R. A. MacAvoy
Encyclopedia
Roberta Ann MacAvoy (born December 13, 1949) is a fantasy
and science fiction
author in the United States
. Several of her books draw on Celt
ic or Zen
themes. She won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 1984.
to Francis and Helen MacAvoy. She attended Case Western Reserve University
and received a B.A.
in 1971. She worked from 1975 to 1978 as an assistant to the financial aid officer of Columbia College of Columbia University
and from 1978 to 1982 as a computer programmer at SRI International
before turning to full-time writing in 1982. She married Ronald Allen Cain in 1978.
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...
author in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Several of her books draw on Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic or Zen
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
themes. She won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 1984.
Biography
R. A. MacAvoy was born in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
to Francis and Helen MacAvoy. She attended Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University is a private research university located in Cleveland, Ohio, USA...
and received a B.A.
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...
in 1971. She worked from 1975 to 1978 as an assistant to the financial aid officer of Columbia College of Columbia University
Columbia College of Columbia University
Columbia College is the oldest undergraduate college at Columbia University, situated on the university's main campus in Morningside Heights in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1754 by the Church of England as King's College, receiving a Royal Charter from King George II...
and from 1978 to 1982 as a computer programmer at SRI International
SRI International
SRI International , founded as Stanford Research Institute, is one of the world's largest contract research institutes. Based in Menlo Park, California, the trustees of Stanford University established it in 1946 as a center of innovation to support economic development in the region. It was later...
before turning to full-time writing in 1982. She married Ronald Allen Cain in 1978.
The Black Dragon series
- Tea with the Black DragonTea with the Black DragonTea with the Black Dragon is a 1983 fantasy novel by R. A. MacAvoy. It was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1983, the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1984, and won MacAvoy the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 1983 and the Locus Award for best first novel in 1984...
(1983) - Twisting the Rope (1986)
The Damiano series
- Damiano (1983)
- Damiano's Lute (1984)
- Raphael (1984)
- omnibus edition titled A Trio for Lute
The Lens of the World series
- Lens of the World (1990)
- King of the Dead (1991)
- Winter of the Wolf [vt The Belly of the Wolf](1993)
Other novels
- The Book of Kells (1985)
- The Grey Horse (1987)
- The Third Eagle (1989)
- The Go-Between (2005) (novella published as an e-book)
- In Between (2009)