Sophie Masson
Encyclopedia
Sophie Masson is a French
-Australia
n fantasy
and children's author.
of French parents who are of mixed ancestry (French, Spanish and Portuguese). Masson, the third in a family of seven children, came to Australia at the age of five and spent most of the rest of her childhood shuttling back and forth between Australia and France.
Her first two novels, one for adults entitled The House in the Rainforest; the second, for children, called Fire in the Sky, were published in Australia in 1990. Having written 40 books, for children, young adults and adults, she is now published in the UK, US, Thailand
and Germany
as well as Australia. Most of her novels are in the fantasy genre, but she has also written realistic fiction. She has also had many short stories, essays, articles and reviews published, in books, magazines, newspapers and internet journals.
Sophie Masson is married, has three children and lives in northern New South Wales.
, and involves love and magic, werewolves
and fairy lovers. It evokes the medieval world and world view
, notably through the device of the "book within a book".
set in an historical context. The books are based on Tattercoats
and A Midsummer Night's Dream
(Malkin), Sleeping Beauty
(Clementine) and Puss in Boots (Serafin).
of several realms, each dominated by a particular type of mythical being: Middler Land, a mixed collection of magic-using villagers including pixies and werefoxes; Pandemonium, the realm of the brutish Uncouthers; Arkadia, populated by beings from Greek mythology
; Montaynard country, land of dwarves and trolls; Oceanopolis, where selkie
s and mermaid
s live; Seraphimia in the sky, home of the winged ariels; and the Island of Ghosts, ruled by Mister D, the lord of death.
The series was published by Hodder & Stoughton
between 2006 and 2008. There are six titles, all illustrated by Ted Dewan
.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
-Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n 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 children's author.
Biography
Sophie Masson was born in IndonesiaIndonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
of French parents who are of mixed ancestry (French, Spanish and Portuguese). Masson, the third in a family of seven children, came to Australia at the age of five and spent most of the rest of her childhood shuttling back and forth between Australia and France.
Her first two novels, one for adults entitled The House in the Rainforest; the second, for children, called Fire in the Sky, were published in Australia in 1990. Having written 40 books, for children, young adults and adults, she is now published in the UK, US, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
as well as Australia. Most of her novels are in the fantasy genre, but she has also written realistic fiction. She has also had many short stories, essays, articles and reviews published, in books, magazines, newspapers and internet journals.
Sophie Masson is married, has three children and lives in northern New South Wales.
Lay Lines
Her Lay Lines trilogy is based on the life and work of the 12th century French poet, Marie de FranceMarie de France
Marie de France was a medieval poet who was probably born in France and lived in England during the late 12th century. She lived and wrote at an undisclosed court, but was almost certainly at least known about at the royal court of King Henry II of England...
, and involves love and magic, werewolves
Werewolf
A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...
and fairy lovers. It evokes the medieval world and world view
World view
A comprehensive world view is the fundamental cognitive orientation of an individual or society encompassing the entirety of the individual or society's knowledge and point-of-view, including natural philosophy; fundamental, existential, and normative postulates; or themes, values, emotions, and...
, notably through the device of the "book within a book".
- Knight by the Pool (1998)
- The Lady of the Flowers (1999)
- Stone of Oakenfast (2000)
- The Forest of Dreams (2001) Omnibus edition
StarMaker
Her StarMaker trilogy for young adults is a set of unrelated fairytale fantasiesFairytale fantasy
Fairytale fantasy is distinguished from other subgenres of fantasy by the works' heavy use of motifs, and often plots, from folklore.-History:...
set in an historical context. The books are based on Tattercoats
Tattercoats
Tattercoats is an English fairy tale collected by Joseph Jacobs in his More English Fairy Tales.It is Aarne-Thompson type 510B, the persecuted heroine...
and A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta...
(Malkin), Sleeping Beauty
Sleeping Beauty
Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault or Little Briar Rose by the Brothers Grimm is a classic fairytale involving a beautiful princess, enchantment, and a handsome prince...
(Clementine) and Puss in Boots (Serafin).
- Malkin (1998) (also published as Cold Iron)
- Clementine (1999)
- Serafin (1999) (also published as Carabas)
Thomas Trew
Her Thomas Trew series for children is set in the Hidden Land, a fantasy worldFantasy world
A fantasy world is a fictional universe used in fantasy novels and games. Typical worlds involve magic or magical abilities and often, but not always, either a medieval or futuristic theme...
of several realms, each dominated by a particular type of mythical being: Middler Land, a mixed collection of magic-using villagers including pixies and werefoxes; Pandemonium, the realm of the brutish Uncouthers; Arkadia, populated by beings from Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
; Montaynard country, land of dwarves and trolls; Oceanopolis, where selkie
Selkie
Selkies are mythological creatures that are found in Faroese, Icelandic, Irish, and Scottish folklore....
s and mermaid
Mermaid
A mermaid is a mythological aquatic creature with a female human head, arms, and torso and the tail of a fish. A male version of a mermaid is known as a "merman" and in general both males and females are known as "merfolk"...
s live; Seraphimia in the sky, home of the winged ariels; and the Island of Ghosts, ruled by Mister D, the lord of death.
The series was published by Hodder & Stoughton
Hodder & Stoughton
Hodder & Stoughton is a British publishing house, now an imprint of Hachette.-History:The firm has its origins in the 1840s, with Matthew Hodder's employment, aged fourteen, with Messrs Jackson and Walford, the official publisher for the Congregational Union...
between 2006 and 2008. There are six titles, all illustrated by Ted Dewan
Ted Dewan
Ted Dewan is an England-based American author/illustrator, born in 1961 in Boston, Massachusetts. He is married to fellow-illustrator Helen Cooper and has a daughter Pandora Dewan, and is the brother of musician/artist Brian Dewan.-Life:...
.
- Thomas Trew and the Hidden People (2006)
- Thomas Trew and the Horns of Pan (2007)
- Thomas Trew and the Klint-King's Gold (2007)
- Thomas Trew and the Selkie's Curse (2007)
- Thomas Trew and the Flying Huntsman (2007)
- Thomas Trew and the Island of Ghosts (2008)
Novels
- The House in the Rainforest (1990)
- A Blaze of Summer (1991)
- Sooner or Later (1991)
- The Sun is Rising (1996)
- The Gifting (1996)
- Carabas (1996) (US title Serafin)
- The Hoax (1997)
- The Tiger (1998)
- Red City (1998)
- The First Day (2000)
- The Green Prince (2000)
- The Firebird (2001)
- The Hand of GloryThe Hand of GloryThe Hand of Glory is a 2002 young-adult novel by Sophie Masson. Set in Melbourne in the mid 19th century, it follows the stories of two young people: Sylvia Hoveden who has come from Britain to search for her brother, and Anje Otsoa who is searching for his parents' killer.-Background:The Hand of...
(2002) - The Tempestuous Voyage of Hopewell Shakespeare (2003)
- In Hollow Lands (2004)
- Snow, Fire, Sword (2004)
- Malvolio's Revenge (2005)
- The Madman of Venice (forthcoming)
External links
- Sophie's Fantastic Castel, the author's official site