Sandra McDonald
Encyclopedia
Sandra McDonald is an American science fiction
and fantasy
author.
She is a graduate of Ithaca College
, and earned a Master of Fine Arts
degree in creative writing from the University of Southern Maine
. She also spent eight years as an officer in the United States Navy
, during which time she lived in Guam
, Newfoundland
, England
, and the United States
. She has also worked as a Hollywood assistant, a software instructor, and an English composition teacher. She attended the Viable Paradise
writers' workshop.
Her short story
"The Ghost Girls of Rumney Mill" was shortlisted for the James Tiptree, Jr. Award
in 2003. Her first novel, The Outback Stars, was published in April, 2007, and was followed by two sequels: The Stars Down Under (2008) and The Stars Blue Yonder (2009).
Her short story collection Diana Comet and Other Improbable Stories won the Lambda Award for LGBT
SF, Fantasy and Horror works in 2011.
Originally from Revere, Massachusetts
, she currently lives in Jacksonville, Florida
.
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...
author.
She is a graduate of Ithaca College
Ithaca College
Ithaca College is a private college located on the South Hill of Ithaca, New York. The school was founded by William Egbert in 1892 as a conservatory of music. The college has a strong liberal arts core, but also offers several pre-professional programs and some graduate programs. The college is...
, and earned a Master of Fine Arts
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
degree in creative writing from the University of Southern Maine
University of Southern Maine
The University of Southern Maine is a multi-campus public urban comprehensive university and part of the University of Maine System. USM's three primary campuses are located in Portland, Gorham, and Lewiston...
. She also spent eight years as an officer in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, during which time she lived in Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. She has also worked as a Hollywood assistant, a software instructor, and an English composition teacher. She attended the Viable Paradise
Viable Paradise
Viable Paradise is an annual one-week residential writing workshop held each autumn on the island of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. It is focused on speculative fiction....
writers' workshop.
Her short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
"The Ghost Girls of Rumney Mill" was shortlisted for 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...
in 2003. Her first novel, The Outback Stars, was published in April, 2007, and was followed by two sequels: The Stars Down Under (2008) and The Stars Blue Yonder (2009).
Her short story collection Diana Comet and Other Improbable Stories won the Lambda Award for LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
SF, Fantasy and Horror works in 2011.
Originally from Revere, Massachusetts
Revere, Massachusetts
Revere is a city in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States, and located approximately from downtown Boston. It is named after the American patriot Paul Revere. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 51,755.- History :...
, she currently lives in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
.