Debbie Hughes (born May 14, 1958 in Lexington,

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

) is an American artist specializing in science fiction and fantasy illustration. Her work has appeared in over 150 publications.

Early career

Hughes is the granddaughter of Hildegarde Hamilton, an impressionist painter, well known in the U.S. and Europe. Hughes received her BA from

Furman University Furman University is a private university in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1826 and named after Baptist pastor Richard Furman, the Liberal arts college, liberal arts university is the oldest private institution of higher l ...

. Her first published cover was for Science Fiction Chronicle. Her next book covers appeared on

Baen Books Baen Books () is an American publishing house for science fiction and fantasy. In science fiction, it emphasizes space opera, hard science fiction, and military science fiction. The company was established in 1983 by science fiction publisher an ...

in 1989 which included covers for

Roger Zelazny Roger Joseph Zelazny (May 13, 1937 – June 14, 1995) was an American fantasy and science fiction writer known for his short stories and novels, best known for '' The Chronicles of Amber''. He won the Nebula Award three times (out of 14 nominatio ...

, Aline Boucher Kaplan and Don Wismer. This was followed by frontispiece work for

Easton Press Easton Press, a division of MBI, Inc., based in Norwalk, Connecticut, is a publisher specializing in premium leather-bound books. In addition to canonical classics, religion, poetry and art books, they publish a selection of science fiction and ...

/MBI books which included illustration for such authors as

Alexei Panshin Alexei Panshin (August 14, 1940 – August 21, 2022) was an American writer and science fiction critic. He wrote several critical works and several novels, including the 1968 Nebula Award–winning novel ''Rite of Passage (Panshin), Rite of Pas ...

, Sir

Kingsley Amis Sir Kingsley William Amis (16 April 1922 – 22 October 1995) was an English novelist, poet, critic and teacher. He wrote more than 20 novels, six volumes of poetry, a memoir, short stories, radio and television scripts, and works of social crit ...

, Charles Pellegrino,

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 mag ...

, Allen Steele,

Gentry Lee Bert Gentry Lee (born March 29, 1942) is an American scientist, space engineer, and science fiction author. Space career Lee was director of science analysis and mission planning during the Viking program, Viking missions to Mars in the 1970s. ...

, Sheri S. Tepper, Spider Robinson, and

Jack McDevitt Jack McDevitt (born April 14, 1935) is an American science fiction author whose novels frequently deal with attempts to make contact with alien races, and with archaeology or xenoarchaeology. Most of his books follow either superluminal pilot ...

. Hughes did interior color illustrations for ''

Amazing Stories Magazine ''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 ...

'', ''Science Fiction Age Magazine'' and '' Realms of Fantasy Magazine''. She created interior illustrations for

Ben Bova Benjamin William Bova (November 8, 1932November 29, 2020) was an American writer and editor. During a writing career of 60 years, he was the author of more than 120 works of science fact and fiction, an editor of ''Analog Science Fiction and Fac ...

Martha Soukup Martha Soukup (born 20 July 1959 in Aurora, Illinois) is a science fiction author and playwright for thMonday Night PlayGroundemerging playwrights group. In 2003, she won their annuaJune Anne Baker Prizecommission. The 1994 short film Override ...

, A.J. Austin, Vivian Vande Velde, Deborah Wheeler, Gary W. Herring, and Joyce K. Jensen. In her work for a CD Rom Company: The Bookworm, Hughes illustrated the entire book ''

Little Women ''Little Women'' is a coming-of-age novel written by American novelist Louisa May Alcott, originally published in two volumes, in 1868 and 1869. The story follows the lives of the four March sisters— Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy—and details th ...

'' with over 45 illustrations. She illustrated the works of Edgar Allan Poe with 12 illustrations,

Nathaniel Hawthorne Nathaniel Hawthorne (né Hathorne; July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) was an American novelist and short story writer. His works often focus on history, morality, and religion. He was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, from a family long associat ...

's ''

The Scarlet Letter ''The Scarlet Letter: A Romance'' is a historical novel by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne, published in 1850. Set in the Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony during the years 1642 to 1649, the novel tells the story of Hester Prynne, who concei ...

'' with seven illustrations and

Mary Shelley Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley ( , ; ; 30 August 1797 – 1 February 1851) was an English novelist who wrote the Gothic novel ''Frankenstein, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' (1818), which is considered an History of science fiction# ...

's ''

Frankenstein ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 Gothic novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a Sapience, sapient Frankenstein's monster, crea ...

'' with 10 illustrations. From 1992 to 1994, Hughes did illustration work for Cyberflix, a local game company in Knoxville, TN. Cyberflix also signed on with Paramount Interactive and as a result Debbie worked for both companies. She worked on the CD Rom titles: Title JumpRaven, Viper and Dust. She went on to work for The Bookworm and The Learning Company. At the Learning Company she illustrated for numerous Language learning CD titles and she also worked on the Title: Reader Rabbit.

Games, cards and software

Hughes' work has been seen in the CD Rom games '' JumpRaven'' and ''Dust''. The Bookworm's ''Illustrated Classic Series'', The Learning Company's ''Learn to Speak Series'', and ''

Reader Rabbit ''Reader Rabbit'' is an educational video game franchise created in 1984 by The Learning Company. The series is aimed at children from infancy to the age of nine. In 1998, a spiritual successor series called ''The ClueFinders'' was released f ...

'' feature her artwork. She also created animation work for ''Dust'', ''Reader Rabbit'' and the Bookworm's ''Illustrated Classic Series''. Her collectible game card work includes illustrations for

Wizards of the Coast Wizards of the Coast LLC (WotC or Wizards) is an American game Publishing, publisher, most of which are based on fantasy and List of science fiction themes, science-fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail game stores. In 1999, toy ...

, Thunder Castle Games, DragonStorm Games, Gatekeeper Press,

Mayfair Games Mayfair Games was an American publisher of board game, board, card game, card, and roleplaying games that also licensed German-style board game, Euro-style board games to publish them in English. The company licensed worldwide English-language pub ...

, Companion Games,

Last Unicorn Games Last Unicorn Games (or LUG) was a Pennsylvania based corporation with offices in Los Angeles, California. It was formed in 1994 by Christian Moore, Owen Seyler, Greg Ormand, and Bernie Cahill to publish the role playing game ''ARIA: Canticle of t ...

, Five Rings Publishing,

Precedence Entertainment Precedence Entertainment was a publisher of collectible card games and role-playing games. Games produced include the ''Tomb Raider Collectible Card Game'' which was nominated for an Origins Award in 1999, the ''Babylon 5 Collectible Card Game'', ...

, and

Iron Crown Enterprises Iron Crown Enterprises (ICE) is a publishing company that has produced role playing, board, miniature, and collectible card games since 1980. Many of ICE's better-known products were related to J. R. R. Tolkien's world of Middle-earth, but the ''R ...

Recent work

Hughes' work "Dark Streets" is featured in Neither Beginnings nor Endings, The JordanCon 2022 Anthology. Hughes' work was featured in the 2020 December issue of Utopia Magazine where she was interviewed by the Editor Tristan Evarts. This is a very in depth interview with many of Debbie's published and unpublished works. Hughes' work was featured in the 2019 Yandex - Museum of the Future (Russian Magazine) Hughes' recent work includes 2011 ASFA Journal cover, the frontispiece illustration for Spider Robinson's newest novel, ''Very Hard Choices'', published by Easton Press; the frontispiece illustration for

Sheri S. Tepper Sheri Stewart Tepper (July 16, 1929 – October 22, 2016) was an American writer of science fiction, horror and mystery novels. She is primarily known for her feminist science fiction, which explored themes of sociology, gender and equality, a ...

's novel ''The Margarets'', published by Easton Press, a full color wrap around illustration for Nancy Farmer's ''Sea of Trolls'', published by Editorial Presenca, Portugal and a full color wrap around cover illustration for the Postscripts Cover, Spring issue 6, 2006, P & S Publishing, UK. The book ''Ruins Metropolis'' by Eric T. Reynolds (editor) is the third volume in the ''Ruins'' series from Hadley Rille Books. It is a collection of 35 fantasy and science fiction stories based on Hughes' art work. Hughes has been the artist guest of honor at many conventions in the North and Southeast United States. She is listed in the 2009 edition of ''Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists of the Twentieth Century'' written by Jane Frank. Her work has been exhibited in galleries across the United States.

Honors

Hughes was invited to show over 50 pieces of her original paintings at the

Lexington Public Library The Lexington Public Library opened in 1905 in Lexington, Kentucky. It incorporated the collection of the former Lexington Library Company (est.1801) and the former Transylvania Library (est.1795). Today the main location of the Lexington Public ...

, Lexington KY from March 17 - May 16, 2023. The Show was titled Fantastic Worlds & Visions of the Future. The Downtown Lexington Library exhibits occur 6 times a year. Debbie was invited to show her works because she is a native of Lexington, KY, born there in 1958. This exhibit was a retrospective of her published works in Science Fiction and Fantasy art since 1989 to the present and included current works. Hughes received The Bernadette Award for her work: "Impedance in Slumber" from The National Association of Women Artists 132nd Annual Exhibition. This was held at One Art Space, 23 Warren Street (Tribeca)NY. NY. Oct. 16-23 2021. Debbie' work, "Seasons of Wither won an Honorable Mention with The National Association of Women Artists exhibit: "Grand Visions, we are here", September 2020. This was held at the Grand Central Library, NYPL, 135 East 46th Street, New York, NY 10017. Hughes received the Chesley Award from the Association of Science Fiction & Fantasy Artists (ASFA) October 2020. Unpublished Color Art work for her painting: "The Raven, the Wolf and the Maiden". On November 14, 2019, she was inducted into the

National Association of Women Artists The National Association of Women Artists, Inc. (NAWA) is a United States organization, founded in 1889 to gain recognition for professional women fine artists in an era when that field was strongly male-oriented. It sponsors exhibitions, awards ...

which is the oldest women's fine art organization in the country. Debbie joins a list of distinguished American women artists.

Published Works

The Peregrino Prison Blues, by Eric Carl Wolf, full color book cover by Debbie Hughes. 2025. Neither Beginnings Nor Endings, The JordanCon 2022 Anthology Edited by Richard Fife. A yearly anthology for JordanCon. Interior Illustration. ''Utopia Magazine'', 2020 December issue. Featured Art and interview. ''Acta Astronautic, 2012, Dyson Dots: Changing the Solar Constant to a Variable with Photovoltaic Lightsails'' by Robert Kennedy. Illustrations by Debbie Hughes ''The SFWA Bulletin Winter'' 2012 Full color cover by Debbie Hughes. Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists of the Twentieth Century: A Biographical Dictionary, by Jane Frank, 2009. This books includes Debbie's biography and a list of all published works up until that date. Like Mayflies in a Stream Hadley Rille Books, Full Color Cover by Debbie Hughes, Story by Shauna Roberts. August 2009. Very Hard Choices, Easton Press 2008, Color Frontispiece. Limited Leatherbound Edition. Story by Spider Robinson Ruins Metropolis, Hadley Rille Books, Thirty-five fantasy and science fiction stories based on Debbie Hughes's cover art, “The Spirits of Hathor.” 2008. The Margarets, Easton Press 2007. Color Frontispiece by Debbie Hughes Novel by Sheri Tepper. O Mars dos Trolls, Editorial Presenca, Portugal. Full Color Wrap around cover by Debbie Hughes, Novel by Nancy Farmer, 2006. ''Postscripts'', Spring Issue 6, 2006, UK. Full Color Wrap around Cover by Debbie Hughes Coyote Rising, Easton Press, 2005, Color Frontispiece by Debbie Hughes. Novel by Allen Steele. Tranquility Wars, Easton Press, Color Frontispiece by Debbie Hughes, Novel by Gentry Lee. Infinity Beach, Easton Press. 2000, Color Fronispiece by Debbie Hughes Novel by Jack McDevitt. The Death of Jabari, Full color cover by Debbie Hughes, Novel by Kim Bundy. ISBN 0-595-16024-7. ''Would That it Were'', July – September issue, 2000 – online. Color Cover by Debbie Hughes, Edited by Don Munchow Dust, Easton Press, Color Frontispiece by Debbie Hughes, Novel by Charles Pelligrino. New Millennium Writings, Winter 1997–1998. Black and white interior illustrationby Debbie Hughes for Phyllis D. Kasler short story: Horse Opera. ''Mimosa Issue 19''. Wrap around cover by Debbie Hughes. Edited by Nicki and Rich Lynch. ''Mother Movies In, Realms of Fantasy Magazine'', July issue 1995. Full Color Interior Illustration by Debbie Hughes, Short Story by Deborah Wheeler. “Tiny Demons” Bookworm Student Library, Collection of Poetry. 1995 Kubla Khan, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Bookworm Student Library. Collection of Poetry.1995 The Scarlet Letter. Bookworm Student Library. 1995. 10 illustrations Frankenstein Bookworms Student Library 1995. 10 Illustrations Collected works of Edgar Alan Poe. Bookworm Student Library. 1995. 10 Illustrations. Little Women. Bookworm Student Library. 1995. 25 illustrations. ''Newsweek'' August 1994. Article: Garage-Band Programmers. Page 50–51. Artwork I created for JumpRaven appeared in this issue. Purgatory, Easton Press, 1993. Color frontispiece by Debbie Hughes. Novel by Mike Resnick. ''A Defense of a Social Contract, Science Fiction Age Magazine'', July 1993. Interior Color Illustration by Debbie Hughes. Short Story by Martha Soukup. The Alteration, Easton Press 1993. Color Frontispiece by Debbie Hughes. Novel by Sir Kingsley Amis. ''Merging Forever with the Dolowei, Amazing Stories Magazine''. January 1993. Interior Color illustration by Debbie Hughes. Short Story by Joyce K. Jenson. ''Thy Kingdom Come, Science Fiction Age Magazine'', May 1993. Interior Center Spread color by Debbie Hughes. Short Story by Ben Bova. ''Fireballing, Amazing Stories Magazine'', issue 4, 1991. Interior Color illustration by Debbie Hughes ''Sunday Driver, Yeah, Amazing Stories Magazine,'' Issue 1, 1991. Full color Interior Illustration by Debbie Hughes. Short Story by A.J. Austin. ''Time Enough, Amazing Stories Magazine'', Issue 6, 1991. Full Color Interior Illustration by Debbie Hughes. Short Story by Vivian Vande Veldi. Rite of Passage, Easton Press, 1991. Color frontispiece by Debbie Hughes. Novel by Alexei Panshin. A Roil of Stars, Baen Books, 1990. Color Cover by Debbie Hughes. Novel by Don Wismer. Four for Tomorrow, Baen Books, 1990. Wrap around color cover by Debbie Hughes. Short story collection by Roger Zelazny. World Spirits, Baen Books, 1990. Color Cover by Debbie Hughes. Novel by Aline Boucher Kaplan. ''When the Black Lotus Blooms'', Unnamable Press, 1990. Interior black and white illustration by Debbie Hughes short story: Waygift by Gerald W. Page ''Science Fiction Chronicle.'' 1989. Color Cover by Debbie Hughes Published work on Collectible Game Cards: Dune: Eye of the StormTM. Published by Last Unicorn Games and Five Rings Publishing Group. 1998. Color Illustrations by Debbie Hughes Lidless Eye, Lord of the Rings Expansion, Iron Crown Enterprises 1997. Color Illustrations by Debbie Hughes Kanchaka Valley, DragonStorm Expansion, 1997. Color Illustrations by Debbie Hughes Silent Impact, Wizards of the Coast. Expansion 2 for NetRunner, 1997. Color Illustrations by Debbie Hughes Proteus, Wizards of the Coast. Expansion 3 for NetRunner, 1997. Color Illustrations by Debbie Hughes Towers in Time - The Greek Edition, Thunder Castle Games, 1997. Color Illustrations by Debbie Hughes Fantasy Adventures, Mayfair Games, 1996. Color Illustration by Debbie Hughes Galactic Empires, The Universe Edition, Companion Games, 1996. Color Illustrations by Debbie Hughes DragonStorm, GateKeeper Press, edition 1, April 1996. Color Illustrations by Debbie Hughes Dragons, Lord of the Rings Expansion, Iron Crown Enterprises. 1996. Color Illustrations by Debbie Hughes Gridiron, Precedence Games, 1995. Color Illustrations by Debbie Hughes Published work on CD Rom: Passport to 39 Languages published by The Learning Company, 1999. Hand-drawn Black and White Illustrations by Debbie Hughes Learn to Speak German, The Learning Company, 1999. Hand-drawn Black and White Illustrations by Debbie Hughes Reader Rabbit, The Learning Company, 1998. Color Illustration by Debbie Hughes Learn to Speak French, The Learning Company, 1998. Hand-drawn Black and White Illustrations by Debbie Hughes Frankenstein, The Complete works of Edgar Allan Poe, Little Women, Making the Modern and Atfter the Fire, The Scarlet Letter, published by The Bookworm Student Library. 1995. Combination of Black and white Illustrations and full color illustrations by Debbie Hughes. Learn to Speak Spanish, published by Hyperglot/The Learning Company. 1994. Illustration and Concept work by Debbie Hughes JumpRaven, Viper and Dust C.D. Rom Games, published by Cyberflix and Paramount Interactive. Debbie Hughes created hand drawn color illustrations and created animations. 1992–1994.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hughes, Debbie 1958 births Living people Artists from Lexington, Kentucky Artists from Knoxville, Tennessee American women illustrators American illustrators American science fiction artists 21st-century American women American women artists