Paul Levinson, PhD, is Professor of Communication & Media Studies at Fordham University in NYC. His science fiction novels include The Silk Code (winner of Locus Award for Best First Science Fiction Novel of 1999), Borrowed Tides (2001), The Consciousness Plague (2002), The Pixel Eye (2003), The Plot To Save Socrates (2006), Unburning Alexandria (2013), Chronica (2014), and It’s Real Life (2024). His stories and novels have been nominated for Hugo, Nebula, Sturgeon, Sidewise, Edgar, Prometheus, and Audie Awards. His novelette “The Chronology Protection Case” was made into short movie, now on Amazon Prime. His 2022 short story, “It’s Real Life,” was made into a radio play in 2023, now streaming on Killerwatt.co Radio, and was expanded into a novel published in 2024. His novelette, “Robinson Calculator,” was published in the Robots Through the Ages anthology in July 2023. His nonfiction books, including The Soft Edge (1997), Digital McLuhan (1999), Realspace (2003), Cellphone (2004), New New Media (2009; 2nd edition, 2012), McLuhan in an Age of Social Media (2015), Fake News in Real Context (2016), and Cyber War and Peace (2017), have been translated into fifteen languages. He co-edited Touching the Face of the Cosmos: On the Intersection of Space Travel and Religion in 2016. He appears on CNN, MSNBC, the Discovery Channel, National Geographic, the History Channel, NPR, and numerous TV and radio programs. His 1972 LP, Twice Upon a Rhyme, was re-issued in 2010. His new LP, Welcome Up: Songs of Space and Time, was released by Old Bear Records, with vinyl distributed by Light In the Attic Records, in early 2020. He was President of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, 1998-2001. He reviews television and movies in his InfiniteRegress.tv blog, and talks about TV, music, politics, science fiction, and the kitchen sink on his Light On Light Through podcast.

Paul Levinson Science Fiction Sampler — thanks Bob Hutchins for the soundtrack via Udio.ai

Buy the novel here.

Book Launch event at The Player’s Club, 16 Gramercy Park South, New York City, March 27, 6-9 PM, Reading & Signing. See video of the Reading:

Reviews of the novel:

“Paul is original his books and music are different than the norm — they are clever!” — Billy J. Kramer 🎶

“a wild ride” — Michael McLuhan 🎶

“now I’m desperate to hear songs from the Asimov/McCartney musical” — Thomas MacFarlane, The Beatles and McLuhan and Lennon and McCartney: Painting with Sound 🎶

“”I got so hooked that I stayed up way beyond my bedtime and read it in one go. It was not just extremely entertaining (I started looking forward to the Tom Petty phone calls) but also a nifty take on averting the grandfather paradox.” — Geoffrey Winthrop-Young, Kittler and the Media🎶

“brilliantly entertaining … it’s no wonder this novel is such a transportive experience: it does exactly what our favorite songs do. It transports us, makes us remember, and wish … you couldn’t find a better escape than Paul Levinson’s It’s Real Life.” — Anthony Marinelli, Amazon 🎶

“Paul Levinson’s It’s Real Life is an incredibly unique and captivating peek behind rock and roll’s mysterious curtain. The idea that the story delves into an alternate world adds to its page-turning intrigue. Highly recommended!” — Steven Manchester, The Menu 🎶

“one of my favourite moments treats us to a Beatles concert in Central Park” — Keith Soltys, Core Dump 🎶

“a fascinating tale of what could have been had John Lennon not been murdered … a passionate celebration of a musical genius whose life was prematurely cut short … a science fictional celebration [by] a master of speculative fiction and alternate reality, Paul Levinson” — Chris Cosmain, Novikov Windows and The Amazon Anomaly 🎶

“a brilliantly written and fun sci-fi tale that is perfect for fans of the genre and music nerds” — Evan Levine, Interesting People, 🎶

“Such a wonderful story! I grew up as a real science fiction fan and time travel and alternative history has always been a favorite SF genre of mine. The story offers such a speculative piece that keeps one thinking. A detective story mixed with all of this. Just a wonderful story. With synchronicity mixed into it and the mention of Roots of Coincidence, one of my favorite books from long ago. In many ways, a story for our times after Covid as many think we are living in some alternate reality or alternative history.” — John Fraim, Amazon 🎶

“What would you do if you came from an alternate reality in which John Lennon was never killed — and you became accidentally aware of our own universe? This excellent, eerie novel explores that question in ingenious style. It’s a page-turner with philosophical heft and a great sense of rock history (not to mention some surprise cameos by Lennon, David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, and other luminaries). Highly recommended for fans of Philip K. Dick and/or the Beatles.” — SVL, Goodreads 🎶

“Paul Levinson’s It’s Real Life is a page-turning exploration into that multiverse known as rock and roll. But it is much more than a marvelous adventure narrated by a master storyteller…it is also an exquisite (and absolutely non-didactic) meditation on the very nature of alternate history.” — Jack Dann, A Fiction Writer’s Guide to Alternate History 🎶

Reviews of the 1st chapter, originally published as a short story:

  • “Just read this alternate history on the Beatles. I want to check out those tunnels.” — Joel McKinnon, Seldon Crisis
  • “Reminded me of the surreal stories of Edgar Allan Poe.” — Grzegorz Kwiatkowski, Trupa Trupa
  • “Clever fun. Love the slide into alternity.” — John McDaid, Trail of Mars
  • “Paul Levinson’s fiction is always challenging, daring and imaginative. But this story…this ranks among his best. It thrills me in every way.” — Mark Shanahan, A Sherlock Carol
  • “I love that Pete’s story is set in the alternate world, and not the ‘correct’ world, which is so much more intriguing.” — Emon Hassan, Everyday 21
  • “The radio play of ‘It’s Real Life’ is set on Paul Levinson’s home campus of Fordham University and has a fictional version of the legendary New York disk jockey, Pete Fornatale of WNEW-FM and WFUV (Fordham’s radio station), hurrying through the tunnels under the campus, which transports him to an alternate reality. Full of Beatles references and music, and the interview with Levinson at the conclusion of the play is rich with Fordham and musical history (and music) and is extremely well done — the whole package is highly recommended. Tune in and be transformed into your own alternate reality. –John F. McMullen, Poet Laureate, Town of Yorktown, NY
  • “A remarkable story with a great twist at the end.” — Jerry Edling, KNX Radio
  • “a truly inspired short story involving the band … Levinson’s It’s Real Life is totally original, fascinating and a lot of fun.” — Charlie Ricci, Bloggerythms

Interview about the novel here.

Paul Levinson interviewed by Chuck Todd …

Read my essay, The Beatles and Podcasts, free.

It’s Real Life — free alternate history short story about The Beatles, made in a radio play, streaming free since 2023. Winner of the Mary Shelley Award for best story and radio play, presented by the Media Ecology Association, 2023. Finalist for the 2022 Sidewise Award for Alternate History (short form). Reviewed on Bloggerythms.

streaming free

audiobook

“Robinson Calculator” published in the Robots Through the Ages anthology on 25 July 2023. Here’s a rave review.

Like alternate reality stories? I discussed them, and their adaptation in TV series and movies, at a Zoom lecture on February 15, 2023 presented by the Science Fiction Association of Bergen County

Paul Levinson’s Light On Light Through podcast — talking about TV, movies, politics, social media, outer space, good food, science fiction; occasionally reading from his science fiction stories, playing concerts of his music, interviewing other authors.

Under 9 minutes of advice from Paul Levinson about writing, publication and promotion.

just published … Marilyn & Monet

It all starts in the hot summer of 1960, when Marilyn walks off the set of The Misfits and begins to hear a haunting song in her head, “Goodbye Norma Jean” ..

              best-known science fiction

             

Now available…. the “author’s cut” of Paul Levinson’s three Phil D’Amato novels – The Silk Code (Paul’s award-winning 1999 first novel), The Consciousness Plague, and The Pixel Eye – are now available from JoSara Media as Kindle editions for you to download and enjoy, with new, original cover art by award-winning illustrator Joel Iskowitz. Introducing these novels the way the author intended them… read them for the first time… read them again! Download yours now!

The Sierra Waters time travel trilogy is also now available from JoSara Media in Kindle editions…download The Plot to Save Socrates, its sequel Unburning Alexandria, and Chronica, the newest novel in the series… as Sierra travels through time trying to preserve history, meeting up with historical figures past and present. Featuring new cover art designed by artist Joel Iskowitz specifically for these Kindle editions.

Get your copies now!

And now… introducing the Jeff Harris stories… originally published in Analog magazine, now available from Connected Editions in brand new Kindle editions… Jeff Harris, a college professor in the late 20th century, is going back to 1986 to try to stop the Challenger disaster – when time travel hell breaks loose… download the stories and enjoy!

Short Stories

Detailed bibliography of all novels, short stories, essays, and nonfiction books at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database

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