In his former life, Peter Watts studied the ecophysiology of marine mammals and tried not to become enslaved by various interest groups. He has come a long way: nowadays Watts concentrates on writing almost dystopian hard science fiction. The story of the Rifters series, which turned into a trilogy by accident, begins in 2050 on a research station several kilometres under the sea. In addition to marine biology, strong themes in the series are political realism and the examination of the human mind under exceptional circumstances.
The first part of the Rifters series, Starfish, was published in 1999. The main character, Lenie Clarke, had already made her appearance in the 1990 short story A Niche. Like Starfish, the next parts of the trilogy, Maelstrom in 2001 and Behemoth, published in two parts in 2004 and 2005, received a mixed welcome. The firm scientific founding and richness of ideas in the books were praised, but their grimness alienated many readers.
Watts’ latest novel is Blindsight, which is set in a different world and can be described as an exemplary first contact story. Throughout Blindsight, Watts weaves thematic webs of identity, the conceptualization of intelligence and the encountering of an alien entity. The book has been lavishly praised by both critics and audience, and its rise to the rank of Hugo nominee was no surprise. In a poll by Locus magazine, Blindsight was voted as one of the most significant science fiction novels of the century. The Finnish translation by J. Pekka Mäkelä, Sokeanäkö, was published in early summer 2013.
Watts has worked not only as researcher and writer, but also with computer games and other media. He has consulted Crytek, makers of the Crysis 2 game, and his work has inspired Bioshock 2, among others.
Watts has published his novels and short prose also on the Internet under the Creative Commons licence: (http://www.rifters.com/real/shorts.htm).