Letters to Tiptree

Locus Award 2016.

Edited by Alexandra Pierce and Alisa Krasnostein.

For nearly a decade, between 1968 and 1976, a middle-aged woman in Virginia (her own words) had much of the science fiction community in thrall. Her short stories were awarded, lauded and extremely well-reviewed. They were also regarded as “ineluctably masculine”, because Alice Sheldon was writing as James Tiptree Jr.

In celebration of the 100th Anniversary of Alice Sheldon’s birth, and in recognition of the enormous influence of both Tiptree and Sheldon on the field, Twelfth Planet Press has published a selection of thoughtful letters written by science fiction and fantasy’s writers, editors, critics and fans to celebrate her, to recognise her work, and maybe in some cases to finish conversations set aside nearly thirty years ago.

Letters From:

Kathryn Allan
Marleen S. Barr
Stephanie Burgis
Joyce Chng
Aliette de Bodard
L. Timmel Duchamp
A.J. Fitzwater
Lisa Goldstein
Theodora Goss
Nicola Griffith
Valentin D Ivanov
Gwyneth Jones
Rose Lemberg
Sylvia Kelso
Alex Dally MacFarlane
Brit Mandelo
Sandra McDonald
Seanan McGuire
Karen Miller
Judith Moffett
Cheryl Morgan
Pat Murphy
Sarah Pinsker
Cat Rambo
Tansy Rayner Roberts
Justina Robson
Nisi Shawl
Nike Sulway
Lucy Sussex
Rachel Swirsky
Bogi Takács
Lynne M. Thomas
Elisabeth Vonarburg
Jo Walton
Tess Williams

And bonus reprint material including:

- archived letters from Ursula K. Le Guin, Joanna Russ and James Tiptree Jr./Alice Sheldon
- excerpts from THE SECRET FEMINIST CABAL: A CULTURAL HISTORY of SCIENCE FICTION FEMINISMS by Helen Merrick
- excerpt from BATTLE OF THE SEXES IN SCIENCE FICTION by Justine Larbalestier
- introduction to HER SMOKE ROSE UP FOREVER by Michael Swanwick