William Illsey Atkinson has spent thirty years uniting science and literature. He was born in Seattle, his father a US naval officer, and grew up in Ontario, Canada where he attended McMaster University.


After university, Atkinson produced readable descriptions of technical projects for the large steel company STELCO. From 1979 to 1986, he worked as a science writer for the National Research Council of Canada. There, constant interaction with front-line scientists, including Nobel laureates, gave Atkinson access to the latest research in biotechnology, chemistry, physics, and engineering.



From 1986 to 1991, Atkinson was manager of communications for Forintek Canada, an R&D institute in Vancouver. In 1991, he incorporated Draaken Science Communications to interpret technology for universities, institutes, and private firms.



In 1997 Atkinson received the Prix d'Excellence in Issues Writing from Dalhousie University for his story on the V-Chip, which was developed for use by parents to monitor and control the television programs that their children are exposed to.



In addition to Nanocosm, Atkinson is the author of Prototype. Prototype reviews some of today's most advanced technology and was a finalist for the 2001 National Business Book Award-- the only technology book to be so honored.