Lisa Tuttle
Encyclopedia
Lisa Tuttle is an American-born science fiction, fantasy, and horror author. She has published over a dozen novels, five short story collections, and several non-fiction titles, including a reference book on feminism
. She has also edited several anthologies and reviewed books for various publications. She has been living in the United Kingdom since 1981.
Tuttle won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 1974, received the 1982 Nebula Award for Best Short Story
for "The Bone Flute
", which she refused, and the 1989 BSFA Award for Short Fiction
for "In Translation".
in Piney Point Village, Texas
. At the Mirabeau B. Lamar Senior High School in Houston she was active in science fiction fandom
, and founded and edited the Houston Science Fiction Society's fanzine
, Mathom. At Syracuse University
in New York, she wrote for the university's fanzine Tomorrow And…, plus several alternative newspapers. In 1971 Tuttle attended the Clarion Writer's Workshop
, running that year at Tulane University
in New Orleans, after which she sold her first short story, "Stranger in the House", which appeared in 1972 in Clarion II, an anthology edited by Robin Wilson
. In 1974 Tuttle received a BA degree in English Literature and moved to Austin, Texas
where she worked as a journalist for five years at the Austin American-Statesman
, a daily newspaper.
In 1973 Tuttle and several other science fiction writers, including Howard Waldrop
, Steven Utley
and Bruce Sterling
, founded the Turkey City Writer's Workshop
in Austin, Texas, and in 1974 she was joint winner of the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer with Spider Robinson
. Tuttle collaborated with author and screenwriter George R. R. Martin
on a novella, The Storms of Windhaven that was nominated for a Hugo Award
in 1976. Tuttle and Martin later expanded the novella into a novel, Windhaven
, which was published in 1981.
Over the next 25 years Tuttle wrote a number science fiction and fantasy novels, including Lost Futures (1992), which was nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke
and James Tiptree, Jr. Award
s. She has also written young-adult fiction and published several titles, including Catwitch (with illustrator Una Woodruff) (1983), Panther in Argyll (1996) and Love-on-Line (1998). She wrote Virgo: Snake Inside for a series of twelve young-adult books called Horrorscopes (1995) under the house pseudonym of Maria Palmer, and was a contributing author to Ben M. Baglio
's Dolphin Diaries
(2002–2004), a young-adult series of books. In addition to fiction, Tuttle has written non-fiction, including the Encyclopedia of Feminism (1986) and Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction (2002). As editor she has compiled several anthologies, including Skin of the Soul: New Horror Stories by Women (1990), and Crossing the Border: Tales of Erotic Ambiguity (1998), the latter covering the topic of genderbending
.
Tuttle's fiction often focuses on gender issues and includes "strong-willed women" who question their identities. British author David V. Barrett
wrote that her stories are "emotionally uncomfortable", and that "they not only make you think, they make you feel". Her science fiction works have been associated with feminist science fiction
, and The Cambridge Guide to Women's Writing in English
said that many of her stories use elements of science fiction and horror to "dramatize aspects of the human, and specifically the female, condition". It described The Pillow Friend as her "most satisfactory" novel, saying that it "trades more on ambiguities in its use of imaginary friends, phantom pregnancies and edible boyfriends".
Tuttle has taught writing at several institutions, including Clarion West and the Citylit College at London University
. She has also reviewed books for The Sunday Times
. In 1989 Tuttle received the BSFA Award for Short Fiction
for "In Translation". Her short story, "Replacements
" was adapted for an episode of the Canadian horror TV series, The Hunger in 1999, and another story of hers, "Community Property" was the subject of a 2005 French short film, Propriété commune.
Nebula Award
. Her short story, "The Bone Flute
", which had been published in May 1981 in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
, was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Short Story
in early 1982. When Tuttle discovered in March 1982 that another nominee in this category, George Guthridge
, was soliciting votes for his story, "The Quiet" by sending copies of it to SFWA
members, she wrote a letter to the Awards director Frank Catalano
requesting that her story be withdrawn, saying, "I don't approve of this kind of campaigning". But "The Bone Flute" was chosen as the best short story before Catalano received Tuttle's letter, and when she was notified that she was the winner, she responded saying that she would not be accepting the award because she had withdrawn the story from the competition. Tuttle said that she would not be attending the awards ceremony on April 24, 1982, and requested that the reason for her refusal be given at the event. However on April 29, 1982, Tuttle was contacted by Pocket Books
editor John Douglas, who told her that he had received her award on her behalf. No mention had been made at the ceremony of her refusal to accept the award.
Later, George R. R. Martin
, with whom Tuttle had collaborated on Windhaven
, wrote an open letter to the SFWA in which he said that, while he did not necessarily agree with Tuttle's decision to refuse the award, he objected to the way the organization handled her refusal. Martin wrote: "She has made a difficult and considerable sacrifice on grounds of principle, and [...] I feel very strongly that she had a right to be heard." When asked in an interview in 2003 whether she regretted declining the Nebula Award, Tuttle said, "I think my main regret is that people may assume that I object to awards on principle, and never nominate anything by me for anything again! I would love to win some awards, especially ones with money attached ..."
in rural Scotland in 1990 where she currently lives with her second husband, editor Colin Murray, and their daughter, Emily.
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
. She has also edited several anthologies and reviewed books for various publications. She has been living in the United Kingdom since 1981.
Tuttle won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 1974, received the 1982 Nebula Award for Best Short Story
Nebula Award for Best Short Story
Winners of the '“Nebula Award for Best Short Story”'. The stated year is that of publication; awards are given in the following year. Winning titles are listed first, with other nominees listed below.-Winners and nominees:-External links:* *...
for "The Bone Flute
The Bone Flute
"The Bone Flute" is a science fiction short story by American writer Lisa Tuttle, first published in the May 1981 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction...
", which she refused, and the 1989 BSFA Award for Short Fiction
BSFA award
The BSFA Awards are literary awards presented annually since 1970 by the British Science Fiction Association to honor works in the genre of science fiction. Nominees and winners are chosen based on a vote of BSFA members...
for "In Translation".
Writing career
Lisa Tuttle began writing when she attended The Kinkaid SchoolThe Kinkaid School
The Kinkaid School is a K-12 non-sectarian school in Piney Point Village, Texas, United States.The Kinkaid School is the oldest independent coeducational school in the Houston, Texas area . The student body is divided into the Lower School , the Middle School and the Upper School...
in Piney Point Village, Texas
Piney Point Village, Texas
Piney Point Village is a city in Harris County, Texas. The population was 3,380 at the 2000 census. Piney Point Village is also considered one of the wealthiest communities in the Greater Houston area.-History:...
. At the Mirabeau B. Lamar Senior High School in Houston she was active in science fiction fandom
Science fiction fandom
Science fiction fandom or SF fandom is a community or "fandom" of people actively interested in science fiction and fantasy and in contact with one another based upon that interest...
, and founded and edited the Houston Science Fiction Society's fanzine
Fanzine
A fanzine is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest...
, Mathom. At Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
in New York, she wrote for the university's fanzine Tomorrow And…, plus several alternative newspapers. In 1971 Tuttle attended the Clarion Writer's Workshop
Clarion Workshop
Clarion is a six-week workshop for new and aspiring science fiction and fantasy writers. Originally an outgrowth of Knight and Wilhelm's Milford Writers' Conference, held at their home in Milford, Pennsylvania, USA, it was founded in 1968 by Robin Scott Wilson at Clarion State College in...
, running that year at Tulane University
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
in New Orleans, after which she sold her first short story, "Stranger in the House", which appeared in 1972 in Clarion II, an anthology edited by Robin Wilson
Robin Wilson (author)
Robin Scott Wilson is an American science fiction author and editor, and former President of California State University, Chico....
. In 1974 Tuttle received a BA degree in English Literature and moved to Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
where she worked as a journalist for five years at the Austin American-Statesman
Austin American-Statesman
The Austin American-Statesman is the major daily newspaper for Austin, the capital city of Texas. It is an award-winning publication owned by Cox Enterprises. The Newspaper places focus on issues affecting Austin and the Central Texas region....
, a daily newspaper.
In 1973 Tuttle and several other science fiction writers, including Howard Waldrop
Howard Waldrop
Howard Waldrop is a science fiction author who works primarily in short fiction.Waldrop's stories combine elements such as alternate history, American popular culture, the American South, old movies , classical mythology, and rock 'n' roll music. His style is sometimes obscure or elliptical...
, Steven Utley
Steven Utley
Steven Utley is an American writer. He has written poems, humorous essays and other non-fiction, and worked on comic books and cartoons, but is best known for his science fiction stories.-Biography:...
and Bruce Sterling
Bruce Sterling
Michael Bruce Sterling is an American science fiction author, best known for his novels and his work on the Mirrorshades anthology, which helped define the cyberpunk genre.-Writings:...
, founded the Turkey City Writer's Workshop
Turkey City Writer's Workshop
Turkey City Writer's Workshop is a peer-to-peer, professional science fiction writer's workshop in Texas. Founded in 1973 and still ongoing today, it was consciously modeled after the east coast Milford Writer's Workshop...
in Austin, Texas, and in 1974 she was joint winner of the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer with Spider Robinson
Spider Robinson
Spider Robinson is an American-born Canadian Hugo and Nebula award winning science fiction author.- Biography :Born in the Bronx, New York City, Robinson attended Catholic high school, spending his junior year in a seminary, followed by two years in a Catholic college, and five years at the State...
. Tuttle collaborated with author and screenwriter George R. R. Martin
George R. R. Martin
George Raymond Richard Martin , sometimes referred to as GRRM, is an American author and screenwriter of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He is best known for A Song of Ice and Fire, his bestselling series of epic fantasy novels that HBO adapted for their dramatic pay-cable series Game of...
on a novella, The Storms of Windhaven that was nominated for a Hugo Award
Hugo Award
The Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...
in 1976. Tuttle and Martin later expanded the novella into a novel, Windhaven
Windhaven
Windhaven is a science-fiction and fantasy novel written by novelist and screenwriter, George R. R. Martin, and novelist Lisa Tuttle. The novel is a collection of short stories compiled and first published together in 1981 by Simon and Schuster. It was later reprinted by Bantam Spectra in hardcover...
, which was published in 1981.
Over the next 25 years Tuttle wrote a number science fiction and fantasy novels, including Lost Futures (1992), which was nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke
Arthur C. Clarke Award
The Arthur C. Clarke Award is a British award given for the best science fiction novel first published in the United Kingdom during the previous year. The award was established with a grant from Arthur C. Clarke and the first prize was awarded in 1987...
and James Tiptree, Jr. Award
James Tiptree, Jr. Award
The James Tiptree, Jr. Award is an annual literary prize for works of science fiction or fantasy that expand or explore one's understanding of gender. It was initiated in February of 1991 by science fiction authors Pat Murphy and Karen Joy Fowler, subsequent to a discussion at WisCon.- Background...
s. She has also written young-adult fiction and published several titles, including Catwitch (with illustrator Una Woodruff) (1983), Panther in Argyll (1996) and Love-on-Line (1998). She wrote Virgo: Snake Inside for a series of twelve young-adult books called Horrorscopes (1995) under the house pseudonym of Maria Palmer, and was a contributing author to Ben M. Baglio
Ben M. Baglio
Ben M. Baglio , created the brief for two series of children's books - Dolphin Diaries and Animal Ark. Dolphin Diaries features a girl and her family from Florida, who travel around the world as marine biologists and study dolphins. Animal Ark features two children who work together to help animals...
's Dolphin Diaries
Dolphin Diaries
Dolphin Diaries is a series of books by Lucy Daniels. This is a work of fiction.Dolphin Diaries is about a young girl, Jody McGrath, who travels with her family as they research dolphins on a yacht called the Dolpin Dreamer.-Characters:Jody McGrath:...
(2002–2004), a young-adult series of books. In addition to fiction, Tuttle has written non-fiction, including the Encyclopedia of Feminism (1986) and Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction (2002). As editor she has compiled several anthologies, including Skin of the Soul: New Horror Stories by Women (1990), and Crossing the Border: Tales of Erotic Ambiguity (1998), the latter covering the topic of genderbending
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
.
Tuttle's fiction often focuses on gender issues and includes "strong-willed women" who question their identities. British author David V. Barrett
David V. Barrett
David V. Barrett is a British author who has written on religious and esoteric topics. He is also a regular contributor to The Independent, Fortean Times, and the Catholic Herald....
wrote that her stories are "emotionally uncomfortable", and that "they not only make you think, they make you feel". Her science fiction works have been associated with feminist science fiction
Feminist science fiction
Feminist science fiction is a sub-genre of science fiction which tends to deal with women's roles in society. Feminist science fiction poses questions about social issues such as how society constructs gender roles, the role reproduction plays in defining gender and the unequal political and...
, and The Cambridge Guide to Women's Writing in English
The Cambridge Guide to Women's Writing in English
The Cambridge Guide to Women's Writing in English is a bio-bibliographical dictionary of women writers and women's writing in English published by Cambridge University Press in 1999 . It was edited by Lorna Sage, with Germaine Greer and Elaine Showalter as advisory editors, and contains over 2,500...
said that many of her stories use elements of science fiction and horror to "dramatize aspects of the human, and specifically the female, condition". It described The Pillow Friend as her "most satisfactory" novel, saying that it "trades more on ambiguities in its use of imaginary friends, phantom pregnancies and edible boyfriends".
Tuttle has taught writing at several institutions, including Clarion West and the Citylit College at London University
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
. She has also reviewed books for The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
. In 1989 Tuttle received the BSFA Award for Short Fiction
BSFA award
The BSFA Awards are literary awards presented annually since 1970 by the British Science Fiction Association to honor works in the genre of science fiction. Nominees and winners are chosen based on a vote of BSFA members...
for "In Translation". Her short story, "Replacements
Replacements (short story)
"Replacements" is a short story written by Lisa Tuttle. It features a husband's insecurities surfacing while a wife's independence strengthens as she claims a vampire pet for her very own.- Summary :...
" was adapted for an episode of the Canadian horror TV series, The Hunger in 1999, and another story of hers, "Community Property" was the subject of a 2005 French short film, Propriété commune.
Nebula Awards controversy
In 1982, Tuttle became the first and only person (to date) to refuse a Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of AmericaScience Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, or SFWA is a nonprofit association of professional science fiction and fantasy writers. It was founded in 1965 by Damon Knight under the name Science Fiction Writers of America, Inc. and it retains the acronym SFWA after a very brief use of the SFFWA...
Nebula Award
Nebula Award
The Nebula Award is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America , for the best science fiction/fantasy fiction published in the United States during the previous year...
. Her short story, "The Bone Flute
The Bone Flute
"The Bone Flute" is a science fiction short story by American writer Lisa Tuttle, first published in the May 1981 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction...
", which had been published in May 1981 in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction is a digest-size American fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House and then by Fantasy House. Both were subsidiaries of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Publications, which took over as publisher in 1958. Spilogale, Inc...
, was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Short Story
Nebula Award for Best Short Story
Winners of the '“Nebula Award for Best Short Story”'. The stated year is that of publication; awards are given in the following year. Winning titles are listed first, with other nominees listed below.-Winners and nominees:-External links:* *...
in early 1982. When Tuttle discovered in March 1982 that another nominee in this category, George Guthridge
George Guthridge
George Guthridge is a U.S. author. He has published over 70 short stories and five novels, and has been a finalist for the Hugo Award and twice for the Nebula Award, for science fiction and fantasy...
, was soliciting votes for his story, "The Quiet" by sending copies of it to SFWA
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, or SFWA is a nonprofit association of professional science fiction and fantasy writers. It was founded in 1965 by Damon Knight under the name Science Fiction Writers of America, Inc. and it retains the acronym SFWA after a very brief use of the SFFWA...
members, she wrote a letter to the Awards director Frank Catalano
Frank Catalano
Frank Catalano is an American jazz musician living in Chicago, Illinois.-Biography:Frank Catalano began playing the saxophone at age 7. His right middle finger was severed while working on a car engine when he was 16, but following reconstructive surgery, Catalano forced his hands to relearn...
requesting that her story be withdrawn, saying, "I don't approve of this kind of campaigning". But "The Bone Flute" was chosen as the best short story before Catalano received Tuttle's letter, and when she was notified that she was the winner, she responded saying that she would not be accepting the award because she had withdrawn the story from the competition. Tuttle said that she would not be attending the awards ceremony on April 24, 1982, and requested that the reason for her refusal be given at the event. However on April 29, 1982, Tuttle was contacted by Pocket Books
Pocket Books
Pocket Books is a division of Simon & Schuster that primarily publishes paperback books.- History :Pocket produced the first mass-market, pocket-sized paperback books in America in early 1939 and revolutionized the publishing industry...
editor John Douglas, who told her that he had received her award on her behalf. No mention had been made at the ceremony of her refusal to accept the award.
Later, George R. R. Martin
George R. R. Martin
George Raymond Richard Martin , sometimes referred to as GRRM, is an American author and screenwriter of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He is best known for A Song of Ice and Fire, his bestselling series of epic fantasy novels that HBO adapted for their dramatic pay-cable series Game of...
, with whom Tuttle had collaborated on Windhaven
Windhaven
Windhaven is a science-fiction and fantasy novel written by novelist and screenwriter, George R. R. Martin, and novelist Lisa Tuttle. The novel is a collection of short stories compiled and first published together in 1981 by Simon and Schuster. It was later reprinted by Bantam Spectra in hardcover...
, wrote an open letter to the SFWA in which he said that, while he did not necessarily agree with Tuttle's decision to refuse the award, he objected to the way the organization handled her refusal. Martin wrote: "She has made a difficult and considerable sacrifice on grounds of principle, and [...] I feel very strongly that she had a right to be heard." When asked in an interview in 2003 whether she regretted declining the Nebula Award, Tuttle said, "I think my main regret is that people may assume that I object to awards on principle, and never nominate anything by me for anything again! I would love to win some awards, especially ones with money attached ..."
Personal life
Tuttle moved from the United States to London in 1981 where she married British writer Christopher Priest. The marriage ended in 1987 and she relocated to TorinturkTorinturk
Torinturk is a village in Argyll and Bute, Scotland.Torinturk, is 5 miles from Tarbert. Torinturk comes from the Gaelic for the hill of the boar. This is where the last wild boar in Scotland was killed....
in rural Scotland in 1990 where she currently lives with her second husband, editor Colin Murray, and their daughter, Emily.
Novels
- WindhavenWindhavenWindhaven is a science-fiction and fantasy novel written by novelist and screenwriter, George R. R. Martin, and novelist Lisa Tuttle. The novel is a collection of short stories compiled and first published together in 1981 by Simon and Schuster. It was later reprinted by Bantam Spectra in hardcover...
(1981) (with George R. R. MartinGeorge R. R. MartinGeorge Raymond Richard Martin , sometimes referred to as GRRM, is an American author and screenwriter of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He is best known for A Song of Ice and Fire, his bestselling series of epic fantasy novels that HBO adapted for their dramatic pay-cable series Game of...
) — Locus AwardLocus AwardThe Locus Award is a literary award established in 1971 and presented to winners of Locus magazine's annual readers' poll. Currently, the Locus Awards are presented at an annual banquet...
nominee, 1982 - Familiar Spirit (1983)
- Catwitch (1983) (with Una Woodruff) — young-adult fiction
- Angela's Rainbow (1983) (with Michael Johnson)
- Gabriel (1987)
- Lost Futures (1992) — Arthur C. ClarkeArthur C. Clarke AwardThe Arthur C. Clarke Award is a British award given for the best science fiction novel first published in the United Kingdom during the previous year. The award was established with a grant from Arthur C. Clarke and the first prize was awarded in 1987...
and James Tiptree, Jr. AwardJames Tiptree, Jr. AwardThe James Tiptree, Jr. Award is an annual literary prize for works of science fiction or fantasy that expand or explore one's understanding of gender. It was initiated in February of 1991 by science fiction authors Pat Murphy and Karen Joy Fowler, subsequent to a discussion at WisCon.- Background...
nominees, 1992 - Virgo: Snake Inside (1995) (as Maria Palmer) — young-adult fiction
- Panther in Argyll (1996) — young-adult fiction
- The Pillow Friend (1996)
- Love On-line (1998) — young-adult fiction
- Mad House (1998) — young-adult fiction
- My Death (2004) (novella)
- The Mysteries (2005)
- The Silver Bough (2006)
Story collections
- A Nest of Nightmares (1985)
- A Spaceship Built of Stone and Other StoriesA Spaceship Built of Stone and Other StoriesA Spaceship Built of Stone and Other Stories is a 1987 science fiction short story collection by Lisa Tuttle, her second after A Nest of Nightmares...
(1987) - Memories of the Body: Tales of Desire and Transformation (1990)
- Ghosts and Other Lovers (2001)
- My Pathology (2001)
Non-fiction
- Children's Literary Houses (1984) (with Rosalind Ashe)
- Encyclopedia of Feminism (1986)
- Heroines: Women Inspired by Women (1988)
- Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction (2002)
As editor
- Skin of the Soul: New Horror Stories by Women (1990)
- Crossing the Border: Tales of Erotic Ambiguity (1998)
External links
- Random House profile
- Fantastic Fiction
- Inventory of the Lisa Tuttle Collection: ca. 1975-2004. Cushing Memorial Library, Texas A&M UniversityTexas A&M UniversityTexas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
.