Kathryn Elizabeth Cramer (born April 16, 1962) is an American

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

writer,

editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, organization, a ...

, and

literary critic A genre of arts criticism, literary criticism or literary studies is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often influenced by literary theory, which is the philosophical analysis of literature' ...

Early years

Kathryn Cramer is the daughter of physicist John G. Cramer. She grew up in Seattle and graduated from

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

with degrees in

mathematics Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...

and

American studies American studies or American civilization is an interdisciplinarity, interdisciplinary field of scholarship that examines American literature, History of the United States, history, Society of the United States, society, and Culture of the Unit ...

Career

Cramer has worked for five literary agencies, most notably the Virginia Kidd Agency and Eastgate Systems, and for several software companies, including consulting with

Wolfram Research Wolfram Research, Inc. ( ) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational company that creates computational technology. Wolfram's flagship product is the technical computing program Wolfram Mathematica, first released on June 23, 1988. ...

in the Scientific Information Group. She co-founded ''

The New York Review of Science Fiction ''The New York Review of Science Fiction'' is a monthly literary magazine of science fiction that was established in 1988. It includes works of science fiction criticism, essays, and in-depth critical reviews of new works of fiction and scholarsh ...

'' in 1988 with David G. Hartwell and others, and was its co-editor until 1991 and again since 1996. It has been nominated (as of 2007) for the Hugo Award for Best Semiprozine every year of its existence, fifteen times under her co-editorship. Cramer was the

hypertext fiction Hypertext fiction is a genre of electronic literature characterized by the use of hypertext links that provide a new context for non-linearity in literature and reader interaction. The reader typically chooses links to move from one node of text to ...

editor at Eastgate Systems in the early 1990s."Hypertext Horizon: An Interview With Kathryn Cramer"
Altx.com, undated; first published by Sonicnet She was part of the Global Connection Project, a joint project of

Carnegie Mellon University Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The institution was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools. In 1912, it became the Carnegie Institu ...

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...

Google Google LLC (, ) is an American multinational corporation and technology company focusing on online advertising, search engine technology, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, consumer electronics, and artificial ...

, and

National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly ''The National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as ''Nat Geo'') is an American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. The magazine was founded in 1888 as a scholarly journal, nine ...

using

Google Earth Google Earth is a web mapping, web and computer program created by Google that renders a 3D computer graphics, 3D representation of Earth based primarily on satellite imagery. The program maps the Earth by superimposition, superimposing satelli ...

and other tools following the 2005 Pakistan earthquake. Cramer has written a number of essays published in the ''

New York Review of Science Fiction ''The New York Review of Science Fiction'' is a monthly literary magazine of science fiction that was established in 1988. It includes works of science fiction criticism, essays, and in-depth critical reviews of new works of fiction and scholarsh ...

''. Book reviews for that journal include such works as '' This is the Way the World Ends'' by James Morrow, ''Ellipse of Uncertainty: An Introduction to Postmodern Fantasy'' by Lance Olsen, and '' Amnesia Moon'' by

Jonathan Lethem Jonathan Allen Lethem (; born February 19, 1964) is an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer. His Debut novel, first novel, ''Gun, with Occasional Music'', a genre work that mixed elements of science fiction and detective fiction, ...

. She is a contributor to the

Encarta Microsoft ''Encarta'' is a discontinued Digital data, digital multimedia encyclopedia and search engine published by Microsoft from 1993 to 2009. Originally sold on CD-ROM or DVD, it was also available online via annual subscription, although ...

article on science fiction and wrote the chapter on

hard science fiction Hard science fiction is a category of science fiction characterized by concern for scientific accuracy and logic. The term was first used in print in 1957 by P. Schuyler Miller in a review of John W. Campbell's ''Islands of Space'' in the Novemb ...

for the ''Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction'' ed. Farah Mendlesohn &

Edward James Edward Frank Willis James (16 August 1907 – 2 December 1984) was a British poet known for his patronage of the surrealist art movement. Early life and marriage James was born on 16 August 1907, the only son of William James (who had inheri ...

. Several of her essays have been reprinted, for example "Science Fiction and the Adventures of the Spherical Cow" (NYRSF August 1988) in ''Visions of Wonder'', ed. Milton T. Wolf & David G. Hartwell (Tor 1996).

Personal life

Cramer was married to David G. Hartwell from 1997 until his death in January 2016. She lives in

Westport, New York Westport is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Essex County, New York, United States overlooking Lake Champlain. The population was 1,320 at the 2020 census. The town is on the eastern border of the county and is south of Platt ...

, with their two children.

Bibliography

Anthologies

* ''

The Architecture of Fear ''The Architecture of Fear'' is an anthology of horror stories edited by Peter D. Pautz and Kathryn Cramer. It was published by Arbor House in October 1987. The anthology contains, among several other stories, the Gene Wolfe short story "In the H ...

'' (1987) with Peter D. Pautz – winner of the

World Fantasy Award for Best Anthology The world is the totality of entities, the whole of reality, or everything that exists. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the world as unique, while others talk of a "plu ...

*''Masterpieces of Fantasy and Enchantment'' (1988) with David G. Hartwell *''Spirits of Christmas'' (1989) with David G. Hartwell, Tor Fantasy, . *''Masterpieces of Fantasy and Wonder'' (1989, GuildAmerica, ; 1994, St. Martin's Press, ) with David G. Hartwell * ''Walls of Fear'' (1990), Avon Books, – a

World Fantasy Award The World Fantasy Awards are a set of awards given each year for the best fantasy fiction published during the previous calendar year. Organized and overseen by the World Fantasy Convention, the awards are given each year at the eponymous ann ...

nominee *'' The Ascent of Wonder: The Evolution of Hard SF'' (1994) with David G. Hartwell, * ''The Hard SF Renaissance'' (2002) with David G. Hartwell, Orb books, * '' The Space Opera Renaissance'' (2006) with David G. Hartwell,

Tor Books Tor Books is the primary imprint of Tor Publishing Group (previously Tom Doherty Associates), a publishing company based in New York City. It primarily publishes science fiction and fantasy titles. History Tor was founded by Tom Doherty, ...

, * '' Hieroglyph: Stories and Visions for a Better Future'' (2014) with Ed Finn, William Morrow.

Anthology series

:The ''Year's Best Fantasy'' is a fantasy anthology series edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer. * ''Year's Best Fantasy'' 1 through 9 (2001–2009) with David G. Hartwell (

HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is a British–American publishing company that is considered to be one of the "Big Five (publishers), Big Five" English-language publishers, along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group USA, Hachette, Macmi ...

2001–2005, Tachyon Publications 2006–2007) :The Year's Best SF is a science fiction anthology series edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer. Hartwell started the series in 1996, and has been co-editing it with Cramer since 2002. It is published by

under the Eos imprint. The creators of the books are not involved with the similarly titled

Year's Best Science Fiction ''The Year's Best Science Fiction'' was a series of science fiction anthology, anthologies edited by American Gardner Dozois until his death in 2018. The series, which is unrelated to the similarly titled and themed ''Year's Best SF'', was publish ...

series. * '' Year's Best SF 6'' (2001) * '' Year's Best SF 7'' (2002) * '' Year's Best SF 8'' (2003) * '' Year's Best SF 9'' (2004) * '' Year's Best SF 10'' (2005) * '' Year's Best SF 11'' (2006) * '' Year's Best SF 12'' (2007) * '' Year's Best SF 13'' (2008) * '' Year's Best SF 14'' (2009) * '' Year's Best SF 15'' (2010) * '' Year's Best SF 16'' (2011) * '' Year's Best SF 17'' (2012)

Short fiction

* "Forbidden Knowledge" in '' Mathenauts: Tales of Mathematical Wonder'', ed.

Rudy Rucker Rudolf von Bitter Rucker (; born March 22, 1946) is an American mathematician, computer scientist, science fiction author, and one of the founders of the cyberpunk literary movement. The author of both fiction and non-fiction, he is best known f ...

(1987, ). * "Speaker for the Reticent", written with Greg Cox, in ''The New York Review of Science Fiction'' (December 1988). * "The End of Everything" in ''

Asimov's Science Fiction ''Asimov's Science Fiction'' is an American science fiction magazine edited by Sheila Williams and published by Dell Magazines, which is owned by Penny Press. It was launched as a quarterly by Davis Publications in 1977, after obtaining Isaac ...

'', Vol 14, No 10, Whole No 161 (October 1990), pp. 107–111. * "In Small & Large Pieces" in ''The Eastgate Quarterly Review of

Hypertext Hypertext is E-text, text displayed on a computer display or other electronic devices with references (hyperlinks) to other text that the reader can immediately access. Hypertext documents are interconnected by hyperlinks, which are typic ...

'', Volume 1, No. 3, Eastgate Systems (1994). (a work of hypertext speculative fiction) *
Disextinction
in ''

Nature Magazine ''Nature'' is a British weekly scientific journal founded and based in London, England. As a multidisciplinary publication, ''Nature'' features Peer review, peer-reviewed research from a variety of academic disciplines, mainly in science and t ...

'' (2001, ). *
Sandcastles: a Dystopia
in ''Nature Magazine'' (2005). * "You, in Emulation" in ''Nature Magazine'' (October 20, 2011). *
Am I Free to Go?"
on Tor.com, 2012.

Poems

* "The Mourners" in ''

Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet ''Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet'' (''LCRW'') is a twice-yearly small press zine published by Small Beer Press, edited by Gavin Grant and Kelly Link. It contains an eclectic mix of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction, with an emphasis on specula ...

'', #11 (November 2002) * "What Stopped Jack" in ''Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet'', #11 (November 2002)

Selected essays

* "Science Fiction and the Adventures of the Spherical Cow" in ''

'' (September 1988). Anthologized as: "Science Fiction & the Adventures of the Spherical Cow" in ''Visions of Wonder'' (). * "Democrazy, the Marketplace, and the American Way: Remarks on the Year 1990 in Science Fiction (Nebula Awards 26)" in '' Nebula Awards 26'', ed. James Morrow (1992, ). * "Science Fiction for What? Remarks on the Year 1991 (Nebula Awards 27)" in '' Nebula Awards 27'', ed. James Morrow (1993, ). * " Philip K. Dick: The Greatest Novels", co-authored with David Alexander Smith, David G. Hartwell, Paul Di Filippo, Alexander Jablokov, and Eric Van, in ''The New York Review of Science Fiction'' (June 1994). Transcribed from Panel 1, The First American Philip K. Dick Convention, September 25, 1993.
How Shit Became Shinola: Definition and Redefinition of Space Opera
with David G. Hartwell, ''SFRevu'' (August 2003). * "Hard Science Fiction" in ''The Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction'', ed.

, Farah Mendlesohn (2006, ).

Interviews

* "Hypertext Horizon: An Interview With Kathryn Cramer" (ca. 1994) by Harry Goldstein (Transcript of a live on-line interview over Sonicnet) * "Interview With Kathryn Cramer, Co-editor of Hieroglyph" by New Books Network (Podcast on New Books in Science Fiction and Fantasy)

References

External links

* *
Kathryn Cramer in the Index of Literary Nominees
in the Locus Index to Science Fiction Awards {{DEFAULTSORT:Cramer, Kathryn 1962 births 20th-century American short story writers 21st-century American short story writers American women bloggers American bloggers Columbia University School of General Studies alumni Living people Writers from Seattle People from Pleasantville, New York People from Westport, New York American science fiction critics American science fiction editors American women science fiction and fantasy writers World Fantasy Award winners American women short story writers Writers from Washington (state) American women non-fiction writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers American speculative fiction editors American women editors 20th-century American women writers 21st-century American women writers American electronic literature writers