James Tiptree, Jr. Award
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The James Tiptree, Jr. Award is an annual literary prize for works of science fiction or fantasy that expand or explore our understanding of gender. It was initiated in February of 1991 by SF authors Pat Murphy and Karen Joy Fowler, subsequent to a discussion at WisCon (the world's only feminist-oriented science fiction convention).
The award is named for Alice B. Sheldon, who wrote under the pseudonym James Tiptree, Jr. "By her impulsive choice of a masculine pen name, Sheldon helped break down the imaginary barrier between 'women's writing' and 'men's writing.' Her fine stories were eagerly accepted by publishers and won many awards in the field. Many years later, after she had written some other work under the female pen name of Raccoona Sheldon, it was generally discovered that she was female. The discovery led to a great deal of discussion of what aspects of writing, if any, are essentially gendered. The name, 'Tiptree' was selected to illustrate the complex role of gender in writing and reading."
Fundraising efforts for the Tiptree have included publications and feminist bake sales.
Winners
- 2003: Set This House In Order: A Romance Of Souls by Matt Ruff
- 2002: Light by M. John Harrison and "Stories for Men" by John Kessel
- 2001: The Kappa Child by Hiromi Goto
- 2000: Wild Life by Molly Gloss
- 1999: The Conqueror's Child by Suzy McKee Charnas
- 1998: "Congenital Agenesis of Gender Ideation" by Raphael Carter
- 1997: Black Wine by Candas Jane Dorsey and "Travels With The Snow Queen" by Kelly Link
- 1996: "Mountain Ways" by Ursula K. Le Guin, and The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
- 1995: Waking The Moon by Elizabeth Hand and The Memoirs Of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Theodore Roszak
- 1994: "The Matter of Seggri" by Ursula K. Le Guin and Larque on the Wing by Nancy Springer
- 1993: Ammonite by Nicola Griffith
- 1992: China Mountain Zhang by Maureen F. McHugh
- 1991: A Woman of the Iron People by Eleanor Arnason, and White Queen by Gwyneth Jones
See also
- Gender role
- Gender and sexuality studies
- Sex in science fiction
- Women in science fiction
- Women science fiction authors
External links
- James Tiptree, Jr. Literary Award Council (http://www.tiptree.org/)
- "On James Tiptree, Alice Sheldon and bake sales", by Karen Joy Fowler (http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue22/tiptree.html)