Win Scott Eckert first read Philip José Farmer's "fictional biography" His Apocalyptic Life, and become hooked by the concept of the Wold Newton family. In 1997, he coined the term "Wold Newton Universe" on his website, An Expansion of Philip José Farmer's Wold Newton Universe [1]. This was the first site attempting to expand Farmer's concept of an inter-linked history for a number of key literary characters.

's original concept of the Wold Newton family was of a literary merging between novels, a crossover between multiple works, linking standout fictional characters into a deliberate family and coherent chronology. Farmer's two fictional "biographies" of the fictional characters Tarzan (Tarzan Alive)(Right) and Clark Savage, Jr. (His Apocalyptic Life) proposed that actual meteorite which landed in Wold Newton, Yorkshire, England, on December 13, 1795 caused a genetic mutation in the occupants of a passing coach.

"The radiation caused a genetic mutation in those present, which endowed many of their descendants with extremely high intelligence and strength, as well as an exceptional capacity and drive to perform good, or, as the case may be, evil deeds".

Their (fictional) descendants, therefore, became the stalwarts of fantastic fiction. Farmer's initial family trees include such luminaries (and their ancestors and descendants) as Sherlock Holmes, Lord Greystoke, A.J. Raffles, (Conan Doyle's)Professor Challenger, Sir Percy Blakeney, (Poe's) C. Auguste Dupin, Lord Peter Wimsey, Bulldog Drummond and Nero Wolfe; James Bond, Mr Moto, Philip Marlowe, Kilgore Trout, Sam Spade, Professor Moriarty (A.K.A. Captain Nemo), Phileas Fogg, Wells' Time Traveller and Fu Manchu.

Eckert and others expanded upon Farmer's concept of the Wold Newton Family, using the family trees as a central device to expand the fictional universe that the family inhabits, by documenting crossovers between said fictional characters in various media. Thus, the original core, related Wold Newton Family became a Universe, no longer tied to being the relatives, descendants and ancestors of those present at the 1795 Wold Newton meteor strike. (Eckert also expanded the 'main' family tree in 2002.[2])

The presumption from the family trees was that most - if not all - fictional characters could be said to share the same universe. Farmer himself penned a number of crossover fiction stories and novels set in what is now termed the Wold Newton Universe [3], largely based around the three central pillars of Tarzan, Holmes and Savage, but also incorporating (among others) Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos into the universe. Subsequently, the early history of the WNU has been expanded forwards and backwards in time to incorporate the very early history of Conan (through the works of Robert E. Howard, L. Sprague de Camp, Roy Thomas and others), right through to the far-future exploits of the many characters in the Star Trek universe.

Eckert (and others)'s work in bringing together diverse articles and references by, and from works by, such individuals as Alan Moore, William S. Baring-Gould, Michael Moorcock, Kim Newman, John Pearson and Jess Nevins have expanded the idea. With the blessing and approval of P.J. Farmer, the primary Wold Newton website [4] features details on various fictional biographies (including those of Biggles and John Steed); details on Farmer's own contributions to the WNU and a comprehensive chronology of the WNU from "Prehistory" to the future.

Eckert served as an expert consultant on "crossovers involving characters from pulp fiction and Victorian literature" for the lawsuit brought against Twentieth Century Fox over their similarities between their adaptation of Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill's comic The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and an earlier screenplay entitled Cast of Characters. (Famously, this lawsuit proved to be another nail in the coffin of Alan Moore's disillusionment with the film industry - not least since many of the similarities between the two screenplays were not present in Moore's original work, and yet part of the allegation was directed squarely at him.)

is editor of - and contributor to - the 2005 MonkeyBrain-published work Myths for the Modern Age: Philip José Farmer's Wold Newton Universe (originally titled: Creative Mythography: An Expansion of Philip José Farmer’s Wold Newton Universe), collecting Farmer's little-seen stories and essays which expand upon the Wold Newtonian concept, alongside "contributions from Farmer’s successors...scholars, writers, and pop-culture historians...who bring even more fictional characters into the fold". (Contributors include Eckert himself, Rick Lai, Jess Nevins, Mark K. Brown and Brad Mengel.)Myths for the Modern Age was a 2007 Locus Award finalist for best non-fiction work.

He has written pulp tales for a yearly anthology of Wold-Newtonish stories edited by Jean Marc and Randy Lofficier, Tales of the Shadowmen volumes 1-5 (Black Coat Press, 2005—2009), mostly centered on the adventures of Doc Ardan, a French version of Doc Savage. He has also written stories for Lance Star - Sky Ranger (Wild Cat Books, 2006) and The Avenger Chronicles (Moonstone Books, 2008) and Captain Midnight: Declassified (Moonstone Books, forthcoming). He is a regular contributor of Wold Newton essays and stories to the pro-zine dedicated to and authorized by Farmer, The Magazine of Philip José Farmer [5] (published by Michael Croteau, webmaster of the Official Philip José Farmer Home Page).

In 2006, he wrote the forward to Bison Books' new edition of Philip José Farmer's original Wold Newtonian work A Definitive Biography of Lord Greystoke (Bison Books, 2006).

Eckert's "Crossover Chronology" of the WNU, detailing in large part the full history of the Wold Newton Universe, largely (although not entirely) through the use of literary/film/TV crossovers between members of the core Wold Newton family and other fictional individuals is due to be published in book form, greatly expanded, by Black Coat Press in 2010 as Crossovers: A Secret Chronology of the World.

Novels

• The Evil in Pemberley House (with Philip José Farmer), Subterranean Press, September 2009.

Non-Fiction Books

• Myths for the Modern Age: Philip José Farmer’s Wold Newton Universe, editor and author, MonkeyBrain Books, November 2005.
• "Introduction: Myths for the Modern Age: Farmer’s Wold Newton Family and Shared Universe" in Myths for the Modern Age (2005)
• "Who's Going to Take Over the World When I'm Gone?: A Look at the Genealogies of Wold Newton Family Super-Villains and Their Nemeses" in Myths for the Modern Age (2005)
• Crossovers 1: A Secret Chronology of the World, Black Coat Press, May 2010.
• Crossovers 2: A Secret Chronology of the World, Black Coat Press, July 2010.

Short Fiction

• "The Vanishing Devil" in Tales of the Shadowmen Volume 1: The Modern Babylon by Jean-Marc and Randy Lofficier (ed.s) (Black Coat Press, March 2005)
• "Le Diable fantôme" en Les Compagnons de l'Ombre (Tome 5) by Jean-Marc and Randy Lofficier (ed.s) (Riviere Blanche, December 2009)
• "The Eye of Oran" in Tales of the Shadowmen Volume 2: Gentlemen of the Night by Jean-Marc and Randy Lofficier (ed.s) (Black Coat Press, January 2006)
• "L'oeil d'Oran" en Les Compagnons de l'Ombre (Tome 1) by Jean-Marc and Randy Lofficier (ed.s) (Riviere Blanche, November 2007)
• "Shadows Over Kunlun" in Lance Star - Sky Ranger by Ron Fortier (ed.) (Wild Cat Books, August 2006)
• rev. ed. by Ron Fortier (ed.) (Cornerstone Book Publishers, 2008)
• "Les Levres Rouges" in Tales of the Shadowmen Volume 3: Danse Macabre by Jean-Marc and Randy Lofficier (ed.s) (Black Coat Press, January 2007)
• "Les Levres Rouges" en Les Compagnons de l'Ombre (Tome 3) by Jean-Marc and Randy Lofficier (eds.) (Riviere Blanche, 2009)
• "The Shades of Pemberley, Parts I & II" in The Magazine of Philip José Farmer no.s 8-9 by Christopher Paul Carey and Paul Spiteri, eds., (April, July 2007)
• "L'Affaire Atomos" en La saga de Mme. Atomos (Tome 3) by Jean-Marc and Randy Lofficier (ed.s) (Riviere Blanche, July 2007)
• "The Atomos Affair" in Tales of the Shadowmen Volume 4: Lords of Terror by Jean-Marc and Randy Lofficier (ed.s) (Black Coat Press, January 2008)
• Excerpt from the novel The Evil in Pemberley House (with Philip José Farmer) in The Magazine of Philip José Farmer no. 14 by Paul Spiteri and Win Scott Eckert, eds., (October 2008)
• "Death and the Countess" in The Avenger Chronicles by Joe Gentile and Howard Hopkins (eds.) (Moonstone Books, October 2008)
• "Iron and Bronze" in Tales of the Shadowmen Volume 5: The Vampires of Paris by Jean-Marc and Randy Lofficier (ed.s) (with Christopher Paul Carey) (Black Coat Press, January 2009)
• "De Fer et de Bronze" en Les Compagnons de l'Ombre (Tome 6) by Jean-Marc and Randy Lofficier (ed.s) (Riviere Blanche, forthcoming)
• "Is He in Hell?" in Tales of the Shadowmen Volume 6: Grand Guignol by Jean-Marc and Randy Lofficier (ed.s) (Black Coat Press, January 2010)
• Revised version in The Worlds of Philip José Farmer 1: Protean Dimensions by Michael Croteau (ed.) (Meteor House, June 2010)
• "Le Mouron Rouge en Enfer" en Les Compagnons de l'Ombre (Tome 7) by Jean-Marc and Randy Lofficier (ed.s) (Riviere Blanche, forthcoming)
• "No Ghosts Need Apply" in The Phantom Chronicles, Volume 2 by Joe Gentile (ed.) (Moonstone Books, May 2010)
• "Captain Midnight at Ultima Thule" in Captain Midnight Chronicles by Christopher Mills (ed.) (Moonstone Books, June 2010)
• "Fang and Sting" in The Green Hornet Chronicles by Joe Gentile and Win Scott Eckert (eds.) (Moonstone Books, October 2010)
• "Nadine's Invitation" in Tales of the Shadowmen Volume 7: Femmes Fatales by Jean-Marc and Randy Lofficier (ed.s) (Black Coat Press, forthcoming January 2011)
• "Zorro's Rival" in More Tales of Zorro by Richard Dean Starr (ed.) (Moonstone Books, forthcoming)

Essays & Articles

• "A Reply to 'The Wold Newton Theory Alternative Universe'" in ThrillerUK No. 19, July 2004.
• Creative Mythography: "A Nova of Genetic Splendor." in The Magazine of Philip José Farmer No. 1, Christopher Paul Carey and Paul Spiteri, eds., July 2005.
• "The Black Forest and the Wold Newton Universe." in The Black Forest 2: Castle of Shadows, Image Comics, September 2005.
• Creative Mythography: "Six Degrees of Philip José Farmer." in The Magazine of Philip José Farmer No. 2, Christopher Paul Carey and Paul Spiteri, eds., October 2005.
• Creative Mythography: "How He Avoided Publicity, Part II." in The Magazine of Philip José Farmer No. 3, Christopher Paul Carey and Paul Spiteri, eds., January 2006.
• "Foreword" to A Definitive Biography of Lord Greystoke by Philip José Farmer (Bison Frontiers of Imagination, April 2006)
• Reprinted as "Philip José Farmer's Tarzan Alive" in Burroughs Bulletin New Series No. 81, George T. McWhorter, ed., Winter 2010.
• Creative Mythography: "Ouroboros, Part I." in The Magazine of Philip José Farmer No. 4, Christopher Paul Carey and Paul Spiteri, eds., April 2006.
• Creative Mythography: "Ouroboros, Part II." in The Magazine of Philip José Farmer No. 5, Christopher Paul Carey and Paul Spiteri, eds., July 2006.
• Creative Mythography: "Doc Wildman: Out of Time." in The Magazine of Philip José Farmer No. 6, Christopher Paul Carey and Paul Spiteri, eds., October 2006.
• "How I Discovered Doc Savage." in How I Discovered Doc Savage, Jay Ryan and Courtney Rogers, editors (Solace of Fortitude Publications, 2006).
• "Introduction" to "The Rebels Unthawed" in Up from the Bottomless Pit and Other Stories by Philip José Farmer (Subterranean Press, 2007) ISBN 1-596-06128-6
• Creative Mythography: "This Peoria Earth." in The Magazine of Philip José Farmer No. 10, Paul Spiteri and Win Scott Eckert, eds., October 2007.
• Creative Mythography: "Trunks and Branches: The Wold Newton Family." in The Magazine of Philip José Farmer No. 11, Paul Spiteri and Win Scott Eckert, eds., January 2008.
• Creative Mythography: "The Farmerian Holmes." in The Magazine of Philip José Farmer No. 12, Paul Spiteri and Win Scott Eckert, eds., April 2008.
• Creative Mythography: "Sahhindar through the Centuries." in The Magazine of Philip José Farmer No. 13, Paul Spiteri and Win Scott Eckert, eds., July 2008 (with Dennis E. Power).
• Creative Mythography: "Excessively Diverted, or, Coming to Pemberley." in The Magazine of Philip José Farmer No. 14, Paul Spiteri and Win Scott Eckert, eds., October 2008.
• Creative Mythography: "Philip José Farmer in the Wold Newton Family." in The Magazine of Philip José Farmer No. 15, Paul Spiteri and Win Scott Eckert, eds., January 2009.
• "Introduction" to Sherlock Holmes und das Uhrwerk des Todes by Christian Endres (Atlantis, December 2009).
• "The Blakeney Family Tree" in The Worlds of Philip José Farmer 1: Protean Dimensions by Michael Croteau (ed.) (Meteor House, June 2010)

Podcasts & Panels

• " Literary Archaeology and Parascholarship." Comics Arts Conference, San Diego Comic-Con International, July 22, 2004 (with Dr. Peter M. Coogan and Chuck Loridans). YouTube video.
• " Myths for the Modern Age." Comics Arts Conference, San Diego Comic-Con International, July 20, 2006 (with Dr. Peter M. Coogan, Chuck Loridans, Brad Mengel, and John Small). YouTube video.
• "Tales of the Shadowmen." Archon 31/TuckerCon/9th NASFiC Science Fiction/Fantasy Convention, August 4, 2007 (with Matthew Baugh and Rick Lai).
• "Myths for the Modern Age." Archon 31/TuckerCon/9th NASFiC Science Fiction/Fantasy Convention, August 4, 2007 (with Matthew Baugh, Dr. Peter M. Coogan, Rick Lai, and Chuck Loridans).
• Blog Talk Radio - Geekerati - " Barsoom, Hyboria, and Urban Mean Streets: The Pulps and Their Modern Legacy," September 3, 2007.
• Blog Talk Radio - Geekerati - " Black Coats and Justice Inc.: Black Coat Press and Moonstone Books Keep the Pulp Tradition Alive," February 11, 2008.
• "Doc Savage and The Shadow in Crossover Fiction." Windy City Pulp and Paper Convention, April 25, 2008 (with Rick Lai).
• The Book Cave: Episode 16 - " Tribute to Philip José Farmer," April 3, 2009 (with Mike Croteau, Paul Spiteri, and Dennis E. Power).