P. C. Hodgell
Encyclopedia
Patricia "Pat" Christine Hodgell (b. March 16, 1951, in Des Moines, Iowa
) is an American
fantasy
writer, artist and professor.
Dr. Hodgell holds a master's in English literature and a doctorate in 19th-century English literature, both of which were earned from the University of Minnesota
. She completed her Ph.D and subsequent dissertation on Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe between the publication of her first two fantasy novels, God Stalk and Dark of the Moon. She is a graduate of the Clarion and the Milford Writers' Workshops. Hodgell has produced an audio-cassette-based course on science fiction and fantasy for the University of Minnesota
. She taught for many years in the English Department at University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, but retired in 2006 to pursue a full-time writing career. Over the years, P.C. Hodgell was published by several publishing houses. Two of her more recent publishers, Hypatia Press and Meisha Merlin, went out of business, temporarily leaving her without a venue for future works. However, her work has been picked up by Baen, who published the fifth "Jame" novel, Bound in Blood, and has reissued the previous four books as a pair of omnibus editions, The God Stalker Chronicles and Seeker's Bane. Baen also released the novels as e-books.
The Kencyr books, beginning with Godstalk, focus on the three peoples of the Kencyrath, Highborn (leaders), Kendar (artisans and soldiers) and Arrin-Ken (cat-like judges). They were brought together by the Three-Faced God to oppose the threat of chaos called Perimal Darkling. Jame (Jamethiel), a Highborn, gradually discovers that she is the sister of Torisen Black Lord (Tori), the current Highlord of the Kencyrath. She also suspects, from her connection to the destructive side of the Kencyr deity, that she is one of the Tyr-Ridan, the three who would lead the final battle against Perimal Darkling. Her brother and her cousin Kindrie, a healer, seem likely to be the other two, representing Creation and Preservation, respectively.
Behind this story is another one, the betrayal of the Kencyrath by Gerridon Highlord three thousand years earlier on another world. He and his sister, Jamethiel Dream Weaver, almost destroyed the entire Kencyr host. The survivors of the Fall migrated to the world of Rathillien, on which the action of the novels takes place. Jame discovers that Gerridon had his sister mate with Ganth Gray Lord to produce a new Dream Weaver, who would reap souls to maintain his immortality. Instead he got twins, Jame and Tori, who have their own destinies. Gerridon also fathered Kindrie on Ganth's sister Tieri, whose freedom their father bartered away to restore his evil older son, Greshan, to life.
P.C. Hodgell resides in a nineteenth-century wood-framed house which has been in her family for generations. Both her parents were professional artists. While at the University of Wisconsin, P.C. Hodgell divided her time between teaching and writing, with a strong emphasis on "anything that stirs the imagination." This includes attending science fiction conventions, collecting yarn, knitting, embroidering, and raising cats.
Short story collection
Omnibus editions
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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, artist and professor.
Dr. Hodgell holds a master's in English literature and a doctorate in 19th-century English literature, both of which were earned from the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
. She completed her Ph.D and subsequent dissertation on Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe between the publication of her first two fantasy novels, God Stalk and Dark of the Moon. She is a graduate of the Clarion and the Milford Writers' Workshops. Hodgell has produced an audio-cassette-based course on science fiction and fantasy for the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
. She taught for many years in the English Department at University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, but retired in 2006 to pursue a full-time writing career. Over the years, P.C. Hodgell was published by several publishing houses. Two of her more recent publishers, Hypatia Press and Meisha Merlin, went out of business, temporarily leaving her without a venue for future works. However, her work has been picked up by Baen, who published the fifth "Jame" novel, Bound in Blood, and has reissued the previous four books as a pair of omnibus editions, The God Stalker Chronicles and Seeker's Bane. Baen also released the novels as e-books.
The Kencyr books, beginning with Godstalk, focus on the three peoples of the Kencyrath, Highborn (leaders), Kendar (artisans and soldiers) and Arrin-Ken (cat-like judges). They were brought together by the Three-Faced God to oppose the threat of chaos called Perimal Darkling. Jame (Jamethiel), a Highborn, gradually discovers that she is the sister of Torisen Black Lord (Tori), the current Highlord of the Kencyrath. She also suspects, from her connection to the destructive side of the Kencyr deity, that she is one of the Tyr-Ridan, the three who would lead the final battle against Perimal Darkling. Her brother and her cousin Kindrie, a healer, seem likely to be the other two, representing Creation and Preservation, respectively.
Behind this story is another one, the betrayal of the Kencyrath by Gerridon Highlord three thousand years earlier on another world. He and his sister, Jamethiel Dream Weaver, almost destroyed the entire Kencyr host. The survivors of the Fall migrated to the world of Rathillien, on which the action of the novels takes place. Jame discovers that Gerridon had his sister mate with Ganth Gray Lord to produce a new Dream Weaver, who would reap souls to maintain his immortality. Instead he got twins, Jame and Tori, who have their own destinies. Gerridon also fathered Kindrie on Ganth's sister Tieri, whose freedom their father bartered away to restore his evil older son, Greshan, to life.
P.C. Hodgell resides in a nineteenth-century wood-framed house which has been in her family for generations. Both her parents were professional artists. While at the University of Wisconsin, P.C. Hodgell divided her time between teaching and writing, with a strong emphasis on "anything that stirs the imagination." This includes attending science fiction conventions, collecting yarn, knitting, embroidering, and raising cats.
God Stalker Chronicles
- God Stalk, 1982 (ISBN 978-0425060797)
- Dark of the Moon, 1985 (ISBN 978-0689311710)
- Seeker's Mask, 1994 (ISBN 978-0739418871)
- To Ride a Rathorn, August 2006 (ISBN 978-1592221028)
- Bound In Blood, March 2010 (ISBN 978-1439133408)
- Honor's Paradox, December 2011 (ISBN 978-1451637625)
Short story collection
- Blood and Ivory: A Tapestry, 2002: contains some new stories, some previously released (hardcover: ISBN 978-1892065735, paperback: ISBN 978-1892065728)
- Hearts Of Woven Shadow
- Lost Knots
- Among The Dead
- Child Of Darkness (Hodgell's first ever story, set in an alternate universeParallel universe (fiction)A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
when Jame and the Kencyrath arrive in a world—somewhat like ours—following a holocaust) - A Matter Of Honor (the story which provided the genesis for God Stalk)
- Bones
- Stranger Blood (Hodgell's second story about Jame)
- A Ballad Of The White Plague (a Sherlock HolmesSherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
story)
Omnibus editions
- Chronicles of the Kencyrath, 1987: contains God Stalk and Dark of the Moon (ISBN 978-0450424007)
- Dark of the Gods, 2000: contains God Stalk, Dark of the Moon, and short story Bones (ISBN 978-1892065261)
- Godstalker Chronicles, 2006: contains God Stalk, Dark of the Moon, Seeker's Mask, To Ride a Rathorn, and Blood and Ivory: A Tapestry in Baen ebook formats. http://www.webscription.net/p-643-god-stalker-chronicles.aspx
- The God Stalker Chronicles, 2009: contains God Stalk and Dark of the Moon (ISBN 143913295X)
- Seeker's Bane, TBP July 7, 2009 from Baen: contains Seeker's Mask and To Ride a Rathorn (ISBN 1439132976)
Awards and honors
- 1987—Ph.D. in English Literature, University of MinnesotaUniversity of MinnesotaThe University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
- Minnesota Fantasy Award
- 2008—P. C. Hodgell
- Mythopoeic Fantasy AwardsMythopoeic AwardsThe 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...
- 1983 Finalist—God Stalk by P. C. Hodgell
- 1986 Finalist—Dark of the Moon by P. C. Hodgell
- Locus AwardLocus AwardThe 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...
- 1981—"Child of Darkness", Nominee for Best Short Story
- 1983—God Stalk, Nominee for Best First Novel
- 1986—Dark of the Moon, Nominee for Best Fantasy Novel
- Guest of Honor at ArcanaArcana (convention)Arcana is a long-running horror convention that bills itself as "a convention of the dark fantastic." Arcana is held annually in late September or early October in St. Paul, Minnesota and typically features a famous author or artist from the dark fantasy genre as its guest of honor...
40 in 2010, a dark fantasy convention held in St. Paul, Minnesota - Special Guest at MiniconMiniconMinicon is a science fiction and fantasy convention in Minneapolis usually held on Easter weekend. Started in 1968 and running approximately annually since then, it is one of the oldest science fiction conventions in the midwest United States...
21 (1986), 24 (1989), and 25 (1990) - Author Guest of Honor at CapriconCapriconCapricon is an annual, four-day-long science fiction convention in a suburb of Chicago, which draws approximately 900+ people. Capricon attendees share an interest in science , science fiction, fantasy, and related genres. The Capricon convention has been held each year since 1981...
10 (1990)
External links
- P.C. Hodgell Kencyr Page
- P.C. Hodgell page at In Other Worlds
- Yahoo! group for discussing Hodgell's works
- P.C. Hodgell page at her current publisher
- Another Hodgell page
- UW–Oshkosh biography
- Author's website
- Author's LiveJournal
- Kencyr Wiki at WikiaWikiaWikia is a free web hosting service for wikis . It is normally free of charge for readers and editors, deriving most of its income from advertising, and publishes all user-provided text under copyleft licenses. Wikia hosts several hundred thousand wikis using the open-source wiki software MediaWiki...