Esther Friesner

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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 (age 72)
New York City, U.S.
OccupationAuthor
NationalityAmerican
EducationVassar College (BA)
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[edit]

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.[citation needed] She currently resides with her husband in Connecticut.[1]

Career[edit]

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[edit]

Friesner was named Outstanding New Fantasy Writer by Romantic Times in 1986.[citation needed] 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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

Novels[edit]

  • 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[edit]

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 heroes 1982
Warts and all 2001 Friesner, Esther M. (March 2001). "Warts and all". F&SF. 100 (3): 132–160., Novelette
Write When You Get Work 1983
Godgifu and Aelfgifu 1983
Simpson's Lesser Sphynx 1984
But Wait! There's More! 1984 with Walter J. Stutzman
The Jester's Tale 1985
Primary 1985
The Death of Nimuë 1985
The Monk's Tale 1985
A Friendly Game of Crola 1985
The Sailor's Bride 1985
Billingsgate Molly 1985
Dragonet 1986
Taverna 1986
The Old Club Tie 1986
The Apothecary's Tale 1986
Honeycomb 1987
A Winter's Night 1988
A New Chantey 1988
An Eye for the Ladies 1988
Wake-Up Call 1988
Black Butterflies 1989
The Houri's Mirror 1989
Do I Dare to Ask Your Name? 1989
The Doo-Wop Never Dies: A Christmas Fable 1989
Poe White Trash 1989
Articles of Faith 1990
The Weavers 1990
In the Can 1990
Sweet, Savage Sorcerer 1990
Up the Wall 1990
The Curse of Psamlahkithotep 1990
Saint Willibald's Dragon 1990
Whammy 1990
A Matter of Taste 1990
Blunderbore 1990
Mad at the Academy 1991
Ecce Hominid 1991
The Shoemaker and the Elves 1991
The Whiskaway Children and the Big Bang 1991
Tunnel Vision 1991
Claim-Jumpin' Woman, You Got A Stake in My Heart 1991
Pride and Prescience 1991
A Little Learning 1991
Told You So 1992 collected in Mike Resnick's alternate history anthology Alternate Kennedys
Such a Deal 1992
Take Me Out to the Ball Game 1992
Her American Cousin 1992
Split Heirs (Excerpt) 1992 with Lawrence Watt-Evans
Dead Ringer 1992 with Walter J. Stutzman
All Vows 1992
Puss 1993
The Blood-Ghoul of Scarsdale 1993
You Can't Make an Omelet 1993
Jane's Fighting Ships 1993 collected in Mike Resnick's anthology Alternate Warriors
Five-Finger Exercise 1993
Three Queens 1993
Sugar Daddy 1993
Baby Face 1993
Lowlifes 1993
One Quiet Day in the Suburbs 1993
'White!' Said Fred 1993
The Broad in the Bronze Bra 1993
Titus! 1994
Royal Tiff Yields Face of Jesus! 1994
Bargaining Chip 1994
It's a Gift 1994
Two Lovers, Two Gods, and a Fable 1994
Jesus at the Bat 1994
A Beltaine and Suspenders 1994
Patterns 1994
Death and the Librarian 1994
In the Garden 1994
Le Roi S'amuse 1995
Goldie, Lox, and the Three Excalibearers 1995
Chance 1995
Down by the Old Mainstream 1995
Un tour de cochon 1995
A Pig's Tale 1995
A Few Good Menehune 1995
A Birthday 1995
The Way to a Man's Heart 1995
Tea 1996
And Thereby Hangs 1996
A Life in the Theatre 1996
Sparrow 1996
The Strange Case of Ludwig the Unspeakable 1996
Moonlight in Vermont 1996
Death Swatch 1996
That's Entertainment: The Tale of Salacious Crumb 1996
Just Wait Until You Have Children of Your Own 1996
Silent Love 1997
Lonelyhearts 1997
King of the Cyber Trifles 1997
Prey 1997
Miss Thing 1997
What Really Killed the Dinosaurs 1997
No Bigger Than My Thumb 1997
Give a Man a Horse He Can Ride 1997
True Believer 1997
Claim-Jumpin' Woman Got a Stake in My Heart 1997
Won't You Take Me Dancing? 1997
Mortal Things 1997
To Storm Heaven (Excerpt) 1997
A Big Hand for the Little Lady 1998
The Littlest Maenad 1998
Mrs. Lurie and the Rapture 1998
How It All Began 1998
Twelve-Steppe Program 1998
A Hamster of No Importance 1998 with Walter J. Stutzman
Brown Dust 1998
Ivy 1998
In the Realm of Dragons 1998
Totally Camelot 1998
Chestnut Street 1998
An Old Man's Summer 1998 collected in Harry Turtledove's anthology Alternate Generals
Repro Man 1999 with Anne Elizabeth Stutzman
Love, Crystal and Stone 1999
Fashion Victim 1999
How to Make Unicorn Pie 1999
Jolene's Motel 1999
Chanoyu 1999
Case #285B 1999
Sea-Section 1999
Miranda's Muse 2000
Big Hair 2000
Hallowmass 2000
The Shunned Trailer 2000
Cora 2000
Gunsel and Gretel 2001
Auntie Elspeth's Halloween Story, or the Gourd, the Bad and the Ugly 2001
Werotica 2001
Came the Dawn 2001
Ilion 2002
Labor Relations 2002 collected in Harry Turtledove's anthology Alternate Generals II
Men in the Rain 2002
Grain 2002
Just Another Cowboy 2002
In Days of Old 2002
Why I Want to Come to Brewer College 2002
Homework 2002
I Killed Them in Vegas 2003
Giants in the Earth 2004
Au Purr 2004
The Dead Don't Waddle 2004
Johnny Beansprout 2004
Child's Play 2004
Last Man Standing 2005
Marriage a la Modred 2005
The Fraud 2005
Cook's Turing 2005
The Beau and the Beast 2005
First, Catch Your Elephant 2005 collected in Harry Turtledove's anthology Alternate Generals III
One for the Record 2005
Helen Remembers The Stork Club 2005
Thunderbolt 2005
Abductio Ad Absurdum 2006
The Really Big Sleep 2006
An Autumn Butterfly 2006
Benny Comes Home 2006
Cubby Grumbles Makes a Change 2006
Crumbs 2006
The Wedding of Wylda Serene 2006
If Looks Could Kill 2007
Seeking the Master 2007
A Sacred Institution 2007
At These Prices 2007
Roomies 2007
The Bones of Mammoth Malone 2007
Stocks and Bondage 2007
Edra's Arrow 2007
A Rosé for Emily 2007
Home for the Holidays 2008
In a Dark Wood, Dreaming 2008
How Thorvald the Bloody-Minded Saved Christmas 2008
The Face Is Familiar 2008
You Got Served 2008
Mummy Knows Best 2008
Gut Feeling 2008
Isn't That Special 2009
No Children, No Pets 2010
Long in the Tooth 2010
The One That Got Away 2011
Rutger and Baby Do Jotenheim 2011
Dance with the Devil 2012
Title Year Notes

Anthologies (edited)[edit]

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[edit]

  • "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[edit]

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[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Esther Friesner | Penguin Random House". PenguinRandomhouse.com. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  2. ^ a b "Esther Friesner | Jewish Women's Archive". jwa.org. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  3. ^ a b c d e "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. ^ a b "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.

External links[edit]