Marion Eleanor Zimmer Bradley (June 3, 1930 – September 25, 1999) was an American author of

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...

historical fantasy Historical fantasy is a category of fantasy and genre of historical fiction that incorporates fantastic elements (such as magic (fantasy), magic) into a more "realistic" narrative. There is much crossover with other subgenres of fantasy; those c ...

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 ...

, and

science fantasy file:Warhammer40kcosplay.jpg, Cosplay of a character from the ''Warhammer 40,000'' tabletop game; one critic has characterized the game's setting as "action-oriented science-fantasy." Science fantasy is a hybrid genre within speculative fiction ...

novels and is best known for the Arthurian fiction novel ''

The Mists of Avalon ''The Mists of Avalon'' is a 1983 historical fantasy novel by American writer Marion Zimmer Bradley, in which the author relates the Arthurian legends from the perspective of the female characters. The book follows the trajectory of Morgaine ...

'' and the '' Darkover'' series. She was noted for the female perspective in her writing, something before little-seen in

Sword and Sorcery Sword and sorcery (S&S), or heroic fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent adventures. Elements of Romance (love), romance, Magic (fantasy), magic, and the supernatural are also ...

fantasy. Bradley began writing at the age of 17 and later graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hardin-Simmons University. She co-founded the

Society for Creative Anachronism The Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) is an international living history group with the aim of studying and recreating mainly Medieval European cultures and their histories before the 17th century. A quip often used within the SCA describes ...

in 1966. She also served as the editor of the long-running '' Sword and Sorceress'' anthology series. She was posthumously awarded the World Fantasy Award for lifetime achievement in 2000. Though Bradley remained popular during her lifetime, her reputation was posthumously marred when in 2014 her daughter reported that Bradley had sexually abused her, and allegedly assisted her second husband, convicted child abuser

Walter Breen Walter Henry Breen Jr. (September 5, 1928 – April 27, 1993) was an American numismatist, writer, and convicted child sex offender. He was known among coin collectors for writing ''Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial ...

, in his own

grooming A groom (short for bridegroom) is a male participant in a wedding ceremony. Groom or grooming may also refer to: Occupations * Groom (profession), a person responsible for the feeding and care of horses * One of the competitors in combined drivi ...

and sexual abuse of multiple unrelated children. Many science fiction authors have since publicly condemned Bradley.

Personal life

Born Marion Eleanor Zimmer on June 3, 1930, she lived on a farm in

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is located on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River. Albany is the oldes ...

, and began writing at the age of 17. She was married to Robert Alden Bradley from October 26, 1949, until their divorce on May 19, 1964. They had a son, David Robert Bradley (1950–2008). During the 1950s she was introduced to

lesbian A lesbian is a homosexual woman or girl. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate nouns with female homosexu ...

advocacy organization the

Daughters of Bilitis The Daughters of Bilitis (), also called the DOB or the Daughters, was the first lesbian civil and political rights organization in the United States. The organization, formed in San Francisco in 1955, was initially conceived as a secret soc ...

. After her divorce, Bradley married

numismatist A numismatist is a specialist, researcher, and/or well-informed collector of numismatics, numismatics/coins ("of coins"; from Late Latin , genitive of ). Numismatists can include collectors, specialist dealers, and scholar-researchers who use coi ...

Walter H. Breen on June 3, 1964. They had a daughter, Moira Greyland, who is a professional

harpist The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has individual string (music), strings running at an angle to its sound board (music), soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing ...

and singer, and a son, Mark Greyland. Moira's son, RJ Stern, is a college football player who was featured on season 5 of ''

Last Chance U ''Last Chance U'' is an American documentary television series that is produced by and premiered on Netflix. The six-episode first season explores the football program at East Mississippi Community College, which features several collegiate at ...

'' on

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

. In 1965, Bradley graduated with a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

degree from Hardin-Simmons University in

Abilene, Texas Abilene ( ) is a city in Taylor County, Texas, Taylor and Jones County, Texas, Jones counties, Texas, United States. Its population was 125,182 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene metropolitan ar ...

. Afterward, she moved to

Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Anglo-Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland, Cali ...

, to pursue graduate studies at the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...

between 1965 and 1967. In 1966, with her brother

Paul Edwin Zimmer Paul Edwin Zimmer (16 October 1943 – 18 October 1997) was an American poet and author. He was also an accomplished swordsman and founding member of the Society for Creative Anachronism. His sister Marion Zimmer Bradley was also a science ...

, she helped found and name the

and was involved in developing several local groups, some in New York after her move to

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...

. In particular, she and Breen founded and served as the first directors for the Kingdom of the East. Bradley and Breen separated in 1979 but remained married. They also continued a business relationship and lived on the same street for over a decade. They officially divorced on May 9, 1990, the year Breen was arrested on

child molestation Child sexual abuse (CSA), also called child molestation, is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include engaging in sexual activities with a child (whet ...

charges after a 13-year-old boy reported that Breen had been molesting him for four years. She had edited Breen's book ''Greek Love'' (published pseudonymously), which was dedicated to her (named simply as " iswife"), and in 1965 had contributed an article, "Feminine Equivalents of Greek Love in Modern Literature", to Breen's journal ''The International Journal of Greek Love''. She allegedly was told of Breen's abuse of a minor by her secretary and "she was extremely upset" and immediately divorced him.

Literary career

Early work

Bradley stated that when she was a child she enjoyed reading adventure fantasy authors such as

Henry Kuttner Henry Kuttner (April 7, 1915 – February 3, 1958) was an American author of science fiction, fantasy fiction, fantasy and horror fiction, horror. Early life Henry Kuttner was born in Los Angeles, California in 1915. Kuttner (1829–1903) and ...

Edmond Hamilton Edmond Moore Hamilton (October 21, 1904 – February 1, 1977) was an American writer of science fiction during the mid-twentieth century. He is known for writing most of the Captain Future stories. Early life Born in Youngstown, Ohio, he ...

, C.L. Moore, and

Leigh Brackett Leigh Douglass Brackett (December 7, 1915 – March 24, 1978) was an American author and screenwriter. Nicknamed "the Queen of space opera, Space Opera", she was one of the most prominent female writers during the Golden Age of Science Fiction. ...

, especially when they wrote about "the glint of strange suns on worlds that never were and never would be". Her first novel and much of her subsequent work show their influence strongly. At 17, she began her first novel '' The Forest House'', her retelling of ''

Norma Norma may refer to: * Norma (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) ** Norma Lizbeth Ramos, a Mexican bullying victim Astronomy *Norma (constellation) * 555 Norma, a minor asteroid * Cygnus Arm or Norma Arm, a spiral ...

''; she finished it before her death. Bradley made her first sale as an adjunct to an amateur fiction contest in ''

Amazing Stories ''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 appearance ...

'' in 1949 with the short story "Outpost". "Outpost" was published in ''Amazing Stories'' Vol. 23, No. 12, the December 1949 issue; it had previously appeared in the fanzine ''Spacewarp'' Vol. 4, No. 3, in December 1948. Her first professional publication was a short story "Women Only", which appeared in the second (and final) issue of ''Vortex Science Fiction'' in 1953. Her first published novel-length work was '' Falcons of Narabedla'', first published in the May 1957 issue of '' Other Worlds''.

Gay and lesbian pulp fiction

Early in her career, writing as Morgan Ives, Miriam Gardner, John Dexter, and Lee Chapman, Bradley produced several works outside the

speculative fiction Speculative fiction is an umbrella term, umbrella genre of fiction that encompasses all the subgenres that depart from Realism (arts), realism, or strictly imitating everyday reality, instead presenting fantastical, supernatural, futuristic, or ...

genre, including

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late ...

and

lesbian pulp fiction Lesbian pulp fiction is a genre of lesbian literature that refers to any mid-20th century paperback novel or pulp magazine with overtly lesbian themes and content. Lesbian pulp fiction was published in the 1950s and 1960s by many of the same pap ...

novels; ''I Am a Lesbian'' was published in 1962. Though relatively tame by today's standards, her novels were considered

pornographic Pornography (colloquially called porn or porno) is sexually suggestive material, such as a picture, video, text, or audio, intended for sexual arousal. Made for consumption by adults, pornographic depictions have evolved from cave paintings ...

when published.

Darkover

Her 1958 novel ''

The Planet Savers ''The Planet Savers'' is a science fantasy novel by American writer Marion Zimmer Bradley, part of her '' Darkover'' series. It was first published in book form in English by Ace Books in 1962, dos-à-dos with Bradley's novel '' The Sword of Ald ...

'' introduced the planet of Darkover, which became the setting of a popular series by Bradley and other authors. The Darkover milieu is a

fictional world, with science fiction as well as fantasy overtones: Darkover is a lost human

colony A colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule, which rules the territory and its indigenous peoples separated from the foreign rulers, the colonizer, and their ''metropole'' (or "mother country"). This separated rule was often orga ...

where psi powers developed to an unusual degree, and work like magic, while technology has regressed to a more-or-less medieval stage. Bradley wrote many Darkover novels by herself, but in her later years collaborated with other authors for publication; her literary collaborators have continued the series since her death.

Encouraging fan interaction

Bradley took an active role in science fiction and fantasy

fandom A fandom is a subculture composed of Fan (person), fans characterized by a feeling of camaraderie with others who share a common interest. Fans typically are interested in even minor details of the objects of their fandom and spend a significan ...

, promoting interaction with professional authors and publishers and making several important contributions to the subculture. In her teens she wrote letters to the pulp magazines of the time, such as the above-mentioned ''Amazing Stories'' and ''

Thrilling Wonder Stories ''Wonder Stories'' was an early American science fiction magazine which was published under several titles from 1929 to 1955. It was founded by Hugo Gernsback in 1929 after he had lost control of his first science fiction magazine, ''Amazing Sto ...

''. Starting in the late 1940s and continuing in the 1950s and 1960s, she published her own fanzines, including ''Astra's Tower'', ''Day*Star'', and ''Anything Box''. She also co-edited fanzines, including ''Ugly Bird'' with

Redd Boggs Dean Walter "Redd" Boggs (1921 – 9 May 1996) was a science fiction fanzine writer, editor and publisher from Los Angeles, California. Beginning with his editing of the 1948 ''Fantasy Annual'', and through his fanzines such as '' Sky Hook'', ...

, ''MEZRAB'' with her first husband Robert Bradley, and ''Allerlei'' with her second husband Walter Breen. Bradley contributed to several other fanzines, including ''The Gorgon'' and ''The Nekromantikon''. For many years, Bradley actively encouraged Darkover

fan fiction Fan fiction or fanfiction, also known as fan fic, fanfic, fic or FF, is fiction typically written in an amateur capacity by fans as a form of fan labor, unauthorized by, but based on, an existing work of fiction. The author uses copyrighted ...

. She encouraged submissions from unpublished authors and reprinted some of it in commercial Darkover anthologies. This ended after a dispute with a fan over an unpublished Darkover novel of Bradley's that had similarities to one of the fan's stories. As a result, the novel remained unpublished and Bradley demanded the cessation of all Darkover fan fiction.

Tolkien fandom

In the 1970s, as part of the contemporary wave of enthusiasm for

J. R. R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlinson ...

's fictional world of

Middle-earth Middle-earth is the Setting (narrative), setting of much of the English writer J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy. The term is equivalent to the ''Midgard, Miðgarðr'' of Norse mythology and ''Middangeard'' in Old English works, including ''Beowulf'' ...

, she wrote an essay about

Éowyn Éowyn ( or , Appendix E, "Note") is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings''. She is a noblewoman of Rohan who describes herself as a shieldmaiden. With the hobbit Merry Brandybuck, she rides into battle an ...

's supposed love for the hero

Aragorn Aragorn () is a fictional character and a protagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings''. Aragorn is a Ranger of the North, first introduced with the name Strider and later revealed to be the heir of Isildur, an ancient King of ...

called "Of Men, Halflings, and Hero Worship" for the ''Astra's Tower'' fanzine. She also penned two short

fanfic Fan fiction or fanfiction, also known as fan fic, fanfic, fic or FF, is fiction typically written in an amateur capacity by fans as a form of fan labor, unauthorized by, but based on, an existing work of fiction. The author uses copyrighted ...

stories about

Arwen Arwen Undómiel is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. She appears in the novel ''The Lord of the Rings''. Arwen is one of the half-elven who lived during the Third Age; her father was Elrond half-elven, lor ...

, publishing them in

chapbook A chapbook is a type of small printed booklet that was a popular medium for street literature throughout early modern Europe. Chapbooks were usually produced cheaply, illustrated with crude woodcuts and printed on a single sheet folded into 8, 1 ...

format. One story, "The Jewel of Arwen" (originally published in a different form in the fanzine ''I Palantir'' #2, August 1961), appeared in her professional anthology ''The Best of Marion Zimmer Bradley'' (1985), but was dropped from later reprints. She continued to contribute to different science fiction and fantasy fanzines and magazines throughout her career.

Other work

In 1966, Bradley became a co-founder of the

and is credited with coining the name of that group. Bradley was the editor of the long-running '' Sword and Sorceress''

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs, or related fiction/non-fiction excerpts by different authors. There are also thematic and g ...

series, which encouraged submissions of fantasy stories featuring original and non-traditional heroines from young and upcoming authors. Although she particularly encouraged young female authors, she was not averse to including stories from men in her anthologies.

Mercedes Lackey Mercedes Ritchie Lackey (born June 24, 1950) is an American writer of Fantasy literature, fantasy novels. Many of her novels and trilogies are interlinked and set in the world of Velgarth, mostly in and around the country of Valdemar (fictional co ...

was one of many authors who first appeared in the anthologies. Bradley also maintained a large family of writers at her home in

. Following Bradley's death, the anthology was edited by Elizabeth Waters and continued until 2019. Her most famous single novel may be ''

'', a retelling of the

Camelot Camelot is a legendary castle and Royal court, court associated with King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and, since the Lancelot-Grail cycle, eventually came to be described ...

legend from the point of view of Morgaine and

Gwenhwyfar Guinevere ( ; ; , ), also often written in Modern English as Guenevere or Guenever, was, according to Arthurian legend, an early-medieval queen of Great Britain and the wife of King Arthur. First mentioned in literature in the early 12th cen ...

. It grew into a series of books and, like the Darkover series, the later novels are written with or by other authors and have continued to appear since Bradley's death. Bradley was posthumously awarded the

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 ...

for lifetime achievement in 2000.

Child sex abuse allegations

In 2000, shortly after Bradley's death, author

Stephen Goldin Stephen Charles Goldin (born February 28, 1947) is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Biography Goldin was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A graduate of UCLA with a bachelor's degree in Astronomy, he worked for the U.S. Navy a ...

, the stepfather of a boy who had been molested by

, started a website claiming that Bradley had been fully aware of her husband's crimes and made no effort to report them or protect his victims. However, Elizabeth Waters, Bradley's secretary, claimed that she was the first one who told Bradley and that Bradley "was extremely upset" at the news. In 2014, Moira Greyland, the daughter of Bradley and Breen, accused Bradley of sexual abuse from the age of 3 to 12. In an email to ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

,'' Greyland said that she had not spoken out before because "I thought that my mother's fans would be angry with me for saying anything against someone who had championed women's rights and made so many of them feel differently about themselves and their lives. I didn't want to hurt anyone she had helped, so I just kept my mouth shut". Greyland also confirmed Goldin's statements by saying that Bradley was aware of her husband's behavior and chose not to report him. Greyland reported that she was not the only victim and that she was one of the people who reported her father for child molestation, for which he received multiple convictions. In December 2017, Bradley's daughter published a detailed biography of her mother, including her pedophilia and sexual abuse, in a book entitled ''The Last Closet: The Dark Side of Avalon''. Additionally, according to Greyland, Bradley assisted Breen (her husband at the time) in accessing and abusing multiple unrelated young boys, knowing he was a pedophile who was engaging in sexual contact with children as young as eight. Greyland states that Bradley and her live-in female partner (whom Greyland refers to as her step-mother) both admitted to knowledge of the abuse and purposefully avoided investigating, questioning, or notifying any authorities. Bradley was also accused of attempting to adopt a child whom Breen was interested in sexually. In response to these allegations, on July 2, 2014,

Victor Gollancz Ltd Victor Gollancz Ltd () was a major British book publishing house of the twentieth century and continues to publish science fiction and fantasy titles as an imprint of Orion Publishing Group. Gollancz was founded in 1927 by Victor Gollancz, an ...

, the publisher of Bradley's digital backlist, began donating all income from the sales of Bradley's e-books to the charity

Save the Children The Save the Children Fund, commonly known as Save the Children, is an international non-governmental organization. It was founded in the UK in 1919; its goal is to improve the lives of children worldwide. The organization raises money to imp ...

Janni Lee Simner Janni Lee Simner (born November 3, 1967, in New York City, US) is an American author of fantasy and adventure novels and short stories. She writes primarily for young adults as teenagers and upper elementary children. Appearances She was involved ...

donated advances and royalties from her two ''Darkover'' short stories and, at the request of her husband, Larry Hammer, payment for his sale to Bradley's magazine, to the American anti-sexual assault organization

Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) is an American nonprofit anti-sexual assault organization, the largest in the United States. RAINN operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline, as well as the Department of Defense Safe Helpline ...

. A number of science fiction authors have publicly condemned Bradley. Among the first was

John Scalzi John Michael Scalzi II (born May 10, 1969) is an American science fiction author and former president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. He is best known for his ''Old Man's War'' series, three novels of which have been n ...

, who expressed his horror within a day of the allegations being made public.

Hugo Award The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) and chosen by its members. The award is administered by th ...

winner

Jim C. Hines Jim C. Hines (born April 15, 1974) is an American fantasy and science fiction writer. Life and work Hines was a volunteer crisis counselor in East Lansing and worked as the Male Outreach Coordinator for the Michigan State University, MSU Safe ...

wrote that Bradley's positive effect on her readers and associates "makes the revelations about Marion Zimmer Bradley protecting a known child rapist and molesting her own daughter and others even more tragic." G Willow Wilson, who, along with Bradley, is a fellow

winner, said she was "speechless". Diana L. Paxson, who collaborated with Bradley on a number of novels and who continued to write novels set in the

Avalon Series The ''Avalon Series'' is a series of fantasy novels written by Marion Zimmer Bradley and Diana L. Paxson. Paxson took over sole authorship after Bradley's death in 1999. The series focuses on the legendary island of Avalon and the various wome ...

after Bradley's death, said that she was "shocked and appalled to read Moira Greyland's posts about her mother... I never personally observed, nor had any reason to suspect, that (Bradley) was abusing either of her children."

Religion

While she was attending the College for Teachers (now

University at Albany, SUNY The State University of New York at Albany (University at Albany, UAlbany, or SUNY Albany) is a Public university, public research university in Albany, New York, United States. Founded in 1844, it is one of four "university centers" of the St ...

) in Albany, Bradley became involved in

Western esoteric tradition Western esotericism, also known as the Western mystery tradition, is a wide range of loosely related ideas and movements that developed within Western society. These ideas and currents are united since they are largely distinct both from orthod ...

. She later completed a

Rosicrucian Rosicrucianism () is a spirituality, spiritual and cultural movement that arose in early modern Europe in the early 17th century after the publication of several texts announcing to the world a new Western esotericism, esoteric order. Rosicruc ...

correspondence course. In the late 1950s or early 1960s, Bradley and Walter H. Breen founded the Aquarian Order of the Restoration based on the work of

Dion Fortune Dion Fortune (born Violet Mary Firth, 6 December 1890 – 6 or 8 January 1946) was a British occultist, ceremonial magician, and writer. She was a co-founder of the Fraternity of the Inner Light, an occult organisation that promoted philoso ...

. By 1961 she was formally initiating others, including Ramfis S. Firethorn. Bradley was active in Darkmoon Circle, which was founded in 1978 by several women who were members of her Aquarian Order of the Restoration. Bradley renovated her garage to provide a meeting room for Darkmoon Circle as well as for other local Pagan groups. In 1981 Bradley, Diana L. Paxson, and Elisabeth Waters incorporated the Center for Non-Traditional Religion. In the 1990s Bradley said she would return to

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

, telling an interviewer: "I just go regularly to the Episcopalian church ... That pagan thing ... I feel that I've gotten past it. I would like people to explore the possibilities."

Death

After suffering declining health for years, Bradley died at Alta Bates Medical Center in Berkeley on September 25, 1999, four days after suffering a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

. Her ashes were later scattered at

Glastonbury Tor Glastonbury Tor is a hill near Glastonbury in the English county of Somerset, topped by the roofless tower of St Michael's Church, a Grade I Listed building (United Kingdom), listed building. The site is managed by the National Trust and has be ...

Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...

, England.

Works

Novels

* '' Falcons of Narabedla'' (1957) * '' The Door Through Space'' (1961) * ''Seven from the Stars'' (1962) * '' The Colors of Space'' (1963) * ''Castle Terror'' (1965) * ''Souvenir of Monique'' (1967) * ''Bluebeard's Daughter'' (1968) * ''The Brass Dragon'' (1970) * ''In the Steps of the Master – The Sixth Sense #2'' (1973) (based on the television series ''The Sixth Sense'', created by Anthony Lawrence) * ''Hunters of the Red Moon'' (1973) (novelette) * ''The Jewel of Arwen'' (1974) (novelette) * ''The Parting of Arwen'' (1974) (novelette) * ''Can Ellen Be Saved? '' (1975) (adaptation of a teleplay by Emmett Roberts) * ''The Endless Voyage'' (1975) * ''Drums of Darkness'' (1976) * '' The Ruins of Isis'' (1978) * '' The Catch Trap'' (1979) * ''The Endless Universe'' (1979) (rewrite of ''The Endless Voyage'') * '' The House Between the Worlds'' (1980) * ''Survey Ship'' (1980) * ''The Colors of Space'' (1983) (unabridged edition) * ''Night's Daughter'' (1985) * ''Warrior Woman'' (1985) * '' The Firebrand'' (1987) * ''Black Trillium'' (1990) (with

Julian May Julian Clare May (July 10, 1931 – October 17, 2017) was an American science fiction, fantasy, horror, science and children's writer who also used several literary pseudonyms. She is best known for her '' Saga of Pliocene Exile'' (''Saga of the ...

and

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 na ...

) * ''Lady of the Trillium'' (1995) (with Elisabeth Waters, initially uncredited) * ''Tiger Burning Bright'' (1995) (with

and

) * ''The Gratitude of Kings'' (1997) (with Elisabeth Waters)

Short story collections

* ''The Dark Intruder and Other Stories'' (1964) * ''The Best of Marion Zimmer Bradley'' (1985) * ''Jamie and Other Stories'' (1988) * ''

Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover ''Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover'' is a collection of science fantasy short stories by American writer Marion Zimmer Bradley. The stories are set in Bradley's world of ''Darkover''. The book was first published by DAW Books (No. 929) in Octobe ...

'' (''Darkover'' collection) (1993)

Series

Atlantean series

* '' Web of Light'' (1983) * '' Web of Darkness'' (1983) * ''The Fall of Atlantis'' (1987) (omnibus edition of ''Web of Light'' and ''Web of Darkness'')

Avalon series

* ''

'' (1983) * '' The Forest House'' (1993) (with Diana L. Paxson) * '' Lady of Avalon'' (1997) (with Diana L. Paxson) * ''

Priestess of Avalon ''Priestess of Avalon'' is a 2000 novel by American writer Marion Zimmer Bradley, completed posthumously by Diana L. Paxson. It follows detailing the life of Helena, first wife of Western Roman Emperor Constantius Chlorus and mother of Constan ...

'' (2000) (with Diana L. Paxson) * '' Ancestors of Avalon'' (2004) (written by Diana L. Paxson) * '' Ravens of Avalon'' (2007) (written by Diana L. Paxson) * '' Sword of Avalon'' (2009) (written by Diana L. Paxson)

Colin MacLaren series

* '' The Inheritor'' (1984) * '' Dark Satanic'' (1988) (published originally already in 1972 by Berkley Publishing Corporation, NY) * '' Witch Hill'' (1990) (published possibly already in 1972 by Greenleaf under the pseudonym Valerie Graves) * '' Heartlight'' (1998)

Shadow's Gate series

co-written by

Rosemary Edghill Rosemary Edghill (born 1956) is an American writer and editor. Some of her work has appeared under her original name, eluki bes shahar (lower case intentional). Her primary genres are science fiction and fantasy, but she began by writing Regency ...

(uncredited)) * ''

Ghostlight Ghost light or ghostlight may refer to: * Ghost light (theatre), a light left lit overnight in a theater * Atmospheric ghost lights, lights (or fires) that appear in the atmosphere without an obvious cause Books * ''Ghost Light'', or ''Will O' the ...

'' (1995) * '' Witchlight'' (1996) * '' Gravelight'' (1997) * '' Heartlight'' (1998)

Darkover series

* ''

'' (1958) * ''

The Sword of Aldones ''The Sword of Aldones'' is a sword and planet novel by American writer Marion Zimmer Bradley, part of her '' Darkover'' series. It was first published by Ace Books in 1962, dos-à-dos with her other novel ''The Planet Savers''. Bradley revised ...

'' (1962, shortlisted for the 1963

Hugo Award for Best Novel The Hugo Award for Best Novel is one of the Hugo Awards given each year by the World Science Fiction Society for science fiction or fantasy stories published in, or translated to, English during the previous calendar year. The novel award is ava ...

) * '' The Bloody Sun'' (1964) * '' Star of Danger'' (1965) * '' The Winds of Darkover'' (1970) * ''

The World Wreckers ''The World Wreckers'' is a science fantasy novel by American writer Marion Zimmer Bradley, part of her '' Darkover'' series. First published by Ace Books in 1971, it features a complex sub-plot involving the sexual interactions between hermaphr ...

'' (1971) * ''

Darkover Landfall ''Darkover Landfall'' is a science fiction novel in the '' Darkover'' series by American writer Marion Zimmer Bradley. It was originally published in 1972 by DAW Books. It has since been republished several times and is included as part of the '' ...

'' (1972) * '' The Spell Sword'' (1974) (with her brother

, uncredited) * ''

The Heritage of Hastur ''The Heritage of Hastur'' is a science fantasy novel by American writer Marion Zimmer Bradley, part of the ''Darkover series, Darkover'' series. It was nominated for the Nebula Award for Nebula Award for Best Novel, Best Novel in 1975. It explo ...

'' (1975) * '' The Shattered Chain'' (1976) * ''

The Forbidden Tower ''The Forbidden Tower'' is a science fantasy novel by American writer Marion Zimmer Bradley, part of her ''Darkover series, Darkover'' series. Originally published by DAW Books (No. 256) in 1977, it is the sequel to ''The Spell Sword'' and is fol ...

'' (1977, shortlisted for the 1978

) * ''

Stormqueen! ''Stormqueen!'' is a science fantasy novel by American writer Marion Zimmer Bradley, part of the '' Darkover'' series. Originally published in 1978, it was republished in 2002 as part of the ''Ages of Chaos'' omnibus. ''Stormqueen!'' occurs two ...

'' (1978) * '' The Bloody Sun'' (1979) rewritten and expanded edition * '' Two To Conquer'' (1980) * '' Sharra's Exile'' (1981) * ''

Hawkmistress! ''Hawkmistress!'' is a science fantasy novel by American writer Marion Zimmer Bradley, part of the '' Darkover'' series at the end of Ages of Chaos, in the period of Darkover's history known as the Hundred Kingdoms. Chapters 35 and 46–50 of ...

'' (1982) * '' Thendara House'' (1983) (with

Jacqueline Lichtenberg Jacqueline Lichtenberg (born March 25, 1942, Flushing, Queens, New York (state), New York) is an American science fiction author. Many of her early novels are set in the Sime~Gen Universe, which she first described in a short story in 1969. Writ ...

, uncredited) * '' City of Sorcery'' (1984) * '' The Heirs of Hammerfell'' (1989) * ''

Rediscovery ''Rediscovery'' is a science fantasy novel by American writers Marion Zimmer Bradley and Mercedes Lackey, part of the ''Darkover series, Darkover'' series of novels and short stories published in the United States since 1958. It was first publis ...

'' (1993) (with

) * '' Exile's Song'' (1996) (with

Adrienne Martine-Barnes Adrienne Martine-Barnes (19 January 1942 – 20 July 2015), was an American contemporary, non-fiction and fantasy writer. Biography Martine-Barnes was born Adrienne Zinah Martinez in Los Angeles in 1942. While in school she wrote two one-act pla ...

) * '' The Shadow Matrix'' (1997) (with Adrienne Martine-Barnes) * '' Traitor's Sun'' (1999) (with Adrienne Martine-Barnes) * '' Hastur Lord'' (2010) (with Deborah J. Ross) * ''

Thunderlord! ''Thunderlord!'' is a 2016 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 technolog ...

'' (2016) (with Deborah J. Ross, sequel to ''Stormqueen!'') * '' Arilinn'' (2024) (with Deborah J. Ross)

=The Clingfire trilogy

= * '' The Fall of Neskaya'' (2001) (with Deborah J. Ross) * '' Zandru's Forge'' (2003) (with Deborah J. Ross) * '' A Flame in Hali'' (2004) (with Deborah J. Ross)

=Modern Darkover

= * '' The Alton Gift'' (2007) (with Deborah J. Ross) * '' The Children of Kings'' (2013) (with Deborah J. Ross) * '' The Laran Gambit'' (2022) (with Deborah J. Ross)

Glenraven series

(with

Holly Lisle Holly Lisle (October 8, 1960 – August 27, 2024) was an American writer of fantasy, science fiction, paranormal romance and romantic suspense novels. She was also known for her work in educating writers, including her e-book ''Mugging the Mus ...

) * '' Glenraven'' (1996) * '' In the Rift'' (1998)

Survivors series

(with her brother

) * '' Hunters of the Red Moon'' (1973) * '' The Survivors'' (1979)

Omnibus editions

* ''The Children of Hastur'' (omnibus edition of ''The Heritage of Hastur'' and ''Sharra's Exile'') (1982) * ''The Oath of Renuciates'' (omnibus edition of ''The Shattered Chain'' and ''Thendara House'') (1984) * ''The Darkover Saga'' (a slipcase set containing Hawkmistress'', ''Sharra's Exile''; ''The Shattered Chain''; ''Stormqueen!; ''Sword of Chaos'') (1984) * ''The Ages of Chaos'' (omnibus edition of ''Stormqueen!'' and ''Hawkmistress!'') (2002) * ''The Forbidden Circle'' (omnibus edition of ''The Spell Sword'' and ''The Forbidden Tower'') (2002) * ''Heritage And Exile'' (omnibus edition of ''The Heritage of Hastur'' and ''Sharra's Exile'') (2002) * ''The Saga of the Renunciates'' (omnibus edition of ''The Shattered Chain'', ''Thendara House'' and ''City of Sorcery'') (2002) * ''A World Divided'' (omnibus edition of ''Star of Danger'', ''Winds of Darkover'' and ''The Bloody Sun'') (2003) * ''First Contact'' (omnibus edition of ''Darkover Landfall'' and ''Two to Conquer'') (2004) * ''To Save a World'' (omnibus edition of ''The Planet Savers'' and ''World Wreckers'') (2004)

Anthologies

* ''The Best of Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Magazine'' (1994) * ''The Best of Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Magazine – Vol. II'' (1995) (with Elisabeth Waters)

Darkover anthologies

(edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley, with some short stories by her, but mostly by other writers) * '' The Keeper's Price'' (1980) * '' Sword of Chaos'' (1982) * '' Free Amazons of Darkover'' (1985) * '' The Other Side of the Mirror'' (1987) * '' Red Sun of Darkover'' (1987) * '' Four Moons of Darkover'' (1988) * '' Domains of Darkover'' (1990) * '' Renunciates of Darkover'' (1991) * '' Leroni of Darkover'' (1991) * '' Towers of Darkover'' (1993) * '' Snows of Darkover'' (1994)

Other anthologies

* ''Greyhaven'' (1983) (with her brother

) * ''Lythande'' (1986) (with

Vonda N. McIntyre Vonda Neel McIntyre () was an American science fiction writer and biologist. Early life and education Vonda N. McIntyre was born in Louisville, Kentucky, the daughter of H. Neel and Vonda B. Keith McIntyre, who were born in Poland, Ohio. She s ...

) * ''

Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Magazine ''Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Magazine'' was a quarterly fantasy magazine founded and initially edited by American writer Marion Zimmer Bradley. Fifty issues appeared from summer 1988 through December 2000. It was published by MZB Enterprise ...

'' (1988–2000) * ''Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Worlds'' (1998) * ''Spells of Wonder'' (1989) * ''Sword and Sorceress'' series (1984–2013) (edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley, after her death by Elisabeth Waters and Diana L. Paxson)

Novels under pen names

* Writing under the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true meaning ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's o ...

Lee Chapman ** ''I Am a Lesbian'' (1962) * Writing under the pseudonym John Dexter ** ''No Adam for Eve'' (1966) * Writing under the pseudonym Miriam Gardner ** ''My Sister, My Love'' (1963) ** ''Twilight Lovers'' (1964) ** ''The Strange Women'' (1967) * Writing under the pseudonym Morgan Ives ** ''Spare Her Heaven'' (1963) ** ''Anything Goes'' (1964) ** ''Knives of Desire'' (1966)

Poems

* ''The Maenads'' (1978)

Music

* ''Songs from Rivendell'' (a.k.a. The Rivendell Suite): music and arrangements for several

poems Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...

from the novels

The Hobbit ''The Hobbit, or There and Back Again'' is a children's fantasy novel by the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published in 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the ...

and

The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an Epic (genre), epic high fantasy novel written by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's book ''The Hobbit'' but eventually d ...

J.R.R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlinson ...

(1960) – included with other Tolkien songs on the CD "The Starlit Jewel" by the Celtic and Early Music Ensemble Brocelïande. * ''Songs of Darkover'' by Margaret Davis and Kristoph Klover from Brocelïande accompanied by the

filk Filk music is a musical culture, genre, and community tied to science fiction, fantasy, and horror fandom and a type of fan labor. The genre has existed since the early 1950s and been played primarily since the mid-1970s. The genre has a ni ...

musicians Cynthia McQuillin and Jane Robinson is derived from the audiobook version of ''Music of Darkover'' and features two songs composed by MZB: "The Ballad of Hastur and Cassilda" and "The Outlaw"

Editorial positions

* ''The Darkover Newsletter'' (1975 to 1993) * ''Starstone'', a Darkover

fanzine A fanzine (blend word, blend of ''fan (person), fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) for the pleas ...

(5 issues 1978–1982) * ''

'' (50 issues 1988 – 2000)

Scholarly work

* Bradley, Marion Zimmer. "Feminine equivalents of Greek Love in modern fiction". ''International Journal of Greek Love'', Vol. 1, No. 1. (1965). Pages 48–58. * ''Checklist: A complete, cumulative checklist of lesbian, variant, and homosexual fiction in English'' (1960) and addenda (1961, 1962, 1963). * ''A Gay Bibliography'' (1975). * ''The Necessity for Beauty: Robert W. Chambers & the Romantic Tradition'' (1974)

Other works

Bradley created several different fanzines, including ''The Anything Box'' (2 issues, 1959), ''Astra's Tower'' (5 issues, 1947–50), ''Astra's Tower, Special Leaflet'' (5 issues, 1952–62), ''Day*Star'' (28 issues, 1954–72), ''Fantasy Ambler'' (1 issue, 1962), ''Gemini, Jr.'' (1 issue, 1951), ''Gemini FAPA'' (3 issues, 1951–60), ''On the Ragged Edge'' (1 issue, undated), and ''Catch Trap'' (at least issues 89–106, early 1960s). She co-edited several other fanzines, including ''Allerlei'' (at least 17 issues, 1960–65, with Walter Breen), ''Anduril'' (1 issue, 1962, with David Bradley and Paul Zimmer), ''MEZRAB'' (7 issues, 1950–52, with Robert A. Bradley), and ''Ugly Bird'' (2 issues, 1956–59, with

). She also contributed to '' The Ladder'' and '' The Mattachine Review''. As Elfrieda or Elfrida Rivers, she contributed at least to the

underground newspaper The terms underground press or clandestine press refer to periodicals and publications that are produced without official approval, illegally or against the wishes of a dominant (governmental, religious, or institutional) group. In specific rece ...

'' The East Village Other'', the neo-Pagan periodical ''

Green Egg ''Green Egg'' is a Neopagan magazine published by the Church of All Worlds intermittently since 1968. The '' Encyclopedia of American Religions'' described it as a significant periodical. First version, 1968–1976 ''Green Egg'' was created b ...

'' and also ''Sybil Leek's Astrology Journal'', where she wrote horoscopes and book reviews and had her own column as well as occasionally worked as editors with her husband Walter Breen.

Pseudonyms

* Lee Chapman * John Dexter * Miriam Gardner * Valerie Graves * Morgan Ives * Elfrieda Rivers (also Alfrida Rivers and Elfrida Rivers) * Astara Zimmer (also Astra Zimmer and Astra Zimmer Bradley) * John Jay Wells (with

Juanita Coulson Juanita Ruth Coulson (née Wellons) (born February 12, 1933) is an American science fiction and fantasy writer most well known for her ''Children of the Stars'' books, published from 1981 to 1989. She was a longtime editor of the science fiction ...

)

References

External links

The Marion Zimmer Bradley Literary Works Trust
* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bradley, Marion Zimmer 1930 births 1999 deaths 20th-century American Episcopalians 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American women writers American erotica writers American fantasy writers American feminist writers American science fiction writers American women novelists Child sexual abuse in the United States Pedophilia in the United States Constructed language creators Converts to Anglicanism Converts to pagan religions from Christianity Converts to Protestantism from pagan religions Hardin–Simmons University alumni Incestual abuse American LGBTQ novelists Novelists from New York (state) People from Abilene, Texas Pseudonymous women writers American science fiction editors Society for Creative Anachronism American women erotica writers American women science fiction and fantasy writers World Fantasy Award–winning writers Writers from Albany, New York Writers from Berkeley, California Writers of modern Arthurian fiction Obscenity controversies in literature 20th-century pseudonymous writers Modern pagan novelists Marion Zimmer Bradley LGBTQ people from New York (state) 20th-century American LGBTQ people LGBTQ people from the San Francisco Bay Area American women founders Bisexual Christians