Biography

President of the Horror Writers Association since 1998.

Brother of Premika Eaton.

His professional arts career began as an avant-garde composer and conductor. He directed the Bangkok Opera Society in 1977-1978, led the Asian Composer's Conference-Festival in Bangkok in 1978, and wrote a number of works, including "Gongula 3" and "Star Maker - An Anthology of Universes."

Son of diplomatic parents connected to the Thai royal family, he grew up in Europe and was educated at Eton College and Cambridge, receiving honours in English and Music.

Having moved to the US, he began writing science fiction in 1977 and was published as Somtow Sucharitkul. His first novel, Starship and Haiku, appeared in 1981 and won the Campbell Award for Best New Writer of 1981 and the Locus Award for Best First Novel in 1982. Later, he chose to write as S.P. Somtow.