Nina Kiriki Hoffman
Encyclopedia
Nina Kiriki Hoffman is an American fantasy
, science fiction
and horror
writer.
magazine in 1983. She has since published over 200 in various anthologies and magazines.
Her short story, "A Step Into Darkness" (1985), was one of the winners of the L. Ron Hubbard
Writers of the Future
award and was published in the first of the Writers of the Future anthologies.
Her second collection of short stories, Courting Disasters and Other Strange Affinities, was nominated for the 1992 Locus Award
for best collection of the year.
Her novella
'"Unmasking", published in 1992 by Axolotl Press
was a finalist for the 1993 World Fantasy Award
. Her novella "Haunted Humans" (seen in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
, July 1994) was a finalist for the 1995 Nebula Award for Best Novella
and on the same ballot her novelette
"The Skeleton Key" was shortlisted for the Nebula Award for Best Novelette
. Her short story "Trophy Wives" won the 2008 Nebula Award for Best Short Story
.
Her first novel, The Thread That Binds the Bones, won the Bram Stoker Award
for first novel. Other novels include The Silent Strength of Stones (a sequel to Thread), A Fistful of Sky, and A Stir of Bones. Her best known works are set in the Pacific Northwest
and Southern California
, and involve people (often entire families) with magical talents. The stories have invited comparison to Zenna Henderson
and Ray Bradbury
's stories on similar themes.
She has been shortlisted, awarded and finalist for awards for novella, novelette, novel, fantasy novel, adult literature, work for younger readers, young adult books, and children's literature for the Nebula, Locus, World Fantasy Award, the Theodore Sturgeon Award
, the HOMer award from CompuServe, the Endeavour Award
, the Mythopoeic Society Award
, the James Tiptree Jr. Award and the Philip K. Dick Award.
Her brother is the musician Kristian Hoffman
.
She lives in Eugene
, Oregon
with her cats. She is a member of the Wordos
writers' group.
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...
, 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...
and horror
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
writer.
Profile
Hoffman started publishing short stories in 1975. Her first nationally published short story appeared in Asimov's Science FictionAsimov's Science Fiction
Asimov's Science Fiction is an American science fiction magazine which publishes science fiction and fantasy and perpetuates the name of author and biochemist Isaac Asimov...
magazine in 1983. She has since published over 200 in various anthologies and magazines.
Her short story, "A Step Into Darkness" (1985), was one of the winners of the L. Ron Hubbard
L. Ron Hubbard
Lafayette Ronald Hubbard , better known as L. Ron Hubbard , was an American pulp fiction author and religious leader who founded the Church of Scientology...
Writers of the Future
Writers of the Future
Writers of the Future is a science fiction and fantasy story contest that was originated by L. Ron Hubbard in the early 1980s. Hubbard...
award and was published in the first of the Writers of the Future anthologies.
Her second collection of short stories, Courting Disasters and Other Strange Affinities, was nominated for the 1992 Locus Award
Locus Award
The Locus Award is a literary award established in 1971 and presented to winners of Locus magazine's annual readers' poll. Currently, the Locus Awards are presented at an annual banquet...
for best collection of the year.
Her novella
Novella
A novella is a written, fictional, prose narrative usually longer than a novelette but shorter than a novel. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards for science fiction define the novella as having a word count between 17,500 and 40,000...
'"Unmasking", published in 1992 by Axolotl Press
Pulphouse Publishing
Pulphouse Publishing was an American small press publisher based in Eugene, Oregon and specializing in science fiction and fantasy. It was founded by Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch in 1988. The press was active until 1996...
was a finalist for the 1993 World Fantasy Award
World Fantasy Award
The World Fantasy Awards are annual, international awards given to authors and artists who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of fantasy...
. Her novella "Haunted Humans" (seen in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
The 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...
, July 1994) was a finalist for the 1995 Nebula Award for Best Novella
Nebula Award for Best Novella
Winners of the Nebula Award for Best Novella. The stated year is that of publication; awards are given in the following year.-Winners and other nominees:-External links:**...
and on the same ballot her novelette
Novelette
A novelette is a piece of short prose fiction. The distinction between a novelette and other literary forms is usually based upon word count, with a novelette being longer than a short story, but shorter than a novella...
"The Skeleton Key" was shortlisted for the Nebula Award for Best Novelette
Nebula Award for Best Novelette
Winners of the Nebula Award for best Novelette. The stated year is that of publication; awards are given in the following year. Winning titles are listed first, with other nominees listed below.-External links:* * *...
. Her short story "Trophy Wives" won the 2008 Nebula Award for Best Short Story
Nebula Award for Best Short Story
Winners of the '“Nebula Award for Best Short Story”'. The stated year is that of publication; awards are given in the following year. Winning titles are listed first, with other nominees listed below.-Winners and nominees:-External links:* *...
.
Her first novel, The Thread That Binds the Bones, won the Bram Stoker Award
Bram Stoker Award
The Bram Stoker Award is a recognition presented by the Horror Writers Association for "superior achievement" in horror writing. The awards have been presented annually since 1987, and the winners are selected by ballot of the Active members of the HWA...
for first novel. Other novels include The Silent Strength of Stones (a sequel to Thread), A Fistful of Sky, and A Stir of Bones. Her best known works are set in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
and Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
, and involve people (often entire families) with magical talents. The stories have invited comparison to Zenna Henderson
Zenna Henderson
Zenna Chlarson Henderson was an American science fiction and fantasy novella and short story author, and an elementary school teacher.-Biography:...
and Ray Bradbury
Ray Bradbury
Ray Douglas Bradbury is an American fantasy, horror, science fiction, and mystery writer. Best known for his dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 and for the science fiction stories gathered together as The Martian Chronicles and The Illustrated Man , Bradbury is one of the most celebrated among 20th...
's stories on similar themes.
She has been shortlisted, awarded and finalist for awards for novella, novelette, novel, fantasy novel, adult literature, work for younger readers, young adult books, and children's literature for the Nebula, Locus, World Fantasy Award, the Theodore Sturgeon Award
Theodore Sturgeon Award
The Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award is given each year for the best science fiction short story of the year and is the short fiction counterpart of the Campbell award , published in English....
, the HOMer award from CompuServe, the Endeavour Award
Endeavour Award
The Endeavour Award, announced annually at OryCon in Portland, Oregon, is awarded to a distinguished science fiction or fantasy book written by a Pacific Northwest author or authors and published in the previous year....
, the Mythopoeic Society 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...
, the James Tiptree Jr. Award and the Philip K. Dick Award.
Her brother is the musician Kristian Hoffman
Kristian Hoffman
Kristian Hoffman is an American musician. His sister is writer Nina Kiriki Hoffman.-History:Singer/songwriter Kristian Hoffman first emerged during the late 1970s as songwriter and keyboardist for New York City cult favorite the Mumps, and was also an active figure in the No Wave, performing...
.
She lives in Eugene
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
with her cats. She is a member of the Wordos
Wordos
The Wordos is a writing workshop based in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Its members meet once a week to critique stories and discuss the art, craft, and business of writing. It is a long-running speculative fiction critique group, and has a high concentration of published authors. However, having...
writers' group.
Novels
- Child of an Ancient City (with Tad WilliamsTad WilliamsRobert Paul "Tad" Williams, born in San Jose, California, is the author of several fantasy and science fiction novels, including Tailchaser's Song, the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series, the Otherland series, and The War of the Flowers....
) 1992 - The Thread That Binds the Bones (winner of the Bram Stoker AwardBram Stoker AwardThe Bram Stoker Award is a recognition presented by the Horror Writers Association for "superior achievement" in horror writing. The awards have been presented annually since 1987, and the winners are selected by ballot of the Active members of the HWA...
for First Novel) 1993 - The Silent Strength of Stones (Nebula AwardNebula AwardThe 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 World Fantasy AwardWorld Fantasy AwardThe World Fantasy Awards are annual, international awards given to authors and artists who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of fantasy...
Finalist) 1995 - Body Switchers from Outer Space (#14 in R.L. Stine's " Ghosts of Fear StreetGhosts of Fear StreetGhosts of Fear Street is a younger version of the Fear Street series by R. L. Stine, aimed at children ages 8 to 12. In every book, a 12 year old child has a terrifying adventure in Fear Street, a small street in the town of Shadyside which is known by the kids in the books to have lots of ghosts...
" series) 1996 - Why I'm Not Afraid of Ghosts (#23 in R.L. Stine's "Ghosts of Fear StreetGhosts of Fear StreetGhosts of Fear Street is a younger version of the Fear Street series by R. L. Stine, aimed at children ages 8 to 12. In every book, a 12 year old child has a terrifying adventure in Fear Street, a small street in the town of Shadyside which is known by the kids in the books to have lots of ghosts...
" series) 1997 - I Was A Sixth Grade Zombie (#30 in R.L. Stine's "Ghosts of Fear StreetGhosts of Fear StreetGhosts of Fear Street is a younger version of the Fear Street series by R. L. Stine, aimed at children ages 8 to 12. In every book, a 12 year old child has a terrifying adventure in Fear Street, a small street in the town of Shadyside which is known by the kids in the books to have lots of ghosts...
" series) 1998 - Echoes (Star Trek Voyager #15) (with Kristine Kathryn RuschKristine Kathryn RuschKristine Kathryn Rusch is an American writer. She writes under various pseudonyms in multiple genres, including science fiction, fantasy, mystery, romance, and mainstream....
and Dean Wesley SmithDean Wesley SmithDean Wesley Smith is a science fiction author, known primarily for his Star Trek novels, movie novelizations, and other novels of licensed properties such as Smallville, Spider-Man, X-Men, Aliens, Roswell, Men in Black, and Quantum Leap...
) 1998 - Third Wheel (part of the Sweet Valley Jr. High series) as "Jamie Suzanne" (1999)
- A Red Heart of Memories (World Fantasy Award Finalist) (1999)
- Past the Size of Dreaming (2001)
- A Fistful of Sky (2002)
- A Stir of Bones (2003)
- Catalyst: A Novel of Alien Contact (Philip K. Dick Award nominee) (2006)
- Spirits That Walk in Shadow (2006)
- Fall of Light (2009)
- Thresholds (2010)
Short stories, novellas and novellettes; short story collections
- Legacy of Fire (Author's Choice Monthly #14) 1990
- Courting Disasters and Other Strange Affinities (1991)
- Unmasking (novella) (World Fantasy Award Finalist) (1992)
- "Skeleton Key" (novelette) (Nebula Award Finalist) (1993)
- "Haunted Humans" (novella) (Nebula Award Finalist) (1994)
- Common Threads (collection published in limited release by Hypatia Press) (1995)
- "Home for Christmas" (novella) (World Fantasy Award Finalist) (1995)
- Time Travelers, Ghosts, and Other Visitors (2003)
- Trophy Wives (Nebula Award Finalist) 2008
- Futures in the Memories Market Clarkesworld MagazineClarkesworld MagazineClarkesworld Magazine is an American online fantasy and science fiction magazine. The first issue was published October 1, 2006 and it has maintained a regular monthly schedule since, publishing fiction by authors such as Sarah Monette, Catherynne Valente, Elizabeth Bear, Caitlin R...
, June 2010
Award nominations
- 1985 "A Step Into Darkness" (short story) Writers of the Future 1st quarter: 1985 Hubbard
- 1991 Courting Disasters and Other Strange Affinities (collection): 1992 Locus
- 1992 Unmasking (novella): 1993 World Fantasy
- 1993 "The Skeleton Key" (novelette): 1995 Nebula
- 1993 The Thread That Binds the Bones (first novel): 1994 Stoker Winner
- 1993 The Thread that Binds the Bones fantasy novel: 1994 Locus
- 1994 "Haunted Humans" (novella): 1995 Nebula
- 1994 "Haunted Humans" (novella): 1995 Locus
- 1994 "Haunted Humans" (novella): 1995 HOMer
- 1995 "Home for Christmas" (novelette): 1996 Nebula
- 1995 "Home for Christmas" (novella): 1996 World Fantasy
- 1995 "Home for Christmas" (short fiction): 1996 Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award shortlist
- 1995 "Home for Christmas" (novelette): 1996 HOMer
- 1995 The Silent Strength of Stones (novel): 1996 World Fantasy
- 1995 The Silent Strength of Stones (fantasy novel): 1996 Locus/6
- 1995 The Silent Strength of Stones (novel): 1997 Nebula
- 1996 "Airborn" (novella): 1997 HOMer
- 1999 A Red Heart of Memories (novel): 2000 World Fantasy
- 1999 A Red Heart of Memories (fantasy novel): 2000 Locus
- 1999 A Red Heart of Memories finalist: 2000 Endeavour
- 2001 Past the Size of Dreaming (fantasy novel): 2002 Locus
- 2001 Past the Size of Dreaming finalist: 2002 Endeavour
- 2002 A Fistful of Sky (fantasy novel): 2003 Locus
- 2002 A Fistful of Sky (adult literature): 2003 Mythopoeic
- 2002 A Fistful of Sky short list: 2004 Tiptree
- 2003 A Stir of Bones (work for younger readers): 2004 Stoker
- 2003 A Stir of Bones (young adult book): 2004 Locus
- 2003 A Stir of Bones finalist: 2004 Endeavour
- 2003 Time Travelers, Ghosts, and Other Visitors finalist: 2004 Endeavour
- 2006 Catalyst finalist: 2007 Philip K. Dick
- 2006 Spirits That Walk in Shadow (young adult book): 2007 Locus
- 2006 Spirits That Walk in Shadow finalist: 2007 Endeavour
- 2006 Spirits That Walk in Shadow (children's literature): 2007 Mythopoeic
External links
- Susan O'Fearna's comprehensive bibliography
- Brief profile at Wheatland PressWheatland PressWheatland Press is an independent book publisher, specializing in science fiction, fantasy, and horror short story and poetry collections. It was founded in 2002 by Deborah Layne...
website - Interview at Strange HorizonsStrange HorizonsStrange Horizons is an online speculative fiction magazine. It also features speculative poetry in every issue....
- Interview at LocusLocus (magazine)Locus, subtitled "The Magazine Of The Science Fiction & Fantasy Field", is published monthly in Oakland, California. It reports on the science fiction and fantasy publishing field, including comprehensive listings of all new books published in the genre. It is considered the news organ and trade...