Marion Zimmer Bradley
Encyclopedia
Marion Eleanor Zimmer Bradley (June 3, 1930 – September 25, 1999) 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. Bradley, and her brother, Paul Edwin Zimmer
were also published science fiction and fantasy authors in their own right.
, during the Great Depression
, she began writing in 1949. She was married to Robert Alden Bradley from October 26, 1949 until their divorce on May 19, 1964. They had a son, David Robert Bradley (1950–2008). During the 1950s she was introduced to the cultural and campaigning lesbian
group the Daughters of Bilitis
.
After her divorce Bradley married numismatist Walter H. Breen
on June 3, 1964. They had a daughter, Moira Greyland, who became a professional harpist and singer, and a son, Patrick.
In 1965, Bradley graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
degree from Hardin-Simmons University
in Abilene, Texas
. Afterward, she moved to Berkeley, California
, to pursue graduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley
between 1965 and 1967. In 1966, she helped found and named the Society for Creative Anachronism
and was involved in developing several local groups, including in New York after her move to Staten Island.
Bradley and Breen separated in 1979 but remained married, and continued a business relationship and lived on the same street for over a decade. They officially divorced on May 9, 1990, the year Breen was arrested on child molestation charges. She had known about Breen's sexual interests and previously accepted his sexual relationship with a 14 year old boy.
telling an interviewer: "I just go regularly to the Episcopalian church... That pagan thing... I feel that I've gotten past it. I would like people to explore the possibilities."
. Her ashes were scattered at Glastonbury Tor
, in Somerset
, England, two months later.
, first published in the May 1957 issue of Other Worlds
. When she was a child, Bradley stated that she enjoyed reading adventure fantasy authors such as Henry Kuttner
, Edmond Hamilton
, C.L. Moore and Leigh Brackett
, especially when they wrote about "the glint of strange suns on worlds that never were and never would be." Her first novel and much of her subsequent work show their influence strongly.
Early in her career, writing as Morgan Ives, Miriam Gardner, John Dexter, and Lee Chapman, Marion Zimmer Bradley produced several works outside the speculative fiction
genre, including some gay
and lesbian pulp fiction
novels. For example, I Am a Lesbian was published in 1962. Though relatively tame by today's standards, they were considered pornographic
when published, and for a long time she refused to disclose the titles she wrote under these pseudonyms.
Her 1958 novel The Planet Savers
introduced the planet of Darkover
, which became the setting of a popular series by Bradley and other authors. The Darkover milieu may be considered as either fantasy with science fiction
overtones or as science fiction with fantasy overtones, as Darkover is a lost earth colony
where psi powers
developed to an unusual degree. Bradley wrote many Darkover novels by herself, but in her later years collaborated with other authors for publication; her literary collaborators have continued the series since her death.
Bradley took an active role in science-fiction and fantasy fandom
, promoting interaction with professional authors and publishers and making several important contributions to the subculture. In 1966, Bradley became a cofounder of the Society for Creative Anachronism
, and is credited with coining the name of that group. In the 1970s, as part of the contemporary wave of enthusiasm for J. R. R. Tolkien
's fictional world of Middle-earth
, she wrote two short fanfic stories about Arwen
and published them in chapbook
format; one of them, "The Jewel of Arwen", also appeared in her professional anthology The Best of Marion Zimmer Bradley (1985), although it was dropped from later reprints.
For many years, Bradley actively encouraged Darkover fan fiction and reprinted some of it in commercial Darkover anthologies, continuing to encourage submissions from unpublished authors, but this ended after a dispute with a fan over an unpublished Darkover novel of Bradley's that had similarities to some of the fan's stories. As a result, the novel remained unpublished, and Bradley demanded the cessation of all Darkover fan fiction.
Bradley was also the editor of the long-running Sword and Sorceress
anthology
series, which encouraged submissions of fantasy stories featuring original and non-traditional heroines from young and upcoming authors. Although she particularly encouraged young female authors, she was not averse to including males in her anthologies. Mercedes Lackey
was just one of many authors who first appeared in the anthologies. She also maintained a large family of writers at her home in Berkeley. Ms Bradley was editing the final Sword and Sorceress manuscript up until the week of her death.
Probably her most famous single novel is The Mists of Avalon
. A retelling of the Camelot
legend from the point of view of Morgaine
and Gwenhwyfar
, it grew into a series of books; like the Darkover series, the later novels are written with or by other authors and have continued to appear after Bradley's death.
In 2000, she was posthumously awarded the World Fantasy Award
for lifetime achievement.
She also contributed to The Ladder
and The Mattachine Review
.
As Elfrieda Rivers, she also contributed to "The East Village Other".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author of 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...
novels such as The Mists of Avalon
The Mists of Avalon
The Mists of Avalon is a 1983 novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley, in which she relates the Arthurian legends from the perspective of the female characters.-Plot introduction:...
and the Darkover series
Darkover series
The Darkover series consists of several novels and short stories set in the fictional world of Darkover as created by science fiction author Marion Zimmer Bradley.-Darkover chronology:...
. Many critics have noted a feminist perspective in her writing. Her first child, David R. Bradley, and her brother, Paul Edwin Zimmer
Paul Edwin Zimmer
Paul Edwin Zimmer , was a noted poet and author. He was also an accomplished swordsman and founding member of the Society for Creative Anachronism...
were also published science fiction and fantasy authors in their own right.
Biography
Born on a farm in Albany, New YorkAlbany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, she began writing in 1949. She was married to Robert Alden Bradley from October 26, 1949 until their divorce on May 19, 1964. They had a son, David Robert Bradley (1950–2008). During the 1950s she was introduced to the cultural and campaigning lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
group the Daughters of Bilitis
Daughters of Bilitis
The Daughters of Bilitis , was the first lesbian rights organization in the United States. It was formed in San Francisco in 1955, conceived as a social alternative to lesbian bars, which were considered illegal and thus subject to raids and police harassment...
.
After her divorce Bradley married numismatist Walter H. Breen
Walter H. Breen
Walter H. Breen was an American author. He is best known among coin collectors for writing Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Coins. "Breen numbers", from his encyclopedia, are widely used to attribute varieties of coins...
on June 3, 1964. They had a daughter, Moira Greyland, who became a professional harpist and singer, and a son, Patrick.
In 1965, Bradley graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from Hardin-Simmons University
Hardin-Simmons University
Hardin–Simmons University is a private Baptist university located in Abilene, Texas, United States.-History:Hardin–Simmons University was founded as Abilene Baptist College in 1891 by the Sweetwater Baptist Association and a group of cattlemen and pastors who sought to bring Christian higher...
in Abilene, Texas
Abilene, Texas
Abilene is a city in Taylor and Jones counties in west central Texas. The population was 117,063 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2006 estimated population of 158,063. It is the county seat of Taylor County...
. Afterward, she moved to 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...
, to pursue graduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
between 1965 and 1967. In 1966, she helped found and named 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 involved in developing several local groups, including in New York after her move to Staten Island.
Bradley and Breen separated in 1979 but remained married, and continued a business relationship and lived on the same street for over a decade. They officially divorced on May 9, 1990, the year Breen was arrested on child molestation charges. She had known about Breen's sexual interests and previously accepted his sexual relationship with a 14 year old boy.
Religion
Bradley was baptized at the age of seventeen, on July 5, 1947 at Christ Church Cathedral (Episcopal) in Hartford, CT. In the 1980s, Bradley was a neopagan but by the 1990s she had returned to the EpiscopalianEpiscopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
telling an interviewer: "I just go regularly to the Episcopalian church... That pagan thing... I feel that I've gotten past it. I would like people to explore the possibilities."
Death
After suffering declining health for years, Bradley died at Alta Bates Medical Center in Berkeley on September 25, 1999, four days after suffering a debilitating heart attackMyocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
. Her ashes were scattered at Glastonbury Tor
Glastonbury Tor
Glastonbury Tor is a hill at Glastonbury, Somerset, England, which features the roofless St. Michael's Tower. The site is managed by the National Trust. It has been designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument ....
, in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England, two months later.
Literary career
Bradley's first publication was a short story, "Women Only", which appeared in the second (and final) issue of Vortex Science Fiction in 1953. Her first published novel-length work was Falcons of NarabedlaFalcons of Narabedla
Falcons of Narabedla is a science fiction novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley set in the universe of her Darkover book series. It was first published in book form in English by Ace Books in 1964, as an Ace Double with Bradley's collection The Dark Intruder and Other Stories on the other side...
, first published in the May 1957 issue of Other Worlds
Other Worlds (magazine)
Other Worlds Science Stories was an American science fiction magazine, edited by Raymond A. Palmer with Bea Mahaffey. It was published by Palmer's Clark Publishing in Evanston, Illinois beginning in the late 1940s...
. When she was a child, Bradley stated that she enjoyed reading adventure fantasy authors such as Henry Kuttner
Henry Kuttner
Henry Kuttner was an American author of science fiction, fantasy and horror.-Early life:Henry Kuttner was born in Los Angeles, California in 1915...
, Edmond Hamilton
Edmond Hamilton
Edmond Moore Hamilton was an American author of science fiction stories and novels during the mid-twentieth century. Born in Youngstown, Ohio, he was raised there and in nearby New Castle, Pennsylvania...
, C.L. Moore and Leigh Brackett
Leigh Brackett
Leigh Douglass Brackett was an American author, particularly of science fiction. She was also a screenwriter, known for her work on famous films such as The Big Sleep , Rio Bravo , The Long Goodbye and The Empire Strikes Back .-Life:Leigh Brackett was born and grew up in Los Angeles, California...
, especially when they wrote about "the glint of strange suns on worlds that never were and never would be." Her first novel and much of her subsequent work show their influence strongly.
Early in her career, writing as Morgan Ives, Miriam Gardner, John Dexter, and Lee Chapman, Marion Zimmer Bradley produced several works outside the speculative fiction
Speculative fiction
Speculative fiction is an umbrella term encompassing the more fantastical fiction genres, specifically science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural fiction, superhero fiction, utopian and dystopian fiction, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, and alternate history in literature as well as...
genre, including some gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
and lesbian pulp fiction
Lesbian pulp fiction
Lesbian pulp fiction refers to any mid-20th century paperback novel with overtly lesbian themes and content. Lesbian pulp fiction was published in the 1950s and 60s by many of the same paperback publishing houses that other genres of fiction including Westerns, Romances, and Detective Fiction...
novels. For example, I Am a Lesbian was published in 1962. Though relatively tame by today's standards, they were considered pornographic
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
when published, and for a long time she refused to disclose the titles she wrote under these pseudonyms.
Her 1958 novel The Planet Savers
The Planet Savers
The Planet Savers is a science fiction novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley in her Darkover book series. It was first published in book form in English by Ace Books in 1962, dos-à-dos with Bradley's novel The Sword of Aldones. The story first appeared in the November 1958 issue of the magazine Amazing...
introduced the planet of Darkover
Darkover
Darkover is the focus of the Darkover series of science fiction novels and short stories by Marion Zimmer Bradley and others published since 1958. According to the novels, Darkover is the only human-habitable of seven planets orbiting a fictional red giant star called Cottman...
, which became the setting of a popular series by Bradley and other authors. The Darkover milieu may be considered as either fantasy with science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
overtones or as science fiction with fantasy overtones, as Darkover is a lost earth colony
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
where psi powers
Parapsychology
The term parapsychology was coined in or around 1889 by philosopher Max Dessoir, and originates from para meaning "alongside", and psychology. The term was adopted by J.B. Rhine in the 1930s as a replacement for the term psychical research...
developed to an unusual degree. Bradley wrote many Darkover novels by herself, but in her later years collaborated with other authors for publication; her literary collaborators have continued the series since her death.
Bradley took an active role in science-fiction and fantasy fandom
Fandom
Fandom is a term used to refer to a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of sympathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest...
, promoting interaction with professional authors and publishers and making several important contributions to the subculture. In 1966, Bradley became a cofounder 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 is credited with coining the name of that group. In the 1970s, as part of the contemporary wave of enthusiasm for J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's fictional world of Middle-earth
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
, she wrote two short fanfic stories about Arwen
Arwen
Arwen Undómiel is a fictional character in J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium. She appears in his novel, The Lord of the Rings, usually published in three volumes. Arwen is one of the Half-elven who lived during the Third Age.-Literature:...
and published them in chapbook
Chapbook
A chapbook is a pocket-sized booklet. The term chap-book was formalized by bibliophiles of the 19th century, as a variety of ephemera , popular or folk literature. It includes many kinds of printed material such as pamphlets, political and religious tracts, nursery rhymes, poetry, folk tales,...
format; one of them, "The Jewel of Arwen", also appeared in her professional anthology The Best of Marion Zimmer Bradley (1985), although it was dropped from later reprints.
For many years, Bradley actively encouraged Darkover fan fiction and reprinted some of it in commercial Darkover anthologies, continuing to encourage submissions from unpublished authors, but this ended after a dispute with a fan over an unpublished Darkover novel of Bradley's that had similarities to some of the fan's stories. As a result, the novel remained unpublished, and Bradley demanded the cessation of all Darkover fan fiction.
Bradley was also the editor of the long-running Sword and Sorceress
Sword 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...
anthology
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
series, which encouraged submissions of fantasy stories featuring original and non-traditional heroines from young and upcoming authors. Although she particularly encouraged young female authors, she was not averse to including males in her anthologies. Mercedes Lackey
Mercedes Lackey
Mercedes "Misty" Lackey is a best-selling American author of fantasy novels. Many of her novels and trilogies are interlinked and set in the world of Velgarth, mostly in and around the country of Valdemar...
was just one of many authors who first appeared in the anthologies. She also maintained a large family of writers at her home in Berkeley. Ms Bradley was editing the final Sword and Sorceress manuscript up until the week of her death.
Probably her most famous single novel is The Mists of Avalon
The Mists of Avalon
The Mists of Avalon is a 1983 novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley, in which she relates the Arthurian legends from the perspective of the female characters.-Plot introduction:...
. A retelling of the Camelot
Camelot
Camelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and eventually came to be described as the fantastic capital of Arthur's realm and a symbol of the Arthurian world...
legend from the point of view of Morgaine
Morgan le Fay
Morgan le Fay , alternatively known as Morgane, Morgaine, Morgana and other variants, is a powerful sorceress in the Arthurian legend. Early works featuring Morgan do not elaborate her character beyond her role as a fay or magician...
and Gwenhwyfar
Guinevere
Guinevere was the legendary queen consort of King Arthur. In tales and folklore, she was said to have had a love affair with Arthur's chief knight Sir Lancelot...
, it grew into a series of books; like the Darkover series, the later novels are written with or by other authors and have continued to appear after Bradley's death.
In 2000, she was posthumously awarded the World Fantasy Award
World Fantasy Award
The World Fantasy Awards are annual, international awards given to authors and artists who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of fantasy...
for lifetime achievement.
Novels
- Falcons of NarabedlaFalcons of NarabedlaFalcons of Narabedla is a science fiction novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley set in the universe of her Darkover book series. It was first published in book form in English by Ace Books in 1964, as an Ace Double with Bradley's collection The Dark Intruder and Other Stories on the other side...
(1957) - The Door Through SpaceThe Door Through SpaceThe Door Through Space is a science fiction novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley. It is not part of her Darkover book series, but Darkover is mentioned in passing in the book; and many Darkover elements appear in the book...
(1961) - Seven from the Stars (1961)
- The Colours Of Space (1963)
- Castle Terror (1965)
- Souvenir of Monique (1967)
- Bluebeard's Daughter (1968)
- The Brass Dragon (1970)
- In the Steps of the Master - The Sixth Sense #2 (1973) (based on television series The Sixth Sense, created by Anthony Lawrence)
- The Jewel of Arwen (1974) (novelette)
- The Parting of Arwen (1974) (novelette)
- Can Ellen Be Saved? ([1975]) (adaptation of a teleplay by Emmett Roberts)
- The Endless Voyage (1975)
- Drums of Darkness (1976)
- Ruins of Isis (1978)
- The Catch Trap (1979)
- The Endless Universe (1979) (rewrite of The Endless Voyage)
- The House Between the Worlds (1980)
- Survey Ship (1980)
- The Colors of Space (1983) (unabridged edition)
- Night's Daughter (1985)
- Warrior Woman (1987)
- The FirebrandThe FirebrandThe Firebrand is a 1986 fantasy novel by American author Marion Zimmer Bradley. Set in Ancient Greece and Troy, the novel features characters from Greek mythology, and particularly Homer's Iliad...
(1987) - Black Trillium (1990) (with Julian MayJulian MayJulian May is an American science fiction, fantasy, horror, science and children's writer who also uses several literary pseudonyms, best known for her Saga of Pliocene Exile and Galactic Milieu Series books.- Background and early career :Julian May grew up in Elmwood Park, Illinois, a suburb of...
and Andre NortonAndre NortonAndre Alice Norton, née Alice Mary Norton was an American science fiction and fantasy author under the noms de plume Andre Norton, Andrew North and Allen Weston...
) - Lady of the Trillium (1995)
- Tiger Burning Bright (1995) (with Mercedes LackeyMercedes LackeyMercedes "Misty" Lackey is a best-selling American author of fantasy novels. Many of her novels and trilogies are interlinked and set in the world of Velgarth, mostly in and around the country of Valdemar...
and Andre NortonAndre NortonAndre Alice Norton, née Alice Mary Norton was an American science fiction and fantasy author under the noms de plume Andre Norton, Andrew North and Allen Weston...
) - The Gratitude of Kings (1997) (with Elisabeth WatersElisabeth WatersElisabeth Waters is an American fantasy author.She won the Gryphon award in 1989 for her first novel Changing Fate. Since then, she has published a large number of short stories, some in the anthology series Sword and Sorceress, which she now edits....
)
Short story collections
- The Dark Intruder and Other Stories (1964)
- The Best of Marion Zimmer Bradley (1985)
- Jamie and Other Stories (1988)
- Marion Zimmer Bradley's DarkoverMarion Zimmer Bradley's DarkoverMarion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover is a collection of fantasy and science fiction short stories by Marion Zimmer Bradley. The stories are set in Bradley's world of Darkover. The book was first published by DAW Books in October, 1993....
(Darkover collection) (1993)
Series
- Atlantean series
- Web of Light (1983)
- Web of Darkness (1983)
- The Fall of Atlantis (1987) (omnibus edition of Web of Light and Web of Darkness)
- Avalon SeriesAvalon SeriesThe 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...
- The Mists of AvalonThe Mists of AvalonThe Mists of Avalon is a 1983 novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley, in which she relates the Arthurian legends from the perspective of the female characters.-Plot introduction:...
(1979)- Mistress of Magic (audiobook edition of The Mists of Avalon, part 1) (1994)
- The High Queen (audiobook edition of The Mists of Avalon, part 2) (1994)
- The King Stag (audiobook edition of The Mists of Avalon, part 3) (1994)
- The Prisoner in the Oak (audiobook edition of The Mists of Avalon, part 4) (1994)
- 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...
(1993) (with Diana L. PaxsonDiana L. PaxsonDiana 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...
) (also now known as The Forests of Avalon) - 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) (with Diana L. Paxson) - 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) (with Diana L. Paxson) - 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) (written by Diana L. Paxson) - Ravens of Avalon (2007) (written by Diana L. Paxson)
- Sword of Avalon (2009) (written by Diana L. Paxson)
- The Mists of Avalon
- Colin MacLaren series
- Witch Hill (1972)
- The Inheritor (1984)
- Dark Satanic (1988)
- Heartlight (1998)
- Shadow's Gate series (with Rosemary EdghillRosemary EdghillRosemary Edghill is an American writer and editor, who has often used that pseudonym in place of her legal name, eluki bes shahar...
)- Ghostlight (1995)
- Witchlight (1996)
- Gravelight (1997)
- Heartlight (1998)
- Darkover seriesDarkover seriesThe Darkover series consists of several novels and short stories set in the fictional world of Darkover as created by science fiction author Marion Zimmer Bradley.-Darkover chronology:...
(See: List of Darkover books for complete details)- The Planet SaversThe Planet SaversThe Planet Savers is a science fiction novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley in her Darkover book series. It was first published in book form in English by Ace Books in 1962, dos-à-dos with Bradley's novel The Sword of Aldones. The story first appeared in the November 1958 issue of the magazine Amazing...
(1958) - The Sword of AldonesThe Sword of AldonesThe Sword of Aldones is a science fiction novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley in her Darkover book series. It was first published by Ace Books in 1962, dos-à-dos with Bradley's novel The Planet Savers...
(1962) - The Bloody SunThe Bloody SunThe Bloody Sun is a science fiction novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley in her Darkover book series. It was first published by Ace Books in 1964...
(1964) - Star of DangerStar of DangerStar of Danger is a science fiction novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley in her Darkover book series. It was first published by Ace Books in 1965.-Plot introduction:...
(1965) - The Winds of DarkoverThe Winds of DarkoverThe Winds of Darkover is a science fiction fantasy novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley in her Darkover series. It was first published by Ace Books in 1970, as an Ace Double bound Dos-à-dos with The Anything Tree by John Rackham.-Plot introduction:...
(1970) - The World WreckersThe World WreckersThe World Wreckers is a science fiction novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley in her Darkover book series. It was first published by Ace Books in 1971.-Plot introduction:...
(1971) - Darkover LandfallDarkover LandfallDarkover Landfall is a science fiction novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley in the Darkover book series. It was originally published in 1972 by DAW Books...
(1972) - The Spell SwordThe Spell SwordThe Spell Sword is a fantasy - science fiction novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley in the Darkover series. It concerns the earthman Andrew Carr and his psychic contact with a beautiful sensitive native of Darkover, Callista, who is being held captive by a non-human race of Darkover, the cat-people.The...
(1974) (with Paul Edwin ZimmerPaul Edwin ZimmerPaul Edwin Zimmer , was a noted poet and author. He was also an accomplished swordsman and founding member of the Society for Creative Anachronism...
(uncredited)) - The Heritage of HasturThe Heritage of HasturThe Heritage of Hastur is a science-fiction novel written by Marion Zimmer Bradley as part of the Darkover series. It was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1975.- Setting :Main article: Darkover...
(1975) - The Shattered ChainThe Shattered ChainThe Shattered Chain is a novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley in her Darkover series. The Shattered Chain is the first Darkovan novel to explore the world of the Renunciates - the Free Amazons or comhii letzi...
(1976) - The Forbidden TowerThe Forbidden TowerThe Forbidden Tower is a fantasy novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley in her Darkover book series. It was originally published by DAW Books in 1977.-Plot introduction:...
(1977) - Stormqueen!Stormqueen!Stormqueen! is a science-fiction novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley in the Darkover book series. Originally published in 1978. It was republished in 2002 as part of the Ages of Chaos omnibus.-Plot summary:...
(1978) - The Bloody SunThe Bloody SunThe Bloody Sun is a science fiction novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley in her Darkover book series. It was first published by Ace Books in 1964...
(1979) rewritten and expanded edition - Two To ConquerTwo To ConquerTwo To Conquer is a fantasy novel written by Marion Zimmer Bradley as part of the Darkover series and is set in the Hundred Kingdoms time period.- Setting of Two To Conquer :...
(1980) - Sharra's ExileSharra's ExileSharra's Exile is a fantasy novel written by Marion Zimmer Bradley as part of the Darkover series and is a sequel to The Heritage of Hastur. This novel is a complete rewrite of The Sword of Aldones published by Ace in 1962...
(1981) - Hawkmistress!Hawkmistress!Hawkmistress! is a fantasy novel written by Marion Zimmer Bradley as part of the Darkover series and is set in the "Hundred Kingdoms" time period.- Setting of Hawkmistress! :Main article: Darkover...
(1982) - Thendara HouseThendara HouseThendara House is a fantasy science fiction novel novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley in her Darkover book series and is a sequel to The Shattered Chain. It was originally published by DAW Books in 1983.-Plot introduction:...
(1983) - City of SorceryCity of SorceryCity of Sorcery is a fantasy science fiction novel novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley in her Darkover book series and is a sequel to Thendara House. It was originally published by DAW Books in October 1984.-Plot introduction:...
(1984) - The Heirs of Hammerfell (1989)
- RediscoveryRediscoveryRediscovery is a novel in the Darkover series of novels and short stories by Marion Zimmer Bradley and others published in the United States since 1958...
(1993) (with Mercedes LackeyMercedes LackeyMercedes "Misty" Lackey is a best-selling American author of fantasy novels. Many of her novels and trilogies are interlinked and set in the world of Velgarth, mostly in and around the country of Valdemar...
) - Exile's Song (1996) (with Adrienne Martine-Barnes)
- The Shadow Matrix (1997) (with Adrienne Martine-Barnes)
- Traitor's Sun (1999) (with Adrienne Martine-Barnes)
- The Clingfire trilogy
- The Fall of NeskayaThe Fall of NeskayaThe Fall of Neskaya is a fantasy novel written by Marion Zimmer Bradley and Deborah J. Ross as part of the Darkover series and is set in the "Hundred Kingdoms" time period. This book is also part one of the Clingfire Trilogy.- Setting :...
(2001) (with Deborah J. RossDeborah J. RossDeborah J. Ross , once Deborah Wheeler, is an American published science fiction and fantasy author.- Biography :Ross was born in April 1947 and grew up in California. She has always told stories, even as a very young child. Ross attended Portland State University, graduating in 1973...
) - Zandru's ForgeZandru's ForgeZandru's Forge is a fantasy novel written by Marion Zimmer Bradley and Deborah J. Ross as part of the Darkover series and is set in the "Hundred Kingdoms" time period. This book is also part two of the Clingfire Trilogy.- Setting :...
(2003) (with Deborah J. Ross) - A Flame in HaliA Flame in HaliA Flame in Hali is a fantasy novel written by Marion Zimmer Bradley and Deborah J. Ross as part of the Darkover series and is set in the "Hundred Kingdoms" time period. This book is also part three of the Clingfire Trilogy.-Plot summary:...
(2004) (with Deborah J. Ross)
- The Fall of Neskaya
- Modern Darkover (also known as The Children of Kings trilogy) (written principally by Deborah J. RossDeborah J. RossDeborah J. Ross , once Deborah Wheeler, is an American published science fiction and fantasy author.- Biography :Ross was born in April 1947 and grew up in California. She has always told stories, even as a very young child. Ross attended Portland State University, graduating in 1973...
)- The Alton Gift (2007)
- Hastur Lord (2010) (written principally by Deborah J. RossDeborah J. RossDeborah J. Ross , once Deborah Wheeler, is an American published science fiction and fantasy author.- Biography :Ross was born in April 1947 and grew up in California. She has always told stories, even as a very young child. Ross attended Portland State University, graduating in 1973...
)
- The Planet Savers
-
- Omnibus editions
- The Children of Hastur (omnibus edition of The Heritage of Hastur and Sharra's Exile) (1982)
- The Oath of Renuciates (omnibus edition of The Shattered Chain and Thendara House) (1984)
- The Darkover Saga (a slipcase set containing Hawkmistress, Sharra's Exile; The Shattered Chain; Stormqueen!; Sword of Chaos) (1984)
- The Ages of Chaos (omnibus edition of Stormqueen! and Hawkmistress!) (2002)
- The Forbidden Circle (omnibus edition of the Spell Sword and The Forbidden Tower ) (2002)
- Heritage And Exile (omnibus edition of The Heritage of Hastur and Sharra's Exile) (2002)
- The Saga of the Renunciates (omnibus edition of The Shattered Chain, Thendara House and City of Sorcery) (2002)
- A World Divided (omnibus edition of Star of Danger, Winds of Darkover and The Bloody Sun) (2003)
- First Contact (omnibus edition of Darkover Landfall and Two to Conquer) (2004)
- To Save a World (omnibus edition of The Planet Savers and World Wreckers) (2004)
- Omnibus editions
- Glenraven series (with Holly LisleHolly LisleHolly Lisle is an American writer of fantasy, science fiction, paranormal romance and romantic suspense novels. She is also known for her work in educating writers, including her e-book Mugging the Muse: Writing Fiction for Love And Money, the Forward Motion Writers' Community web site, and her...
)- Glenraven (1996)
- In the Rift (1998)
- Survivors series(with Paul Edwin Zimmer)
- Hunters of the Red Moon (1973)
- The Survivors (1979)
Anthologies
- The Best of Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Magazine (1994)
- The Best of Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Magazine — Vol. II (1995) (with Elisabeth WatersElisabeth WatersElisabeth Waters is an American fantasy author.She won the Gryphon award in 1989 for her first novel Changing Fate. Since then, she has published a large number of short stories, some in the anthology series Sword and Sorceress, which she now edits....
)
- DarkoverDarkoverDarkover is the focus of the Darkover series of science fiction novels and short stories by Marion Zimmer Bradley and others published since 1958. According to the novels, Darkover is the only human-habitable of seven planets orbiting a fictional red giant star called Cottman...
anthologies (edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley, with some short stories by her, but mostly by other writers)- The Keeper's PriceThe Keeper's PriceThe Keeper's Price and Other Stories is an anthology of fantasy and science fiction short stories edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley. The stories are set in Bradley's world of Darkover. The book was first published by DAW Books in February, 1980...
(1980) - Sword of ChaosSword of ChaosSword of Chaos and Other Stories is an anthology of fantasy and science fiction short stories edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley. The stories are set in Bradley's world of Darkover. The book was first published by DAW Books in April, 1982.-Contents:...
(1982) - Free Amazons of DarkoverFree Amazons of DarkoverFree Amazons of Darkover is an anthology of fantasy and science fiction short stories edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley. The stories are set in Bradley's world of Darkover. The book was first published by DAW Books Free Amazons of Darkover is an anthology of fantasy and science fiction short...
(1985) - The Other Side of the MirrorThe Other Side of the Mirror (anthology)The Other Side of the Mirror and Other Darkover Stories is an anthology of fantasy and science fiction short stories edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley. The stories are set in Bradley's world of Darkover. The book was first published by DAW Books The Other Side of the Mirror and Other Darkover...
(1987) - Red Sun of DarkoverRed Sun of DarkoverRed Sun of Darkover is an anthology of fantasy and science fiction short stories edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley. The stories are set in Bradley's world of Darkover. The book was first published by DAW Books in November, 1987.-Contents:...
(1987) - Four Moons of DarkoverFour Moons of DarkoverFour Moons of Darkover is an anthology of fantasy and science fiction short stories edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley. The stories are set in Bradley's world of Darkover. The book was first published by DAW Books Four Moons of Darkover is an anthology of fantasy and science fiction short stories...
(1988) - Domains of DarkoverDomains of DarkoverDomains of Darkover is an anthology of fantasy and science fiction short stories edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley. The stories are set in Bradley's world of Darkover. The book was first published by DAW Books Domains of Darkover is an anthology of fantasy and science fiction short stories edited...
(1990) - Renunciates of DarkoverRenunciates of DarkoverRenunciates of Darkover is an anthology of fantasy and science fiction short stories edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley. The stories are set in Bradley's world of Darkover. The book was first published by DAW Books Renunciates of Darkover is an anthology of fantasy and science fiction short stories...
(1991) - Leroni of DarkoverLeroni of DarkoverLeroni of Darkover is an anthology of fantasy and science fiction short stories edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley. The stories are set in Bradley's world of Darkover. The book was first published by DAW Books in November, 1991.-Contents:...
(1991) - Towers of DarkoverTowers of DarkoverTowers of Darkover is an anthology of fantasy and science fiction short stories edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley. The stories are set in Bradley's world of Darkover. The book was first published by DAW Books in July, 1993.-Contents:...
(1993) - Snows of DarkoverSnows of DarkoverSnows of Darkover is an anthology of fantasy and science fiction short stories edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley. The stories are set in Bradley's world of Darkover. The book was first published by DAW Books Snows of Darkover is an anthology of fantasy and science fiction short stories edited by...
(1994)
- The Keeper's Price
- Greyhaven (1983) (with Paul Edwin ZimmerPaul Edwin ZimmerPaul Edwin Zimmer , was a noted poet and author. He was also an accomplished swordsman and founding member of the Society for Creative Anachronism...
)
- Lythande (1986) (with Vonda N. McIntyre)
- Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Magazine (1988–2000)
- See Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy MagazineMarion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy MagazineMarion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Magazine was a quarterly fantasy magazine founded and initially edited by fantasy and science fiction author Marion Zimmer Bradley. Fifty issues appeared from summer 1988 through December 2000. It was published by MZB Enterprises from 1988-1989, Marion Zimmer Bradley...
for details.
- See Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Magazine
- Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Worlds (1998)
- Spells of Wonder (1989)
- Sword and Sorceress series (1984–2008) (edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley, after her death by Elisabeth WatersElisabeth WatersElisabeth Waters is an American fantasy author.She won the Gryphon award in 1989 for her first novel Changing Fate. Since then, she has published a large number of short stories, some in the anthology series Sword and Sorceress, which she now edits....
and Diana L. PaxsonDiana L. PaxsonDiana 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...
)- See Sword and Sorceress seriesSword and Sorceress seriesThe 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...
for details.
- See Sword and Sorceress series
Novels under pen names
- Writing under the pseudonymPseudonymA pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
Lee Chapman- I am a Lesbian (1962)
- Writing under the pseudonym John Dexter
- No Adam for Eve (1966)
- Writing under the pseudonym Miriam Gardner
- My Sister, My Love (1963)
- Twilight Lovers (1964)
- The Strange Women (1967)
- Writing under the pseudonym Morgan Ives
- Spare Her Heaven (1963)
- Anything Goes (1964)
- Knives of Desire (1966)
Music
- Songs from Rivendell (a.k.a. The Rivendell Suite) music and arrangements for several poems from the novel The Lord of the RingsThe Lord of the RingsThe Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
by J.R.R. Tolkien (1960) - reissued as "The Starlit Jewel" CD, available from Flowinglass Music
Editorial positions
- The Darkover Newsletter (1975 to 1993)
- Starstone a DarkoverDarkoverDarkover is the focus of the Darkover series of science fiction novels and short stories by Marion Zimmer Bradley and others published since 1958. According to the novels, Darkover is the only human-habitable of seven planets orbiting a fictional red giant star called Cottman...
fanzineFanzineA fanzine is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest...
(5 issues 1978-1982) - Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy MagazineMarion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy MagazineMarion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Magazine was a quarterly fantasy magazine founded and initially edited by fantasy and science fiction author Marion Zimmer Bradley. Fifty issues appeared from summer 1988 through December 2000. It was published by MZB Enterprises from 1988-1989, Marion Zimmer Bradley...
(50 issues 1988 - 2000)
Scholarly work
- Bradley, M.Z. "Feminine equivalents of Greek Love in modern fiction". International Journal of Greek Love, Vol.1, No.1. (1965). Pages 48–58.
- Checklist: A complete, cumulative checklist of lesbian, variant, and homosexual fiction in English (1960).
- A Gay Bibliography (1975).
- The Necessity for Beauty: Robert W. Chambers & the Romantic Tradition (1974)
She also contributed to The Ladder
Daughters of Bilitis
The Daughters of Bilitis , was the first lesbian rights organization in the United States. It was formed in San Francisco in 1955, conceived as a social alternative to lesbian bars, which were considered illegal and thus subject to raids and police harassment...
and The Mattachine Review
Mattachine Society
The Mattachine Society, founded in 1950, was one of the earliest homophile organizations in the United States, probably second only to Chicago’s Society for Human Rights . Harry Hay and a group of Los Angeles male friends formed the group to protect and improve the rights of homosexuals...
.
As Elfrieda Rivers, she also contributed to "The East Village Other".
Pseudonyms
- Miriam Gardner
- Morgan Ives
- John Dexter
- Elfrieda Rivers (also Elfrida Rivers)
- Valerie Graves
See also
- DarkoverDarkoverDarkover is the focus of the Darkover series of science fiction novels and short stories by Marion Zimmer Bradley and others published since 1958. According to the novels, Darkover is the only human-habitable of seven planets orbiting a fictional red giant star called Cottman...
- Darkover seriesDarkover seriesThe Darkover series consists of several novels and short stories set in the fictional world of Darkover as created by science fiction author Marion Zimmer Bradley.-Darkover chronology:...
- Darkover Map: a large detail map of Darkover
- List of Darkover books
External links
- The Marion Zimmer Bradley Literary Works Trust
- Marion Zimmer Bradley's Avalon Series: Reincarnations
- Bibliography on SciFanSciFanSciFan is an online database for fans of science fiction and fantasy books.The site provides detailed bibliographies, linking books together into series' where appropriate and, in turn, grouping series by universe...
- Photo