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 ...
writer. She immigrated to the United States and attended college in
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
to obtain her Ph.D. Her most famous work is '' The Alchemy of Stone'', a steampunk novel that examines sexism and class bigotry.Newitz, Annalee. "A Living Doll Tries to Survive a Workers' Revolution in "The Alchemy of Stone"" Io9. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2013. Sedia's other novels include ''The Secret History of Moscow'', ''According to Crow'', ''Heart of Iron'', and ''
The House of Discarded Dreams
''The House of Discarded Dreams'' is a 2010 fantasy novel by Ekaterina Sedia about a college student who experiences many fairy tales and legends as she finds her place in the world.
Summary
The main character, Vimbai, is a young college stu ...
''. She has also written several short fiction stories, poems, and nonfiction books, as well as edited anthologies of short stories. Several of her publications have been nominated for awards and/or have made a well-known reading list. In addition, Sedia was the editor for Jigsaw Nation and the
World Fantasy Award
The World Fantasy Awards are a set of awards given each year for the best fantasy literature, fantasy fiction published during the previous calendar year. Organized and overseen by the World Fantasy Convention, the awards are given each year a ...
Galloway, New Jersey
Galloway Township is a township in Atlantic County,in the U.S. state of New Jersey. At of total area of land and water, Galloway Township is the largest municipality in the state.
Background and early life
Ekaterina Sedia was born on July 9, 1970 in
Moscow, Russia
Moscow ( , American English, US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia. The city stands on t ...
, as Ekaterina Holland. At age 21, Sedia moved to the United States to pursue advanced degrees. She currently teaches plant ecology and botany at Stockton University and lives in
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
with her husband Christopher Sedia and their cats. In her spare time, she blogs about fashion, food, cats, books, television, and feminism.
Education
Sedia did her undergraduate work at Moscow State University. She later moved to Boston and worked at MIT’s Department of Brain and Cognitive Science as a research assistant. After that she moved to New Jersey and went to graduate school at Rutgers University-Camden, which is where she got her Ph.D in ecology and evolution in 2001. Today she works at Stockton University teaching plant ecology and evolution.
Writing
Sedia has written novels, short stories, and essays, and has also edited several anthologies. Her work features
folklore
Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...
,
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 ...
steampunk
Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and aesthetics inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery. Steampunk works are often set in an alternative history of the Victorian era or ...
aesthetics. She has occasionally published under the name E. Sedia.
Novels
''According to Crow'' (May 2005)
In this story set in Sium, Josiah lives in a world where even though the war is over it is still not great times. The war had been over for seventeen years: however, there is no doubt the Meran Empire would expand. Josiah meets Caleb and they become friends. The two boys leave the country for fear of being persecuted and they find a strange world. A war is about to happen and Josiah must choose sides and potentially betray his heritage.
''The Secret History of Moscow'' (November 2007)
''The Secret History of Moscow'' is a fantasy novel set in the underworld of capitalist Russia. Galina lives in Moscow with her sister who gives birth in a bathroom. She then turns into a jackdaw and flies away. At first Galina is reluctant to report anything because of her history of mental illness. She then meets an alcoholic artist named Fyodor who claims he knows where the bird people go. Galina finally
tells Yakov about this strange transformation and he too says he has seen something similar. Fyodor then takes them to a magical doorway to underground Moscow where creatures from Old Russian folklore live. They resurrect a dead body who then tells them his old boss might be responsible for the weird things that are going on.
In '' The Alchemy of Stone'' skilled alchemist named Mattie, who is a living doll, finds herself in a conflict between gargoyles mechanics, and alchemists. The city is under threat of revolution and Mattie learns of secrets that could change the balance of power in the city. Loharri, Mattie's creator learns of this and this upsets him. He has the key to Mattie's heart literally and will do what it takes to stop her.
''
The House of Discarded Dreams
''The House of Discarded Dreams'' is a 2010 fantasy novel by Ekaterina Sedia about a college student who experiences many fairy tales and legends as she finds her place in the world.
Summary
The main character, Vimbai, is a young college stu ...
'' (November 2010)
''The House of Discarded Dreams'' is set in New Jersey and is considered urban fantasy. College student Vimbai moves out and away from her controlling mother. She moves into a house on the beach with two other roommates where strange things start to happen. Maya is followed by a pack of dog like animals and Felix has a pocket universe instead of hair. Vimbai's dead grandmother returns as a ghost and starts doing house work. The house one day floats off to sea and starts expanding. Vimbai must find a way home and on her journey she unexpectedly learns about herself culturally.
''Heart of Iron'' (July 2011)
''Heart of Iron'' takes place in Russia in 1852. Sasha an eighteen-year-old is enrolled into a university thanks to her aunt. At first, Sasha is concerned with sexism until she starts to notice that the Chinese students are disappearing. A boy with strange powers named Jack helps Sasha stop a kidnapping and this when she learns that a war could break out between China and Russia or China and England or both."Heart Of Iron." Publishers Weekly 258.23 (2011): 29. Academic Search Complete. Web. 16 Oct. 2013.
Editing work
Sedia was an intern non-fiction editor for Clarkesworld Magazine, in the fall of 2008.
She is also editor of the Award-winning '' Paper Cities: An Anthology of Urban Fantasy'' (2008), and other collections including ''Circus Fantasy: Fantasy Under the Big Top'' (2012), ''Jigsaw Nation'' (2006), and ''Running with the Pack'' (2010).
Awards
*
World Fantasy Award
The World Fantasy Awards are a set of awards given each year for the best fantasy literature, fantasy fiction published during the previous calendar year. Organized and overseen by the World Fantasy Convention, the awards are given each year a ...
Locus Award
The Locus Awards are an annual set of literary awards voted on by readers of the science fiction and fantasy magazine ''Locus'', a monthly magazine based in Oakland, California. The awards are presented at an annual banquet. In addition to the pl ...
:
** 10th place - '' The Alchemy of Stone'' (2009)
** 13th place - ''The Secret History of Moscow'' (2008)
** 15th place - ''Heart of Iron'' (2012)
** 18th place - ''The House of Discarded Dreams'' (2011)
* Analog Readers Poll Winner for "Alphabet Angels" (2006)
* Sidewise Award for Alternate History (nomination): ''Heart of Iron'' (2012)"
Galloway
Galloway ( ; sco, Gallowa; la, Gallovidia) is a region in southwestern Scotland comprising the historic counties of Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbrightshire. It is administered as part of the council area of Dumfries and Galloway.
A native or i ...
, New Jersey.
Sedia specializes in the characteristics of the New Jersey Pine Barrens and how the population of
lichen
A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.moss
Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and hor ...
es, and
grass
Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns an ...
es affect the forests and the succession of the forest. She coauthored an influential paper on the differential effects of lichens, mosses, and grasses on respiration and nitrogen mineralization,Ehrenfeld J.G., Sedia E.G., 2005. Differential effects of lichens, mosses and grasses on respiration and nitrogen mineralization in soils of the New Jersey Pinelands. Oecologia 144:1:137-147. how it promotes an alternate plant community,Ehrenfeld J.G., Sedia E.G. 2003. Lichens and mosses promote alternate stable plant communities in the New Jersey Pinelands. Oikos 100:3:447-458. and decomposition of litter in the New Jersey Pinelands.Ehernfeld J. G., Sedia S. G. 2006. Differential effects of lichens and mosses on soil enzyme activity and litter decomposition. Journal of Biology and Fertility of Soils 43:2:177-189.
Locus Magazine
''Locus: The Magazine of The Science Fiction & Fantasy Field'', founded in 1968, is an American magazine published monthly in Oakland, California. It is the news organ and trade journal for the English-language science fiction and fantasy (genre ...
Fantasy Magazine
A fantasy fiction magazine, or fantasy magazine, is a magazine which publishes primarily fantasy fiction. Not generally included in the category are magazines for children with stories about such characters as Santa Claus. Also not included ar ...