Kate Elliott (writer)

For the actress, see Kate Elliott (actress).
Alis A. Rasmussen
Born1958 (age 65–66)
Pen nameKate Elliott
OccupationWriter
NationalityAmerican
Period1980s–present
GenreFantasy, science fiction
SpouseJay Silverstein

Kate Elliott is the pen name of American fantasy and science fiction writer Alis A. Rasmussen (born 1958).[1]

Writing

Although Rasmussen's first novels The Labyrinth Gate (1988) and The Highroad (1990) (a science fiction trilogy) failed to become bestsellers, additional publishers liked her manuscripts. However, they wanted a fresh name unconnected with the sales figures of the previous books. Starting in 1992 under the new name of Kate Elliott, her sales have flourished.[2] The Crown of Stars series has been featured in the Science Fiction Book Club.

Elliott published the first of her Jaran series in 1992, although she began the first draft in 1980. Heather Massey's review of Jaran describes it as "a science fiction romance classic",[3] while Todd Richmond in an SF Site review calls the series "an epic masterpiece".[4] The Highroad (as Alis Rasmussen) trilogy is set in the same universe as Jaran as a prequel.[5]

The 1996 collaboration between Elliott, Melanie Rawn, and Jennifer Roberson on The Golden Key was coordinated primarily via fax machine.[6]

In 2020, Elliott published Unconquerable Sun, the first novel in a gender-bending space opera trilogy based on Alexander the Great.[7]

Personal life

A native of Junction City, Oregon, Rasmussen moved to Oakland, California to attend Mills College. There she became active in the Society for Creative Anachronism where she pursued medieval sword fighting.

Rasmussen, her archaeologist husband Jay Silverstein, and their three children live in Hawaii.[8][9]

Bibliography

As Alis A. Rasmussen

  • The Labyrinth Gate (1988) fantasy, ISBN 0-671-69793-5
  • The Highroad Trilogy science fiction
    1. A Passage of Stars, Open Road Media Sci-Fi & Fantasy (1990), ISBN 0-553-28372-3
    2. Revolution's Shore (1990), ISBN 0-553-28544-0
    3. The Price of Ransom (1990), ISBN 0-553-28788-5

As Kate Elliott

Short stories

  • "My Voice Is In My Sword" in Weird Tales from Shakespeare (1994), reprinted in Apex Magazine (2015)
  • "The Memory of Peace" in Enchanted Forests (1995)
  • "A Simple Act of Kindness" in The Shimmering Door (1996)
  • "With God to Guard Her" in Return to Avalon (1996)
  • "The Gates of Joriun" in Tarot Fantastic (1997)
  • "Making the World Live Again" in Zodiac Fantastic (1997)
  • "Sunseeker" in 30th Anniversary DAW Books Science Fiction (2002)
  • "Riding the Shore of the River of Death" in A Fantasy Medley (2009), reprinted in Epic: Legends of Fantasy (2012)
  • "Leaf and Branch and Grass and Vine" in Fearsome Journeys (2013)
  • "Everything in the World Wants Something" in Book Smugglers (2017)
  • "A Compendium of Architecture and the Science of Building" in Lightspeed Magazine (2018)
  • "The Tinder Box" at Tor.com (2021)
  • The Very Best of Kate Elliott (2015) short story collection

References

  1. ^ D'Ammassa, Don (2006). Encyclopedia of Fantasy and Horror Fiction. New York: Infobase Publishing. p. 105. ISBN 0-8160-6192-0.
  2. ^ "Hi. I'm SF/F writer Kate Elliott. AMA". Reddit. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  3. ^ Massey, Heather. "An Oldie But A Goodie: JARAN by Kate Elliott". The Galaxy Express. Retrieved 2021-05-23.
  4. ^ "The SF Site Featured Review: The Novels of the Jaran: Jaran, An Earthly Crown, His Conquering Sword, The Law of Becoming". The SF Site. Retrieved 2021-05-23.
  5. ^ Walton, Jo (2010-08-09). "Aliens, Steppe Nomads, and just the right amount of romance: Kate Elliott's Jaran". Tor.com. Retrieved 2021-05-23.
  6. ^ Watson, Chris (September 6, 1996). "Tag team fiction". Santa Cruz Sentinel. p. 43.
  7. ^ Jones, Mary M. (May 8, 2020). "The Future is Female". Publishers Weekly. Vol. 267, no. 19. p. 73. ProQuest 2400132120.
  8. ^ "The Official Kate Elliott Website". SFF.net. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  9. ^ "Book Notes". The Register-Guard (Eugene, Oregon). October 8, 2006. p. G4. ProQuest 377825446.