James Cambias
Encyclopedia
James Cambias is an American science fiction
and fantasy
writer and tabletop game
designer, whose stories have been nominated for the Nebula Award
and the James Tiptree, Jr. Award
. Cambias was a nominee for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 2001.
Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana
, he received a degree in the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Science and Medicine from the University of Chicago
. He currently lives in Western Massachusetts
with his wife and two children.
His early writing focused on role-playing games, particularly adventures and support material for Space 1889. His first role playing book was published by Iron Crown Enterprises
in 1994, and he has written or contributed to books for Last Unicorn Games, Hero Games
, and Steve Jackson Games
, including the Star Trek role-playing game (Last Unicorn)
, GURPS Mars, Star Hero
, and GURPS Space
. He is one of the founders of Zygote Games, and the co-designer of the game Bone Wars: The Game of Ruthless Paleontology, based on the Bone Wars
of the late 19th century.
His first professionally published fiction appeared in 2000. His work as been published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, The Journal of Pulse-Pounding Narratives, Crossroads: Tales of the Southern Literary Fantastic, All-Star Zeppelin Adventure Stories, Hellboy: Odder Jobs, and several Year’s Best anthologies.
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...
and 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 tabletop game
Tabletop game
Tabletop game is a general term used to refer to board games, card games, dice games, miniatures wargames, tile-based games and other games that are normally played on a table or other flat surface...
designer, whose stories have been nominated for the Nebula Award
Nebula Award
The Nebula Award is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America , for the best science fiction/fantasy fiction published in the United States during the previous year...
and the James Tiptree, Jr. Award
James Tiptree, Jr. Award
The James Tiptree, Jr. Award is an annual literary prize for works of science fiction or fantasy that expand or explore one's understanding of gender. It was initiated in February of 1991 by science fiction authors Pat Murphy and Karen Joy Fowler, subsequent to a discussion at WisCon.- Background...
. Cambias was a nominee for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 2001.
Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, he received a degree in the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Science and Medicine from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
. He currently lives in Western Massachusetts
Western Massachusetts
Western Massachusetts is a loosely defined geographical region of the U.S. state of Massachusetts which contains the Berkshires, the Pioneer Valley, and some or all of the Swift River Valley. The region is always considered to include Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden counties, and the...
with his wife and two children.
His early writing focused on role-playing games, particularly adventures and support material for Space 1889. His first role playing book was published by Iron Crown Enterprises
Iron Crown Enterprises
Iron Crown Enterprises was a publisher of role playing, board, miniature battle, and collectible card games.ICE was incorporated in 1980 shortly after the principal founders graduated from the University of Virginia...
in 1994, and he has written or contributed to books for Last Unicorn Games, Hero Games
Hero Games
Hero Games is the publisher of the Hero System, a generic roleplaying rules set that can be used to simulate many different genres, and was the co-developer of the Fuzion system.-History:...
, and Steve Jackson Games
Steve Jackson Games
Steve Jackson Games is a game company, founded in 1980 by Steve Jackson, that creates and publishes role-playing, board, and card games, and the gaming magazine Pyramid.-History:...
, including the Star Trek role-playing game (Last Unicorn)
Star Trek role-playing game (Last Unicorn)
Star Trek: The Next Generation Role-playing Game is a role-playing game set in the fictional Star Trek universe, designed by Last Unicorn Games . Due to licensing issues, LUG did not release the game as a single core rulebook and setting supplements for the various series, but instead intended to...
, GURPS Mars, Star Hero
Star Hero
Star Hero is a role-playing game, published by Hero Games, which uses its Fifth Edition Hero System rules to represent the science fiction genre. Though not nearly as popular as its Champions, Dark Champions, and Fantasy Hero lines, the genre book has been received well by fans and critics alike,...
, and GURPS Space
GURPS Space
GURPS Space is a genre toolkit for creating Science Fiction campaigns using the GURPS role-playing game. It performs a similar purpose as GURPS Fantasy does for Fantasy games. Rules and guidelines are provided for running games from science fantasy and space opera to hard science, creating worlds...
. He is one of the founders of Zygote Games, and the co-designer of the game Bone Wars: The Game of Ruthless Paleontology, based on the Bone Wars
Bone Wars
The Bone Wars, also known as the "Great Dinosaur Rush", refers to a period of intense fossil speculation and discovery during the Gilded Age of American history, marked by a heated rivalry between Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh...
of the late 19th century.
His first professionally published fiction appeared in 2000. His work as been published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, The Journal of Pulse-Pounding Narratives, Crossroads: Tales of the Southern Literary Fantastic, All-Star Zeppelin Adventure Stories, Hellboy: Odder Jobs, and several Year’s Best anthologies.
External links
- The Eckener Alternative, story available in pdf form through the Imagining Tomorrow site, previously published in All-Star Zeppelin Adventure Stories and Year's Best SF 10.
- Science Made Cool, blog
- Bibliography at the author's site