Meisha Merlin Publishing was an independent publishing company founded in 1996 by former New York book editor Stephen Pagel and Kevin and Brian Murphy. The Decatur,

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to t ...

–based company specialized in publishing

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving 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 literature and drama ...

and

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imagination, imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, Paral ...

trade hardcover and trade paperback books. Certain titles were also published in deluxe, signed and numbered

slipcase A slipcase is a five-sided box, usually made of high-quality cardboard, into which binders, books or book sets are ''slipped'' for protection, leaving the spine exposed. Special editions of books are often slipcased for a stylish appearance when ...

d and signed and lettered

limited edition The terms special edition, limited edition, and variants such as deluxe edition, or collector's edition, are used as a marketing incentive for various kinds of products, originally published products related to the arts, such as books, prints, r ...

s. During its nine years of operation, Meisha Merlin built a large stable of fantasy and science fiction authors that included Kevin J. Anderson, Janny Wurts,

Jack McDevitt Jack McDevitt (born April 14, 1935) is an American science fiction authors, science fiction author whose novels frequently deal with attempts to make First contact (science fiction), contact with Extraterrestrial life, alien races, and with archa ...

, the late

Robert Lynn Asprin Robert Lynn Asprin (June 28, 1946 – May 22, 2008) was an American science fiction and fantasy author and active fan, known best for his humorous series '' MythAdventures'' and '' Phule's Company''. Background Robert Asprin was born in St. ...

, Robin Wayne Bailey,

Storm Constantine Storm Constantine (12 October 1956 – 14 January 2021) was a British science fiction and fantasy author, primarily known for her Wraeththu series,Encyclopedia of Science Fictio"Constantine, Storm" Retrieved 2010-01-21. which began as one trilog ...

, S. P. Somtow,

Lee Killough Karen Lee Killough (born 1942) is an American veterinary radiographer and writer of science fiction mystery novels under the name Lee Killough. She lives and works in Manhattan, Kansas. Writing career Killough began her writing career with ...

Phyllis Eisenstein Phyllis Eisenstein (February 26, 1946 – December 7, 2020) was an American author of science fiction and fantasy short stories as well as novels. Her work was nominated for both the Hugo Award and Nebula Award. Early life Eisenstein was born Phy ...

Allen Steele Allen Mulherin Steele, Jr. (born January 19, 1958) is an American journalist and science fiction author. Background Steele was born in Nashville, Tennessee on January 19, 1958. He was introduced to science fiction fandom attending meetings o ...

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 nam ...

, George R. R. Martin, Robert A. Heinlein, and many others. Its books were sold online and through national chain bookstores and independent booksellers throughout the United States, including Internet giant

Amazon.com Amazon.com, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational technology company focusing on e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. It has been referred to as "one of the most influential econom ...

. In April 2007 Meisha Merlin announced on its website that it would cease operations the following month; no further business details were disclosed.

References

American speculative fiction publishers Defunct book publishing companies of the United States Publishing companies established in 1996 Science fiction publishers {{US-publish-company-stub