Happy birthday, Elizabeth Hand!
Here is an author accomplished across genre and literary fiction. An author who has won World Fantasy Awards (four), Nebula Awards (two), Shirley Jackson Awards (two), International Horror
Guild Awards (three), the Mythopoeic Award, and the James Tiptree, Jr. Award, and others.
She has written everything from historical fiction, to riot grrls, to fandom works like Star Wars books for young readers, to writing DC comics’ first openly gay teenager!
With recurring themes of isolated artists, relationships across time (sometimes literal time travel), the devastation of AIDS, the end of the world, and (close to my heart) the punk rock scene, Hand is now at the top of my To Be Read list.
Though really, I want to read every book on her website, here are a few titles which caught my eye:
Bibliomancy (short fiction)
Saffron and Brimstone (novellas)
She’s a writer who writes what she wants, whether that’s noir fiction, fantasy, literary works or somewhere in between. I’m most excited to read her magical realism and her novels and short stories which twist reality. And, as Hand tells Tor (2010), her characters are people “the world perceives as royal fuck-ups”. She’s a writer who writes what she wants, whether that’s noir fiction, fantasy, literary works or somewhere in between. I’m most excited to read her magical realism and her novels and short stories which twist reality.
There’s no question about it. We need more books and stories starring female characters who are real and complicated and truly royal fuck-ups.
More please.
Thankfully, Hard Light, the third installment in Hand’s noir series featuring photographer Cass Neary, hits stores in April 2016.
Happy birthday, Elizabeth Hand. Thank you for showing us the depth and breadth of your imagination.