Steven L. Thompson

Steven Lynn Thompson is an author, magazine journalist, historian of technology and motorcycle racer. Born in 1948 at Ft. Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas, he is the only child of career U.S. Air Force pilot Major Ray Lynn Thompson and his wife, Velma Mildred Thompson (both d. 1991).

Career

As an author, Thompson wrote five Cold War thrillers during the 1980s (Recovery, Countdown to China, Bismarck Cross, Airburst and Top End), in which he explored such themes as the role of the U.S. Military Liaison Mission in Potsdam, East Germany, in both clandestine intelligence gathering and in resolving East-West tensions, as well as the reunification of East and West Germany, the coming of the Islamic Jihad to the United States via general aviation aircraft used for terror, and the consequences of contracting to private companies the role of coastal surveillance. A movie (Honor Bound) directed by Jeannot Szwarc starring Tom Skerritt was made in 1988 by Filmaccord S.A. based on Recovery, but not released in the United States after audience previews. In 1985, Thompson invited Walter J. Boyne, then Director of the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum and a columnist for AOPA Pilot at Thompson’s request, to join him in co-authoring a social history of the United States Air Force. Boyne had completed a career in the Air Force and Thompson had been born and bred in the service, as well as serving in it during the Viet Nam war. Boyne subsequently agreed to co-author the book but argued that it should be fiction, and it was sold to Crown Publishers in 1985 by Thompson’s literary agent, Jacques de Spoelberch, who represented both authors. Published in 1986 in hardback, the resulting novel, The Wild Blue: The Novel of the U.S. Air Force, became a national best-seller. The Aviation/Space Writers Association awarded Boyne and Thompson its 1986 Journalism Award for fiction in aviation books for the novel.

Thompson's 2008 non-fiction book, Bodies in Motion: Evolution and Experience in Motorcycling, published by Aero Design (Duluth, MN), was an investigation into the pre-cognitive psycho-biological behavioral predispositions which lead some people to seek the sensations of riding motorcycle and lead others to avoid them. Thompson sought to use his experience evaluating motorcycles,automobiles, and aircraft for consumer special-interest publications in understanding “what our vehicles of automobility do to, and not just for, their operators” and brought that understanding together with a meta-analysis of the evolutionary biology and psychology as reflected in contemporary scientific publications to aid in determining the appeal (and also dislike) for motorcycling by the general public. He also commissioned the Stanford University Smart Products Design Lab to test nine "iconic" motorcycles for their vibration "signatures" in an attempt to quantify the actual differences in the "feel" of the engines that enthusiast lore long held to be true.

During Thompson's career in magazines, he helped set circulation records at every publication he directed as editor-in-chief, editorial director, or executive editor, and as a consultant, he redesigned both AutoWeek (1986) and Cycle Guide(1978) with James E. Williams (1948-2008), his former colleague at Car and Driver. He wrote hundreds of editorial columns and features for the magazines he edited, including a monthly column for AutoWeek called “At Large” from 1994 to 2008, and also a monthly column called “At Large” for Cycle World from 1986 to 1991; his 1986 "At Large" column entitled "Talking Tees" was awarded a "Maggie Award for Excellence" by the Western Publications Association. Also, his "At Large" column "Silver Wing for a Silver Eagle", from the April, 1989 Cycle World, was selected for inclusion in The Devil Can Ride: The World's Best Motorcycle Writing, (Lee Klancher, ed.), p. 260. At the publisher's request, Thompson also authorized Urban Moto Magazine to reprint some of his Cycle World "At Large" columns.

As a historian, Thompson wrote essay reviews and reviewed books for the Society for the History of Technology's journal, Technology & Culture, and also was named an Advisory Editor for the journal. He also published historical-analysis articles in Air & Space/Smithsonian, for which he was a consulting, and later a contributing editor, as well as in American Heritage ofInvention & Technology, and in automotive, aviation and motorcycle special-interest publications.

As a motorcycle racer, Thompson competed in the U.S., Britain, Australia, and New Zealand. He also competed three times in the Isle of Man; in the 1970 and 1971 Manx Grands Prix, he was unable to start the Junior (350cc) race on his Shepherd-Kawasaki because of machine failures in practice and qualifying. In 1987, racing as the sole rider for Team Cycle World, he entered the Formula One and 750 Production TT races in May-June, and completed both races, lapping in the 750 Production race at 101.2 mph, making him the first American journalist and fourth American professional racer to have lapped the TT course at over "the ton"—100 mph. Thompson also was a member of Team Cycle World's successful attempts in 1985 to set new World Speed Records on standard U.S.-specification Suzuki GSX-R750s. Two motorcycles were used, and Thompson rode both in the 24-hour event, in the process being awarded, with the rest of the team, 6, 12, and 24-hour FIM World Speed Records.

Education

Dept. of Defense schools through 8th grade; then Bella Vista High School, Fair Oaks, CA, graduation with honors 1966 followed by U.C. Berkeley, Honors at Entrance, 1966; left in 1967, returned 1992, graduated B.A. with High Honors (History) and distinction in general scholarship, Dec. 1995.

Military service

U.S. Air Force, Feb. 1968-Feb. 1974, Honorable Discharge, rank at discharge: Staff Sergeant (E-5). Active Duty, March 1968-July 1972; Individual Ready Reserve until discharge Feb. 1974. Air Force Specialty Code: 22351 (Illustrator). American Spirit Honor Medal awarded after competition in Basic Training, Amarillo AFB, 21 May 1968. Other medals and decorations: Air Force Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Air Force Small Arms Expert Ribbon. Service locations: Amarillo AFB, Texas; Basic Training, 1968, 3333rd BMTS, Flight 150; Reese AFB, Texas, Air Training Command, Headquarters, 3500 Supply Squadron, 1968-1969; RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk, England, 1969-1972; USAFE, 3rd Air Force, Headquarters Squadron, 513 Combat Support Group, 513 Tactical Airlift Wing.

Professional timeline

• August 1972-March 1973: Freelance commercial artist
• March 1973-Oct. 1974: Art Director and Senior Editor, Competition Press & Autoweek, Reno, Nevada
• Oct. 1974-Dec. 1976: Editor-in-Chief, Road Test Magazine, Compton, CA
• Jan 1977-May 1978; Executive Editor, Car and Driver' Magazine, New York City, NY
• July 1978-Dec. 1980; Editorial Director, Cycle Guide Magazine
• Jan 1981-Dec. 1981; Director of Editorial Development, Cycle Guide Publications
• April 1982-Oct 1984, Executive Editor, AOPA Pilot Magazine
• Jan 1983-Oct 1984, Vice President, Publications Division, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association

Books

• Recovery, fiction, Warner Books, hardcover 1980, softcover, 1981, with foreign editions in Italy, Holland, and Japan; Kindle editions, 2012
• Countdown to China, fiction, Warner Books, softcover, 1982, foreign editions; Kindle editions, 2012
• Bismarck Cross, fiction, Tor Books, softcover, 1983, foreign editions, Kindle edition 2012
• The Wild Blue, fiction, (with Walter J. Boyne), Crown Publishers, hardcover 1985, softcover 1987, foreign editors, Kindle edition 2012
• Airburst, fiction, Worldwide, softcover, 1987, foreign editions, Kindle edition 2012
• Top End, fiction, Worldwide, softcover, 1989, foreign editions, Kindle edition, 2012
• Bodies in Motion: Evolution and Experience in Motorcycling, non-fiction, Aero Design, 2008, softcover, Kindle edition 2010

Contracted positions

• 1982-1985, Editor-at-Large, Cycle Guide Magazine
• 1985-1992, Editor-at-Large, Cycle World Magazine
• 1993-2007, Senior Contributing Editor, AutoWeek Magazine
• 2005-present, Outside Editor, RANGE Magazine

References

• The Wild Blue: The Novel of the U.S. Air Force