Esther M. Friesner
Friesner at RavenCon16 in Richmond VA in 2023
Friesner at RavenCon16 in Richmond VA in 2023
Born (1951-07-16) July 16, 1951
New York City, U.S.
OccupationAuthor
NationalityAmerican
GenreFantasy

Esther Mona Friesner-Stutzman, née Friesner (born July 16, 1951) is an American science fiction and fantasy author. She is also a poet and playwright.[1] She is best known for her humorous style of writing, both in the titles and the works themselves. This humor allows her to discuss with broader audiences about issues like gender equality and social justice.[2]

Life

Friesner attended the Hunter College High School, a public magnet high school in New York City, as well as Vassar College. At Vassar, she completed B.A.s in both Spanish and Drama.[3] While at Vassar, she became friendly with Paula Volsky and Jane Bishop. Together they wrote at least one film script for student production, "Lavinia: a Girl of the Street", which demonstrated Esther's trademark tongue-in-cheek style. She holds a Ph.D. in Spanish and was a college Spanish professor at Yale University before becoming a writer. She currently resides with her husband in Connecticut.[1]

Career

During her early career as a writer, Friesner penned an advice column entitled "Ask Auntie Esther" for Pulphouse Magazine.[3] Her first short story, "The Stuff of Heroes" was sold in 1982.[2]

In addition to short stories, Friesner has published a number of novels and is a prolific editor of anthologies. "Thunderbolt," a short story in Random House's Young Warriors anthology lead to her creation of her recent books Nobody's Princess, which takes the Greek legend of Helen of Sparta and gives it a new beginning, and its sequel, Nobody's Prize.[1]

Alien Pregnant By Elvis was her first effort as an anthology editor as part of a collection of tabloid science fiction for DAW books in conjunction with Martin H. Greenberg. She also collaborated with Greenberg on an Amazonian comedy anthology for Baen Books entitled Chicks In Chainmail and a vampire anthology for Donald I Fine, Inc. called Blood Muse.[3]

She is a frequent guest of honor at science fiction conventions, having appeared at Bubonicon, Arisia, Boskone, Baycon and Albacon in the 1990s and into the 21st century. Her story "Love's Eldritch Ichor" was featured at one of these conventions, the World Fantasy convention, in 1990.[3]

Friesner is credited as one of the founders of a parody movement in the 1980s called cyberprep.[4]

Awards

Friesner was named Outstanding New Fantasy Writer by Romantic Times in 1986. She won the Skylark Award in 1994.[5] She has been nominated a number of times for the Hugo and Nebula awards, winning the Nebula Award for Best Short Story in 1995 and 1996 for, respectively, "Death and the Librarian" and "A Birthday". "A Birthday" was additionally a Hugo Award finalist in 1996. Her short story, "All Vows" was also a finalist for the Nebula in 1994 and took second place in Asimov's SF Magazine Readers' Poll in 1993.

Friesner's Star Trek: Deep Space Nine novel, Warchild, also made the USA TODAY bestseller list.[3]

Nebula Awards and Nominations

Source:[6]

  • 1993- “All Vows”, published by Asimov’s Magazine, Nominated for Best Short Story
  • 1995- “Jesus at the Bat” published by The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Nominated for Best Novelette 1995
  • 1995- “Death and the Librarian” published by Asimov’s Magazine, Winner, Best Short story
  • 1996- “A Birthday” published by The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Winner, Best Short Story
  • 1999- “How to Make Unicorn Pie” published by The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Nominated for Best Novelette
  • 2001- Toastmaster for World Science Fiction Convention 2001
  • 2006- “Helen Remembers the Stork Club”, published by The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Nominated for Best Short Story of 2006

Locus Awards

Source:[7]

 Locus Awards — for SF/F/H works, polled by readers of Locus Magazine (10 nominations)

  • 2006: “The Fraud” (Asimov's Mar 2005) — novelette — 24th place
  • 2006: “Last Man Standing” (F&SF Jan 2005) — novelette — 17th place
  • 2006: “Helen Remembers the Stork Club” (F&SF Oct/Nov 2005) — short story — 15th place
  •  2000: “How to Make Unicorn Pie” (F&SF Jan 1999) — novelette — 14th place
  • 1999: “Brown Dust” (Starlight 2) — novelette — 16th place
  • 1996: “A Birthday” (F&SF Aug 1995) — short story — 4th place
  • 1996: Chicks in Chainmail (Baen) — anthology — 19th place
  • 1993: “All Vows” (Asimov's Nov 1992) — short story — 17th place
  • 1989: Druid's Blood (NAL Signet) — fantasy novel — 13th place
  • 1987: New York by Knight (Signet) — fantasy novel — 19th place

Other Awards and Nominations

Source:[7]

  • James Tiptree Jr Memorial Award — for SF/F that explores and expands the roles of women and men, juried (1 nomination)
    • 1999: “In the Realms of Dragons” (Asimov's Feb 1998) — long list
  • Asimov's Reader Poll — for stories, poems, and art published by Asimov's, polled by readers (4 nominations)
    • 2001: “The Shunned Trailer” (Asimov's Feb 2000) — short story — 10th place
    • 1995: “Death and the Librarian” (Asimov's Dec 1994) — short story — 2nd place
    • 1994: “'White!' Said Fred” (Asimov's Oct 1993) — short story — 3rd place (tie)
    • 1993: “All Vows” (Asimov's Nov 1992) — short story — 2nd place
  • ·Gaylactic Spectrum Awards — for SF/F/H on GLBT themes, voted by members of Gaylactic Network (1 nomination)
    • 2000: “Chanoyu” (Asimov's Mar 1999) — short fiction — nomination
  • HOMer Awards — for SF/F works, voted by members of SF/F forum on CompuServe (2 nominations)
    • 2000: “Chanoyu” (Asimov's Mar 1999) — novelette — nomination
    • 2000: “How to Make Unicorn Pie” (F&SF Jan 1999) — novelette — nomination

Bibliography

Novels

  • Harlot's Ruse (1986)
  • The Silver Mountain (1986)
  • Druid's Blood (1988)
  • Yesterday We Saw Mermaids (1992)
  • Split Heirs (1993) with Lawrence Watt-Evans
  • Wishing Season (1993)
  • The Sherwood Game (1995)
  • Child of the Eagle: A Myth of Rome (1996)
  • Playing with Fire (1997)
  • Knock on Wood (2000)
  • E.Godz (2003) with Robert Asprin
  • Temping Fate (2006)
  • Threads and Flames (2010)
Becca of Wiserways (Psalms) series
  1. The Psalms Of Herod (1996)
  2. The Sword Of Mary (1996)
Chronicles of the Twelve Kingdoms series
  1. Mustapha and His Wise Dog (1985)
  2. Spells of Mortal Weaving (1986)
  3. The Witchwood Cradle (1987)
  4. The Water King's Laughter (1989)
Demons series
  1. Here Be Demons (1988)
  2. Demon Blues (1989)
  3. Hooray For Hellywood (1990)
Gnome Man's Land series
  1. Gnome Man's Land (1991)
  2. Harpy High (1991)
  3. Unicorn U (1992)
Majyk series
  1. Majyk by Accident (1993)
  2. Majyk by Hook Or Crook (1994)
  3. Majyk by Design (1995)
Men in Black novelizations
  • Men in Black II (2002)
New York by Knight series
  1. New York by Knight (1986)
  2. Elf Defense (1988)
  3. Sphynxes Wild (1989)
Princesses of Myth series
Helen of Troy
  1. Nobody's Princess (2007)
  2. Nobody's Prize (2008)
Nefertiti
  1. Sphinx's Princess (2009)
  2. Sphinx's Queen (2010)
Himiko
  1. Spirit's Princess (2012)
  2. Spirit's Chosen (2013)
Maeve
  1. Deception's Princess (2014)
  2. Deception's Pawn (2015)
Sabrina the Teenage Witch
  • #11 Prisoner of Cabin 13
  • #22 Witchopoly (1999)
Star Trek universe

Short fiction

Collections
  • It's Been Fun (1991)
  • Up The Wall & Other Tales of King Arthur and His Knights (2000)
  • Death and the Librarian and Other Stories (2002)
Series
  • Cthulhu Mythos series:
    • "Love's Eldritch Ichor" (1990)
  • Riverworld series:
    • "Legends" (1993)
  • Zoli of the Brazen Shield series:
  1. "Cross CHILDREN Walk" (1999) aka "Cross Children Walk"
  2. "Troll by Jury" (2000)
Stories[10]
Title Year Notes
The godsman and the goblin 2000 Friesner, Esther M. (December 2000). "The godsman and the goblin". F&SF. 99 (6): 135–158., Novelette
The stuff of heroes1982
Warts and all 2001 Friesner, Esther M. (March 2001). "Warts and all". F&SF. 100 (3): 132–160., Novelette
Write When You Get Work1983
Godgifu and Aelfgifu1983
Simpson's Lesser Sphynx1984
But Wait! There's More!1984with Walter J. Stutzman
The Jester's Tale1985
Primary1985
The Death of Nimuë1985
The Monk's Tale1985
A Friendly Game of Crola1985
The Sailor's Bride1985
Billingsgate Molly1985
Dragonet1986
Taverna1986
The Old Club Tie1986
The Apothecary's Tale1986
Honeycomb1987
A Winter's Night1988
A New Chantey1988
An Eye for the Ladies1988
Wake-Up Call1988
Black Butterflies1989
The Houri's Mirror1989
Do I Dare to Ask Your Name?1989
The Doo-Wop Never Dies: A Christmas Fable1989
Poe White Trash1989
Articles of Faith1990
The Weavers1990
In the Can1990
Sweet, Savage Sorcerer1990
Up the Wall1990
The Curse of Psamlahkithotep1990
Saint Willibald's Dragon1990
Whammy1990
A Matter of Taste1990
Blunderbore1990
Mad at the Academy1991
Ecce Hominid1991
The Shoemaker and the Elves1991
The Whiskaway Children and the Big Bang1991
Tunnel Vision1991
Claim-Jumpin' Woman, You Got A Stake in My Heart1991
Pride and Prescience1991
A Little Learning1991
Told You So1992collected in Mike Resnick's alternate history anthology Alternate Kennedys
Such a Deal1992
Take Me Out to the Ball Game1992
Her American Cousin1992
Split Heirs (Excerpt)1992with Lawrence Watt-Evans
Dead Ringer1992with Walter J. Stutzman
All Vows1992
Puss1993
The Blood-Ghoul of Scarsdale1993
You Can't Make an Omelet1993
Jane's Fighting Ships1993collected in Mike Resnick's anthology Alternate Warriors
Five-Finger Exercise1993
Three Queens1993
Sugar Daddy1993
Baby Face1993
Lowlifes1993
One Quiet Day in the Suburbs1993
'White!' Said Fred1993
The Broad in the Bronze Bra1993
Titus!1994
Royal Tiff Yields Face of Jesus!1994
Bargaining Chip1994
It's a Gift1994
Two Lovers, Two Gods, and a Fable1994
Jesus at the Bat1994
A Beltaine and Suspenders1994
Patterns1994
Death and the Librarian1994
In the Garden1994
Le Roi S'amuse1995
Goldie, Lox, and the Three Excalibearers1995
Chance1995
Down by the Old Mainstream1995
Un tour de cochon1995
A Pig's Tale1995
A Few Good Menehune1995
A Birthday1995
The Way to a Man's Heart1995
Tea1996
And Thereby Hangs1996
A Life in the Theatre1996
Sparrow1996
The Strange Case of Ludwig the Unspeakable1996
Moonlight in Vermont1996
Death Swatch1996
That's Entertainment: The Tale of Salacious Crumb1996
Just Wait Until You Have Children of Your Own1996
Silent Love1997
Lonelyhearts1997
King of the Cyber Trifles1997
Prey1997
Miss Thing1997
What Really Killed the Dinosaurs1997
No Bigger Than My Thumb1997
Give a Man a Horse He Can Ride1997
True Believer1997
Claim-Jumpin' Woman Got a Stake in My Heart1997
Won't You Take Me Dancing?1997
Mortal Things1997
To Storm Heaven (Excerpt)1997
A Big Hand for the Little Lady1998
The Littlest Maenad1998
Mrs. Lurie and the Rapture1998
How It All Began1998
Twelve-Steppe Program1998
A Hamster of No Importance1998with Walter J. Stutzman
Brown Dust1998
Ivy1998
In the Realm of Dragons1998
Totally Camelot1998
Chestnut Street1998
An Old Man's Summer1998collected in Harry Turtledove's anthology Alternate Generals
Repro Man1999with Anne Elizabeth Stutzman
Love, Crystal and Stone1999
Fashion Victim1999
How to Make Unicorn Pie1999
Jolene's Motel1999
Chanoyu1999
Case #285B1999
Sea-Section1999
Miranda's Muse2000
Big Hair2000
Hallowmass2000
The Shunned Trailer2000
Cora2000
Gunsel and Gretel2001
Auntie Elspeth's Halloween Story, or the Gourd, the Bad and the Ugly2001
Werotica2001
Came the Dawn2001
Ilion2002
Labor Relations2002collected in Harry Turtledove's anthology Alternate Generals II
Men in the Rain2002
Grain2002
Just Another Cowboy2002
In Days of Old2002
Why I Want to Come to Brewer College2002
Homework2002
I Killed Them in Vegas2003
Giants in the Earth2004
Au Purr2004
The Dead Don't Waddle2004
Johnny Beansprout2004
Child's Play2004
Last Man Standing2005
Marriage a la Modred2005
The Fraud2005
Cook's Turing2005
The Beau and the Beast2005
First, Catch Your Elephant2005collected in Harry Turtledove's anthology Alternate Generals III
One for the Record2005
Helen Remembers The Stork Club2005
Thunderbolt2005
Abductio Ad Absurdum2006
The Really Big Sleep2006
An Autumn Butterfly2006
Benny Comes Home2006
Cubby Grumbles Makes a Change2006
Crumbs2006
The Wedding of Wylda Serene2006
If Looks Could Kill2007
Seeking the Master2007
A Sacred Institution2007
At These Prices2007
Roomies2007
The Bones of Mammoth Malone2007
Stocks and Bondage2007
Edra's Arrow2007
A Rosé for Emily2007
Home for the Holidays2008
In a Dark Wood, Dreaming2008
How Thorvald the Bloody-Minded Saved Christmas2008
The Face Is Familiar2008
You Got Served2008
Mummy Knows Best2008
Gut Feeling2008
Isn't That Special2009
No Children, No Pets2010
Long in the Tooth2010
The One That Got Away2011
Rutger and Baby Do Jotenheim2011
Dance with the Devil2012
Title Year Notes

Anthologies (edited)

Chicks in Chainmail series
  1. Chicks in Chainmail (1995)
  2. Did You Say Chicks?! (1998)
  3. Chicks 'n Chained Males (1999)
  4. The Chick is in the Mail (2000)
  5. Turn the Other Chick (2004)
  6. Chicks and Balances (2015)
  • Chicks Ahoy! (2010) Omnibus of first three volumes
Supernatural Suburbia series
  1. Witch Way to the Mall (2009)
  2. Strip Mauled (2009)
  3. Fangs for the Mammaries (2010)

Alien Pregnant By Elvis (1994 with Martin H. Greenberg)

Blood Muse (1995 with Martin H. Greenberg)

Poems

  • "The Shield-Maiden's Honeymoon" (1984)
  • "Chivalry" (1985)
  • "A Gaming Son" (1985)
  • "The Vampire of Gretna Green" (1985)
  • "A Short Slew of SF Clerihews" (1986)
  • "More SF Clerihews" (1986)
  • "Yet More SF Clerihews" (1986)
  • "The Sincere Symbiote" (1986)
  • "Spell for a Nuclear Witch" (1988)
  • "Who Made the Stew on Betelgeuse II?" (1988)
  • "Cat-Tech-Ism" (1988)
  • "Food for Thought" (1989)
  • "Confessio" (1989)
  • "The Hobbyist" (1989)
  • "Lovers" (1994)
  • "For Sale: One Moonbase, Never Used" (2009)

Essays

Source:[11]

  • Letter (Locus #307) (1986) with S. P. Somtow and Sharon Webb
  • Letter (Science Fiction Chronicle #85) (1986) with S. P. Somtow and Sharon Webb
  • Regrets Only (1986)
  • The Other Side: Now Revealed: Money-Making Secrets of the Shockmeisters (1987)
  • Letter (Locus #326) (1988)
  • About the Authors (Arabesques) (1988) with M. J. Engh and William R. Forstchen and Tanith Lee and Sandra Miesel and Larry Niven and Andre Norton and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough and Melissa Scott and Susan Shwartz and Nancy Springer and Judith Tarr and Harry Turtledove and Gene Wolfe and Jane Yolen
  • Letter (Locus #331) (1988)
  • Read This (NYRSF, November 1988) (1988)
  • Who Was That Alien I Saw You With Last Night? (1990)
  • Introduction (It's Been Fun) (1991)
  • Ask Auntie Esther (Pulphouse, October 25, 1991) (1991)
  • Ask Auntie Esther (Pulphouse, November 29, 1991) (1991)
  • Ask Auntie Esther (Pulphouse, December 31, 1991) (1991)
  • Ask Auntie Esther (Pulphouse, July 1992) (1992)
  • Ask Auntie Esther (Pulphouse, September–October 1992) (1992)
  • Ask Auntie Esther (Pulphouse #15) (1993)
  • Ask Auntie Esther (Pulphouse #17, 1994) (1994)
  • Introduction: Alien Pregnant by Elvis (1994)
  • Chicks in Chainmail (introduction) (1995)
  • There's nothing funny about mixing humor and SF (1995)
  • Introduction (Blood Muse) (1995)
  • Take My Wizard...Please! The Serious Business of Writing Funny Fantasy and Science Fiction (1996)
  • The Old School Spirit (1997)
  • Introduction (Did You Say Chicks?) (1998)
  • But What I Really Want to Do Is Direct (1998)
  • Introduction (Chicks 'n Chained Males) (1999)
  • Introduction (The Chick is in the Mail) (2000) only appeared as:
    • Variant: Introduction (The Chick Is in the Mail) (2000)
  • If You Give a Girl a Hobbit (2001) also appeared as:
    • Translation: Wennein Mädel an einen Hobbit gerät [German] (2002)
    • Translation: Hobbits et jeune filles en fleur [French] (2003)
  • Introduction (Death and the Librarian and Other Stories) (2002)
  • Introduction to "The Stuff of Heroes" (2003)
  • Terry Pratchett: The Man, The Myth, The Legend, The Beverage (2004)
  • Give Beast a Chance (2005)
  • About the Authors (Turn the Other Chick) (2006)
  • Introduction (Turn the Other Chick) (2006)
  • On "Helen Remembers the Stork Club" (2007)
  • Introduction (Witch Way to the Mall) (2009)
  • Leader of the Pack (2009)
  • Introduction (Fangs for the Mammaries) (2010)
  • On Judy and Darkover (2013)
  • Introduction (Bard's Road: The Collected Fiction of Lee Martindale) (2014)
  • Introduction (Chicks and Balances) (2015)

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Esther Friesner | Penguin Random House". PenguinRandomhouse.com. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  2. 1 2 "Esther Friesner | Jewish Women's Archive". jwa.org. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Esther M. Friesner". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  4. ↑ David G. Hartwell & Kathryn Cramer, ed. (2006). Year's Best Fantasy 6. San Francisco: Tachyon Publications. ISBN 1-892391-37-6.
  5. ↑ World Fantasy Convention 36. "Esther M. Friesner". Archived from the original on 28 December 2010. Retrieved 17 March 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. ↑ Fictions, © 2019 Science; America, Fantasy Writers of; SFWA®, Inc; Fiction, Nebula Awards® are registered trademarks of Science; America, Fantasy Writers of; SFWA, Inc Opinions expressed on this web site are not necessarily those of. "Esther M. Friesner". The Nebula Awards®. Retrieved 2020-03-10. {{cite web}}: |first3= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. 1 2 "sfadb : Esther M. Friesner Awards". www.sfadb.com. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  8. ↑ ISFDB. "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine". Retrieved 17 March 2011.
  9. ↑ ISFDB. "Star Trek: The Next Generation". Retrieved 17 March 2011.
  10. ↑ Short stories unless otherwise noted.
  11. ↑ "Summary Bibliography: Esther M. Friesner". www.isfdb.org. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
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