Patricia "Pat" Christine Hodgell (born March 16, 1951) is an American

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, ...

writer and former academic. Hodgell taught in the English Department at

University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh The University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh (UW Oshkosh or UWO) is a public university in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States. It is part of the University of Wisconsin System and offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs to around 13,0 ...

, but retired in 2006 to pursue a full-time writing career. She has won several awards for her works.

Academic career

Hodgell holds a master's in English literature and a doctorate in 19th-century English literature, both earned at the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...

. She completed her Ph.D. and subsequent dissertation on Sir Walter Scott's ''Ivanhoe'' between the publication of her first two fantasy novels, ''God Stalk'' and ''Dark of the Moon.'' She is a graduate of the

Clarion Clarion may refer to: Music * Clarion (instrument), a type of trumpet used in the Middle Ages * The Register (music), register of a clarinet that ranges from B4 to C6 * A Trumpet (organ stop), trumpet organ stop that usually plays an octave abov ...

and the Milford Writer's Workshops. In academia, Hodgell produced an audio-cassette-based course on science fiction and fantasy for the

. She taught for many years in the English Department at

, but retired in 2006 to pursue a full-time writing career. While at the University of Wisconsin, P. C. Hodgell divided her time between teaching and writing, with a strong emphasis on "anything that stirs the imagination". This included attending science fiction conventions, and hobbies such as collecting yarn, knitting, embroidering, and raising cats.

Writing

Over the years, P. C. Hodgell was published by several publishing houses. Two of her more recent publishers, Hypatia Press and Meisha Merlin, went out of business, the latter in 2007, respectively, temporarily leaving her without a venue for future works. Her work was picked up by Baen in or shortly before 2010, who published the fifth "Jame" novel, ''Bound in Blood'', and reissued the previous four books as a pair of omnibus editions, ''The God Stalker Chronicles'' and ''Seeker's Bane''. Baen has also released the novels as e-books.

Series synopsis

The Kencyr books focus on the three peoples of the Kencyrath, Highborn (leaders), Kendar (artisans and soldiers) and Arrin-Ken (cat-like judges). They were brought together thirty thousand years ago by the Three-Faced God to oppose a chaotic force called Perimal Darkling. The Kencyrath, in retreat, awaited the birth of the promised Tyr-Ridan, three who would lead the final battle against Perimal Darkling. Three thousand years have passed since the Kencyrath retreated to Rathillien following betrayal. Much diminished, they remain outsiders to the native powers of Rathillien. The Kencyrath are involved in Rathillien's native people and powers, and endure divisions between the three people and political discord between the nine major Highborn Houses. Jame (Jamethiel), a Highborn woman, enters into Rathillien after years in the Shadows of the last world to fall, with partial amnesia. She discovers that her twin brother Tori, now known as Torisen Black Lord, has regained their father's place as Highlord of the Kencyrath. She suspects from her connection to the destructive side of the Kencyr deity, that she herself may be one of the Tyr-Ridan. Her brother and her cousin Kindrie, a healer seem likely to be the other two,

avatar Avatar (, ; ) is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means . It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearance" is sometimes u ...

s of Creation and Preservation, respectively. This story is related to the betrayal of the Kencyrath by Gerridon Highlord three thousand years earlier on another world. He and his sister, Jamethiel Dream Weaver, came close to destroying the entire Kencyr host. From his house in the Shadows of the fallen world, Gerridon and his remaining adherents desire to maintain their immortality, having caused the decline of House Knorth, of which Jame, Tori and Kindrie are the last survivors. Jame also finds hidden enemies in the present day, as well.

Bibliography

God Stalker Chronicles

Novels

# ''God Stalk'', 1982 () # ''Dark of the Moon'', 1985 () # ''Seeker's Mask'', 1994 () # ''To Ride a Rathorn'', August 2006 () # ''Bound in Blood'', March 2010 () # ''Honor's Paradox'', December 2011 () # ''The Sea of Time'', June 2014 () # ''The Gates of Tagmeth'', August 2017 () # ''By Demons Possessed'', May 2019 () # ''Deathless Gods'', October 2022 ()

Omnibuses

* ''Chronicles of the Kencyrath'', 1987: contains ''God Stalk'' and ''Dark of the Moon'' () * ''Dark of the Gods'', 2000: contains ''God Stalk'',''Dark of the Moon'' and related short story "Bones" () * ''Godstalker Chronicles'', 2006: containing''God Stalk'', ''Dark of the Moon'', ''Seeker's Mask'', ''To Ride a Rathorn'', and the short story collection ''Blood and Ivory: A Tapestry'' in Baen ebook formats. * ''The God Stalker Chronicles'', 2009: contains ''God Stalk'' and ''Dark of the Moon'' () * ''Seeker's Bane'', TBP July 7, 2009 from Baen: contains ''Seeker's Mask'' and ''To Ride a Rathorn'' ()

Short story collection

* ''Blood and Ivory: A Tapestry'', 2002: contains some new stories, some previously released (hardcover: , paperback: ) ** "Hearts of Woven Shadow" ** "Lost Knots" ** "Among the Dead" ** "Child of Darkness" (Hodgell's first-ever story, set in an alternate universe when Jame and the Kencyrath arrive in a world—somewhat like ours—following a holocaust) ** "A Matter of Honor" (the story which provided the genesis for ''God Stalk'') ** "Bones" ** "Stranger Blood" (Hodgell's second story about Jame) ** "A Ballad of the White Plague" (a

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...

story)

Awards and honors

* 1987: Ph.D. in English Literature,

* Minnesota Fantasy Award ** 2008: P. C. Hodgell * Mythopoeic Fantasy Awards ** 1983: Finalist—''God Stalk'' by P. C. Hodgell ** 1986: Finalist—''Dark of the Moon'' by P. C. Hodgell *

Locus Award The Locus Awards are an annual set of literary awards voted on by readers of the science fiction and fantasy magazine '' Locus'', a monthly magazine based in Oakland, California. The awards are presented at an annual banquet. Originally a poll ...

** 1981: "Child of Darkness", Nominee for Best Short Story ** 1983: ''God Stalk'', Nominee for Best First Novel ** 1986: ''Dark of the Moon'', Nominee for Best Fantasy Novel * Guest of Honor at Arcana 40 in 2010, a dark fantasy convention held in St. Paul, Minnesota * Special Guest at Minicon 21 (1986), 24 (1989), and 25 (1990) * Author Guest of Honor at Capricon 10 (1990)

References

External links

P.C. Hodgell Kencyr Page

P.C. Hodgell page at In Other Worlds

Yahoo! group for discussing Hodgell's works

Groups.io group for discussing Hodgell's works

P.C. Hodgell page at her current publisher
*
Author's website

Author's LiveJournal
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hodgell, P. C. 1951 births Living people 20th-century American novelists 21st-century American novelists American fantasy writers American science fiction writers American women short story writers American women novelists Writers from Des Moines, Iowa University of Minnesota College of Liberal Arts alumni Novelists from Minnesota Novelists from Wisconsin American women science fiction and fantasy writers 20th-century American women writers 21st-century American women writers 20th-century American short story writers 21st-century American short story writers Novelists from Iowa