Diana L. Paxson
Encyclopedia
Diana L. Paxson is an author, primarily in the fields of Paganism
and Heathenism
. Her published works include fantasy
and historical fiction
novels, as well as numerous short stories
. More recently she has also published books about Pagan and Heathen religions and practices.
, which she first co-wrote with Marion Zimmer Bradley
, then took over sole authorship of after Bradley's death. Paxson's other books include Taking Up the Runes, Essential Asatru, and Trance-Portation. She writes a regular column for the women's spirituality magazine, called Sagewoman.
Paxson has been active in the leadership of a number of organizations. She hosted the first activities of the Society for Creative Anachronism
, and was subsequently among that group's founding Directors and Corporate Officers when it incorporated. She was the western regional director of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America
, and is a frequent panelist at science fiction convention
s, especially Baycon
, where she was the 2007 Fantasy Guest of Honor.
A leader in the Neopagan
and Heathen revivals, Paxson is the founder of the The Fellowship of the Spiral Path and has served as First Officer of the Wicca
n Covenant of the Goddess
. She has been Steerswoman of the Heathen group, The Troth
, a member of its Board of Directors, and currently edits its journal, Idunna. She is a pioneer in the revival of Oracular Seidh
, which she has taught and performed at many Neopagan and heathen festivals and retreats.
She composes and plays music for the harp
. She currently lives at her home, Greyhaven, in Berkeley, California
.
Lady of Light and Lady of Darkness have been republished in the U.S. as a single volume under the name Mistress of the Jewels (1991), and in the UK as Lady of Light, Lady of Darkness (1990)
These were also published in two volumes, as The Hallowed Isle: Books I & II (2000) and Books III & IV (2001)
:
As sole author:
, an annual anthology of fantasy stories:
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
and Heathenism
Germanic Neopaganism
Germanic neopaganism is the contemporary revival of historical Germanic paganism. Precursor movements appeared in the early 20th century in Germany and Austria. A second wave of revival began in the early 1970s...
. Her published works include fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
and historical fiction
Historical fiction
Historical fiction tells a story that is set in the past. That setting is usually real and drawn from history, and often contains actual historical persons, but the principal characters tend to be fictional...
novels, as well as numerous short stories
Short Stories
Short Stories may refer to:*A plural for Short story*Short Stories , an American pulp magazine published from 1890-1959*Short Stories, a 1954 collection by O. E...
. More recently she has also published books about Pagan and Heathen religions and practices.
Biography
In addition to her multiple novels and collaborations, she has written over seventy short stories. Her best-known works are the Westria novels, and the later books in the Avalon seriesAvalon Series
The Avalon Series is a series of fantasy novels written by Marion Zimmer Bradley, with help from Diana L. Paxson. Paxson later took over sole authorship after Bradley's death in 1999...
, which she first co-wrote with Marion Zimmer Bradley
Marion Zimmer Bradley
Marion Eleanor Zimmer Bradley was an American author of fantasy novels such as The Mists of Avalon and the Darkover series. Many critics have noted a feminist perspective in her writing. Her first child, David R...
, then took over sole authorship of after Bradley's death. Paxson's other books include Taking Up the Runes, Essential Asatru, and Trance-Portation. She writes a regular column for the women's spirituality magazine, called Sagewoman.
Paxson has been active in the leadership of a number of organizations. She hosted the first activities of the Society for Creative Anachronism
Society for Creative Anachronism
The Society for Creative Anachronism is an international living history group with the aim of studying and recreating mainly Medieval European cultures and their histories before the 17th century...
, and was subsequently among that group's founding Directors and Corporate Officers when it incorporated. She was the western regional director of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America
SFWA
SFWA may refer to:*Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America*Scottish Football Writers' Association...
, and is a frequent panelist at science fiction convention
Science fiction convention
Science fiction conventions are gatherings of fans of various forms of speculative fiction including science fiction and fantasy. Historically, science fiction conventions had focused primarily on literature, but the purview of many extends to such other avenues of expression as movies and...
s, especially Baycon
BayCon
BayCon is the San Francisco Bay Area's main science fiction and fantasy convention. It is held over Memorial Day weekend in Santa Clara, California. BayCon is a large convention topping two thousand attendees over the last several years. The convention draws many attendees from throughout...
, where she was the 2007 Fantasy Guest of Honor.
A leader in the Neopagan
Neopaganism
Neopaganism is an umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements, particularly those influenced by or claiming to be derived from the various pagan beliefs of pre-modern Europe...
and Heathen revivals, Paxson is the founder of the The Fellowship of the Spiral Path and has served as First Officer of the Wicca
Wicca
Wicca , is a modern Pagan religious movement. Developing in England in the first half of the 20th century, Wicca was popularised in the 1950s and early 1960s by a Wiccan High Priest named Gerald Gardner, who at the time called it the "witch cult" and "witchcraft," and its adherents "the Wica."...
n Covenant of the Goddess
Covenant of the Goddess
The Covenant of the Goddess is a cross-traditional Wiccan group of solitary Wiccan practitioners and over one hundred affiliated covens . It was founded in 1975 in order to increase co-operation among Witches and to secure for Witches and covens the legal protection enjoyed by members of other...
. She has been Steerswoman of the Heathen group, The Troth
The Troth
The Ring of Troth, now called simply The Troth, is an American-based international Germanic neopagan organization. The Troth was founded on December 20 , 1987 by former Asatru Free Assembly members Edred Thorsson and James Chisholm. However, neither is any longer involved with the organization...
, a member of its Board of Directors, and currently edits its journal, Idunna. She is a pioneer in the revival of Oracular Seidh
Seiðr
Seid or seiðr is an Old Norse term for a type of sorcery or witchcraft which was practiced by the pre-Christian Norse. Sometimes anglicized as "seidhr," "seidh," "seidr," "seithr," or "seith," the term is also used to refer to modern Neopagan reconstructions or emulations of the...
, which she has taught and performed at many Neopagan and heathen festivals and retreats.
She composes and plays music for the harp
Harp
The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
. She currently lives at her home, Greyhaven, in Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
.
Westria
- Lady of Light (1982) ISBN 0-671-45597-4
- Lady of Darkness (1983) ISBN 0-671-45882-5
- Silverhair the Wanderer (1986) ISBN 0-8125-4860-4
- The Earthstone (1987) ISBN 0-8125-4862-0
- The Sea Star (1988) ISBN 0-8125-4864-7
- The Wind Crystal (1990) ISBN 0-8125-0040-7
- The Jewel of Fire (1992) ISBN 0-8125-1110-7
- The Golden Hills of Westria (2006) ISBN 0-7653-0889-4
Lady of Light and Lady of Darkness have been republished in the U.S. as a single volume under the name Mistress of the Jewels (1991), and in the UK as Lady of Light, Lady of Darkness (1990)
Wodan's Children
- The Wolf and the Raven (1993) ISBN 0-688-10821-0
- The Dragons of the Rhine (1995) ISBN 0-688-13986-8
- The Lord of Horses (1996) ISBN 0-688-14606-6
The Hallowed Isle
- The Book of the Sword (1999) ISBN 0-380-78870-5
- The Book of the Spear (1999) ISBN 0-380-80546-4
- The Book of the Cauldron (1999) ISBN 0-380-80547-2
- The Book of the Stone (2000) ISBN 0-380-80548-0
These were also published in two volumes, as The Hallowed Isle: Books I & II (2000) and Books III & IV (2001)
Chronicles of Fionn mac Cumhal
In collaboration with Adrienne Martine-Barnes:- Master of Earth and Water (1993) ISBN 0-688-12505-0
- The Shield Between the Worlds (1994) ISBN 0-688-13176-X
- Sword of Fire and Shadow (1995) ISBN 0-688-14156-0
Avalon series
In collaboration with Marion Zimmer BradleyMarion Zimmer Bradley
Marion Eleanor Zimmer Bradley was an American author of fantasy novels such as The Mists of Avalon and the Darkover series. Many critics have noted a feminist perspective in her writing. Her first child, David R...
:
- The Forest HouseThe Forest HouseThis is about the novel, for Forrest House, see Melbourne High SchoolThe Forest House is a fantasy novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley and Diana L. Paxson, though the latter is uncredited by the publisher...
(1994) (uncredited) - Lady of AvalonLady of Avalon-Plot:Lady of Avalon is the sequel to The Forest House and the prequel to The Mists of Avalon. It is divided into 3 parts.-Part 1:The first part shows us Caillean and Gawen , who we know from the prequel, The Forest House....
(1997) (uncredited) - Priestess of AvalonPriestess of AvalonPriestess of Avalon is a 2000 novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley and completed posthumously by Diana L. Paxson. It follows detailing the life of Helena, first wife of Western Roman Emperor Constantius Chlorus and mother of Constantine....
(2000)
As sole author:
- Ancestors of AvalonAncestors of AvalonAncestors of Avalon is a 2004 fantasy novel written by Diana L. Paxson, and based on an idea of the late Marion Zimmer Bradley.The book is one of 7 prequels to Bradley's popular fantasy novel Mists of Avalon. The characters of Ancestors of Avalon have appeared earlier in Bradley's fantasy novel The...
(2004) - Ravens of Avalon (2007)
- Sword of Avalon (2009)
Other novels
- Brisingamen (1984) ISBN 0-425-07298-3
- White Mare, Red Stallion (1986) ISBN 0-425-08531-7
- The Paradise Tree (1987) ISBN 0-441-65134-8
- The White Raven (1988) ISBN 0-688-07496-0
- The Serpent's Tooth (1991) ISBN 0-688-08339-0
Sword and Sorceress series
Paxson has authored the following stories from the Sword and Sorceress seriesSword and Sorceress series
The Sword and Sorceress series is a series of fantasy anthologies edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley, and originally published by DAW Books. As she explained in the foreword to the first volume, she created the anthology to redress the lack of strong female protagonists in the sub-genre of sword and...
, an annual anthology of fantasy stories:
- Sword of Yraine
- Shadow Wood
- Equona's Mare
- The Sword Slave
Other short fiction
- "The Song of N'Sardi-El" in Millennial WomenMillennial WomenMillennial Women is a 1978 science fiction anthology, edited by Virginia Kidd, in which all the stories are written by women and have a female character as the primary protagonist...
(1978) - "An Appropriate Hell" in War in Hell (1988) - part of the Heroes in HellHeroes in HellHeroes in Hell is a series of shared world fantasy books, within the genre Bangsian fantasy, created and edited by Janet Morris and written by her, Chris Morris, C. J. Cherryh and others...
series
Other books
- Celestial Wisdom for Every Year of Your Life: Discover the Hidden Meaning of Your Age (with Z. Budapest) Weiser Books (2003) ISBN 157863282X, ISBN 978-1578632824
- Taking Up the Runes: A Complete Guide to Using Runes in Spells, Rituals, Divination, and Magic Weiser Books (April 20, 2005) ISBN 1578633257, ISBN 978-1578633258
- Essential Asatru: Walking the Path of Norse Paganism Citadel (December 1, 2006) ISBN 0806527080, ISBN 978-0806527086
- Trance-Portation: Learning to Navigate the Inner World Red Wheel/Weiser Books (November 1, 2008) ISBN 1578634059, ISBN 978-1578634057