Mary Robinette Kowal (née Harrison; born February 8, 1969) is an American author and puppeteer. Originally a puppeteer by primary trade after receiving a bachelor's degree in art education, she became art director for science fiction magazines and by 2010 was also authoring her first full-length published novels. The majority of her work is characterized by science fiction themes, such as interplanetary travel; a common element present in many of her novels is historical or alternate history fantasy, such as in her Glamourist Histories and Lady Astronaut books. Kowal has been active in the SF&F community, acting as secretary, vice president (2010), and later president (2019-2021) of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. In response to frustration from the fanbase over panel selection, and perceived misallocation of resources in advance of the 2018 WorldCon, the board named her chair of programming. She has since returned as a chair at the 2021 WorldCon, which was delayed to mid-December 2021 on account of COVID-19. Professional magazines such as Asimov's and Uncanny have published her stories across the years, since "Portrait of Ari" was picked up by Strange Horizons in 2006, which eventually resulted in an Astounding Award for Best New …
Mary Robinette Kowal
Author details
- Born:
- Feb. 8, 1969
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Mary Robinette Kowal (née Harrison; born February 8, 1969) is an American author and puppeteer. Originally a puppeteer by primary trade after receiving a bachelor's degree in art education, she became art director for science fiction magazines and by 2010 was also authoring her first full-length published novels. The majority of her work is characterized by science fiction themes, such as interplanetary travel; a common element present in many of her novels is historical or alternate history fantasy, such as in her Glamourist Histories and Lady Astronaut books. Kowal has been active in the SF&F community, acting as secretary, vice president (2010), and later president (2019-2021) of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. In response to frustration from the fanbase over panel selection, and perceived misallocation of resources in advance of the 2018 WorldCon, the board named her chair of programming. She has since returned as a chair at the 2021 WorldCon, which was delayed to mid-December 2021 on account of COVID-19. Professional magazines such as Asimov's and Uncanny have published her stories across the years, since "Portrait of Ari" was picked up by Strange Horizons in 2006, which eventually resulted in an Astounding Award for Best New Writer. Tor Books has been the main avenue for her longer fiction. Both her novels and short fiction have received praise and accolades, including (though not limited to) four Hugo Awards and a single Nebula Award. The Calculating Stars, perhaps her most decorated and recognizable work, won both the Hugo Award for Best Novel and the Nebula Award for Best Novel. She continues to write and puppeteer, in addition to voicing audio books, and lives in Nashville with her husband.
