Maureen Birnbaum, Barbarian Swordsperson
Encyclopedia
Maureen Birnbaum, Barbarian Swordsperson is a 1993 anthology by George Alec Effinger
, with cover and interior illustrations by Ken Kelly
. They collect all of his stories about Maureen 'Muffy' Birnbaum, a Jewish American Princess who is magically teleported to various fantasy
and science fiction
universes, and later recounts the tales to her best friend, 'Bitsy' Spiegelman. Originally written on his own initiative, the character proved popular enough for Effinger to gain several requests from authors to have versions of their work visited by Muffy.
In addition to satirizing and spoofing the various stories, they had a feminist undertone, as Maureen dealt with the often sexist reactions of the inhabitants of the worlds she met, struggled to find the Martian
prince she had fallen in love with, and contrasted her adventures with Bitsy, a housewife
with an increasingly unhappy marriage.
George Alec Effinger
George Alec Effinger was an American science fiction author, born in 1947 in Cleveland, Ohio.-Writing career:...
, with cover and interior illustrations by Ken Kelly
Ken Kelly
Ken W. Kelly is a fantasy artist.Over his 30-year career, he has focused in particular on paintings in the sword and sorcery and heroic fantasy subgenres...
. They collect all of his stories about Maureen 'Muffy' Birnbaum, a Jewish American Princess who is magically teleported to various 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 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...
universes, and later recounts the tales to her best friend, 'Bitsy' Spiegelman. Originally written on his own initiative, the character proved popular enough for Effinger to gain several requests from authors to have versions of their work visited by Muffy.
In addition to satirizing and spoofing the various stories, they had a feminist undertone, as Maureen dealt with the often sexist reactions of the inhabitants of the worlds she met, struggled to find the Martian
Martian
As an adjective, the term martian is used to describe anything pertaining to the planet Mars.However, a Martian is more usually a hypothetical or fictional native inhabitant of the planet Mars. Historically, life on Mars has often been hypothesized, although there is currently no solid evidence of...
prince she had fallen in love with, and contrasted her adventures with Bitsy, a housewife
Housewife
Housewife is a term used to describe a married woman with household responsibilities who is not employed outside the home. Merriam Webster describes a housewife as a married woman who is in charge of her household...
with an increasingly unhappy marriage.
Table of contents
| Title | Story mocked | Original publication | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Few Words from Muffy Birnbaum's Most Passionate Admirer | –– | This volume | Introduction by Mike Resnick Mike Resnick Michael Diamond Resnick , better known by his published name Mike Resnick, is an American science fiction author. He was executive editor of Jim Baen's Universe.-Biography:... |
| Maureen Birnbaum, Barbarian Swordsperson | Barsoom Barsoom Barsoom is a fictional representation of the planet Mars created by American pulp fiction author Edgar Rice Burroughs, who wrote close to 100 action adventure stories in various genres in the first half of the 20th century, and is now best known as the creator of the character Tarzan... |
The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, 1982 | |
| Maureen Birnbaum at the Earth's Core | Pellucidar Pellucidar Pellucidar is a fictional Hollow Earth milieu invented by Tarzan creator Edgar Rice Burroughs for a series of action adventure stories. In a notable crossover event between Burroughs' series, there is a Tarzan story in which the Ape Man travels into Pellucidar.The stories initially involve the... |
The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, 1986 | |
| Maureen Birnbaum on the Art of War | Horseclans Horseclans Horseclans is a science fiction series by Robert Adams, set in a North America that had been thrown back to a medieval level by a full-scale nuclear war.-Background:... |
Friends of the Horseclans, 1987 | |
| Maureen Birnbaum After Dark | "Nightfall" | Foundation's Friends Foundation's Friends Foundation's Friends, Stories in Honor of Isaac Asimov is a 1989 festschrift honoring science fiction author Isaac Asimov, in the form of an anthology of short stories set in Asimov's universes, particularly the Robot/Empire/Foundation universe. The anthology was edited by Martin H... , 1989 |
|
| Maureen Birnbaum Goes Shopynge | Robin Hood Robin Hood Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes.... |
The Fantastic Adventures of Robin Hood, 1991 | |
| Maureen Birnbaum and the Saint Graal | Grail legend | This volume | Written for an anthology of Holy Grail Holy Grail The Holy Grail is a sacred object figuring in literature and certain Christian traditions, most often identified with the dish, plate, or cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper and said to possess miraculous powers... stories |
| Maureen Birnbaum and the Looming Awfulness | Cthulhu Mythos Cthulhu Mythos The Cthulhu Mythos is a shared fictional universe, based on the work of American horror writer H. P. Lovecraft.The term was first coined by August Derleth, a contemporary correspondent of Lovecraft, who used the name of the creature Cthulhu - a central figure in Lovecraft literature and the focus... |
This volume | |
| Maureen Birnbaum's Lunar Adventure | None | This volume | Revised from an earlier version written for a 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... booklet |
Other stories
- "Maureen Birnbaum on a Hot Tin Roof"
- South From Midnight (1994) anthology edited by Richard GilliamRichard GilliamRichard Gilliam is a short story author and the editor of such theme anthologies as Confederacy of the Dead , Phobias and the Grails series...
, Martin H. GreenbergMartin H. GreenbergMartin Harry Greenberg was an American speculative fiction anthologist and writer.-Biography:Dr. Martin H. Greenberg was born March 1, 1941, to Max and Mae Greenberg in South Miami Beach, Florida...
, & Thomas R. Hanlon - The Magazine of Fantasy & Science FictionThe Magazine of Fantasy & Science FictionThe 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...
(August 1996) magazine edited by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
- South From Midnight (1994) anthology edited by Richard Gilliam
- "Maureen Birnbaum in the MUD"
- Chicks in ChainmailChicks in ChainmailChicks in Chainmail is an anthology of fantasy stories, edited by Esther M. Friesner, with a cover by Larry Elmore. It consists of works featuring female protagonists by female authors. It was first published in paperback by Baen Books in September 1995, with a hardcover edition following from...
(1995) anthology edited by Esther FriesnerEsther FriesnerEsther Mona Friesner-Stutzman, née Friesner is an American science fiction and fantasy author best known for her humorous pieces.- Life :... - Chicks AhoyChicks AhoyChicks Ahoy is an anthology that collects stories from the first three books in the Chicks in Chainmail series. It was first published in paperback by Baen Books in December 2010.-Contents:From Chicks in Chainmail...
(2010) anthology edited by Esther Friesner
- Chicks in Chainmail
- "Maureen Birnbaum Pokes an Eye Out"
- Don't Forget Your Spacesuit, Dear (1996) anthology edited by Jody Lynn NyeJody Lynn NyeJody Lynn Nye is an American science fiction writer. She has frequently collaborated as a co-author or the author of a sequel....
- Don't Forget Your Spacesuit, Dear (1996) anthology edited by Jody Lynn Nye