Susan Shwartz (born December 31, 1949) is an American author.King, T. Jackson. "SFC Interview: Susan Shwartz". ''

Science Fiction Chronicle DNA Publications was an American publishing company that existed from 1993 to 2007 and was run by the husband-and-wife team of Warren Lapine and Angela Kessler. Initially based in Massachusetts, DNA Publications relocated to Radford, Virginia. A ...

'' 16(7): 5, (pp. 30-33). June/July 1995.

Education and career

She received her B.A. in English from Mount Holyoke College in 1972 and a PhD in English from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

. Shwartz's ''Heirs to Byzantium'' trilogy – ''Byzantium's Crown'' (1987), ''The Woman of Flowers'' (1987) and ''Queensblade'' (1988) is an alternate history series. The Heirs to Byzantium novels are set in a world where

Marc Antony Marcus Antonius (14 January 1 August 30 BC), commonly known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general who played a critical role in the transformation of the Roman Republic from a constitutional republic into the aut ...

defeats Octavius in the

Battle of Actium The Battle of Actium was a naval battle fought between a maritime fleet of Octavian led by Marcus Agrippa and the combined fleets of both Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII Philopator. The battle took place on 2 September 31 BC in the Ionian Sea, ...

, and joins with

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Philopator ( grc-gre, Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ}, "Cleopatra the father-beloved"; 69 BC10 August 30 BC) was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and its last active ruler.She was also a ...

to make Byzantium capital of the Roman Empire. Shwartz's novel ''The Grail of Hearts'' (1992) is a fantasy that features the

Holy Grail The Holy Grail (french: Saint Graal, br, Graal Santel, cy, Greal Sanctaidd, kw, Gral) is a treasure that serves as an important motif in Arthurian literature. Various traditions describe the Holy Grail as a cup, dish, or stone with miracu ...

. It also features a sympathetic version of Kundry from

Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...

's opera ''

Parsifal ''Parsifal'' ( WWV 111) is an opera or a music drama in three acts by the German composer Richard Wagner and his last composition. Wagner's own libretto for the work is loosely based on the 13th-century Middle High German epic poem ''Parzival ...

''; Shwart's Kundry is depicted as a version of the

Wandering Jew The Wandering Jew is a mythical immortal man whose legend began to spread in Europe in the 13th century. In the original legend, a Jew who taunted Jesus on the way to the Crucifixion was then cursed to walk the Earth until the Second Coming. Th ...

. Shwartz has published several novels and sixty short stories.

Works

Novels

* ''The Woman of Flowers'' (1987) * ''Byzantium's Crown'' (1987) * ''Silk Roads and Shadows'' (1988) * ''Queensblade'' (1988) * ''Arabesques: More Tales of the Arabian Nights'' (1988) * ''Heritage of Flight'' (1989) * ''Imperial Lady'' (1989) with Andre Norton * ''Arabesques II'' (1989) * ''The Grail of Hearts'' (1991) * ''Empire of the Eagle'' (1993) with

Andre Norton Andre Alice Norton (born Alice Mary Norton, February 17, 1912 – March 17, 2005) was an American writer of science fiction and fantasy, who also wrote works of historical and contemporary fiction. She wrote primarily under the pen name ...

. Historical novel about a group of Romans who flee the

Battle of Carrhae The Battle of Carrhae () was fought in 53 BC between the Roman Republic and the Parthian Empire near the ancient town of Carrhae (present-day Harran, Turkey). An invading force of seven legions of Roman heavy infantry under Marcus Liciniu ...

and travel to India and China. * ''Shards of Empire'' (1996) * ''Cross and Crescent'' (1997) * ''Second Chances'' (2001) * ''Hostile Takeover'' (2004) She has also collaborated with science fiction writer (and fellow Mount Holyoke alumna)

Judith Tarr Judith Tarr (born January 30, 1955) is an American fantasy and science fiction author. Life Tarr was born in Augusta, Maine on January 30, 1955. She is the daughter of Earle A. Tarr, Jr. (a waterworks manager and salesman of real estate), and ...

on the following works: * S.M. Stirling – ''Blood Feuds'' (1993) (with Judith Tarr and Susan Shwartz and

Harry Turtledove Harry Norman Turtledove (born June 14, 1949) is an American author who is best known for his work in the genres of alternate history, historical fiction, fantasy, science fiction, and mystery fiction. He is a student of history and completed ...

(Part of the "War World" sub-series in the "Co-dominium" series, originally created by

Jerry Pournelle Jerry Eugene Pournelle (; August 7, 1933 – September 8, 2017) was an American scientist in the area of operations research and human factors research, a science fiction writer, essayist, journalist, and one of the first bloggers. In the 1960s ...

) and ''Blood Vengeance'' (1994) (with Susan Shwartz and ''Judith Tarr'' and

and

(Also part of the "War World" sub-series) *

CoDominium CoDominium is a series of future history novels written by American writer Jerry Pournelle, along with several co-authors, primarily Larry Niven. Series Setting Formation of the CoDominium The point of departure of Pournelle's history is the ...

– ''Blood Feuds'' (1992) Susan Shwartz, S.M. Stirling, ''Judith Tarr'', and Harry Turtledove and ''Blood Vengeance'' (1994) Susan Shwartz, S.M. Stirling, ''Judith Tarr'', and Harry Turtledove.

Star Trek novels

All co-written with

Josepha Sherman Josepha Sherman (December 12, 1946 – August 23, 2012) was an American author, folklorist, and anthologist. In 1990 she won the Compton Crook Award for the novel ''The Shining Falcon''. Works Series Buffyverse *''Visitors'' (1999) (with ...

*''Vulcan's Forge'' (1997) *''Vulcan's Heart'' (1999) *''Exodus: Vulcan's Soul Book One'' (2004) *''Exiles: Vulcan's Soul Trilogy Book Two'' (2006) *''Epiphany: Vulcan's Soul Trilogy Book Three'' (2007)

Short-stories

* ''Suppose They Gave a Peace...'' (1992) (collected in

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 ...

's alternate history anthology

Alternate Presidents ''Alternate Presidents'' is an alternate history anthology edited by Mike Resnick, published in the United States by Tor Books. There are 28 stories in the anthology, including Resnick's own "The Bull Moose at Bay". The other remaining storie ...

) * ''And the Glory of Them'' (2002) (collected in

's alternate history anthology Alternate Generals II)

Awards

Winner

*1996 – ''

San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H. de Young. The ...

'' Award for Best Novella *1995 (with

) – ''HOMer Award'' for Best NovellaHOMer Award nominations
/ref> *1993 – ''

'' Award for Best Novelette

Nominated

*1995:

Nebula Award for Best Novella The Nebula Award for Best Novella is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) for science fiction or fantasy novellas. A work of fiction is defined by the organization as a novella if it is between 17,500 and 4 ...

*1993:

Hugo Award for Best Novelette The Hugo Award for Best Novelette is one of the Hugo Awards given each year for science fiction or fantasy stories published or translated into English during the previous calendar year. The novelette award is available for works of fiction of ...

*1992, 1991, 1990:

Nebula Award for Best Novelette The Nebula Award for Best Novelette is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) to a science fiction or fantasy novelette. A work of fiction is defined by the organization as a novelette if it is between 7,50 ...

*1989:

Philip K. Dick Award The Philip K. Dick Award is an American science fiction award given annually at Norwescon and sponsored by the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society and (since 2005) the Philip K. Dick Trust. Named after science fiction writer Philip K. Dick, ...

*1987:

Nebula Award for Best Short Story The Nebula Award for Best Short Story is a literary award assigned each year by Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) for science fiction or fantasy short stories. A work of fiction is defined by the organization as a short stor ...

References

External links

Personal websiteBibliography
at SciFan *
Interview 2Trek Nation
1949 births Living people American science fiction writers American fantasy writers American historical novelists Mount Holyoke College alumni Harvard University alumni 20th-century American novelists 21st-century American novelists 20th-century American women writers 21st-century American women writers Women science fiction and fantasy writers American women novelists Writers of historical fiction set in antiquity {{US-sf-writer-stub