Melissa Scott (born 1960, in

Little Rock, Arkansas (The Little Rock, The "Little Rock") , government_type = council-manager government, Council-manager , leader_title = List of mayors of Little Rock, Arkansas, Mayor , leader_name = Frank Scott Jr. , leader_ ...

) is 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 ...

and

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

author noted for her science fiction novels featuring

LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is a ...

characters and elaborate settings.

Biography

Scott studied history at

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...

and

Brandeis University , mottoeng = "Truth even unto its innermost parts" , established = , type = Private research university , accreditation = NECHE , president = Ronald D. Liebowitz , pro ...

, and earned her PhD in comparative history. She published her first novel in 1984, and has since written some two dozen

and

works, including three co-authored with her partner, Lisa A. Barnett. Scott's work is known for elaborate and well-constructed settings. While many of her protagonists are

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...

lesbian A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...

bisexual Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...

transgender A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through tr ...

, critic Phyllis Betz notes that the characters' genders or orientations are rarely a major focus of Scott's stories. ''Shadow Man'', alone among Scott's works, focuses explicitly on issues of

sexuality Human sexuality is the way people experience and express themselves sexually. This involves biological, psychological, physical, erotic, emotional, social, or spiritual feelings and behaviors. Because it is a broad term, which has varied ...

and

gender Gender is the range of characteristics pertaining to femininity and masculinity and differentiating between them. Depending on the context, this may include sex-based social structures (i.e. gender roles) and gender identity. Most cultures u ...

. She won the

John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer The ''Astounding'' Award for Best New Writer (formerly the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer) is given annually to the best new writer whose first professional work of science fiction or fantasy was published within the two previous ...

in Science Fiction in 1986, and has won several

Lambda Literary Award Lambda Literary Awards, also known as the "Lammys", are awarded yearly by Lambda Literary to recognize the crucial role LGBTQ writers play in shaping the world. The Lammys celebrate the very best in LGBTQ literature.The awards were instituted i ...

s. In addition to writing, Scott also teaches writing, offering classes via her website and publishing a writing guide.Melissa Scott, ''Conceiving the Heavens: Creating the Science Fiction Novel'' (1997). Scott lived with her partner, author Lisa A. Barnett, in

Portsmouth, New Hampshire Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 census it had a population of 21,956. A historic seaport and popular summer tourist destination on the Piscataqua River bordering the state of Maine, Portsmou ...

for 27 years, until the latter's death of

breast cancer Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or a re ...

on May 2, 2006..

Bibliography

* ''The Game Beyond,'' 1984 * The Silence Leigh trilogy ** ''Five-Twelfths of Heaven,'' 1985 ** ''Silence in Solitude,'' 1986 ** ''The Empress of Earth,'' 1987 * ''A Choice of Destinies,'' 1986 * ''The Kindly Ones,'' 1987 * ''The Armor of Light'', with Lisa A. Barnett, 1988 * ''Mighty Good Road,'' 1990 * ''Dreamships,'' 1992 * ''Burning Bright,'' 1993 * '' Trouble and Her Friends,'' 1994 * ''Shadow Man,'' 1996 * ''

Night Sky Mine ''Night Sky Mine'' is a 1996 science fiction novel by American writer Melissa Scott (writer), Melissa Scott, set in a future after computer programs have run amok. After the Crash, an Interface (computer science), interface has been created tha ...

,'' 1996 * ''

Dreaming Metal ''Dreaming Metal'' is a 1997 science fiction novel by American writer Melissa Scott, which explores the question of at what point artificial intelligence becomes indistinguishable from human intelligence. Another theme of the book is the impact o ...

,'' 1997, a continuation from ''Dreamships'' * ''The Shapes of Their Hearts,'' 1998 * ''The Jazz,'' 2000 * Astreiant ** ''Point of Hopes'', with Lisa A. Barnett, 1995 ** ''Point of Dreams'', with Lisa A. Barnett, 2001 ** ''Point of Knives'', 2012 ** ''Fairs' Point'', 2014 ** ''Point of Sighs'', 2018 * The Order of the Air ** ''Lost Things'', with

Jo Graham Jo, jo, JO, or J.O. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Jo'' (film), a 1972 French comedy * ''Jo'' (TV series), a French TV series *"Jo", a song by Goldfrapp from ''Tales of Us'' *"Jo", a song by Mr. Oizo from ''Lambs Anger'' * Jo a fictio ...

, 2012 ** ''Steel Blues'', with

, 2013 ** ''Silver Bullet'', with

, 2014 ** ''Wind Raker'', with

, 2015 ** ''Oath Bound'', with

, 2015 * Julian Lynes and Ned Mathey ** ''Death by Silver'', with Amy Griswold, 2013 ** ''A Death at the Dionysus Club'', with Amy Griswold, 2014 * Firstborn, Lastborn ** ''Finders'', 2018 * Novels based in the

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...

universe ** ''

Proud Helios ''Proud Helios'' is a ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' novel written by Melissa Scott. Plot Free trade through the Bajoran wormhole is vital for the Bajoran economy. Unfortunately, a cloaked ship is attacking other ships, killing the crew and taki ...

'' ('' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'') ** ''The Garden'' ('' Star Trek: Voyager'') *Novels based in the

Stargate Atlantis ''Stargate Atlantis'' (usually stylized in all caps and often abbreviated ''SGA'') is an adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's ''Stargate'' franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper ...

universe ** ''Homecoming'', with

, 2010 (book 1 of the Legacy series) ** ''Allegiance'', with Amy Griswold, 2011 (book 3 of the Legacy Series) ** ''Secrets'', with

, 2012 (book 5 of the Legacy Series) ** ''The Inheritors'', with

, 2013 (book 6 of the Legacy Series) ** ''Third Path'', 2015 (book 8 of the Legacy Series) *Novels based in the

Stargate SG-1 ''Stargate SG-1'' (often stylized in all caps, or abbreviated ''SG-1'') is a military science fiction Adventure fiction, adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate, ''Stargate'' franchise. The show, created by Brad Wrigh ...

universe ** ''Moebius Squared'', with

, 2012 ** ''Ouroboros'', 2013 * Novels based on gen:Lock ** ''Storm Warning'' 2020 ;Nonfiction * ''Conceiving the Heavens: Creating the Science Fiction Novel'' (1997)

References

External links

*
Melissa Scott's current blog/website

Melissa Scott's old blog

Melissa Scott's older blog
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scott, Melissa 1960 births 20th-century American novelists 21st-century American novelists 20th-century American women writers 21st-century American women writers American fantasy writers American science fiction writers Cyberpunk writers American women novelists Harvard College alumni Brandeis University alumni Lambda Literary Award winners John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer winners American lesbian writers LGBT people from Arkansas Living people Writers from Little Rock, Arkansas American LGBT novelists Women science fiction and fantasy writers