Sandra Miesel
Encyclopedia
Sandra Louise Miesel is an American
medievalist, writer
and science fiction and fantasy fan
. Her early work was science fiction
and fantasy
criticism, fields in which she has remained active. She is a literary analyst; has described herself as "the world's greatest expert" on Poul Anderson
and Gordon R. Dickson
, and has written front and back matter for many of Anderson's books.
She is the leading expert on Dickson's Childe Cycle
series of novels, and has written a number of commentaries which have been published with the books in that series, including an afterword in The Final Encyclopedia, as well as an essay in The Dorsai Companion. She also worked with Dickson in putting together a detailed timeline of the series, in order to set exact dates for the events and people in the often overlapping stories.
(a connection which sprang from a letter she had published in IF magazine
), with critical articles in the science fiction fanzine
Yandro
, especially on Anderson and Dickson, as well as other fanzines such as Granfalloon
. She was nominated for the Hugo Award
for Best Fan Writer
three times (1973–1975); and had two monographs published by fannish small press
es: Myth, Symbol and Religion in The Lord of the Rings. (TK Graphics, 1973); and Against Time's Arrow: The High Crusade of Poul Anderson (Borgo Press
, 1978).
Since 1983, Miesel has written hundreds of articles for the Catholic press, chiefly on history, art, and hagiography
. She wrote regularly for the now-defunct Crisis Catholic magazine and is a columnist for the diocesan paper of the Diocese of Norwich, Connecticut
. Miesel is also a well-known speaker. She has spoken at religious and academic conferences, appeared on EWTN, and given numerous radio interviews.
She has co-authored a book, The Da Vinci Hoax
: Exposing the Errors in The Da Vinci Code
, a detailed critique of the popular novel based on her knowledge of Catholic history and teachings.
Most recently, she has co-authored a book The Pied Piper of Atheism: Philip Pullman and Children's Fantasy with Catholic journalist and canon law
yer Pete Vere. The book, published by Ignatius Press
, offers a detailed critique of Philip Pullman
's His Dark Materials
trilogy.
She holds master's degrees in biochemistry
and medieval history from the University of Illinois
.
area, as did her husband John (a fellow fan), who died of a brain tumor August 30, 2006. They had been married 42 years.
, 1982).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
medievalist, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and science fiction and fantasy fan
Science fiction fandom
Science fiction fandom or SF fandom is a community or "fandom" of people actively interested in science fiction and fantasy and in contact with one another based upon that interest...
. Her early work was 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 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...
criticism, fields in which she has remained active. She is a literary analyst; has described herself as "the world's greatest expert" on Poul Anderson
Poul Anderson
Poul William Anderson was an American science fiction author who began his career during one of the Golden Ages of the genre and continued to write and remain popular into the 21st century. Anderson also authored several works of fantasy, historical novels, and a prodigious number of short stories...
and Gordon R. Dickson
Gordon R. Dickson
Gordon Rupert Dickson was an American science fiction author.- Biography :Dickson was born in Edmonton, Alberta, in 1923. After the death of his father, he moved with his mother to Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1937...
, and has written front and back matter for many of Anderson's books.
She is the leading expert on Dickson's Childe Cycle
Childe Cycle
The Childe Cycle is an unfinished series of science fiction novels by Gordon R. Dickson. The name Childe Cycle is an allusion to Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came, a poem by Robert Browning, which provided considerable inspiration for elements in Dickson's magnum opus.The series is sometimes...
series of novels, and has written a number of commentaries which have been published with the books in that series, including an afterword in The Final Encyclopedia, as well as an essay in The Dorsai Companion. She also worked with Dickson in putting together a detailed timeline of the series, in order to set exact dates for the events and people in the often overlapping stories.
Writing career
Miesel began her writing as a member of science fiction fandomScience fiction fandom
Science fiction fandom or SF fandom is a community or "fandom" of people actively interested in science fiction and fantasy and in contact with one another based upon that interest...
(a connection which sprang from a letter she had published in IF magazine
If (magazine)
If was an American science fiction magazine launched in March 1952 by Quinn Publications, owned by James L. Quinn. Quinn hired Paul W. Fairman to be the first editor, but early circulation figures were disappointing, and Quinn fired Fairman after only three issues. Quinn then took over the...
), with critical articles in the science fiction fanzine
Science fiction fanzine
A science fiction fanzine is an amateur or semi-professional magazine published by members of science fiction fandom, from the 1930s to the present day...
Yandro
Yandro
Yandro was an influential science fiction fanzine published from 1953-1986 by Buck and Juanita Coulson. Over that period, they published 259 issues, the final issue not being distributed until 1991. Yandros content covered a broad spectrum of topics...
, especially on Anderson and Dickson, as well as other fanzines such as Granfalloon
Granfalloon
A granfalloon, in the fictional religion of Bokononism , is defined as a "false karass." That is, it is a group of people who outwardly choose or claim to have a shared identity or purpose, but whose mutual association is actually meaningless.-Examples:The most commonly purported granfalloons are...
. She was nominated for the Hugo Award
Hugo Award
The Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...
for Best Fan Writer
Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer
The Hugo Awards are presented every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...
three times (1973–1975); and had two monographs published by fannish small press
Small press
Small press is a term often used to describe publishers with annual sales below a certain level. Commonly, in the United States, this is set at $50 million, after returns and discounts...
es: Myth, Symbol and Religion in The Lord of the Rings. (TK Graphics, 1973); and Against Time's Arrow: The High Crusade of Poul Anderson (Borgo Press
Borgo Press
The Borgo Press was a small publishing company founded by Robert Reginald in 1975 funded by the royalties gained from his first major reference work.The same year Borgo Press was founded, Robert Reginald met Mary Wickizer Rogers, a student at Cal State...
, 1978).
Since 1983, Miesel has written hundreds of articles for the Catholic press, chiefly on history, art, and hagiography
Hagiography
Hagiography is the study of saints.From the Greek and , it refers literally to writings on the subject of such holy people, and specifically to the biographies of saints and ecclesiastical leaders. The term hagiology, the study of hagiography, is also current in English, though less common...
. She wrote regularly for the now-defunct Crisis Catholic magazine and is a columnist for the diocesan paper of the Diocese of Norwich, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. Miesel is also a well-known speaker. She has spoken at religious and academic conferences, appeared on EWTN, and given numerous radio interviews.
She has co-authored a book, The Da Vinci Hoax
The Da Vinci Hoax
The Da Vinci Hoax is a non-fiction book written by Carl E. Olsen and Sandra Miesel for the express purpose of critiquing Dan Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code. The book was first published in 2004 by Ignatius Press...
: Exposing the Errors in The Da Vinci Code
The Da Vinci Code
The Da Vinci Code is a 2003 mystery-detective novel written by Dan Brown. It follows symbologist Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu as they investigate a murder in Paris's Louvre Museum and discover a battle between the Priory of Sion and Opus Dei over the possibility of Jesus having been married to...
, a detailed critique of the popular novel based on her knowledge of Catholic history and teachings.
Most recently, she has co-authored a book The Pied Piper of Atheism: Philip Pullman and Children's Fantasy with Catholic journalist and canon law
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
yer Pete Vere. The book, published by Ignatius Press
Ignatius Press
Ignatius Press, named for Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuit Order, is a Catholic publishing house based in San Francisco, California, USA. It was founded in 1978 by Father Joseph Fessio SJ, a Jesuit priest and former pupil of Pope Benedict XVI...
, offers a detailed critique of Philip Pullman
Philip Pullman
Philip Pullman CBE, FRSL is an English writer from Norwich. He is the best-selling author of several books, most notably his trilogy of fantasy novels, His Dark Materials, and his fictionalised biography of Jesus, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ...
's His Dark Materials
His Dark Materials
His Dark Materials is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Philip Pullman comprising Northern Lights , The Subtle Knife , and The Amber Spyglass...
trilogy.
She holds master's degrees in biochemistry
Biochemistry
Biochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes in living organisms, including, but not limited to, living matter. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes...
and medieval history from the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
.
Personal life
She lives in the Indianapolis, IndianaIndianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
area, as did her husband John (a fellow fan), who died of a brain tumor August 30, 2006. They had been married 42 years.
Selected works
Speculative fiction. An earlier version was published as Dreamrider (Ace BooksAce Books
Ace Books is the oldest active specialty publisher of science fiction and fantasy books. The company was founded in New York City in 1952 by Aaron A. Wyn, and began as a genre publisher of mysteries and westerns...
, 1982).
- "The Fan As Critic" in Science fiction fandom Joe Sanders, ed. (Contributions to the study of science fiction and fantasy, no. 62) Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1994. ISBN 0313233802
External links
- Catholics and Science Fiction, a short interview between Miesel and Ignatius PressIgnatius PressIgnatius Press, named for Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuit Order, is a Catholic publishing house based in San Francisco, California, USA. It was founded in 1978 by Father Joseph Fessio SJ, a Jesuit priest and former pupil of Pope Benedict XVI...
.