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Tim Powers

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Timothy Thomas "Tim" Powers (born February 29, 1952) is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Powers has won the World Fantasy Award twice for his critically acclaimed novels Last Call and Declare. His 1988 novel, On Stranger Tides, was optioned for the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean film. Most of Powers's novels are "secret histories": he uses actual, documented historical events featuring famous people, but shows another view of them in which occult or supernatural factors heavily influence the motivations and actions of the characters. Tim Powers is the author of the historical fantasy novel On Stranger Tides, which was opted by Disney and adapted as the fourth installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise. Alongside K. W. Jeter and James Blaylock, Powers is considered to be one of the first of the Steampunks. Powers specializes in historical novels and stories with a magical or otherwise fantastical twist. However, he is very strict about adhering to established historical fact, despite the fantastical elements in his stories. This makes for a very interesting body of work, but only some of it falls into the steampunk genre. In 1975, the U.S. was involved in the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandals were under investigation, and Microsoft was founded. Many things have changed over those 34 years, but at least one thing at BYU is the same: coach Tim Powers. Powers, who is the swimming and diving head coach, was hired at BYU that same year. Powers had actually turned down a scholarship as an athlete from BYU when he was in college. After becoming coach at BYU, he started to change things around. “In my first year we ended up beating Utah,” he recalled. “We hadn’t done that in five years.”

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Tim Powers is the author of the historical fantasy novel On Stranger Tides, which was opted by Disney and adapted as the fourth installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise. Alongside K. W. Jeter and James Blaylock, Powers is considered to be one of the first of the Steampunks. Powers specializes in historical novels and stories with a magical or otherwise fantastical twist. However, he is very strict about adhering to established historical fact, despite the fantastical elements in his stories. This makes for a very interesting body of work, but only some of it falls into the steampunk genre. Annubis Gates, published in 1983 and definitely in the Steampunk genre, may be one of Powers' best remembered works in the genre. Another steampunk work is entitled The Stress of her Regard, published in 1989. Followed by Powers' take on The Fisher King legend in Last Call, published in 1992, Expiration Date, published in 1995, and Earthquake Weather, published in 1997. The rest of Powers' work falls into a category that Powers has labelled Secret Histories: stories that are historically accurate, but they also have some fantastic elements in them. It is rather like telling just enough truth to make for a very plausible tall tale. He has also written about future events in much the same way. In 1975, the U.S. was involved in the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandals were under investigation, and Microsoft was founded. Many things have changed over those 34 years, but at least one thing at BYU is the same: coach Tim Powers. Powers, who is the swimming and diving head coach, was hired at BYU that same year. “I was coaching in California at the time,” Powers said. “I was coaching a swimmer who was deciding where to go for college and I told him he might want to check out BYU. When I called the university they mentioned that there was a position open and I told them I wanted to throw my hat into the ring.” Powers had actually turned down a scholarship as an athlete from BYU when he was in college. “I decided to go to the University of Montana,” Powers said. “I didn’t want to come to BYU because I said, ‘Oh, the Mormons will just try and convert me.’ I ended up going to Montana and getting converted there.” After becoming coach at BYU, he started to change things around. “In my first year we ended up beating Utah,” he recalled. “We hadn’t done that in five years.” Powers has a great ability to bring fire and motivation to athletes by bringing passion into everything he does. Powers’ tenure as coach at BYU has taken him to many diverse and exciting places. “We’ve had from 16 countries,” Powers said. “Sometimes I get to travel with them. One time I got to travel to the Commonwealth Games, and while I was there, I got invited to eat with the Queen of England. It was almost a fantasy.” When Powers talks about his best memories from the past 34 years, he doesn’t refer to titles and championships. He thinks back to the swimmers and students he’s had the opportunity to get to know. “It’s what those kids go on to do after they swim that gets me excited,” Powers said. “What kind of citizens will they become after they leave here­ — how they do as moms and dads.” For example, one of Powers’ favorite memories is of Rob Morris. During recruiting, he was giving Morris a tour of BYU campus with his father when he mentioned that there was a possibility that if his son came to BYU that he might become a member of the Church. According to Powers, his father just smiled and said, “From what I’ve seen here … that might be OK.” Over the years, Powers has had the opportunity to be a part of the conversions of a number of his athletes. Ron Menezes, a former BYU swimmer and 1984 Olympian, was one of those. “He was the one that confirmed me,” Menezes said. “He was a father-figure to me. When I came to BYU, I was an 18-year-old and alone; he watched over me. He would always bring up the right things that I needed to hear. Even when I made mistakes outside of the pool, he wouldn’t yell at me or make me feel bad, he would just tell me how things were.” That is part of Powers’ style and it seems to work. “Losing can be just as important as winning,” Powers said. “You have to see if you’ll pick yourself up and get yourself back on track.” His office is plastered with trophies and All-American plaques garnished by his former swimmers. There is almost no more room to place new ones. “I think of BYU as an experiment in Zion,” he said. “Here some of the best and brightest of different disciplines come together and we see what we can accomplish.” Due in part to his success, Powers has had the opportunity to be involved on a national level. He has been on the NCAA committee. He has also served on the executive board and as the board director, helping to establish and maintain rules for the NCAA. Powers has even been asked to write some papers for national publications. For example, in 2003, Powers wrote an opinion piece on Title IX for the National Review. Over the years, many things might have changed in the world, but swimming and diving at BYU has stayed pretty constant. “If you’re still connecting with the kids and getting excited about the discoveries in the sport-- staying on the cutting edge-- and it excites you, then you keep coaching," he said. "As long as I'm enjoying it, I'll keep coaching, and I'm still enjoying it." Timothy Thomas "Tim" Powers (born February 29, 1952) is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Powers has won the World Fantasy Award twice for his critically acclaimed novels Last Call and Declare. His 1988 novel, On Stranger Tides, was optioned for the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean film. Most of Powers's novels are "secret histories": he uses actual, documented historical events featuring famous people, but shows another view of them in which occult or supernatural factors heavily influence the motivations and actions of the characters.

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