers American short story writers American television writers American male television writers Jewish American novelists Jewish agnostics University of California, Los Angeles alumni American male short story writers Sagan family American male screenwriters Carl Sagan 21st-century American non-fiction writers American male non-fiction writers Writers from Boston 21st-century American male writers