Barbara Hambly

Infobox Writer


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name = Barbara Hambly
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birthdate = Birth date and age|1951|8|28|mf=y
birthplace = San Diego, California
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occupation = Novelist, short story author, screenwriter
genre = Science fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Historical Fiction
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influences = L. Frank Baum, J.R.R. Tolkien
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website = http://www.barbarahambly.com/

Barbara Hambly (born August 28, 1951) is an award winning and prolific American novelist and screenwriter within the genres of fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and historical fiction. Her writing includes novels occurring within worlds of her own creation (generally occurring within an explicit multiverse), as well as within previously existing mythos (notably Star Trek and Star Wars).

Biography

Hambly was born in San Diego, California and grew up in Montclair, California. Her parents, Edward Everett Hambly Sr. and Florence Moraski Hambly, are from a coal-mining town in eastern Pennsylvania. She has an older sister, Mary Ann Saunders, and a younger brother, Edward Everett Hambly Jr. In her early teens, Hambly read and was transfixed by J. R. R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings", and affixed images of dragons to her bedroom door. She early-on became interested in costumery, and has been a long-time participant in Society for Creative Anachronism activities. In the mid-1960s, the Hambly family spent a year in Australia.

Hambly has a Masters in Medieval History from the University of California at Riverside, completing her degree in 1975 and spending a year in Bordeaux as part of her studies. Her first novel to be published was "Time of the Dark" in 1982 by Del Rey. Previous to becoming a writer, Hambly chose occupations that allowed her time to write; [ [http://www.barbarahambly.com/hambio.htm Biography of Barbara Hambly] ] all of her novels contain a biography paragraph with a litany of jobs familiar to her readers - high school teacher, model, waitress, technical editor, all-night liquor store clerk, and Shotokan karate instructor. Hambly served as President of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America from 1994 to 1996. Her works have been nominated for many awards in the fantasy and horror fiction categories, winning a Locus Award for Best Horror Novel "Those Who Hunt the Night" (1989) (released in the UK as "Immortal Blood") and the Lord Ruthven award for fiction for its sequel, "Travelling With the Dead" (1996). [ [http://www.barbarahambly.com/hambooks.htm Books and awards] ]

Hambly was married for some years to fellow science fiction writer George Alec Effinger before his death in 2002. She now lives in Los Angeles. Hambly speaks freely of suffering from seasonal affective disorder, which was undiagnosed for years.

Themes within fantasy

Given Hambly's diverse portfolio, there are only a few themes that run throughout all of her novels. She has a penchant for unusual characters within the fantasy genre, [ [http://www.strangehorizons.com/2000/20000911/Article_Hambly_Pellegrino.shtml Review of female characters in Barbara Hambly novels] ] such as the menopausal witch and reluctant scholar-lord in the Winterlands trilogy, or philologist secret service agent in the vampire novels. Her writing is filled with rich descriptions and actors whose actions bear consequences for both their lives and relationships, suffusing her series with a brooding sense of melancholy and regret; [http://www.andromedaspaceways.com/inter_0002.htm Interview with Andromeda Spaceways] ] Hambly's characters experience the pain of frustrated aspirations to a degree that is uncommon in most fantasy novels.Clute, J. & Grant, J. (1999). "The Encyclopedia of Fantasy". Orbit: London (UK)] Though using many standard clichés and plot devices of the fantasy genre, her works depart from the norm through an exploration of the ethical implications of the consequences of these devices, and what their impact is for the characters, were they real people. In avoiding the "...easy consolatory self-identification of genre fantasy" (p. 449) and refusing to let her work be guided more explicitly by conventions and the desires of her audience, Hambly may have missed out on the remunerative success and acclaim that she is due.

Hambly heavily researches her settings, either in person or through books, frequently drawing upon her degree in medieval history for background and depth. [http://www.futurefiction.com/barbara_hambly.htm Review of Barbara Hambly as an author] ]

Bibliography

Darwarth

The Darwath Trilogy

*"The Time of the Dark" (1982)
*"The Walls of Air" (1983)
*"The Armies of Daylight" (1983)

tandalone Darwath Novels

* "Mother of Winter" (1996; Locus award nominee 1997)
* "Icefalcon's Quest" (1998)

un Wolf and Starhawk

*"The Ladies of Mandrigyn" (1984; Locus award nominee, 1985)
*"The Witches of Wenshar" (1987; Locus award nominee, 1988)
*"The Dark Hand of Magic" (1990)

Winterlands

*"Dragonsbane" (1985; Locus award nominee, 1986 and 1987)
*"Dragonshadow" (1999; Locus award nominee, 2000)
*"Knight of the Demon Queen" (2000; Locus award nominee, 2001)
*"Dragonstar" (2002)

The Windrose Chronicles

*"The Silent Tower" (1986)
*"The Silicon Mage" (1988)
*"Dog Wizard" (1993; Locus award nominee, 1994)
* "Stranger at the Wedding"/"Sorcerer's Ward " (1994) - [Does not include Antryg Windrose or Joanna Sheraton]

tar Trek Universe

* "Ishmael" (1985)
* "Ghostwalker" (1991)
* "Crossroad" (1994)

Vampire Novels

*"Those Who Hunt The Night"/Immortal Blood (UK title) (1988; Locus award winner for Best Horror Novel in 1989)
*"Traveling With The Dead" (1995; Locus award nominee, 1996, winner of the Lord Ruthven award, 1996)

Beauty and the Beast

* "Beauty and the Beast" novelisation (1989)
* "Song of Orpheus" (1990)

un-Cross

*"The Rainbow Abyss" (1991; Locus award nominee, 1992)
*" The Magicians of Night" (1992; Locus award nominee, 1993)

tar Wars Universe

* "Children of the Jedi" (1995)
* "Planet of Twilight" (1997)

The Benjamin January Mysteries

*"A Free Man of Color" (1997)
*"Fever Season" (1998)
*"Graveyard Dust" (1999)
*"Sold Down the River" (2000)
*"Die upon a Kiss" (2001)
*"Wet Grave" (2002)
*"Days of the Dead" (2003)
*"Dead Water" (2004)

Raven Sisters

*"Sisters of the Raven" (2002)
*"Circle of the Moon" (2005)

Other Fiction

* "Bride of the Rat God" (1994; Locus award nominee, 1995)
* "Magic Time" (2002) (with Marc Zicree)
* "Renfield" (2006)

Historical Fiction

* "Search the Seven Hills"/"Quirinal Hill Affair" (1983)
* "The Emancipator's Wife" (2005; finalist for the Michael Shaara Prize for Excellence in a Civil War Novel, 2006)
* "Patriot Hearts" (2007)

References

External links

* [http://www.barbarahambly.com/index.htm The Barbara Hambly Page]
* [http://scifan.com/writers/hh/HamblyBarbara.asp Bibliography] at SciFan
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