Patricia Oren Kearney Cadigan (born September 10, 1953) is a British-American
science fiction author, whose work is most often identified with the
cyberpunk movement. Her novels and short stories often explore the relationship between the human mind and technology. Her debut novel, ''
Mindplayers'', was nominated for the
Philip K. Dick Award in 1988.
Early years
Cadigan was born in
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady () is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-largest city by population. The city is in eastern New Y ...
, and grew up in
Fitchburg, Massachusetts
Fitchburg is a city in northern Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The third-largest city in the county, its population was 41,946 at the 2020 census. Fitchburg is home to Fitchburg State University as well as 17 public and private e ...
.
In the 1960s Cadigan and a childhood friend "invented a whole secret life in which we were twins from the planet Venus", she told
National Public Radio
National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
.
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...
"came to us for advice about their songs and how to deal with fame and other important matters," Cadigan says. "On occasion, they would ask us to use our highly developed
shape-shifting
In mythology, folklore and speculative fiction, shape-shifting is the ability to physically transform oneself through an inherently superhuman ability, divine intervention, demonic manipulation, sorcery, spells or having inherite ...
ability to become them, and finish recording sessions and concert tours when they were too tired to go on themselves." The Venusian twins had other
superpowers, that they would sometimes use to help out
Superman,
Wonder Woman and other heroes, she said.
Cadigan was educated in theater at the
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst, UMass) is a public research university in Amherst, Massachusetts and the sole public land-grant university in Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Founded in 1863 as an agricultural college, ...
and studied science fiction and science fiction writing at the
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. T ...
(KU) under science fiction author and editor
James Gunn
James Francis Gunn Jr. (born August 5, 1966) is an American filmmaker and executive. He began his career as a screenwriter in the mid-1990s, starting at Troma Entertainment with ''Tromeo and Juliet'' (1997). He then began working as a directo ...
.
Cadigan met her first husband, Rufus Cadigan, while in college; they divorced shortly after she graduated from KU in 1975. That same year, Cadigan joined the convention committee for
MidAmeriCon
The 34th World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon), also known as MidAmeriCon (abbreviated "MAC"), was held on 2–6 September 1976 at the Radisson Muehlebach Hotel and nearby Hotel Phillips, Phillips House hotel in Kansas City, Missouri, Unit ...
, the
34th World Science Fiction Convention being held in
Kansas City,
Missouri
Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...
, over the 1976
Labor Day weekend; she served on the committee as the convention's guest liaison to writer guest of honor
Robert A. 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 ...
, as well as helped to develop programming for the convention. At the same time, she also worked for fantasy writer
Tom Reamy at his Nickelodeon Graphics Arts Service studio, where she daily typset various jobs. She also prepared the type galleys for MidAmeriCon's various publications, including the convention's hardcover program book. Following Reamy's death on 4 November, 1977, Cadigan went to work as a writer for Kansas City, MO's
Hallmark Cards
Hallmark Cards, Inc. is a private, family-owned American company based in Kansas City, Missouri. Founded in 1910 by Joyce Hall, Hallmark is the oldest and largest manufacturer of greeting cards in the United States. In 1985, the company was award ...
company. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, she also edited the
small press fantasy and science fiction magazines ''Chacal'' and later ''Shayol'' with her second husband, Arnie Fenner.
Cadigan emigrated to London in 1996, where she is married to her third husband, Christopher Fowler (not to be confused with
the author of the same name). She became a UK citizen in late 2014.
Writing career
Cadigan sold her first professional science fiction story in 1980. Her success as an author encouraged her to become a full-time writer in 1987.
Cadigan's first novel, ''
Mindplayers'', introduces what becomes the common theme to all her works: her stories blur the line between reality and perception by making the human mind a real, explorable place. Her second novel, ''Synners'', expands upon the same theme; both feature a future where direct access to the mind via technology is possible. While her stories include many of the gritty, unvarnished characteristics of the cyberpunk genre, she further specializes in this exploration of the speculative relationship between technology and the perceptions of the human mind.
Cadigan has won a number of awards, including the 2013
Hugo Award for "
The Girl-Thing Who Went Out for Sushi" in the
Best Novelette category, and the
Arthur C. Clarke Award in 1992 and 1995 for her novels ''Synners'' and ''Fools''.
Robert A. 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 ...
dedicated his 1982 novel ''
Friday'' in part to Cadigan following her being the guest liaison to him at the 34th
Worldcon in Kansas City.
Health
In 2013, Cadigan announced that she had been diagnosed with cancer.
[Why I've Decided to Talk About My Cancer]
archived from the original a
by Pat Cadigan, at LiveJournal
LiveJournal (russian: Живой Журнал), stylised as LiVEJOURNAL, is a Russian-owned social networking service where users can keep a blog, journal, or diary.
American programmer Brad Fitzpatrick started LiveJournal on April 15, 1999, a ...
; published June 27, 2013; retrieved September 10, 2017 She underwent surgery after an early diagnosis, suffered a relapse some years after, and recovered after extensive chemotherapy.
Bibliography
From the Internet Speculative Fiction Database.
Series
Deadpan Allie
#''
Mindplayers'', (Bantam Spectra Aug. 1987)/(Gollancz Feb. 1988); revised and expanded from the following linked stories:
#*"The Pathosfinder", (nv) The Berkley Showcase: New Writings in Science Fiction & Fantasy, ed. John Silbersack & Victoria Schochet, Berkley July 1981
#*"Nearly Departed", (ss) ''Asimov's'' June 1983
read online#*"Variation on a Man", (ss) ''Omni'' Jan. 1984
#*"Lunatic Bridge", (nv) The Fifth Omni Book of Science Fiction, ed. Ellen Datlow, Zebra Books April 1987
#"Dirty Work", (nv) Blood Is Not Enough, ed. Ellen Datlow, Morrow 1989
#"A Lie for a Lie", (nv) Lethal Kisses, ed. Ellen Datlow, Millennium Dec. 1996
Dore Konstantin (TechnoCrime, Artificial Reality Division)
#''
Tea from an Empty Cup'', (Tor Oct. 1998); loosely based on the following linked novellas:
#*"Death in the Promised Land", (na) ''Omni Online'' March 1995 / ''Asimov’s'' Nov. 1995
#*"Tea from an Empty Cup", (na) ''Omni Online'' Oct. 1995 / Black Mist and Other Japanese Futures, ed. Orson Scott Card & Keith Ferrell, DAW Dec. 1997
#''Dervish is Digital'', (Macmillan UK Oct. 2000) / (Tor July 2001)
The Web
*''The Web: Avatar'', (Dolphin April 1999); novella
Other novels
*''Synners'', (Bantam Spectra Feb. 1991) / (HarperCollins UK/Grafton Oct. 1991)
*''Fools'', (Bantam Spectra Nov. 1992) / (HarperCollins UK March 1994)
Chapbooks
*''My Brother's Keeper'', (Pulphouse July 1992); novelette, reprinted from ''Asimov's'' Jan. 1988
*''Chalk'', (This is Horror Nov. 2013); novelette
Collections
''Patterns'', (Ursus Sep. 1989)
*''Introduction,
Bruce Sterling'' (in)
*"Patterns", (ss) ''Omni'' Aug. 1987
*"Eenie, Meenie, Ipsateenie", (ss) Shadows #6, ed. Charles L. Grant, Doubleday 1983
*"Vengeance Is Yours", (ss) ''Omni'' May 1983
*"The Day the Martels Got the Cable", (ss) ''F&SF'' Dec. 1982
*"Roadside Rescue", (ss) ''Omni'' July 1985
*"Rock On", (ss) Light Years and Dark, ed. Michael Bishop, Berkley 1984
*"Heal", (vi) ''Omni'' April 1988
*"Another One Hits the Road", (nv) ''F&SF'' Jan. 1984
*"My Brother's Keeper", (nv) ''Asimov's'' Jan. 1988
*"Pretty Boy Crossover", (ss) ''Asimov's'' Jan. 1986
*"Two", (nv) ''F&SF'' Jan. 1988
*"Angel", (ss) ''Asimov's'' May 1987
read online*"It Was the Heat", (ss) Tropical Chills, ed. Tim Sullivan, Avon 1988
*"The Power and the Passion", (ss)
''Home By the Sea'', (WSFA Press May 1992)
*''Introduction,
Mike Resnick
Michael Diamond Resnick (; March 5, 1942 – January 9, 2020) was an American science fiction writer and editor. He won five Hugo awards and a Nebula award, and was the guest of honor at Chicon 7. He was the executive editor of the defunct ma ...
'' (in)
*"Dirty Work", (nv) Blood Is Not Enough, ed. Ellen Datlow, Morrow 1989
*"50 Ways to Improve Your Orgasm", (ss) ''Asimov's'' April 1992
*"Dispatches from the Revolution", (nv) ''Asimov's'' July 1991
read online(collected in Mike Resnick's alternate history anthology ''
Alternate Presidents'')
*"Home by the Sea", (nv) A Whisper of Blood, ed. Ellen Datlow, Morrow 1991
Read online*''A Cadigan Bibliography'', (bi)
''Dirty Work'', (Mark V. Ziesing Sep. 1993)
*''Introduction,
Storm Constantine
Storm Constantine (12 October 1956 – 14 January 2021) was a British science fiction and fantasy author, primarily known for her Wraeththu series,Encyclopedia of Science Fictio"Constantine, Storm" Retrieved 2010-01-21. which began as one trilog ...
'' (in)
*"Dirty Work", (nv) ''Blood Is Not Enough'', ed. Ellen Datlow, Morrow 1989
*"Second Comings—Reasonable Rates", (ss) ''F&SF'' Feb. 1981
*"The Sorceress in Spite of Herself", (ss) ''Asimov's'' Dec. 1982
*"50 Ways to Improve Your Orgasm", (ss) ''Asimov's'' April 1992
*"Mother's Milt", (ss) OMNI Best Science Fiction Two, ed. Ellen Datlow, OMNI Books 1992
*"True Faces", (nv) ''F&SF'' April 1992
*"New Life for Old", (ss) Aladdin: Master of the Lamp, ed. Mike Resnick & Martin H. Greenberg, DAW 1992
*"The Coming of the Doll", (ss) ''F&SF'' June 1981
*"The Pond", (ss) Fears, ed. Charles L. Grant, Berkley 1983
*"The Boys in the Rain", (ss) ''Twilight Zone'' June 1987
*"In the Dark", (ss) When the Music's Over, ed. Lewis Shiner, Bantam Spectra 1991
*"Johnny Come Home", (ss) ''Omni'' June 1991
*"Naming Names", (nv) Narrow Houses, ed. Peter Crowther, Little Brown UK 1992
*"A Deal with God", (nv) Grails: Quests, Visitations and Other Occurrences, ed. Richard Gilliam, Martin H. Greenberg & Edward E. Kramer, Unnameable Press 1992
*"Dispatches from the Revolution", (nv) ''Asimov's'' July 1991
read online*"No Prisoners", (nv)
Alternate Kennedys
''Alternate Kennedys'' is an alternate history anthology edited by Mike Resnick, published in the United States by Tor Books. There are 26 stories in the anthology, including Resnick's own "Lady in Waiting". The remaining stories by various autho ...
, ed. Mike Resnick, Tor 1992
*"Home by the Sea", (nv) A Whisper of Blood, ed. Ellen Datlow, Morrow 1991
Read online*"Lost Girls", (ss)
Anthologies
* ''Letters from Home'', (Women's Press Aug. 1991)
* ''The Ultimate Cyberpunk'', (ibooks Sep. 2002)
Media novelizations/companion novels
* ''Lost in Space: Promised Land'' (HarperEntertainment April 1999/Thorndike Press July 1999; original novel/sequel to the movie ''
Lost in Space'')
* ''
Upgrade
Upgrading is the process of replacing a product with a newer version of the same product. In computing and consumer electronics an upgrade is generally a replacement of hardware, software or firmware with a newer or better version, in order to ...
&
Sensuous Cindy'' (Black Flame April 2004;
novelization of two episodes from ''
The Twilight Zone'')
* ''Cellular'' (Black Flame Aug. 2004; novelization of the movie ''
Cellular'')
* ''Jason X'' (Black Flame Feb. 2005; novelization of the movie ''
Jason X'')
* ''Jason X: The Experiment'' (Black Flame February 2005; original novel/sequel to the movie ''
Jason X'')
* ''Alita: Battle Angel—Iron City'' (Titan Books, November 2018; original novel/prequel to the movie ''
Alita: Battle Angel'')
* ''Alita: Battle Angel—The Official Movie Novelization'' (Titan Books, February 2019; novelization of the movie ''
Alita: Battle Angel'')
* ''Alien 3: The Unproduced Screenplay'' (Titan Books, August 2021; novelization of the screenplay by
William Gibson)
* ''Ultraman: The Official Novelization'' (Titan Books, March 2023; novelization of the series ''
Ultraman
''Ultraman'', also known as the , is the collective name for all media produced by Tsuburaya Productions featuring Ultraman, his many brethren, and the myriad monsters. Debuting with ''Ultra Q'' and then ''Ultraman'' in 1966, the series is one ...
'').
Media tie-in non-fiction
* ''The Making of Lost in Space'' (HarperPrism, May 1998; book on the making of the movie ''
Lost in Space'')
* ''Resurrecting the Mummy: The Making of the Movie'' (Ebury Press June 1999; book on the making of the movie ''
The Mummy'')
References
External links
*
Ceci N'est Pas Une Blog��Pat Cadigan on
LiveJournal
LiveJournal (russian: Живой Журнал), stylised as LiVEJOURNAL, is a Russian-owned social networking service where users can keep a blog, journal, or diary.
American programmer Brad Fitzpatrick started LiveJournal on April 15, 1999, a ...
Story behind Chalk by Pat Cadigan��Online Essay at Upcoming4.me
; Interviews
at ''The Hardcore''
at ''SF Site''
at ''SF Site''
2019 Interview with Cadigan at ''Cyberpunks.com''
*
at ''SFsite.com''
2009 interview with Cadiganat ''The Hathor Legacy''
2010 video interview with Cadiganat ''Salon Futura''
Driving through a Cloud with Pat Cadigan (interview)at ''
Clarkesworld Magazine
''Clarkesworld Magazine'' (ISSN 1937-7843) is an American online fantasy and science fiction magazine. It released its first issue October 1, 2006 and has maintained a regular monthly schedule since, publishing fiction by authors such as Elizabe ...
'', January 2014
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cadigan, Pat
1953 births
20th-century American novelists
20th-century American short story writers
20th-century American women writers
21st-century American novelists
21st-century American short story writers
21st-century American women writers
21st-century British novelists
American science fiction writers
American speculative fiction editors
American women novelists
American women short story writers
British science fiction writers
British short story writers
British speculative fiction editors
British women short story writers
Cyberpunk writers
Hugo Award-winning writers
Living people
Novelists from New York (state)
Postmodern writers
Women science fiction and fantasy writers
World Fantasy Award-winning writers
Writers from Schenectady, New York