Robison Wells

Robison Wells (born April 1978) is an American novelist.

Personal life

Robison Wells, the brother of author Dan Wells, was a reluctant reader as a child. He did not become interested in writing until he was in college. He graduated from the University of Utah in 2003 with a degree in political science, emphasizing in international relations, with a minor in history, and earned an MBA in marketing at Brigham Young University in 2009.^[1] Wells lives in North Ogden, Utah, with his wife and three children. He previously lived in New Mexico, which has been the setting for three of his five published novels. Wells is a practicing member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.^[2]

Wells has a severe panic disorder, agoraphobia, and obsessive compulsive disorder, and is an outspoken advocate for those with mental illness.^[3][4]

Career

Robison Wells first began writing as part of a writing group with Dan Wells and Brandon Sanderson.

Wells's first three books were written for the LDS fiction market. The first, On Second Thought is a romantic comedy set in New Mexico, and the second two, Wake Me When It's Over and The Counterfeit are political thrillers.

In April 2010 it was announced that Wells had signed a 3-book YA deal with HarperTeen. The first novel Variant is a young adult science fiction novel set in a boarding school in New Mexico. It has one sequel, Feedback; it is not a trilogy.^[1]

Wells's third book with HarperTeen, Blackout has been announced in Publisher's Marketplace as being the first of a series, including two novels and a novella, and will be released in Fall 2013. Wells is also contracted with HarperTeen for an additional book after that series.

Critical Reception

Variant was released to much critical acclaim, receiving starred reviews from Publisher's Weekly and VOYA. It also received favorable reviews from Booklist and Kirkus. Publisher's Weekly also named Variant as one of their Best Books of 2011, and featured Wells as one of their "Flying Starts".^[1][5]

Feedback has received mixed reviews. Kirkus referred to it as "An absorbing read that won't let fans of the first down",^[6] while Booklist said "the claustrophobic tightness of the first book is replaced here by a loose series of threats that never solidify into something worth rooting against."

The Whitney Awards

In the spring of 2007, Robison Wells began work on the Whitney Awards, an awards program for LDS fiction. He has stated that this idea came from a conversation with friend and fellow author Brandon Sanderson. The Whitney Awards are sponsored by LDStorymakers, an author's guild for LDS writers. Robison Wells served as president of the Whitney Awards Committee for three years, ending in 2010.^[7]

Bibliography

• On Second Thought (2004), ISBN 1-59156-430-1
• Wake Me When It's Over (2005), ISBN 1-59156-721-1
• The Counterfeit (2006), ISBN 1-59811-116-7
• Variant (2011), ISBN 0-06-202608-9
• Feedback (2012), ISBN 0-06-202610-0
• Going Dark (Sept 2013)
• Blackout (Oct 2013)

References

External links

• Robison Wells at the MLCA Database
• Robison Wells' personal website