William Warner Sleator III says that he began writing when very young and that even then he was interested in the weird aspects of life.

He was raised among a family of scientists, but he was interested in the arts, eventually becoming a pianist, composer, and writer. Perhaps these dual interests in art and science led to his fascination with science fiction, which he read avidly. He was born to William Warner, Jr., a college professor, and Esther Kaplan, a physician, in Havre de Grace, Maryland, on February 13, 1945.

By high school, he was composing music that reflected his preoccupation with the macabre, giving these pieces titles such as "Guillotines in Springtime." He entered Harvard as a music major where he says that he was miserable, with his unhappiness reflected in unhappy compositions. Despite his unhappiness, he seems to have been very productive while at...