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{{short description|Thai-American musical composer and author of science fiction and horror (born 1952)}}
{{short description|Thai-American musical composer and author of science fiction and horror (born 1952)}}
{{use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|cs1-dates=l|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox writer <!-- For more information see [[:Template:Infobox Writer/doc]]. -->
{{Infobox writer <!-- For more information see [[:Template:Infobox Writer/doc]]. -->
| name = S.P. Somtow
| name = Somtow Sucharitkul
| image =
| image =
| image_size =
| image_size =
| alt =
| alt =
| caption = Thai-American author, composer, conductor
| caption = Thai-American author, composer, conductor
| pseudonym =
| pseudonym = '''S. P. Somtow'''
| birth_name = Somtow Papinian Sucharitkul
| birth_name = Somtow Papinian Sucharitkul
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1952|12|30}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1952|12|30}}
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| alma_mater =
| alma_mater =
| period =
| period =
| genre = [[Science fiction]], [[fantasy fiction|fantasy]], [[horror fiction|horror]]
| genre = [[Science fiction]], [[fantasy fiction|fantasy]], [[horror fiction|horror]]; [[opera]], [[musical theatre]]
| subject =
| subject =
| movement =
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| influences =
| influences =
| influenced =
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| awards = {{unbulleted list
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| awards = {{Awards|award=[[World Fantasy Award for Best Novella|Best Novella]] |year=2002 |title=The Bird Catcher}}
|{{awards|award='''[[Silpathorn Kittikhun Award]]''' |year=&nbsp;2008 |title={{notitalic|for literary & musical work}}}}
⚫
|{{awards|award='''[[World Fantasy Award for Best Novella|World Fantasy Award]]'''<br />&nbsp;(Best Novella) |year=&nbsp;2002 |title=The Bird Catcher}}
|{{awards|award='''[[International Horror Guild Award]]'''<br />&nbsp;(Long Fiction) |year=&nbsp;1996 |title=Brimstone and Salt}}
|{{awards|award='''[[Locus Award for Best First Novel|Locus Award]]'''<br />&nbsp;(Best First Novel) |year=&nbsp;1982 |title=[[Starship & Haiku]]}}
|{{awards|award='''[[John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer|John W. Campbell Award]]'''<br />&nbsp;(Best New Writer) |year=&nbsp;1981 |title={{noitalic|"Sunsteps"}}}}
}}
| signature =
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}}
}}


'''S. P. Somtow''' (a rearrangement of his real name '''Somtow Papinian Sucharitkul'''; {{lang-th|สมเถา สุจริตกุล}}; {{RTGS|''Somthao Sucharitkun''}}; born 30 December 1952) is a Thai-American musical [[composer]]. He is also a [[science fiction]], [[fantasy fiction|fantasy]], and [[horror fiction|horror]] author writing in English. Somtow has both Thai and American citizenship.<ref>Somtow, S. P., "Reinventing oneself as a Southeast Asian writer", ''The Nation'', 16 October 2006</ref><ref>Somtow, S. P., "An all-night meditation on the American presidential elections", ''The Nation'', 13 December 2000</ref>
'''S. P. Somtow''' (a rearrangement of his real name '''Somtow Papinian Sucharitkul'''; {{lang-th|สมเถา สุจริตกุล}}; {{RTGS|''Somthao Sucharitkun''}}; born December 30, 1952) is a Thai-American musical [[composer]], and a [[science fiction]], [[fantasy fiction|fantasy]], and [[horror fiction|horror]] author writing in English as both Somtow Sucharitkul and S.&nbsp;P. Somtow. He has both Thai and American citizenship.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Somtow |first=S. P. |title=Reinventing oneself as a Southeast Asian writer |work=[[The Nation (Thailand)|The Nation]] |date=October 16, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Somtow |first=S. P. |title=An all-night meditation on the American presidential elections |work=[[The Nation (Thailand)|The Nation]] |date=December 13, 2000}}</ref>


He served as a musical consultant on the acclaimed [[Todd Field]] film [[Tár]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/tar-ending-not-cate-blanchett-character-downfall-consultant-1235347656/ | title=Guest Column: That Last Scene in 'Tár' Doesn't Mean What You Think It Means | website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] | date=10 March 2023 }}</ref>
He served as a musical consultant on the [[Todd Field]] film ''[[Tár]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/tar-ending-not-cate-blanchett-character-downfall-consultant-1235347656/ |title=Guest Column: That Last Scene in 'Tár' Doesn't Mean What You Think It Means |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=March 10, 2023}}</ref>


==Youth==
==Youth==
A descendant of the Royal [[Chakri dynasty]] (his [[Indrasakdi Sachi|grandfather's sister]] was a cousin and consort of King [[Vajiravudh]]),{{Citation needed|date=October 2010}} Somtow was born in Bangkok. He moved to England with his parents in 1953 at the age of six months. English was his first language.<ref name="OS-Bio">{{cite web |title=SOMTOW SUCHARITKUL |url=https://www.operasiam.com/somtow |website=Opera Siam |access-date=6 October 2019}}</ref><ref name=SEAWrite>{{cite web |title=SOMTOW'S SEA WRITE AWARDS KEYNOTE SPEECH: 'Reinventing oneself as a Southeast Asian writer' |url=https://www.somtow.com/seawrite-speech |website=Somtow.com |access-date=6 October 2019 |date=15 October 2006}}</ref> Somtow was educated at [[Eton College]] and at [[St Catharine's College, Cambridge]]. He returned to Thailand in the early-1960s for a five-year period, during which he became fluent in the Thai language. At age 11, he wrote a poem called "Kith of Infinity", which was published in the English-language ''[[Bangkok Post]]''. [[Shirley MacLaine]] saw it, and thinking that it was written by a dead poet, included it in her autobiography, ''[[Don't Fall Off the Mountain|Don’t Fall Off the Mountain]]''.<ref>{{cite book | last=MacLaine | first=Shirley | title=Don't Fall Off the Mountain | location=New York | publisher=W.W. Norton & Company Limited | year=1970 | isbn=978-0-393-07338-6}}</ref> The poem contains the line "I am not a man", as Somtow was not yet an adult. It is thought that this prompted MacLaine to assume that the author was a woman.<ref name=SEAWrite/>
A descendant of the Royal [[Chakri dynasty]] (his [[Indrasakdi Sachi|grandfather's sister]] was a cousin and consort of King [[Vajiravudh]]),{{Citation needed|date=October 2010}} Somtow was born in Bangkok. He moved to England with his parents in 1953 at the age of six months. English was his first language.<ref name="OS-Bio">{{cite web |title=Somtow Sucharitkul |url= https://www.operasiam.com/somtow |website=Opera Siam |access-date=October 6, 2019}}</ref><ref name="SEAWrite">{{cite web |title=Somtow's SEA Write Awards Keynote Speech: 'Reinventing oneself as a Southeast Asian writer' |url= https://www.somtow.com/seawrite-speech |website=Somtow.com |access-date=October 6, 2019 |date=October 15, 2006}}</ref> Somtow was educated at [[Eton College]] and at [[St Catharine's College, Cambridge]]. He returned to Thailand in the early-1960s for a five-year period, during which he became fluent in the Thai language. At age 11, he wrote a poem called "Kith of Infinity", which was published in the English-language ''[[Bangkok Post]]''. [[Shirley MacLaine]] saw it, and thinking that it was written by a dead poet, included it in her autobiography, ''[[Don't Fall Off the Mountain|Don’t Fall Off the Mountain]]''.<ref>{{cite book |last=MacLaine |first=Shirley |title=Don't Fall Off the Mountain |location=New York |publisher=W. W. Norton & Co. |date=1970 |isbn=978-0-393-07338-6}}</ref> The poem contains the line "I am not a man", as Somtow was not yet an adult. It is thought that this prompted MacLaine to assume that the author was a woman.<ref name="SEAWrite" />


==Science fiction==
==Science fiction==
As a science fiction writer, Somtow is known for several series, among which are the ''[[Mallworld]]'', ''[[Inquestor]]'', and ''[[Aquila (novel series)|Aquila]]'' series. He first was published as '''Somtow Sucharitkul''' in the late-1970s in [[Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine|''Asimov’s'']] and [[Analog Science Fiction and Fact|''Analog'']]<ref>Analog: ''The Thirteenth Utopia'', April 1979; ''Absent Thee from Felicity Awhile'', September 1981, ''Fiddling for Waterbuffalos'', April 1986</ref> science fiction magazines. He wrote several stories and novels under that name before changing his [[pen name]] to S. P. Somtow.
As a science fiction writer, Somtow is known for several series, among which are the ''[[Mallworld]]'', ''[[Inquestor]]'', and ''[[Aquila (novel series)|Aquila]]'' series. He first was published as '''Somtow Sucharitkul''' in the late-1970s in [[Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine|''Asimov's'']] and [[Analog Science Fiction and Fact|''Analog'']]<ref>[[Analog Science Fiction and Fact|''Analog'']]: "The Thirteenth Utopia", April 1979; "Absent Thee from Felicity Awhile", September 1981; "Fiddling for Waterbuffalos", April 1986.</ref> science fiction magazines. He wrote several stories and novels under that name before changing to the [[pen name]] S.&nbsp;P. Somtow.


==Horror==
==Horror==
He wrote ''[[Vampire Junction]]'' and a series of related novels and stories. He was president of the [[Horror Writers Association]] from 1998 to 2000. His other horror books include the werewolf-[[Western novel]] ''[[Moon Dance (novel)|Moon Dance]]'', the zombie-American Civil War novel ''[[Darker Angels]]'', and the collections ''[[Tagging the Moon: Fairy Tales of L.A.]]'' and ''[[The Pavilion of Frozen Women]]''. In 1997, he wrote the juvenile vampire novel, ''[[The Vampire's Beautiful Daughter]]''. He also wrote and directed the cult horror film ''[[The Laughing Dead (movie)|The Laughing Dead]]'' and co-wrote the Roger Corman-produced ''Bram Stoker's Burial of the Rats'' (1995).
He wrote ''[[Vampire Junction]]'' and a series of related novels and stories. He was president of the [[Horror Writers Association]] from 1998 to 2000. His other horror books include the werewolf-[[Western fiction|western novel]] ''[[Moon Dance (novel)|Moon Dance]]'', the zombie-American Civil War novel ''[[Darker Angels]]'', and the collections ''[[Tagging the Moon: Fairy Tales of L.A.]]'' and ''[[The Pavilion of Frozen Women]]''. In 1997, he wrote the juvenile vampire novel, ''[[The Vampire's Beautiful Daughter]]''. He also wrote and directed the [[Cult film|cult]] horror film ''[[The Laughing Dead (film)|The Laughing Dead]]'' and co-wrote the Roger Corman-produced ''Bram Stoker's Burial of the Rats'' (1995).


==Other literary works==
==Other literary works==
Somtow's novel, ''[[Jasmine Nights]]'', a semi-autobiographical novel set in Thailand in the 1960s, has become his best known fictional work. The historical fantasy ''The Shattered Horse'' holds that [[Hector]]'s son [[Astyanax]] survives the fall of [[Troy]] and grows to adulthood to meet many of the characters of the ''[[Iliad]].''
Somtow's novel ''[[Jasmine Nights]]'', a semi-autobiographical novel set in Thailand in the 1960s, has become his best known fictional work. The historical fantasy ''The Shattered Horse'' holds that [[Hector]]'s son [[Astyanax]] survives the fall of [[Troy]] and grows to adulthood to meet many of the characters of the ''[[Iliad]]''.


==Symphonic works==
==Symphonic works==
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==Stage works==
==Stage works==
In 2000, he composed ''[[Madana (opera)|Madana]]'', the first orchestral Western [[opera]] by a Thai composer and based on a [[Thai language]] play by [[Rama VI|King Rama VI]].<ref>Mertens, Brian, [http://www.iht.com/articles/2001/02/24/opera.t.php "A Thai's Grand Design for Opera"], ''International Herald Tribune'', 24 February 2001</ref>{{failed verification|date=October 2019}} The opera was in English. His second opera on a Thai theme, ''[[Mae Naak (opera)|Mae Naak]]'', premiered in 2003 and a third opera, ''[[Ayodhya (opera)|Ayodhya]]'', was first performed in November, 2006.<ref>[http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/11/15/arts/AS_A-E_MUS_Thailand_Ramayana_Opera.php "Thailand's enfant terrible of opera tackles the Asian classic Ramayana"], ''International Herald Tribune'', 14 November 2006</ref>{{failed verification|date=October 2019}} His opera ''The Silent Prince'' was premiered in Houston by [[Opera Vista]] on 15 October 2010. A fifth opera, ''Dan no Ura'', received its premiere in August 2014 in Bangkok.
In 2000, he composed ''[[Madana (opera)|Madana]]'', the first orchestral Western [[opera]] by a Thai composer and based on a [[Thai language]] play by [[Rama VI|King Rama VI]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Mertens |first=Brian |url= http://www.iht.com/articles/2001/02/24/opera.t.php |title=A Thai's Grand Design for Opera |work=[[International Herald Tribune]] |date=February 24, 2001}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=October 2019}} The opera was in English. His second opera on a Thai theme, ''[[Mae Naak (opera)|Mae Naak]]'', premiered in 2003 and a third opera, ''[[Ayodhya (opera)|Ayodhya]]'', was first performed in November 2006.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/11/15/arts/AS_A-E_MUS_Thailand_Ramayana_Opera.php |title=Thailand's ''enfant terrible'' of opera tackles the Asian classic ''Ramayana'' |work=[[International Herald Tribune]] |date=November 14, 2006}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=October 2019}} His opera ''[[The Silent Prince]]'' was premiered in Houston by [[Opera Vista]] on October 15, 2010. A fifth opera, ''Dan no Ura'', received its premiere in August 2014 in Bangkok.


⚫
In 2012, his [[Musical theatre|musical]] ''Reya the Musical'', based on a serialized novel by his mother which had already been made into a popular Thai TV [[soap opera]], premiered at the Aksra Theatre in Bangkok and ran for twenty performances. A hybrid work combining ballet with opera, ''Suriyothai'', based on the life of a Thai queen of the Ayuthaya period, premiered on August 23, 2013. A second musical was in the works afterward, titled ''Pob: The Musical'', for December 2015 release.{{update inline|date=May 2024|reason=This "news" is almost a decade old.}}
⚫
He is currently at work on two operas, one an adaptation of his fantasy short story "The Fallen Country" and another about the life of Holocaust survivor, Helena Citronova. "The Snow Dragon", the adaptation of his fantasy story, is set to premiere 13 March 2015, at the Skylight Music Theatre in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, under the baton of Viswa Subbaraman.


⚫
In the 2010s, he was also at work on two more operas, one an adaptation of his fantasy short story "The Fallen Country" and another about the life of Holocaust survivor [[Helena Citrónová]]. "The Snow Dragon", the adaptation of his fantasy story, was set to premiere March 13, 2015, at the Skylight Music Theatre in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, under the baton of Viswa Subbaraman.{{update inline|date=May 2024|reason=This "news" is almost a decade old.}}
⚫
In 2012 his musical, ''Reya the Musical'', based on a serialized novel by his mother which had already been made into a popular Thai TV soap, premiered at the Aksra Theatre in Bangkok and ran for twenty performances. A hybrid work combining ballet with opera, "Suriyothai", based on the life of a Thai Queen of the Ayuthaya Period, premiered on 23 August 2013. He is currently working on a second musical, "Pob—the Musical" for December 2015 release.


Somtow is artistic director of [[Opera Siam]]. In 2006, Somtow Sucharitkul conducted the first [[Richard Wagner|Wagner]] opera in [[Southeast Asia]], ''[[Das Rheingold]]'', as part of a five-year project to bring the entire [[Der Ring des Nibelungen|Ring Cycle]] to Southeast Asia by 2010.<ref>Turnbull, Robert, [http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/04/13/features/ring.php 'Wagner meets Buddhism on Thai director's stage'], ''International Herald Tribune'', 13 April 2006</ref>{{failed verification|date=October 2019}} Various delays afflicted the project and it has yet to resume. He has conducted the Thailand premieres of many key repertoire operas such as [[Thaïs]], [[Otello]], and [[The Rape of Lucretia]]. He embarked on a venture to conduct all of [[Mahler]]'s symphonies in Thailand, and the cycle was completed with No. 2 in 2015.
Somtow is artistic director of [[Opera Siam]]. In 2006, Somtow Sucharitkul conducted the first [[Richard Wagner|Wagner]] opera in [[Southeast Asia]], ''[[Das Rheingold]]'', as part of a five-year project to bring the entire [[Der Ring des Nibelungen|Ring Cycle]] to Southeast Asia by 2010.<ref>{{cite news |last=Turnbull |first=Robert |url= http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/04/13/features/ring.php |title=Wagner meets Buddhism on Thai director's stage |work=[[International Herald Tribune]] |date=April 13, 2006}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=October 2019}} Various delays afflicted the project and it has yet to resume. He has conducted the Thailand premieres of many key repertoire operas such as [[Thaïs]], [[Otello]], and [[The Rape of Lucretia]]. He embarked on a venture to conduct all of [[Mahler]]'s symphonies in Thailand, and the cycle was completed with No. 2 in 2015.


==Performing ensembles==
==Performing ensembles==
In the 1970s Somtow Sucharitkul formed the [[Temple of Dawn Consort]] with [[Dnu Huntrakul]] and [[Bruce Gaston (musician)|Bruce Gaston]], an eclectic performing ensemble devoted to a fusion of Thai and Western music styles and instruments, performing music by these the three composers. After his 1979 departure for the United States, the group evolved into other fusion ensembles, the most notable being Bruce Gaston's [[Fong Naam]] ensemble. On his return to Thailand, Somtow founded, in addition to [[Bangkok Opera]], the [[Siam Philharmonic Orchestra]] and the [[Siam Sinfonietta]], a youth symphony orchestra. He also founded the [[Orpheus Choir of Bangkok]], traveling all over Thailand and performing many of Somtow Sucharitkul's pieces.
In the 1970s, Sucharitkul formed the [[Temple of Dawn Consort]] with [[Dnu Huntrakul]] and [[Bruce Gaston (musician)|Bruce Gaston]], an eclectic performing ensemble devoted to a fusion of Thai and Western music styles and instruments, performing music by these three composers. After his 1979 departure for the United States, the group evolved into other fusion ensembles, the most notable being Gaston's [[Fong Naam]]. On his return to Thailand, Somtow founded, in addition to [[Bangkok Opera]], the [[Siam Philharmonic Orchestra]] and the [[Siam Sinfonietta]], a youth symphony orchestra. He also founded the [[Orpheus Choir of Bangkok]], which travels all over Thailand and performs many of his pieces.


==Television/animation==
==Television animation==


Somtow has written episodes of the animated television series ''[[Dinosaucers]]'', ''[[COPS (animated TV series)|C.O.P.S.]]'', and ''[[Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers (TV series)|Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers]]''.
Somtow has written episodes of the animated television series ''[[Dinosaucers]]'', ''[[COPS (animated TV series)|COPS]]'', and ''[[Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers (TV series)|Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers]]''.


==SEA Award speech==
==Politics and the 2006 SEA Awards speech==
When [[Nobel Prize]] laureate [[Wole Soyinka]] withdrew as keynote speaker at the 2006 [[S.E.A. Write Award]]s ceremony in protest of the [[2006 Thailand coup|ouster]] of the elected government of [[Thaksin Shinawatra]], Somtow, a critic of Thaksin, replaced Soyinka as keynote speaker. In his speech, Somtow berated Soyinka for boycotting the awards and claimed that in 50 years, he had never felt more free.<ref name="SEAWrite" /> Soon afterward, Somtow's opera ''Ayodhya'' was censored by state officials under the junta, who claimed that the on-stage death of the demon-king, Thotsakan, would constitute a "bad omen" for the military junta. Somtow agreed to modify the scene and was forced to sign a document giving officials the right to "immediately shut down the opera in mid-performance if, in their sole opinion, a breach of 'tradition' occurs."<ref>[http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/11/18/arts/AS_A-E_MUS_Thailand_Operatic_Intrigue.php "Citing 'bad omen', Thai government censors Ramayana opera"], ''International Herald Tribune'', 18 November 2006</ref>{{failed verification|date=October 2019}}<ref>Somtow, S. P., [http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/11/16/opinion/opinion_30019095.php “Why artistic freedom matters”] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930004310/http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/11/16/opinion/opinion_30019095.php |date=2007-09-30 }}, ''The Nation'', 17 November 2006</ref>
When [[Nobel Prize]] laureate [[Wole Soyinka]] withdrew as keynote speaker at the 2006 [[SEA Write Award]]s ceremony in protest of the [[2006 Thailand coup]] that ousted the elected government of [[Thaksin Shinawatra]], Somtow, a critic of Thaksin, replaced Soyinka as keynote speaker. In his speech, Somtow berated Soyinka for boycotting the awards and claimed that in 50 years, he had never felt more free.<ref name="SEAWrite" /> Soon afterward, Somtow's opera ''Ayodhya'' was censored by state officials under the junta, who claimed that the on-stage death of the demon-king, Thotsakan, would constitute a "bad omen" for the military junta. Somtow agreed to modify the scene and was forced to sign a document giving officials the right to "immediately shut down the opera in mid-performance if, in their sole opinion, a breach of 'tradition' occurs".<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/11/18/arts/AS_A-E_MUS_Thailand_Operatic_Intrigue.php |title=Citing 'bad omen', Thai government censors ''Ramayana'' opera |work=[[International Herald Tribune]] |date=November 18, 2006}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=October 2019}}<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Somtow |first=S. P. |url= http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/11/16/opinion/opinion_30019095.php |title=Why artistic freedom matters |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070930004310/http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/11/16/opinion/opinion_30019095.php |archive-date=September 30, 2007 |work=[[The Nation (Thailand)|The Nation]] |date=November 17, 2006}}</ref>


Somtow has been critical of all sides in the political disputes following the [[2006 Thailand coup]].<ref name=SW-Plague/> Although he was a critic of the [[populism|populist]] government of Thaksin, Somtow stated that, "The righteous indignation of Thaksin's opposition, however, went beyond the pale when they started to say that the poor shouldn't vote because they're too stupid." Somtow praised a speech by [[Democrat Party (Thailand)|Democrat]] Prime Minister [[Abhisit Vejjajiva]] for being, "so balanced, so reasonable, so intelligent, and so well thought through,..."<ref name=SW-Plague>{{cite web |last1=Somtow |first1=S.P. |title=A Plague on Both Your Houses |url=http://www.somtow.org/2009/04/plague-on-both-your-houses.html |website=Somtow's World |access-date=6 October 2019}}</ref>
Somtow has since been critical of all sides in the political disputes following the coup.<ref name="SW-Plague">{{cite web |last1=Somtow |first1=S. P. |title=A Plague on Both Your Houses |url= http://www.somtow.org/2009/04/plague-on-both-your-houses.html |website=Somtow's World |access-date=October 6, 2019}}</ref> Although he was a critic of the [[Populism|populist]] government of Thaksin, Somtow stated in 2019: "The righteous indignation of Thaksin's opposition, however, went beyond the pale when they started to say that the poor shouldn't vote because they're too stupid." Somtow praised a speech by [[Democrat Party (Thailand)|Democrat]] Prime Minister [[Abhisit Vejjajiva]] for being "so balanced, so reasonable, so intelligent, and so well thought through".<ref name="SW-Plague" />


==Awards and honors==
==Awards and honors==
Somtow won the [[World Fantasy Award]] for best [[novella]] in 2002 for ''The Bird Catcher'', and has been nominated four other times.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldfantasy.org/awards/awardslist.html |title=World Fantasy Convention Awards Home Page |access-date=2011-02-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000818214437/http://www.worldfantasy.org/awards/awardslist.html |archive-date=2000-08-18 }} "World Fantasy Award"</ref> He has won the [[International Horror Guild Award]], the [[John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer|John W. Campbell Award]] in 1981,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldcon.org/hy.html |title=The Hugo Award (By Year) |access-date=2007-07-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110123160133/http://www.worldcon.org/hy.html |archive-date=2011-01-23 }} "Hugo Awards",</ref> the [[Locus Award for Best First Novel]] (1982, for ''[[Starship & Haiku]]''), the [[HOMer Award]], the [[American Horror Award]] and numerous other awards. He has been nominated for two [[Hugo award|Hugos]] and five [[Bram Stoker Award]]s. In 2008, he became one of the first recipients of the newly created Silpathorn Kittikhun Award, awarded by Thailand's [[Ministry of Culture (Thailand)|Culture Ministry]]. The Silpathorn Kittikhun Award has been viewed as an alternative to the more "staid, traditional National Artist Awards."<ref>[https://archive.today/20120723085007/http://www.dailyxpress.net/2008/08/06/entertainment/entertainment_3922.php "National Treasures"], ''Daily Xpress'', 6 August 2008</ref> In December 2011, Thai newspaper ''[[The Nation (Thailand)|The Nation]]'' selected him as one of the 40 most internationally acclaimed Thais.<ref>[http://www.nationmultimedia.com/top40/detail/7068 40 Most internationally acclaimed Thais] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119113658/http://www.nationmultimedia.com/top40/detail/7068 |date=2012-01-19 }}</ref> In 2013 he was awarded the "Golden W" by the International Wagner Society for ten years of service in presenting the music of Wagner in the region. In 2022 he won the Best Actor award at the first season of Casablanca Film Factory Awards for his performance in the film ''[[The Maestro: A Symphony of Terror|The Maestro']]' directed by [[Paul Spurrier]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Casablanca Film Factory Awards: Winners announced|url=https://english.mathrubhumi.com/movies-music/news/casablanca-film-factory-awards-winners-announced-1.7659431|accessdate=3 September 2022|work=[[Mathrubhumi]]|date=3 July 2020}}</ref>
As writer, Somtow won the [[John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer|John W. Campbell Award]] (Best New Writers) in 1981 for "Sunsteps",<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.worldcon.org/hy.html |title=The Hugo Award (by Year) |access-date=July 21, 2007 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110123160133/http://www.worldcon.org/hy.html |archive-date=January 23, 2011}}</ref> the [[Locus Award for Best First Novel|Locus Award (Best First Novel)]] in 1982 for ''[[Starship & Haiku]]''; the [[International Horror Guild Award]] (Long Fiction) in 1996 for ''[[Brimstone and Salt]]''; the [[World Fantasy Award]] (Best [[Novella]]) in 2002 for ''[[The Bird Catcher]]'', and has been nominated four other times;<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.worldfantasy.org/awards/awardslist.html |title=World Fantasy Convention Awards Home Page |access-date=February 4, 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20000818214437/http://www.worldfantasy.org/awards/awardslist.html |archive-date=August 18, 2000}}</ref> the [[HOMer Award]]; the [[American Horror Award]]; and several other awards. He has been nominated for two [[Hugo Award|Hugos]] and five [[Bram Stoker Award|Bram Stokers]].

In 2008, he became one of the first recipients of the newly created [[Silpathorn Kittikhun Award]], awarded by Thailand's [[Ministry of Culture (Thailand)|Ministry of Culture]], for his combined literary and theatrical work and it profile within Thailand and internationally. This award has been viewed as an alternative to the more "staid, traditional National Artist Awards".<ref>{{cite news |first=Phatarawadee |last=Phataranawik |title=Silpathorn Awards: National Treasures |work=Daily Xpress |date=August 6, 2008 |url= http://www.dailyxpress.net/2008/08/06/entertainment/entertainment_3922.php |archive-url= https://archive.today/20120723085007/http://www.dailyxpress.net/2008/08/06/entertainment/entertainment_3922.php |archive-date=July 23, 2012}}</ref> In December 2011, Thai newspaper ''[[The Nation (Thailand)|The Nation]]'' selected him as one of the 40 most internationally acclaimed Thais.<ref>{{cite new |url= http://www.nationmultimedia.com/top40/detail/7068 |title=Chosen 40: 40 Most Internationally Acclaimed Thais |work=[[The Nation (Thailand)|The Nation]] |date=December 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120119113658/http://www.nationmultimedia.com/top40/detail/7068 |archive-date=January 19, 2012}}</ref>

In the theatrical realm more specifically, Somtow was awarded the 2013 Golden W award by the International Wagner Society for ten years of service in presenting the music of [[Richard Wagner]] in the region. In 2022, he won the Best Actor award at the first season of [[Casablanca Film Factory]] Awards for his performance in the film ''[[The Maestro: A Symphony of Terror]]'' directed by [[Paul Spurrier]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Casablanca Film Factory Awards: Winners announced |url= https://english.mathrubhumi.com/movies-music/news/casablanca-film-factory-awards-winners-announced-1.7659431 |access-date=September 3, 2022 |work=[[Mathrubhumi]] |date=July 3, 2020}}</ref>


==References==
==References==

Latest revision as of 02:54, 7 May 2024

Somtow Sucharitkul
BornSomtow Papinian Sucharitkul
(1952-12-30) December 30, 1952 (age 71)
Bangkok, Thailand
Pen nameS. P. Somtow
GenreScience fiction, fantasy, horror; opera, musical theatre
Notable awards
Website
www.somtow.com

S. P. Somtow (a rearrangement of his real name Somtow Papinian Sucharitkul; Thai: สมเถา สุจริตกุล; RTGS: Somthao Sucharitkun; born December 30, 1952) is a Thai-American musical composer, and a science fiction, fantasy, and horror author writing in English as both Somtow Sucharitkul and S. P. Somtow. He has both Thai and American citizenship.[1][2]

He served as a musical consultant on the Todd Field film Tár.[3]

Youth[edit]

A descendant of the Royal Chakri dynasty (his grandfather's sister was a cousin and consort of King Vajiravudh),[citation needed] Somtow was born in Bangkok. He moved to England with his parents in 1953 at the age of six months. English was his first language.[4][5] Somtow was educated at Eton College and at St Catharine's College, Cambridge. He returned to Thailand in the early-1960s for a five-year period, during which he became fluent in the Thai language. At age 11, he wrote a poem called "Kith of Infinity", which was published in the English-language Bangkok Post. Shirley MacLaine saw it, and thinking that it was written by a dead poet, included it in her autobiography, Don’t Fall Off the Mountain.[6] The poem contains the line "I am not a man", as Somtow was not yet an adult. It is thought that this prompted MacLaine to assume that the author was a woman.[5]

Science fiction[edit]

As a science fiction writer, Somtow is known for several series, among which are the Mallworld, Inquestor, and Aquila series. He first was published as Somtow Sucharitkul in the late-1970s in Asimov's and Analog[7] science fiction magazines. He wrote several stories and novels under that name before changing to the pen name S. P. Somtow.

Horror[edit]

He wrote Vampire Junction and a series of related novels and stories. He was president of the Horror Writers Association from 1998 to 2000. His other horror books include the werewolf-western novel Moon Dance, the zombie-American Civil War novel Darker Angels, and the collections Tagging the Moon: Fairy Tales of L.A. and The Pavilion of Frozen Women. In 1997, he wrote the juvenile vampire novel, The Vampire's Beautiful Daughter. He also wrote and directed the cult horror film The Laughing Dead and co-wrote the Roger Corman-produced Bram Stoker's Burial of the Rats (1995).

Other literary works[edit]

Somtow's novel Jasmine Nights, a semi-autobiographical novel set in Thailand in the 1960s, has become his best known fictional work. The historical fantasy The Shattered Horse holds that Hector's son Astyanax survives the fall of Troy and grows to adulthood to meet many of the characters of the Iliad.

Symphonic works[edit]

He has also composed five symphonies and a ballet, Kaki. Other musical compositions include the “Requiem: In Memoriam 9/11,” commissioned by the government of Thailand as a gift for the victims of the 9/11 events and inspired by the poetry of Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, and T. S. Eliot.

Stage works[edit]

In 2000, he composed Madana, the first orchestral Western opera by a Thai composer and based on a Thai language play by King Rama VI.[8][failed verification] The opera was in English. His second opera on a Thai theme, Mae Naak, premiered in 2003 and a third opera, Ayodhya, was first performed in November 2006.[9][failed verification] His opera The Silent Prince was premiered in Houston by Opera Vista on October 15, 2010. A fifth opera, Dan no Ura, received its premiere in August 2014 in Bangkok.

In 2012, his musical Reya the Musical, based on a serialized novel by his mother which had already been made into a popular Thai TV soap opera, premiered at the Aksra Theatre in Bangkok and ran for twenty performances. A hybrid work combining ballet with opera, Suriyothai, based on the life of a Thai queen of the Ayuthaya period, premiered on August 23, 2013. A second musical was in the works afterward, titled Pob: The Musical, for December 2015 release.[needs update]

In the 2010s, he was also at work on two more operas, one an adaptation of his fantasy short story "The Fallen Country" and another about the life of Holocaust survivor Helena Citrónová. "The Snow Dragon", the adaptation of his fantasy story, was set to premiere March 13, 2015, at the Skylight Music Theatre in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, under the baton of Viswa Subbaraman.[needs update]

Somtow is artistic director of Opera Siam. In 2006, Somtow Sucharitkul conducted the first Wagner opera in Southeast Asia, Das Rheingold, as part of a five-year project to bring the entire Ring Cycle to Southeast Asia by 2010.[10][failed verification] Various delays afflicted the project and it has yet to resume. He has conducted the Thailand premieres of many key repertoire operas such as Thaïs, Otello, and The Rape of Lucretia. He embarked on a venture to conduct all of Mahler's symphonies in Thailand, and the cycle was completed with No. 2 in 2015.

Performing ensembles[edit]

In the 1970s, Sucharitkul formed the Temple of Dawn Consort with Dnu Huntrakul and Bruce Gaston, an eclectic performing ensemble devoted to a fusion of Thai and Western music styles and instruments, performing music by these three composers. After his 1979 departure for the United States, the group evolved into other fusion ensembles, the most notable being Gaston's Fong Naam. On his return to Thailand, Somtow founded, in addition to Bangkok Opera, the Siam Philharmonic Orchestra and the Siam Sinfonietta, a youth symphony orchestra. He also founded the Orpheus Choir of Bangkok, which travels all over Thailand and performs many of his pieces.

Television animation[edit]

Somtow has written episodes of the animated television series Dinosaucers, COPS, and Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers.

Politics and the 2006 SEA Awards speech[edit]

When Nobel Prize laureate Wole Soyinka withdrew as keynote speaker at the 2006 SEA Write Awards ceremony in protest of the 2006 Thailand coup that ousted the elected government of Thaksin Shinawatra, Somtow, a critic of Thaksin, replaced Soyinka as keynote speaker. In his speech, Somtow berated Soyinka for boycotting the awards and claimed that in 50 years, he had never felt more free.[5] Soon afterward, Somtow's opera Ayodhya was censored by state officials under the junta, who claimed that the on-stage death of the demon-king, Thotsakan, would constitute a "bad omen" for the military junta. Somtow agreed to modify the scene and was forced to sign a document giving officials the right to "immediately shut down the opera in mid-performance if, in their sole opinion, a breach of 'tradition' occurs".[11][failed verification][12]

Somtow has since been critical of all sides in the political disputes following the coup.[13] Although he was a critic of the populist government of Thaksin, Somtow stated in 2019: "The righteous indignation of Thaksin's opposition, however, went beyond the pale when they started to say that the poor shouldn't vote because they're too stupid." Somtow praised a speech by Democrat Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva for being "so balanced, so reasonable, so intelligent, and so well thought through".[13]

Awards and honors[edit]

As writer, Somtow won the John W. Campbell Award (Best New Writers) in 1981 for "Sunsteps",[14] the Locus Award (Best First Novel) in 1982 for Starship & Haiku; the International Horror Guild Award (Long Fiction) in 1996 for Brimstone and Salt; the World Fantasy Award (Best Novella) in 2002 for The Bird Catcher, and has been nominated four other times;[15] the HOMer Award; the American Horror Award; and several other awards. He has been nominated for two Hugos and five Bram Stokers.

In 2008, he became one of the first recipients of the newly created Silpathorn Kittikhun Award, awarded by Thailand's Ministry of Culture, for his combined literary and theatrical work and it profile within Thailand and internationally. This award has been viewed as an alternative to the more "staid, traditional National Artist Awards".[16] In December 2011, Thai newspaper The Nation selected him as one of the 40 most internationally acclaimed Thais.[17]

In the theatrical realm more specifically, Somtow was awarded the 2013 Golden W award by the International Wagner Society for ten years of service in presenting the music of Richard Wagner in the region. In 2022, he won the Best Actor award at the first season of Casablanca Film Factory Awards for his performance in the film The Maestro: A Symphony of Terror directed by Paul Spurrier.[18]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Somtow, S. P. (October 16, 2006). "Reinventing oneself as a Southeast Asian writer". The Nation.
  2. ^ Somtow, S. P. (December 13, 2000). "An all-night meditation on the American presidential elections". The Nation.
  3. ^ "Guest Column: That Last Scene in 'Tár' Doesn't Mean What You Think It Means". The Hollywood Reporter. March 10, 2023.
  4. ^ "Somtow Sucharitkul". Opera Siam. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  5. ^ a b c "Somtow's SEA Write Awards Keynote Speech: 'Reinventing oneself as a Southeast Asian writer'". Somtow.com. October 15, 2006. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  6. ^ MacLaine, Shirley (1970). Don't Fall Off the Mountain. New York: W. W. Norton & Co. ISBN 978-0-393-07338-6.
  7. ^ Analog: "The Thirteenth Utopia", April 1979; "Absent Thee from Felicity Awhile", September 1981; "Fiddling for Waterbuffalos", April 1986.
  8. ^ Mertens, Brian (February 24, 2001). "A Thai's Grand Design for Opera". International Herald Tribune.
  9. ^ "Thailand's enfant terrible of opera tackles the Asian classic Ramayana". International Herald Tribune. November 14, 2006.
  10. ^ Turnbull, Robert (April 13, 2006). "Wagner meets Buddhism on Thai director's stage". International Herald Tribune.
  11. ^ "Citing 'bad omen', Thai government censors Ramayana opera". International Herald Tribune. November 18, 2006.
  12. ^ Somtow, S. P. (November 17, 2006). "Why artistic freedom matters". The Nation. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007.
  13. ^ a b Somtow, S. P. "A Plague on Both Your Houses". Somtow's World. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  14. ^ "The Hugo Award (by Year)". Archived from the original on January 23, 2011. Retrieved July 21, 2007.
  15. ^ "World Fantasy Convention Awards Home Page". Archived from the original on August 18, 2000. Retrieved February 4, 2011.
  16. ^ Phataranawik, Phatarawadee (August 6, 2008). "Silpathorn Awards: National Treasures". Daily Xpress. Archived from the original on July 23, 2012.
  17. ^ "Chosen 40: 40 Most Internationally Acclaimed Thais". The Nation. December 2011. Archived from the original on January 19, 2012.
  18. ^ "Casablanca Film Factory Awards: Winners announced". Mathrubhumi. July 3, 2020. Retrieved September 3, 2022.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=S._P._Somtow&oldid=1222643536"