Melissa Scott (born 1960) 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 ...

and

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, ...

author noted for her science fiction novels featuring

LGBT LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The gro ...

characters and elaborate settings.

Biography

Scott was born 1960, in

Little Rock, Arkansas Little Rock is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Arkansas, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The city's population was 202,591 as of the 2020 census. The six-county Central Arkan ...

, studied history at

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate education, undergraduate college of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Part of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Scienc ...

and

Brandeis University Brandeis University () is a Private university, private research university in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States. It is located within the Greater Boston area. Founded in 1948 as a nonsectarian, non-sectarian, coeducational university, Bra ...

, and earned her PhD in comparative history. She published her first novel in 1984, and has since written some two dozen

and

works, including three co-authored with her partner, Lisa A. Barnett. Scott's work is known for elaborate and well-constructed settings. While many of her protagonists are

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 ...

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 ...

bisexual Bisexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior toward both males and females. It may also be defined as the attraction to more than one gender, to people of both the same and different gender, or the attraction t ...

transgender A transgender (often shortened to trans) person has a gender identity different from that typically associated with the sex they were sex assignment, assigned at birth. The opposite of ''transgender'' is ''cisgender'', which describes perso ...

, critic Phyllis Betz notes that the characters' genders or orientations are rarely a major focus of Scott's stories. ''Shadow Man'', alone among Scott's works, focuses explicitly on issues of

sexuality Human sexuality is the way people experience and express themselves sexually. This involves biological, psychological, physical, erotic, emotional, social, or spiritual feelings and behaviors. Because it is a broad term, which has varied ...

and

gender Gender is the range of social, psychological, cultural, and behavioral aspects of being a man (or boy), woman (or girl), or third gender. Although gender often corresponds to sex, a transgender person may identify with a gender other tha ...

. She won the

John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer The ''Astounding'' Award for Best New Writer (formerly the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer) is given annually to the best new writer whose first professional work of science fiction or fantasy was published within the two previous ...

in Science Fiction in 1986, and has won several

Lambda Literary Awards Lambda Literary Awards, also known as the "Lammys", are awarded yearly by Lambda Literary Foundation, Lambda Literary to recognize the crucial role LGBTQ+ writers play in shaping the world. The Lammys celebrate the very best in LGBTQ+ literatur ...

. In addition to writing, Scott also teaches writing, offering classes via her website and publishing a writing guide.Melissa Scott, ''Conceiving the Heavens: Creating the Science Fiction Novel'' (1997). Scott lived with her partner, author Lisa A. Barnett, in

Portsmouth, New Hampshire Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census it had a population of 21,956. A historic seaport and popular summer tourist destination on ...

for 27 years, until the latter's death of

breast cancer Breast cancer is a cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a Breast lump, lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, Milk-rejection sign, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipp ...

on May 2, 2006..

Bibliography

* ''The Game Beyond'', 1984 * The Silence Leigh trilogy ** ''Five-Twelfths of Heaven'', 1985 ** ''Silence in Solitude'', 1986 ** ''The Empress of Earth'', 1987 * ''A Choice of Destinies'', 1986 * ''The Kindly Ones'', 1987 * ''The Armor of Light'', with Lisa A. Barnett, 1988 * ''Mighty Good Road'', 1990 * ''Dreamships'', 1992 * ''Burning Bright'', 1993 * '' Trouble and Her Friends'', 1994 * ''Shadow Man'', 1996 * '' Night Sky Mine'', 1996 * '' Dreaming Metal'', 1997, a continuation from ''Dreamships'' * ''The Shapes of Their Hearts'', 1998 * ''The Jazz'', 2000 * Astreiant ** ''Point of Hopes'', with Lisa A. Barnett, 1995 ** ''Point of Dreams'', with Lisa A. Barnett, 2001 ** ''Point of Knives'', 2012 ** ''Fairs' Point'', 2014 ** ''Point of Sighs'', 2018 ** ''Point of Hearts'', 2025 * The Order of the Air ** ''Lost Things'', with

Jo Graham Jo Graham (born 1968) is an American author who debuted in 2008 with her novel ''Black Ships'', a re-imagination of ''The Aeneid''. She lives in Maryland. ''Black Ships'' received a star rating when reviewed by ''Publishers Weekly'' and was no ...

, 2012 ** ''Steel Blues'', with

, 2013 ** ''Silver Bullet'', with

, 2014 ** ''Wind Raker'', with

, 2015 ** ''Oath Bound'', with

, 2015 * Julian Lynes and Ned Mathey ** ''Death by Silver'', with Amy Griswold, 2013 ** ''A Death at the Dionysus Club'', with Amy Griswold, 2014 * Firstborn, Lastborn ** ''Finders'', 2018 * Novels based in the ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...

'' universe ** '' Proud Helios'' ('' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'') ** ''The Garden'' ('' Star Trek: Voyager'') * Novels based in the ''

Stargate Atlantis ''Stargate Atlantis'' (usually stylized in all caps and often abbreviated ''SGA'') is an Adventure film, adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate, ''Stargate'' franchise. The show was created by Brad W ...

'' universe ** ''Homecoming'', with

, 2010 (book 1 of the Legacy series) ** ''Allegiance'', with Amy Griswold, 2011 (book 3 of the Legacy Series) ** ''Secrets'', with

, 2012 (book 5 of the Legacy Series) ** ''The Inheritors'', with

, 2013 (book 6 of the Legacy Series) ** ''Third Path'', 2015 (book 8 of the Legacy Series) * Novels based in the ''

Stargate SG-1 ''Stargate SG-1'' (often stylized in all caps, or abbreviated ''SG-1'') is a military science fiction Adventure fiction, adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate, ''Stargate'' franchise. The show, created by Brad Wrig ...

'' universe ** ''Moebius Squared'', with

, 2012 ** ''Ouroboros'', 2013 * Novels based on '' gen:Lock'' ** ''Storm Warning'', 2020

Nonfiction

* ''Conceiving the Heavens: Creating the Science Fiction Novel'' (1997)

References

External links

*
Melissa Scott's old blog

Melissa Scott's older blog
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Scott, Melissa 1960 births 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American women writers 21st-century American novelists 21st-century American women writers American fantasy writers American lesbian writers American LGBTQ novelists American science fiction writers American women novelists Brandeis University alumni Cyberpunk writers Harvard College alumni John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer winners Lambda Literary Award winners LGBTQ people from Arkansas Living people American women science fiction and fantasy writers Writers from Little Rock, Arkansas