Delia Sherman
Encyclopedia
Cordelia Caroline Sherman (born 1951, Tokyo
, Japan
), known professionally as Delia Sherman, is a fantasy
writer and editor
. Her novel The Porcelain Dove won the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award
. She lives in New York City
with her wife and sometime collaborator, Ellen Kushner
(they were married in 1996).
Her three novels for adults are all exemplar
s of the subgenre Fantasy of Manners:
Her most recent novel is The Freedom Maze (2011). Set in Louisiana in the 1960 -- and 1860 -- it is a fantasy novel that uses the device of time-travel to explore the themes of slavery, courage, womanhood, and family ties. Though ostensibly aimed at young-adult readers, the historical research underpinning the novel makes it accessible to anyone with an interest in US history.
Two earlier books, Changeling (2006) and its sequel The Magic Mirror of the Mermaid Queen (2009) were fantasy adventures written for younger readers. They are set in "New York Between," a world she has explored in various short stories.
She is co-editor (with Kaitlen Clarke and Donald G. Keller
) of the fantasy anthology
The Horns of Elfland, and (with Terri Windling
) of The Essential Bordertown
.
With Clarke and others, she is actively involved in the Interstitial art
movement. She was a founding member of (and the first president of) the Interstitial Arts Foundation. She is also a member of the Endicott Studio
. Together with Kushner, she was an instructor at the Clarion Workshop
2007 in San Diego.
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
), known professionally as Delia Sherman, is a 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...
writer and editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
. Her novel The Porcelain Dove won the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award
Mythopoeic Awards
The Mythopoeic Awards for literature and literary studies are given by the Mythopoeic Society to authors of outstanding works in the fields of myth, fantasy, and the scholarly study of these areas; the full criteria and description can be read on the Mythopoeic Society's -Mythopoeic Fantasy...
. She lives in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
with her wife and sometime collaborator, Ellen Kushner
Ellen Kushner
Ellen Kushner is an American writer of fantasy novels, who for many years was the host of the radio program Sound & Spirit, produced by WGBH in Boston and distributed by Public Radio International.- Background and personal life :...
(they were married in 1996).
Her three novels for adults are all exemplar
Exemplar
Exemplar, in the sense developed by philosopher of science Thomas Kuhn, is a well known usage of a scientific theory.According to Kuhn, scientific practice alternates between periods of normal science and extraordinary/revolutionary science...
s of the subgenre Fantasy of Manners:
- Through a Brazen Mirror (1988)
- The Porcelain Dove (1993)
- The Fall of the Kings (2002) (with Ellen KushnerEllen KushnerEllen Kushner is an American writer of fantasy novels, who for many years was the host of the radio program Sound & Spirit, produced by WGBH in Boston and distributed by Public Radio International.- Background and personal life :...
)
Her most recent novel is The Freedom Maze (2011). Set in Louisiana in the 1960 -- and 1860 -- it is a fantasy novel that uses the device of time-travel to explore the themes of slavery, courage, womanhood, and family ties. Though ostensibly aimed at young-adult readers, the historical research underpinning the novel makes it accessible to anyone with an interest in US history.
Two earlier books, Changeling (2006) and its sequel The Magic Mirror of the Mermaid Queen (2009) were fantasy adventures written for younger readers. They are set in "New York Between," a world she has explored in various short stories.
She is co-editor (with Kaitlen Clarke and Donald G. Keller
Donald G. Keller
Donald G. Keller is a science fiction and fantasy editor and critic. He was the co-founder of Serconia Press and was Managing Editor and a frequent contributor to The New York Review of Science Fiction , where his seminal essay on Fantasy of Manners, 'The Manner of Fantasy', appeared in 1991.He...
) of the fantasy 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...
The Horns of Elfland, and (with Terri Windling
Terri Windling
Terri Windling is an American editor, artist, essayist, and the author of books for both children and adults. Windling has won nine World Fantasy Awards, the Mythopoeic Award, the Bram Stoker Award, and her collection The Armless Maiden appeared on the short-list for the James Tiptree, Jr. Award...
) of The Essential Bordertown
The Borderland Series
Borderland is a series of urban fantasy novels and stories created for teenage readers by Terri Windling. The series is set in Bordertown, a dystopian metropolis that lies along the border between "the Elflands" and "The World". The series consists of five anthologies and three novels to date...
.
With Clarke and others, she is actively involved in the Interstitial art
Interstitial art
Interstitial art is a term first coined in the 1990s, and increasingly popularized in the early 2000s, that refers to any work of art whose basic nature falls between, rather than within, the familiar boundaries of accepted genres or media, thus making the work difficult to easily categorize or...
movement. She was a founding member of (and the first president of) the Interstitial Arts Foundation. She is also a member of the Endicott Studio
Endicott Studio
Endicott Studio is a nonprofit organization, based in the United States and United Kingdom, that is dedicated to literary, visual, and performance arts inspired by myth, folklore, fairy tales, and the oral storytelling tradition. It was founded in 1987 by Terri Windling, and is co-directed by...
. Together with Kushner, she was an instructor at the Clarion 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...
2007 in San Diego.
Novels
- Through a Brazen Mirror (1988)
- The Porcelain Dove (1993)
- The Fall of the Kings (2002) (with Ellen KushnerEllen KushnerEllen Kushner is an American writer of fantasy novels, who for many years was the host of the radio program Sound & Spirit, produced by WGBH in Boston and distributed by Public Radio International.- Background and personal life :...
) - Changeling (2006)
- The Magic Mirror of the Mermaid Queen (2009)
- The Freedom Maze (2011)
Edited
- The Horns of ElflandThe Horns of ElflandThe Horns of Elfland is a 1997 fantasy anthology edited by Ellen Kushner, Delia Sherman and Donald G. Keller.-Background:The Horns of Elfland was first published in April 1997 by Roc Books in paperback format. It was a nominee in the 1998 Locus Awards for best anthology, finishing eighth out of 17....
(Roc, 1997) (with Ellen Kushner and Don Keller) - The Essential BordertownThe Borderland SeriesBorderland is a series of urban fantasy novels and stories created for teenage readers by Terri Windling. The series is set in Bordertown, a dystopian metropolis that lies along the border between "the Elflands" and "The World". The series consists of five anthologies and three novels to date...
(with Terri WindlingTerri WindlingTerri Windling is an American editor, artist, essayist, and the author of books for both children and adults. Windling has won nine World Fantasy Awards, the Mythopoeic Award, the Bram Stoker Award, and her collection The Armless Maiden appeared on the short-list for the James Tiptree, Jr. Award...
)