Leigh Douglass Brackett (December 7, 1915 – March 18, 1978) was an American

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

writer known as "the Queen of

Space Opera Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes space warfare, with use of melodramatic, risk-taking space adventures, relationships, and chivalric romance. Set mainly or entirely in outer space, it features technological and soci ...

." She was also a screenwriter, known for ''

The Big Sleep ''The Big Sleep'' (1939) is a hardboiled crime novel by American-British writer Raymond Chandler, the first to feature the detective Philip Marlowe. It has been adapted for film twice, The Big Sleep (1946 film), in 1946 and again The Big Sleep ...

'' (1946), '' Rio Bravo'' (1959), and '' The Long Goodbye'' (1973). She also worked on an early draft of ''

The Empire Strikes Back ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back'') is a 1980 American epic film, epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner from a screenplay by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan, based o ...

'' (1980), elements of which remained in the film; she died before it went into production. In 1956, her book '' The Long Tomorrow'' made her the first woman ever shortlisted for the

Hugo Award for Best Novel The Hugo Award for Best Novel is one of the Hugo Awards given each year for science fiction or fantasy stories published in, or translated to, English during the previous calendar year. The novel award is available for works of fiction of 40,00 ...

, and, along with

C. L. Moore Catherine Lucille Moore (January 24, 1911 – April 4, 1987) was an American science fiction and fantasy writer, who first came to prominence in the 1930s writing as C. L. Moore. She was among the first women to write in the science fiction and ...

, one of the first two women ever nominated for a

Hugo Award The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention and chosen by its members. The Hugo is widely considered the premier a ...

. In 2020, she won a Retro Hugo for her novel ''The Nemesis From Terra'', originally published as "Shadow Over Mars" (''Startling Stories'', Fall 1944).

Early life and education

Leigh Brackett was born and raised in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. Her father died when she was very young; her mother did not remarry. She was a

tomboy A tomboy is a term for a girl or a young woman with masculine qualities. It can include wearing androgynous or unfeminine clothing and actively engage in physical sports or other activities and behaviors usually associated with boys or men. W ...

, "tall" and "athletic". She attended a private girls' school in

Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

, where she was involved in theater and began writing.

Career

Fiction writer

Brackett first published in her mid-20s; the science fiction story "Martian Quest" appeared in the February 1940 issue of ''

Astounding Science Fiction ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' is an American science fiction magazine published under various titles since 1930. Originally titled ''Astounding Stories of Super-Science'', the first issue was dated January 1930, published by William C ...

''. Her earliest years as a writer (1940–42) were her most productive. Some of her stories have social themes, such as "The Citadel of Lost Ships" (1943), which considers the effects on alien cultures of Earth's expanding trade empire. At the time, she was an active member of the

Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society The Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society, Inc., or LASFS, is a science fiction and fantasy fan society that meets in the Los Angeles area. The current meeting place can be found on thLASFS website LASFS is the oldest continuously operating scienc ...

(LASFS), and participated in local

science fiction fandom Science fiction fandom or SF fandom is a community or fandom of people interested in science fiction in contact with one another based upon that interest. SF fandom has a life of its own, but not much in the way of formal organization (although ...

by contributing to the second issue of ''Pogo's STF-ETTE'', an all-female

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. They were one of the earliest forms of fanzine, within one of which the term "''fanzine''" was ...

(probably the first such). Planet stories 1946sum

Brackett's first novel, ''No Good from a Corpse'' (1944), was a

hard-boiled Hardboiled (or hard-boiled) fiction is a literary genre that shares some of its characters and settings with crime fiction (especially detective fiction and noir fiction). The genre's typical protagonist is a detective who battles the violence ...

mystery novel in the tradition of

Raymond Chandler Raymond Thornton Chandler (July 23, 1888 – March 26, 1959) was an American-British novelist and screenwriter. In 1932, at the age of forty-four, Chandler became a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive durin ...

. The book led to her first big screenwriting assignment. After this, Brackett's science fiction stories became more ambitious. ''Shadow Over Mars'' (1944) was her first novel-length story; though rough-edged, it marked the beginning of a new style influenced by the characterization of the 1940s

detective story Detective fiction is a subgenre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator or a detective—whether professional, amateur or retired—investigates a crime, often murder. The detective genre began around the same time as specu ...

and

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...

. It won a Retro Hugo for best novel in 2020. ''

Planet Stories ''Planet Stories'' was an American pulp science fiction magazine, published by Fiction House between 1939 and 1955. It featured interplanetary adventures, both in space and on some other planets, and was initially focused on a young readership. ...

'' published the novella "Lorelei of the Red Mist", in which the protagonist is a thief named Hugh Starke. Brackett finished the first half before turning it over to her close friend Bradbury, so that she could leave to work on the screenplay of ''

''. Brackett returned to science fiction writing in 1948 after her movie work. Between 1948 and 1951, she produced a series of science fiction adventure stories that were longer than her previous work, including classic representations of her planetary settings as "The Moon that Vanished" and the novel ''Sea-Kings of Mars'' (1949). The latter was later published as ''The Sword of Rhiannon''. In "Queen of the Martian Catacombs" (1949), Brackett created the character of

Eric John Stark Eric John Stark is a character created by the science fiction author Leigh Brackett. Stark is the hero of a series of pulp adventures set in a time when the Solar System has been colonized. His origin-story shares some characteristics with feral ...

. Stark, an orphan from Earth, is raised by the semi-sentient aboriginals of Mercury, who are later killed by Earthmen. He is saved by a Terran official, who adopts and mentors Stark. When threatened, Stark reverts to the primitive N'Chaka, the "man without a tribe", who he was on Mercury. From 1949 to 1951, Brackett featured Stark (whose name echoes that of the hero in "Lorelei of the Red Mist") in three stories published in ''Planet Stories'': "Queen of the Martian Catacombs", "Enchantress of Venus", and "Black Amazon of Mars". With this last story, Brackett's high adventure period ended. Brackett adopted an elegiac tone in her stories, no longer celebrating the conflicts of frontier worlds but lamenting the passing of civilizations, and concentrating more on mood than plot. The stories' reflective, introspective nature is indicated in the titles: "The Last Days of Shandakor", "Shannach—the Last", and "Last Call from Sector 9G". "Last Call" was published in the final issue (Summer 1955) of ''

'', which had been her most reliable publisher. After ''Planet Stories'' folded, and then ''

Startling Stories ''Startling Stories'' was an American pulp science fiction magazine, published from 1939 to 1955 by publisher Ned Pines' Standard Magazines. It was initially edited by Mort Weisinger, who was also the editor of ''Thrilling Wonder Stories'', S ...

'' and ''

Thrilling Wonder Stories ''Wonder Stories'' was an early American science fiction magazine which was published under several titles from 1929 to 1955. It was founded by Hugo Gernsback in 1929 after he had lost control of his first science fiction magazine, ''Amazing Stor ...

'', Brackett lost her magazine market. The first phase of her career as a science fiction author ended. She produced other stories over the next decade, and revised and published some as novels. A new production of this period was ''The Long Tomorrow'' (1955), one of Brackett's more critically acclaimed novels. It describes an agrarian, technophobic society that develops after a nuclear war. After 1955, Brackett concentrated on writing for the more lucrative film and television markets. In 1963 and 1964, she briefly returned to her old Martian milieu with a pair of stories. "The Road to Sinharat" was an affectionate farewell to the world of "Queen of the Martian Catacombs", and the other, with the intentionally ridiculous title of "Purple Priestess of the Mad Moon", borders on parody. Brackett and her husband shared Guest of Honor duties at the 22nd World Science Fiction Convention in 1965 in

Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...

. After another decade-long hiatus, Brackett returned to science fiction in the 1970s with the publication of ''The Ginger Star'' (1974), ''The Hounds of Skaith'' (1974), and ''The Reavers of Skaith'' (1976), collected as ''The Book of Skaith'' in 1976. This trilogy brought Eric John Stark back for adventures on the extra-solar planet of Skaith (rather than his old haunts, Mars and Venus).

Brackett's solar system

Often called the "Queen of Space Opera", Brackett also wrote

planetary romance Planetary romance is a subgenre of science fiction in which the bulk of the action consists of adventures on one or more exotic alien planets, characterized by distinctive physical and cultural backgrounds. Some planetary romances take place ag ...

. Almost all her planetary romances take place in the Leigh Brackett solar system, which contains richly detailed fictional versions of the consensus

Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury (planet), Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Mars (mythology), Roman god of war. Mars is a terr ...

and

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never fa ...

of science fiction from the 1930s to the 1950s. Mars appears as a marginally habitable desert world, populated by ancient, decadent and mostly humanoid races, and Venus as a primitive, wet jungle planet, occupied by vigorous, primitive tribes and reptilian monsters. Brackett's Skaith combines elements of her other worlds with fantasy elements. Though

Edgar Rice Burroughs Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American author, best known for his prolific output in the adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres. Best-known for creating the characters Tarzan and John Carter, he ...

's influence is apparent in Brackett's Mars stories, her Mars is set firmly in a world of interplanetary commerce and competition. A prominent theme of her stories is the clash of

planetary civilization A planetary civilization or global civilization is a civilization of Type I on the Kardashev scale. This type of civilization is likely to be reliant on renewable energy sources such as stellar power, as well as powerful non-renewable sources s ...

s; they illustrate and criticize the effects of

colonialism Colonialism is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas, often by establishing colonies and generally with the aim of economic dominance. In the process of colonisation, colonisers may impose their relig ...

on civilizations that are either older or younger than those of the colonizers. Burroughs's heroes set out to remake entire worlds according to their own codes; Brackett's heroes (often

antihero An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero) or antiheroine is a main character in a story who may lack conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism, courage, and morality. Although antiheroes may sometimes perform actions ...

es) are at the mercy of trends and movements far bigger than they are. After the Mariner missions indicated there was no life on Mars, Brackett never returned to her solar system. When she started to write planetary romance again in the 1970s, she invented a new solar system outside our own.

Screenwriter

Shortly after Brackett broke into science fiction writing, she wrote her first screenplays. Hollywood director

Howard Hawks Howard Winchester Hawks (May 30, 1896December 26, 1977) was an American film director, producer and screenwriter of the classic Hollywood era. Critic Leonard Maltin called him "the greatest American director who is not a household name." A v ...

was so impressed by her novel ''No Good from a Corpse'' that he had his secretary call in "this guy Brackett" to help

William Faulkner William Cuthbert Faulkner (; September 25, 1897 – July 6, 1962) was an American writer known for his novels and short stories set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, based on Lafayette County, Mississippi, where Faulkner spent most of ...

write the script for ''The Big Sleep'' (1946). The film was written by Brackett, Faulkner, and

Jules Furthman Jules Furthman (March 5, 1888 – September 22, 1966) was an American magazine and newspaper writer before working as a screenwriter. Biography Furthman was born in Chicago. His brother was the writer Charles Furthman. During World War I he wr ...

, and starred

Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart (; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American film and stage actor. His performances in Classical Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film In ...

. After getting married, Brackett took a break from screenwriting. When she returned to screenwriting in the mid-1950s, she wrote for TV and movies. Howard Hawks hired her to write or co-write several

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...

pictures, including '' Rio Bravo'' (1959), ''

Hatari! ''Hatari!'' (, Swahili for "Danger!") is a 1962 American adventure romantic comedy film starring John Wayne as the leader of a group of professional game catchers in Africa.McCarthy, Todd. ''Howard Hawks: the grey fox of Hollywood'', New York, ...

'' (1962), ''

El Dorado El Dorado (, ; Spanish for "the golden"), originally ''El Hombre Dorado'' ("The Golden Man") or ''El Rey Dorado'' ("The Golden King"), was the term used by the Spanish in the 16th century to describe a mythical tribal chief (''zipa'') or king o ...

'' (1966), and ''

Rio Lobo Rio or Río is the Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Maltese word for "river". When spoken on its own, the word often means Rio de Janeiro, a major city in Brazil. Rio or Río may also refer to: Geography Brazil * Rio de Janeiro * Rio do Sul, a ...

'' (1970). Because of her background with ''The Big Sleep'', she later adapted Raymond Chandler's novel '' The Long Goodbye'' for the screen.

''The Empire Strikes Back''

Brackett worked on the screenplay for ''

'', the first ''

Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...

'' sequel. The film won the

in 1981. This script was a departure for Brackett; until then, all her science fiction had been in the form of novels and short stories.

George Lucas George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker. Lucas is best known for creating the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' franchises and founding Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as chairm ...

said that he asked Brackett to write the screenplay based on his story outline. Brackett wrote a finished first draft, titled "''Star Wars'' sequel", that was delivered to Lucas shortly before her death from cancer on March 18, 1978, but her version was rejected and Lucas wrote two drafts of a new screenplay and, following the delivery of the screenplay for ''

Raiders of the Lost Ark ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Lawrence Kasdan, based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. It stars Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronal ...

'', turned them over to

Lawrence Kasdan Lawrence Edward Kasdan (born January 14, 1949) is an American filmmaker. He is the co-writer of the ''Star Wars'' films ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980), ''Return of the Jedi'' (1983), ''The Force Awakens'' (2015), and ''Solo: A Star Wars Stor ...

to rework some dialogue. Brackett and Kasdan (but not Lucas) were credited for the final screenplay. Brackett was credited in tribute despite not being involved in the final film. Laurent Bouzereau, in ''Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays'', said that Lucas disliked the direction of Brackett's screenplay, discarded it, and produced two more screenplays before turning the results over to Kasdan.

io9 ''io9'' is part of Gizmodo media since 2015, and it began as blog launched in 2008 by Gawker Media. The site initially focused on the subjects of science fiction, fantasy, futurism, science, technology and related areas but over the years has ...

's co-founder

Charlie Jane Anders Charlie Jane Anders is an American writer and commentator. She has written several novels, published magazines and websites, and hosted podcasts. In 2005, she received the Lambda Literary Award for work in the transgender category, and in 2009, t ...

has written that while "It's fashionable to disparage Brackett's contributions to ''Empire''", "it's not true that none of Brackett's storyline winds up in the final movie—the basic story beats are the same." For over 30 years, Brackett's screenplay could be read only at the

Jack Williamson John Stewart Williamson (April 29, 1908 – November 10, 2006), who wrote as Jack Williamson, was an American list of science fiction authors, science fiction writer, often called the "Dean of Science Fiction". He is also credited with one of t ...

Special Collections library at

Eastern New Mexico University Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU or Eastern) is a public university with a main campus in Portales, New Mexico, and two associate degree-granting branches, one at Ruidoso and one at Roswell. ENMU is New Mexico's largest regional comprehensiv ...

Portales, New Mexico Portales is a city in and the county seat of Roosevelt County, New Mexico, United States. Its population was 12,280 at the 2010 census. Portales is located near the larger city of Clovis, and Cannon Air Force Base, a major contributor to the e ...

, and at

Lucasfilm Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC is an American film and television production company and a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, which is a business segment of The Walt Disney Company. The studio is best known for creating and producing the ''Star Wars'' and ' ...

's archives in California. It was officially published in February 2016. In this draft, there is a

love triangle A love triangle or eternal triangle is a scenario or circumstance, usually depicted as a rivalry, in which two people are pursuing or involved in a romantic relationship with one person, or in which one person in a romantic relationship with so ...

between Luke, Leia and Han Solo. Yoda is named Minch, Luke has a hidden sister named Nellith, Lando Calrissian is Lando Kaddar, Luke's father is still a distinct character from Darth Vader and appears as a

Force In physics, a force is an influence that can change the motion of an object. A force can cause an object with mass to change its velocity (e.g. moving from a state of rest), i.e., to accelerate. Force can also be described intuitively as a p ...

ghost on Dagobah, and Han Solo, at the end of the script, leaves to search for his uncle Ovan Marek, the most powerful man in the universe after the Emperor

Palpatine Sheev Palpatine, also known by his Sith name Darth Sidious, is a fictional Character (arts), character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. Initially credited as the Emperor in the original trilogy films, ''The Empire Strikes ...

. John Saavedra of

Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a US and UK-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gan ...

website wrote:

Personal life and death

On December 31, 1946, at age 31, Brackett married another science fiction writer,

Edmond Hamilton Edmond Moore Hamilton (October 21, 1904 – February 1, 1977) was an American writer of science fiction during the mid-twentieth century. Early life Born in Youngstown, Ohio, he was raised there and in nearby New Castle, Pennsylvania. So ...

, in

San Gabriel, California San Gabriel (Spanish for " St. Gabriel") is a city located in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County, California. At the 2010 census, the population was 39,718. San Gabriel was founded by the Spanish in 1771, when Mission San Gabriel Arc ...

. Fellow LASFS member

Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury (; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of modes, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, and r ...

served as

best man A groomsman or usher is one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony and performs the first speech at the wedding. Usually, the groom selects close friends and relatives to serve as groomsmen, and it is considered an honor to be ...

. Bradbury and

Robert Heinlein Robert Anson Heinlein (; July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was an American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was among the first to emphasize scientific accu ...

were longtime close friends of Brackett's. She moved with Hamilton to

Kinsman, Ohio Kinsman (also known as Kinsman Center) is an unincorporated area, unincorporated community and census-designated place in Kinsman Township, Trumbull County, Ohio, Kinsman Township, Trumbull County, Ohio, Trumbull County, Ohio, United States. The p ...

. Brackett died of cancer in 1978 in

Lancaster, California Lancaster is a charter city in northern Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, in the Antelope Valley of the western Mojave Desert in Southern California. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 173,51 ...

. Quoted at .

Bibliography

Short science fiction

1940–1941

* "Martian Quest" (''

'', February 1940) * "The Treasure of Ptakuth" (''Astounding Science Fiction'', April 1940) * "The Stellar Legion" (''

'', Winter 1940) * "The Tapestry Gate" (''

Strange Stories ''Strange Stories'' was a pulp magazine which ran for thirteen issues from 1939 to 1941. It was edited by Mort Weisinger, who was not credited. Contributors included Robert Bloch, Eric Frank Russell, C. L. Moore, August Derleth, and ...

'', August 1940) * "The Demons of Darkside" (''

'', January 1941) * "Water Pirate" (''

Super Science Stories ''Super Science Stories'' was an American pulp science fiction magazine published by Popular Publications from 1940 to 1943, and again from 1949 to 1951. Popular launched it under their Fictioneers imprint, which they used for magazines, payin ...

'', January 1941) * "Interplanetary Reporter" (''Startling Stories'', May 1941) * "The Dragon-Queen of Jupiter" (''Planet Stories'', Summer 1941), also published as "The Dragon-Queen of Venus" * "Lord of the Earthquake" (novelette; ''

Science Fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

'', June 1941) * "No Man's Land in Space" (novelette; ''

Amazing Stories ''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearances i ...

'' July 1941) * "A World Is Born" (''Comet Stories'' July 1941) * "Retreat to the Stars" (''

Astonishing Stories ''Astonishing Stories'' was an American pulp magazine, pulp science fiction magazine, published by Popular Publications between 1940 and 1943. It was founded under Popular's "Fictioneers" imprint, which paid lower rates than Popular's other magazi ...

'', November 1941)

1942–1944

* "Child of the Green Light" (''Super Science Stories'', February 1942) * "The Sorcerer of Rhiannon" (novelette; ''Astounding Science Fiction'', February 1942) * "Child of the Sun" (novelette; ''Planet Stories'', Spring 1942) * "Out of the Sea" (novelette; ''Astonishing Stories'', June 1942) * "Cube from Space" (''Super Science Stories'', August 1942) * "Outpost on Io" (''Planet Stories'', Winter 1942) * "The Halfling" (novelette; ''Astonishing Stories'', February 1943) *
The Citadel of Lost Ships
(''Planet Stories'', March 1943) * "The Blue Behemoth" (''Planet Stories'', May 1943) * "Thralls of the Endless Night" (''Planet Stories'', Fall 1943) * "The Jewel of Bas" (novelette; ''Planet Stories'', Spring 1944) * "The Veil of Astellar" (novelette; ''

'', Spring 1944) * "Terror Out of Space" (''Planet Stories'', Summer 1944) * "Shadow Over Mars" (''Startling Stories'', Fall 1944), published in book form as ''The Nemesis from Terra'', winner of a best novel Retro Hugo in 2020.

1945–1950

* "The Vanishing Venusians" (novelette; ''Planet Stories'', Spring 1945) * "Lorelei of the Red Mist", with Ray Bradbury (novella; ''Planet Stories'', Summer 1946) * "The Moon That Vanished" (novelette; ''Thrilling Wonder Stories'', October 1948) * "The Beast-Jewel of Mars" (novelette; ''Planet Stories'', Winter 1948) * "Quest of the Starhope" (''Thrilling Wonder Stories'', April 1949) * "Sea-Kings of Mars" (''Thrilling Wonder Stories'', June 1949), published in book form as ''The Sword of Rhiannon'' * "Queen of the Martian Catacombs" (''Planet Stories'', Summer 1949), expanded and published in book form as ''

The Secret of Sinharat ''The Secret of Sinharat'' is a science fantasy novel by American writer Leigh Brackett, set on the planet Mars_in_fiction#Mars_in_fiction_before_Mariner, Mars, whose protagonist is Eric John Stark. The novel is expanded from the novella "Queen o ...

'' * "Enchantress of Venus" (novella; ''Planet Stories'', Fall 1949), also published as "City of the Lost Ones" * "The Lake of the Gone Forever" (novelette; ''Thrilling Wonder Stories'', October 1949) * "The Dancing Girl of Ganymede" (novelette; ''Thrilling Wonder Stories'', February 1950) * "The Truants" (novelette; ''Startling Stories'', July 1950) * "The Citadel of Lost Ages" (novella; ''Thrilling Wonder Stories'', December 1950)

1951–1955

* "Black Amazon of Mars" (''Planet Stories'', March 1951), expanded and published in book form as '' People of the Talisman'' * "The Starmen of Llyrdis" (''Startling Stories'', March 1951) * "The Woman from Altair" (novelette; ''Startling Stories'', July 1951) * "The Shadows" ( ''Startling Stories'', February 1952) * "The Last Days of Shandakor" (novelette; ''Startling Stories'', April 1952) * "Shannach – The Last" (novelette; ''Planet Stories'', November 1952) * "The Ark of Mars" (''Planet Stories'', September 1953), later published as part of the book ''Alpha Centauri or Die!'' * "Mars Minus Bisha" (''Planet Stories'', January 1954) * "Runaway" (''Startling Stories'', Spring 1954) * "Teleportress of Alpha C" (''Planet Stories'', Winter 1954/1955), later published as part of the book ''Alpha Centauri or Die!'' * "The Tweener" (''

The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'' (usually referred to as ''F&SF'') is a U.S. fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House, a subsidiary of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Press. Editors Anthony Boucher ...

'', February 1955) * "Last Call from Sector 9G" (''Planet Stories'', Summer 1955)

After 1955

* "The Other People" (novelette; ''

Venture Science Fiction Magazine ''Venture Science Fiction'' was an American digest-size science fiction magazine, first published from 1957 to 1958, and revived for a brief run in 1969 and 1970. Ten issues were published of the 1950s version, with another six in the second ru ...

'' March 1957), also published as "The Queer Ones" * "All the Colors of the Rainbow" (novelette; ''Venture Science Fiction Magazine'', November 1957) * "The Road to Sinharat" (novelette; ''Amazing Stories'', May 1963) * "Purple Priestess of the Mad Moon" (''The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction'', October 1964) * "Come Sing the Moons of Moravenn" (''The Other Side of Tomorrow'', 1973) * "How Bright the Stars" (''Flame Tree Planet: An Anthology of Religious Science-Fantasy'', 1973) * "Mommies and Daddies" (Crisis, 1974) * "Stark and the Star Kings", with Edmond Hamilton (in the collection of the same name, 2005)

Science fiction novels

* ''

Shadow Over Mars ''Shadow Over Mars'' is the debut science fiction novel by American writer Leigh Brackett, published in 1944. Publication The novel was first published in the Fall 1944 issue of ''Startling Stories''. Its first book publication came in 1951 with ...

'' (1951) – first published 1944; published in the U.S. as ''The Nemesis from Terra'' (1961) * '' The Starmen'' (1952) – also published as ''The Galactic Breed'' (1955, abridged), ''The Starmen of Llyrdis'' (1976) * ''

The Sword of Rhiannon ''The Sword of Rhiannon'' is a science fantasy novel by American writer Leigh Brackett, set in her usual venue of Mars. A 1942 Brackett story, "The Sorcerer of Rhiannon", also uses the name; however, it is the name of a place rather than a charac ...

'' (1953) – first published as ''Sea-Kings of Mars'' (1949) * ''

The Big Jump ''The Big Jump'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Leigh Brackett, centered on the first crewed expedition to Barnard's Star. Publication The novel was first published in the February 1953 issue of '' Space Stories''. Its first book ...

'' (1955) * '' The Long Tomorrow'' (1955) * '' Alpha Centauri or Die!'' (1963) –

fixup A fix-up (or fixup) is a novel created from several short fiction stories that may or may not have been initially related or previously published. The stories may be edited for consistency, and sometimes new connecting material, such as a frame s ...

of ''The Ark of Mars'' (1953) and ''Teleportress of Alpha C'' (1954) * ''

'' and '' People of the Talisman'' (1964) * ''The Ginger Star'' (1974) – first published as a two-part serial in ''

Worlds of If ''If'' was an American science fiction magazine launched in March 1952 by Quinn Publications, owned by James L. Quinn. The magazine was moderately successful, though for most of its run it was not considered to be in the first tier of American ...

'', February and April 1974 * ''The Hounds of Skaith'' (1974) * ''The Reavers of Skaith'' (1976)

Science fiction collections

* ''The Coming of the Terrans'' (1967) * ''The Halfling and Other Stories'' (1973) * ''The Book of Skaith'' (1976) – omnibus edition of the three Skaith novels * ''The Best of Leigh Brackett'' (1977), ed. Edmond Hamilton * ''Martian Quest: The Early Brackett'' (2000) – Haffner Press * ''Stark and the Star Kings'' (2005), with Edmond Hamilton * ''Sea-Kings of Mars and Otherworldly Stories'' (2005) – #46 in the

Fantasy Masterworks Fantasy Masterworks is a series of British paperbacks intended to comprise "some of the greatest, most original, and most influential fantasy ever written", and claimed by its publisher Millennium (an imprint of Victor Gollancz Sir Victor Gollan ...

series * ''Lorelei of the Red Mist: Planetary Romances'' (2007) – Haffner Press * ''Shannach–the Last: Farewell to Mars'' (2011) – Haffner Press

Science fiction, as editor

* ''The Best of Planet Stories No. 1'' (anthology; 1975) * '' The Best of Edmond Hamilton'' (collection; 1977)

Screenplays

* ''

The Vampire's Ghost ''The Vampire's Ghost'' is a 1945 American horror film directed by Lesley Selander, written by Leigh Brackett and John K. Butler, and starring John Abbott, Charles Gordon, Peggy Stewart, Grant Withers, Emmett Vogan and Adele Mara. The film was r ...

'' (with John K. Butler), 1945 * '' Crime Doctor's Manhunt'' (with Eric Taylor), 1946 * ''

'' (with

and

), 1946 * '' Rio Bravo'' (with Jules Furthman and B.H. McCampbell), 1959 * '' Gold of the Seven Saints'' (with

Leonard Freeman Leonard Freeman (October 31, 1920 – January 20, 1974) was an American television writer and producer who is best remembered as the creator of the CBS series ''Hawaii Five-O'' in 1968. He appeared in a 1953 episode (#112) of the TV serie ...

), 1961 * ''

'' (with

Harry Kurnitz Harry Kurnitz (January 5, 1908 – March 18, 1968) was an American playwright, novelist, and prolific screenwriter who wrote swashbucklers for Errol Flynn and comedies for Danny Kaye. He also wrote some mystery fiction under the name Marco ...

), 1962 * ''

Man's Favorite Sport? ''Man's Favorite Sport?'' is a 1964 American comedy film starring Rock Hudson and Paula Prentiss and directed and produced by Howard Hawks. Hawks intended the film to be an homage to his own 1938 screwball classic ''Bringing Up Baby'' with Kat ...

'' (uncredited), 1964 * ''

'', 1967 * ''

'' (with Burton Wohl), 1970 * '' The Long Goodbye'', 1973 * ''

'' (with

and

), 1980

Other genres

* ''No Good from a Corpse'' (crime novel; 1944) * "I Feel Bad Killing You" (noir short story) - ''New Detective Magazine'', November 1944 * ''Stranger at Home'' (crime novel; 1946) – ghost-writer for the actor

George Sanders George Henry Sanders (3 July 1906 – 25 April 1972) was a British actor and singer whose career spanned over 40 years. His heavy, upper-class English accent and smooth, bass voice often led him to be cast as sophisticated but villainous chara ...

* ''An Eye for an Eye'' (crime novel; 1957) – adapted for television as ''Suspicion'' series episode (1958) * ''The Tiger Among Us'' (crime novel; 1957; UK 1960 as ''Fear No Evil''), filmed as '' 13 West Street'' (1962; dir.

Philip Leacock Philip David Charles Leacock (8 October 1917 – 14 July 1990) was an English television and film director and producer. His brother was documentary filmmaker Richard Leacock. Career Born in London, England, Leacock spent his childhood in the C ...

) * ''Follow the Free Wind'' (western novel; 1963) – received the

Spur Award Spur Awards are literary prizes awarded annually by the Western Writers of America (WWA). The purpose of the Spur Awards is to honor writers for distinguished writing about the American West. The Spur awards began in 1953, the same year the WWA wa ...

from

Western Writers of America Western Writers of America (WWA), founded 1953, promotes literature, both fictional and nonfictional, pertaining to the American West. Although its founders wrote traditional Western fiction, the more than 600 current members also include historian ...

* ''Rio Bravo'' (western novel; 1959) – novelization based on the screenplay by Jules Furthman and Leigh Brackett * ''Silent Partner'' (crime novel; 1969) * ''No Good from a Corpse'' (mystery collection; Dennis McMillan Publications, 1999) – reprints the titular novel featuring PI Ed Clive, and eight shorter crime stories

References

External links

* * * *
Books by Leigh Brackett
from Haffner Press * * * *
Leigh Brackett
at the

Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame The Museum of Pop Culture or MoPOP is a nonprofit museum in Seattle, Washington, dedicated to contemporary popular culture. It was founded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in 2000 as the Experience Music Project. Since then MoPOP has organized ...

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Brackett, Leigh 1915 births 1978 deaths American science fiction writers American fantasy writers American mystery writers Western (genre) writers American women novelists Screenwriters from California Science Fiction Hall of Fame inductees Writers from Los Angeles Deaths from cancer in California Hugo Award-winning writers Women science fiction and fantasy writers Women mystery writers American women screenwriters 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American women writers People from Kinsman, Ohio Science fiction fans 20th-century American screenwriters

Early life and education

Career

Fiction writer

Brackett's solar system

Screenwriter

''The Empire Strikes Back''

Personal life and death

Bibliography

Short science fiction

1940–1941

1942–1944

1945–1950

1951–1955

After 1955

Science fiction novels

Science fiction collections

Science fiction, as editor

Screenplays

Other genres

See also

References

Further reading

External links