Stephen W. Potts received his doctorate from the University of California at Berkeley and spent the next year in Würzburg, Germany, as a Fulbright Lecturer. He returned to teaching at San Diego State University until invited to the University of California at San Diego by the Department of Literature. Since the mid-1980s he has taught courses on science fiction, fantasy, film, and other popular genres, on creative writing, and on youth culture for both the Literature and Communication departments. As an affiliate of the Human Development Program, he also offers courses in children's and adolescent literature. In addition, he periodically teaches children's literature and science fiction at San Diego State.
 
SWP has been in print for over twenty years. His publications span literary and cultural critique, political commentary, literary parody, and science fiction. Representative titles include the book Catch-22: Antiheroic Anti-novel (G. K. Hall), the article "IBMortality: Putting the Ghost in the Machine" (Immortal Engines, U. of Georgia Press), and the story "Mare Somniorum" (New Dimensions 10, Harper & Row). Work in progress includes both fiction and nonfiction. He is also creator and editor of Armageddon Buffet, an online journal of fiction and commentary. As a specialist in popular culture and social issues, he has appeared often in the local media -- newspapers, radio, and TV -- and as a speaker at public events and conferences.
 
He enjoys hiking, camping, and nature study, and belongs to a number of environmental and progressive-political organizations.